At least he was behind her now. He wouldn’t catch her next time. She just had to keep moving.

No more walking. Keep to public transportation and flights.

Because if he finally did manage to catch her, she might just do something stupid like go with him.

Chloe woke up from a horrible nightmare. She’d been attacked and bitten by some nasty green demon. It’d cut her stomach open and she’d died while writhing in agony.

She sat up in bed, looking around frantically. It took a second for it to register that she was in Tyrian’s room. Well, she supposed she was making some leeway with him then.

Grimacing, her stomach tight with pain, she dropped her legs to the floor.

“What the...” She looked down at her stomach and gasped. Holy shit, it’d been real!

Suddenly, everything flashed in her mind, coming together like a puzzle. She remembered the incredible sex with Tyrian. Her hand fluttered to her neck. He’d bitten her. He’d told her about the crow brand on his back. He’d actually opened up to her. And she liked him even more now.

Dammit.

She stood from the bed, wincing. The door flew open and the man of her thoughts was there, a frown on his face. She loved that frown; it was so much better than seeing the passive, stoic look he usually had. She smiled at him and stumbled into his arms. His came around hers easily. She was definitely making progress.

“Wanna tell me why I feel like a baby trying to walk for the first time?”

“It’s from the trauma. You were poisoned by an idummi. Nanu saved you before any serious damage was done. You were given painkillers and a sedative to help you sleep. You are probably just feeling the after effects from that.”

“What kind of serious damage?” she asked quietly. His eyes widened. A dark look

flashed over them, and then she knew.

“I almost died, didn’t?” He nodded. Chloe gulped and looked away as tears pooled in her eyes.

“Lily is here.” The tears dried up just like that.

“What? How? When? I want to see her now.” She started for the door, but he stopped

her.

“You should not see her while naked.”

Chloe looked down at herself and grinned. She looked at the bathroom, which seemed

miles away and shrugged one shoulder. “I can’t do it.” Her legs were going to give out at any second she knew it.

“I will help you,” Tyrian said, his face pulled back into that unreadable mask she hated.

Chloe glared at him, wishing she could figure him out, then nodded. He scooped her up as if she weighed nothing and took her into the bathroom. He set her on the toilet before he started filling the bathtub. “Do you think you can bathe by yourself in the tub?”

Chloe debated it then lied, “No.” His shoulders bunched up.

“Fine.” He picked her up again and set her into the hot, steamy water. Chloe sighed in bliss and wanted to close her eyes and go back to sleep. The soft rustle of a washcloth across her ankle had her eyes flinging open.

“Oh, you don’t have to—” It was a weak protest to say the least.

“It was my duty to protect you. It would be my honor to care for you now.” Chloe’s

eyebrows shot up. She’d never heard of such a duty before, but seeing the Commander of the Atal Warriors on his knees cleaning her was priceless. She nodded for him to continue, feeling every bit like a queen, and laid back to watch him.

He soaked the cloth until it bubbled with white frothy suds then cleaned her feet. She giggled and squirmed away, but he only snatched her foot back with one big hand and cleaned it until she was full out laughing.

“Stop it! Stop it, please!” Shaking his head grimly, he finished with the other foot. Chloe smiled languidly at him. “You know you’re very handsome.” His head stopped shaking, his brow furrowed. “Oh come on, you must know you have a killer body. What’s with the gauze on me, by the way?”

He soaped her calf and knee, gently removing the wet gauze as he did. “Our healer Nanu had to make specific cuts in order to drain some of the blood from your body,” he said, soaping the cloth again. “Warriors are not attractive, Chloe. We are scarred and imperfect.” His words were laced with ice.

Chloe lifted her free knee and poked him in the chest with it. “Don’t get grumpy.

Besides, I completely disagree. Scars are a sign of your strength and courage, the pain that you’ve endured. It’s made you stronger which, at least in my eyes, makes me want to kiss you silly.” The washcloth splashed into the water. He quickly grabbed it, but not before she saw him staring at her sex, which was parted open from her knee poking him. He finished her other leg and removed the gauze behind her knee.

“The new moon has passed,” she said softly, thinking about how the edginess was no

longer there. “I would still have you, Tyrian.” Was she laying herself out there? Yes. Was he going to reject her? She was certain. So why the hell was she doing it? She had no flipping clue, but it might have something to do with the way her heart skipped every single time she was around him.

His jaw flexed in the barest of movements. “That is not a good idea. I’ve already decided that you and I will no longer...participate in those activities.”

“Oh please, as if I haven’t heard that before. I don’t understand you, Tyrian. I like you. I actually like you. I think there was a reason my papa left me to you. Against all his teachings about raising self-serving, independent woman, he left me to you, gave me no choice in the greatest event of my future. Papa wouldn’t do that for nothing, wouldn’t do it if it wasn’t for a great reason.” She hoped.

“People make mistakes all the time.” He grabbed her hand and started soaping and

rubbing her hands and between her fingers. She moaned as her muscles relaxed blissfully. Chloe watched him work, then squinted as she realized his cheeks held more color than usual.

“Do you become flushed from feeding?” His eyes jerked to hers.

“What do you mean?” he asked icily.

She ignored his unwelcoming tone and traced her fingertips over the heat of his cheek.

“You’re flushed. Is it the bath water? Or am I just that sexy? Maybe it’s from when you drank from me?” A flush of her own crept over her cheeks.

He looked down at her stomach and started washing it gently. “The water.”

“Oh,” she said softly. “So you actually brought Lily here?”

“Yes.” She smiled again. He had no idea how sweet he was. He was trying so hard to

come off as mean and uncaring but instead she saw his caring nature in spades.

“Do you feel well enough to go back to Telal’s? The demon has news for us. I would like you to be there in case he has any questions for you.”

Chloe nibbled on her lip and wondered what Lily would think of meeting the infamous demon—a whole year before she would be his.

“Yes, I should be good to go. Do you really think he’ll be able to help us figure out how to kill this demon that’s following me?”

Tyrian nodded. “If anyone can, it’s him. He knows more about myths, legends, and

demonic lore than anyone I know.”

“Oh, so he’s like a librarian type.” Chloe had a hard time picturing the blue-haired, golden-skinned demon reading a book. He looked too hardcore, like he should be riding a motorcycle in a black leather jacket, while drinking a beer and smoking a cigar at the same time.

Though now that she thought about it, he was wearing an expensive looking suit when she met him. Guess he really was more of the stiff type. What a shame. Lily always loved men in leather.

“Yes, he comes from a royal family in the nether-realm. That, too, is one of the reasons he has been allowed to stay atop the rift.” Chloe tried hard to picture the stiff demon with her wild, bold sister and couldn’t. It’d be a mess of a relationship, if that was even what they tried to have.