Deadly Seduction (Feral Protectors 3) by Liv Brywood

leaving unless Nosh sends me away. Above everything else, he needs rest. So if you’re not here to help, get out.”
    Nosh’s lips twitched into a ghost of a smile. If he’d had enough energy to talk, he would have thanked her for speaking up. But right now, all he wanted to do was sleep.
    His eyelids drifted down but not before he watched Mazus and Lucian leave. The black snake from the vision sat coiled at the entrance to the room. He knew it wasn’t really there, but the bottomless pits where its eyes should have been still glowed with malicious intent. It stared at him as if daring him to fall back into the nightmarish dreamscape.
     

 
    Chapter 5
     
    The next morning, Nosh woke to the sound of Gwen humming softly. She was on her knees bent over a pot stirring something that smelled amazing. His stomach rumbled. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d been this ravenous. The dreamless sleep had worked wonders.
    He glanced toward the door to check the shadows. The snake was gone but the eerie warning still lay heavy on his heart. He didn’t know what it meant yet, so he hoped another vision would give him more information.
    “You’re awake.”
    He turned toward Gwen. Backlit by the fire, her hair glowed with ethereal beauty. Her bright blue eyes surveyed his body for a moment before she blushed and turned back to the pot.
    “I feel so much better,” he said.
    “The fever finally broke. I’m not sure why it took so long, but I’m glad the worst is over.”
    He scooted to the edge of the bed and rolled onto his side. When he tried to sit up, his leg twitched and a flash of pain sliced through the center of it. The skin had started to heal, but there was a long way to go. He wasn’t sure that Akila’s assessment of it only taking a few days was accurate.
    Gwen approached with a bowl of steaming stew. He took it from her. “Thank you. This smells incredible.”
    Bits of meat, vegetables and spices melted in his mouth. He wanted to moan with pleasure, but restrained himself. He didn’t want act like a hedonistic fool in front of her.
    “I’m glad you’re finally awake. You were out for two days.”
    He looked up. “Two days?”
    “It was touch and go for a while. You were talking in your sleep.”
    “What did I say?”
    “Something about black eyes and a fox. It sounded like some kind of Native American myth but you weren’t coherent so I’m not sure.”
    “Oh.” He was tempted to tell her about the vision but he didn’t want to scare her. He’d been delirious, and besides, the vision might have just been a side effect of having a high fever.
    She crossed the room to stand by his side. “Um, so I’m not sure how to say this...”
    “What?”
    She shifted her weight from one foot to the other. “You need a bath.”
    He raised his arm and sniffed. “I guess I do.”
    “So… um, since you can’t get to the river…”
    He arched a brow. “Sponge bath?”
    The flush on her cheeks glowed even brighter. “I could get someone else. Maybe one of the guys.”
    He laughed and set the empty bowl on the edge of the bed. “No way. I’d never hear the end of it.”
    She picked up the bowl and fidgeted. “So, I guess I’m going to have to do it?”
    The way she phrased the question was absolutely adorable. His heart swelled with admiration. She was clearly not comfortable with the task, but she was willing to do it anyway.
    “I’ll be a good patient.”
    Her eyes widened. “Oh, I didn’t mean anything—”
    “It’s okay. I was just kidding. Honestly, I think I’ll feel a lot better after I get cleaned up.”
    A puff of breath flew out of her lips and relief flattened the lines in her forehead. “I’ll be fast.”
    “You don’t have to be fast, just thorough.” The second the sentence flew out of his mouth, he regretted it. Thorough… really? Don’t be a jackass.
    The bowl shook in her trembling fingers. “Lucian will be back with some more water in a few minutes.”
    She spun