Shadows of Discovery by Brenda K. Davies

Chapter Forty-Four

Lexi had never been moreexhausted in her life. She didn’t think she would ever move again, and it was more than being tired as every one of her muscles was limp and useless. She wasn’t sure she had bones anymore.

But her brain would not shut off. Cole had claimed her as his mate. Ever since he told her what she was to him, Lexi had known it was only a matter of time before it happened, and she’d wanted it, but she should have told him about Orin first.

Now, he could not take the claiming bite back, and he had no idea of this giant secret she harbored from him. Would he see it as a big betrayal?

There was a good possibility he would, and she couldn’t blame him if he did. She would be pissed if their roles were reversed, but she hadn’t expected him to claim her tonight. She’d assumed there would be a warning before it happened.

She should have known that one day, he wouldn’t be able to control himself. If he decided to have nothing to do with her when he learned the truth, he would regret this claim.

She opened her mouth to tell him everything before closing it again. His father’s memorial service was tomorrow, and his coronation was the following day. It was already too late to change anything, and he had enough to deal with over the next two days.

Unburdening herself now would only ease her guilt, but it would do nothing to make anything better for him. It would only make it worse as there was nothing he could do about Orin until the memorial and coronation were over.

She would tell him after the coronation and deal with the consequences then. Until then, she would do her best to be here for him.

Cole ran his fingers through her hair before caressing the edge of his bite. “Does it hurt?”

“No,” she said.

“I’m sorry I was so rough with you.”

Lifting her head, she propped it on her hand and smiled at him. “It’s not anything I couldn’t handle, and did you hear me complaining?”

He quirked an eyebrow as he let her hair fall from his fingers and settle against her back.

“Besides,” she said as she kissed his nose, “I liked it.”

His blue eyes flashed with silver. After everything he’d done to her, she hadn’t considered it possible for him to feel desire again so soon; she was wrong.

“Is that so?” he murmured as he ran a finger over her bottom lip.

She didn’t respond as her pulse quickened. She hadn’t believed it possible for her to feel desire again so soon either, but he was proving her wrong.

However, she couldn’t stifle a yawn as the moons dipped lower in the sky.

“You’re exhausted,” he said.

“I am,” she admitted.

He settled his hand on the small of her back and turned onto his back. Planting his feet, he rose in a fluid motion she would have considered impossible. She marveled at his strength and grace as he lowered her to the ground.

She shivered when he stepped away. Wrapping her arms around herself, she couldn’t suppress a yawn as he retrieved her clothes and handed them to her.

Taking her jeans, she pulled them on and shoved her ruined underwear into her pocket before slipping on her bra. She was about to pull on her shirt, but she paused when she glimpsed her reflection in the mirror.

Her hands froze and her mouth parted as she gazed at his bite mark on her shoulder. Only two of his fang marks were visible, but she assumed the two on her back were doing the same thing as the ones on her front.

And that thing was glowing a brilliant silver that matched the color of the moons.

“Oh,” she whispered as her fingers brushed the bite.

Cole came to stand behind her. His hands slid around to clasp her fingers as they settled on the edge of the bite.

“Is that normal?” she asked.

“Yes. When a lycan claims their mate, they inject a serum into them that marks them as theirs. The wounds will take longer than normal to heal too.”

“I didn’t know that.”

“Does it bother you?”

“No.” And it didn’t. “But it’s… really strange. I mean, I’m glowing.”

“The glow will fade once you’re away from the moonlight. But beneath the moon, my mark will be evident on you.”

She liked that idea. The bite was ethereal but also beautiful.

“Do you wish I hadn’t claimed you? I should have asked first, but I….”

His words trailed off. She knew it would be difficult, if not impossible, for him to admit he lost control.

“I’m glad you did,” she assured him.

She just hoped he didn’t come to regret it.

Lexi pushed her morose ruminations aside and rested her palm against his cheek. “I love you.”

He bent to kiss his mark. “I love you too.”

His warm breath against the bite caused her toes to curl. Then he pulled away, kissed her cheek, and stepped back. When he turned away, she glimpsed his ribs through his skin. She’d never seen them before.

“Cole?” When he looked back to her, his eyes shone with love, and a small smile curved his lips. “How bad were the trials?”

The emotion instantly left his face, and a callousness settled over his eyes. When he turned away, she grasped his arm.

“Talk to me,” she whispered.

“I cannot reveal much about them. The survivors are the only ones who know what the trials entail, and it is our secret to keep.”

“You mean your burden to bear.”

He didn’t reply.

“Maybe so, but you can still tell me something,” she said. “You look good, but you’ve lost weight, and I can tell the trials have changed you.”

He pulled his arm away, retrieved his pants, pulled them on, and buttoned them before looking at her with the emotion of a shark.

“They were difficult, but I survived, and I came out stronger because of it.”

“I can tell,” she murmured as she studied him. “I can feel the increase of your power from here, but how bad was it?”

“They are not something easily survived.”

She suspected that was probably a huge understatement as she pulled on her shirt. “You look well.”

“I look this way because I survived. The shadows healed me before I left the trials behind. I never would have let you see me otherwise.”

Lexi bit her lip at this revelation. She had no doubt he’d been as eager to see her as she was him, but if he would have kept her away, then he must have looked really bad.

What happened in there?

No matter how badly she craved the answer, she would never get it. Walking over, she wrapped her arms around his waist and rested her head on his chest. Beneath her ear, she listened to the solid, reassuring beat of his heart as his arms enveloped her.

“Come on,” he said. “Let’s get you up to my rooms and in bed. You need to rest.”

“So do you.”

“I’m fine.”

“Maybe I should stay in a guestroom or something.”

“No,” he bit out.

“You have to sleep, Cole.”

“And I will. But I just got you back, and I’m not going to part with you again.”

Lexi sighed, but in truth, she didn’t want to be apart from him either.

Before she could say anything more, he swept her into his arms and carried her across the room. She draped her arms around his shoulders and settled her head in the hollow of his neck. As the warmth and strength of him enveloped her, she closed her eyes.

When he opened the door and stepped into the hall, she recalled the bag she brought with her. “Oh,” she said as she lifted her head from his shoulder. “My bag. I forgot all about it. I left it in the main hall.”

“I’m sure one of the helots has discovered it and taken it to my room. If not, I will locate it in the morning.”

“Okay,” she murmured and rested her head against him once more.

He didn’t seem to feel the weight of her in his arms as he strode down the hallway and up a set of stone stairs that twisted as they rose higher. His breathing never increased though the added burden of her in his arms had to be tiring.

When they arrived at his rooms, she wasn’t sure what floor they were on, but he’d never broken a sweat. He opened the door and kicked it shut behind him before carrying her into his bedroom. Her bag sat on his bed.