a stern voice that she rarely heard from him.
“I’ll join you when I’m ready.”
He grabbed her arm and forced her around.
“Stop it!” Leila protested. Her hands caught against the stone wall to keep herself from stumbling face-first into the rock.
With the dildo still in hand, he swept aside her long curtain of hair. “Damn it. I didn’t know about this.”
Leila jerked free and spun around. “It’s nothing!”
“Nothing?” Kam’s voice rose. “Someone whipped the skin right off you!” His eyes revealed his sudden realization. “The ones who initiated you did this. They left the scars.” He spoke the words in the form of a statement, not a question.
He knew. He lowered his voice, and compassion shone in his eyes again, like the Kam she knew and loved as her friend.
“Our healing cream won’t remove the marks?”
“No,” she answered, trying not to sound defeated. “They run too deep. It helped, but only to a degree since…”
“Since you couldn’t self-heal.” Kam turned and left the bath.
Leila’s anger, frustration, and overwhelming sadness broke free. She kicked over a pot with a Purple Starleaf in it. Ironic, considering Starleaf plants gave off a calming agent.
A tear slid down her cheek, and she swiped it away. “I can’t blame him for leaving. I’m hideous. I’m—”
No! She raised her chin, not about to put herself through more emotional turmoil. This is not my fault!
“I look the way I look, Kam. Get over it,” she said to no one in particular. She grabbed a drying cloth and dried her body, and as much of her hair as she could, then she donned her favorite white, fuzzy cover-up.
She entered the bedchamber and stopped short. Erik materialized beside Kam, fully clothed, which looked odd since Kam still stood naked. They spoke a moment, then quietly argued about something, most likely her condition. She couldn’t make out most of their words.
So, Erik actually was part of the Alliance, too. She felt disappointed that he hadn’t entered the shower instead of Kam. Maybe he thought Kam a calming presence given her wariness and allowed him to approach her first. Well, neither of them would want her now. And that was fine. She didn’t care.
Liar.
She swiped away another tear, before anyone noticed.
Erik pushed Kam.
“Hey!” She rushed forward. “What’s going on?”
Neither man said anything. They just stared at each other with fire in their eyes.
Without warning, Erik turned and dragged her into his arms. He kissed her soundly, for just a moment, then released her. When she teetered backward, and her hands sought purchase, both men reached out to steady her.
“Point made, Erik,” Kam said. “Even if done a bit barbarically.”
“Next time, I’ll rip off your head. And I’m not necessarily speaking about the one on top of your shoulders.”
Confusion filled her. They stared at each other like mortal enemies. Whatever was going on had to be a male thing. She touched her mouth, still tingling from Erik’s kiss. His spicy taste lingered. She drew her tongue along her lips, trying to capture the unique flavor.
Erik’s head turned, and his eyes met hers. She quickly slid her tongue back into her mouth. A look she couldn’t discern, almost like possession, crossed his face. No man had ever looked at her like she belonged to him. Her independent nature bristled at the thought, but deep down something about the idea warmed her and made her feel complete.
Kam had certainly told him of her damaged back, given the intensity of their conversation. She wondered about his thoughts. She normally applied skin patches to the scars, which made them virtually undetectable, even on naked flesh. But she hadn’t had time, not expecting the re-initiation to take place without notice.
The air by the door shimmered. Braden materialized in. A moment later, Torque followed. Kam must have called them. Shit.
“What’s the problem?” Braden asked.
“Limp already, boys?
“I’ll join you when I’m ready.”
He grabbed her arm and forced her around.
“Stop it!” Leila protested. Her hands caught against the stone wall to keep herself from stumbling face-first into the rock.
With the dildo still in hand, he swept aside her long curtain of hair. “Damn it. I didn’t know about this.”
Leila jerked free and spun around. “It’s nothing!”
“Nothing?” Kam’s voice rose. “Someone whipped the skin right off you!” His eyes revealed his sudden realization. “The ones who initiated you did this. They left the scars.” He spoke the words in the form of a statement, not a question.
He knew. He lowered his voice, and compassion shone in his eyes again, like the Kam she knew and loved as her friend.
“Our healing cream won’t remove the marks?”
“No,” she answered, trying not to sound defeated. “They run too deep. It helped, but only to a degree since…”
“Since you couldn’t self-heal.” Kam turned and left the bath.
Leila’s anger, frustration, and overwhelming sadness broke free. She kicked over a pot with a Purple Starleaf in it. Ironic, considering Starleaf plants gave off a calming agent.
A tear slid down her cheek, and she swiped it away. “I can’t blame him for leaving. I’m hideous. I’m—”
No! She raised her chin, not about to put herself through more emotional turmoil. This is not my fault!
“I look the way I look, Kam. Get over it,” she said to no one in particular. She grabbed a drying cloth and dried her body, and as much of her hair as she could, then she donned her favorite white, fuzzy cover-up.
She entered the bedchamber and stopped short. Erik materialized beside Kam, fully clothed, which looked odd since Kam still stood naked. They spoke a moment, then quietly argued about something, most likely her condition. She couldn’t make out most of their words.
So, Erik actually was part of the Alliance, too. She felt disappointed that he hadn’t entered the shower instead of Kam. Maybe he thought Kam a calming presence given her wariness and allowed him to approach her first. Well, neither of them would want her now. And that was fine. She didn’t care.
Liar.
She swiped away another tear, before anyone noticed.
Erik pushed Kam.
“Hey!” She rushed forward. “What’s going on?”
Neither man said anything. They just stared at each other with fire in their eyes.
Without warning, Erik turned and dragged her into his arms. He kissed her soundly, for just a moment, then released her. When she teetered backward, and her hands sought purchase, both men reached out to steady her.
“Point made, Erik,” Kam said. “Even if done a bit barbarically.”
“Next time, I’ll rip off your head. And I’m not necessarily speaking about the one on top of your shoulders.”
Confusion filled her. They stared at each other like mortal enemies. Whatever was going on had to be a male thing. She touched her mouth, still tingling from Erik’s kiss. His spicy taste lingered. She drew her tongue along her lips, trying to capture the unique flavor.
Erik’s head turned, and his eyes met hers. She quickly slid her tongue back into her mouth. A look she couldn’t discern, almost like possession, crossed his face. No man had ever looked at her like she belonged to him. Her independent nature bristled at the thought, but deep down something about the idea warmed her and made her feel complete.
Kam had certainly told him of her damaged back, given the intensity of their conversation. She wondered about his thoughts. She normally applied skin patches to the scars, which made them virtually undetectable, even on naked flesh. But she hadn’t had time, not expecting the re-initiation to take place without notice.
The air by the door shimmered. Braden materialized in. A moment later, Torque followed. Kam must have called them. Shit.
“What’s the problem?” Braden asked.
“Limp already, boys?
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