She struggled and pushed and yelled.
He yanked hard.
It felt like the end. Blackness invaded her vision. Acid climbed from her stomach into her throat.
Pain tore through her arm and shoulder like a wildfire in a dry forest. His mouth was on hers, drowning out her scream. His whole body was against hers. He was warm and smelled of woodsmoke and lappin trees, but he was hurting her.
He’d said he wouldn’t hurt her. Except he was only hurting her to fix her arm. At least so far. There wasn’t a way to fix it without pain.
She felt the joint go back into place. The pain eased. Not much, but at least enough that the blackness receded along with the stomach acid threatening her dry mouth.
He pulled back from her lips, his breathing sporadic and panting. Then he withdrew from the couch completely, crouching on the floor at her feet instead. One of his hands rested on her uninjured thigh.
“Pants next.” He was calm. How was he so calm?
She shook her head and wiped away the tears that had fallen unbidden by the pain.
“You lied.” Lorelei’s voice was scratchy and broken.
He shook his head. “I didn’t cause the harm. I’m trying to fix it.”
“Why did you put your mouth on me?” She wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. His taste was still there and she liked it, which pissed her off even more. She would never dream of betraying Tallix. “You’re the same as them.” Her angry tone punched at him with each word.
His eyes glittered more golden, but he didn’t visually react in any other way. His face remained peaceful and still and his movements, except for the strength and skill he’d revealed to fix her arm, were also slow and methodical.
“They are hunting. You were loud.”
Lorelei opened her mouth to say something and then shut it to consider what he’d revealed. “You’re not with Rivian.”
The male shook his head, enough to answer her question.
Had he been meeting up with them? And now he’d taken her and was what…hiding her from them?
Rivian was going to be furious that this male had taken her. Stealing her from Tallix was the worst kind of torture and Rivian knew it. Her brother-in-law would rather she be dead than free to return to Tallix. He’d hunt her until that became truth. He’d tried and failed to take her years ago when she’d first become his brother’s queen.
Somehow, he’d finally succeeded. Why couldn’t she remember how he’d done it?
“He won’t stop,” she said. “He’ll never stop.”
Saul’s eyes glowed bright gold. “No female should be treated as they were treating you. They will never touch you again.”
“Just you?” Her malice made her words sharp as claws.
The gold faded from Saul’s eyes and they got a faraway distant and painful look. So much pain Lorelei could feel it echoing in her own chest.
He shook his head and reached for the button on her pants. “After your wounds have been treated, I will not touch you again unless it is necessary for your safety.”
He won’t touch me again. The prospect, to her surprise, was sour in her mind. His touch so far had been pleasant, past the yanking of her arm back into place. Her body craved a kind touch after the day she’d had. That was all it was. Right?
She shook the unwanted desires from her head and stared him down.
Saul was a means to an end.
She needed to get back to Tallix. She needed this male to keep Rivian and his warriors at bay. But Saul was only one male. Odds were not in their favor. And she didn’t even know where she was.
“Pants.” He said again, his hand gripping the sides of the strange clothes wrapped around her lower body. They were ruined. The holes in them were fraying at the edges and soon they’d be absolutely no good against the raging cold wind outside. Blood meant claws had gone deep into her skin.
She raised her butt an inch or so and he pulled, tugging down the clothing he called ‘pants’. The inner layer of pants was removed at the same time.
The cool air on her bare ass made her suck in a quick breath. He was so close to her. She couldn’t help but tremble slightly.
His gaze was focused on her bare mound for a second before the trance was broken. He breathed in deeply and then stood, backing away from her. “I’m s-sorry.” He stumbled over his words. A familiar glint flared in his eyes and his soul—hatred, anger, rage.
They were all present.
Lorelei could feel them like boulders crashing into her chest.
“They beat you…” His voice cracked like ice chunks breaking up on a frozen river. His lip curled up into a violent snarl. His fangs came down and his eyes glowed bright again. “Starved you.”
He was truly offended for her. Angry at them. Furious.
She wanted to believe that this male was different. That maybe he was honorable and not associated with Rivian and his lust for power and dominance. Maybe he would help her get home.
She glanced down at her bruised hips. Bruises littered her skin. Some were fresh and black. Others were yellowed and fading.
She was thin. So much thinner than she should be. But it didn’t make sense. She didn’t remember being hurt.
Yesterday she’d been in her home. In bed with her mate. None of this made sense…unless she’d lost time.
Tears pricked her eyes again.“I don’t remember what happened.” Her voice was so soft.
Saul plucked the blanket she’d been under from the cushion next to her and draped it over her body to cover her nakedness.
She sat there quietly. He wasn’t going to beat her or humiliate her on purpose. He wasn’t going to force himself on her. He would’ve already.
Saul pulled her clothing nearly to her ankles, baring her legs from midway down her thighs. The ugly claw marks were deep, and she had no idea why she wasn’t in more pain. She should be. She should be screaming and fighting and demanding that this male take her home.
Instead she sat there in front of a stranger and hoped he didn’t hurt her too.
“Those look terrible.” Her voice came out so flat.
He dabbed some antiseptic on them gently, but she didn’t flinch. Even when it stung. Then placed gauze over the angry red, oozing welts, and taped it down.
“What tribe are you?” Lorelei asked, her tone still quiet.
“My family name is Di’Mara.”
She closed her eyes, thinking. The name wasn’t familiar. She didn’t know his family name or what tribe he belonged to, but it wasn’t Rivian’s.
At least she hoped it wasn’t.
She opened her eyes and met his solid gaze. “I need to get back home.” She was still careful not to mention her mate, her name, or anything else. If she was seeing a soul call—the glow from his soul, then he was seeing the same in her, yet he was behaving as though he was not.
“Did Rivian and his warriors steal you from your home?”
The pain in his eyes made sense now. He’d lost someone.
“Yes,” she answered. “I need you to help me get back.”
“For now you rest. Naomi will know what to do to help you.” The ache in his voice pained her far more than it should’ve. She shouldn’t care how he felt. He was not a soulmate. She had a soulmate and she needed to get back to him.