Eventually, I reached the hiccupping stage, and I realized Roark kept repeating something.
“Please, forgive me. Please, forgive me.”
I blearily blinked up at him, tears still seeping out of the corner of my eyes. The last I saw before I passed out, drained of energy, were his eyes squeezed shut, his face twisted in agony. Throughout the night, he never loosened his grip.
19
My eyes fluttered open, and pale blinding light speared my eyes. The damn sun. Why were my eyes swollen? I tried to reach up to rub the feeling out, but my arms wouldn’t budge. There were being held down tightly. I blinked and realized there was a heaviness on my chest. I looked down to see a head full of disheveled hair resting on my chest as if listening to my heartbeat.
Roark. Last night. Oh, God.
No, please God, tell me I didn’t sob all over the place. That kind of ugly sobbing hadn’t come out of me since I was a little girl.
My heart rate must have picked up because Roark tensed. Moving my arms, I tried to unhook his hold. I was unsuccessful, but with a final squeeze, he released me and laid back, thankfully fully clothed, to stare at the ceiling.
I surprised myself by not running out of the room. Instead, I pushed myself up against the headboard. The movement sent a pulsating sensation through my skull, and I groaned as I tilted my head against the headboard. My stomach churned and I breathed evenly through my nose.
Roark sat up. “What is it?” His eyebrows drew down over his lavender eyes, and those same eyes roved over me. Understanding came to his face. “Wolf’s bane has an adverse effect in the following mornings.”
“Feels like a hangover from multiple hells.” I groaned as the words sent a shot of pain through my skull again.
He still stared at me, watching. I fidgeted nervously under his gaze—the memories of what was said last night flashing like a flipbook through my head.
“Last night changes nothing,” I rushed to say, tripping over my words.
Instead of looking cold or angry as I expected, he gave me a bitter half-smile. “I know.”
Feeling awkward and a little mad at myself at the disappointment that shot through me, I unhooked the sheet from around me and swung my legs over the bed. The chill of the morning air made the hair on my arms raise. I reached for my jacket and slipped it on. The cute wedges lay upside down on the floor. I cleared my throat and slipped the shoes on despite my feet protesting.
“Well, it was… interesting to see you. Hope we never repeat the displeasure.” I couldn’t help the last quip as I rushed out of the beautifully sun-filtered penthouse.
It wasn’t until I was at the door that I registered Roark beside me, like a dark, menacing shadow. “Whoa, what are you doing?”
“You’re not leaving my sight. Someone knew you were Fae last night. They might be searching for you even now. You will not go back to your friends.”
My eyebrows went up, and I tilted my head, my fisted hands going straight to my waist. Oh, hell, no.
Backtracking, he tugged on his ear. “I’m protecting you. Not only is Sabine trying to get to you but some Unnatural might have been testing you by lacing your drink. I would suggest you do not return to your friends if you value their lives.” The entire time he spoke, he seemed to struggle to choose words, almost pained by the process.
As much as I wanted to stick my tongue out and turn my back on him, safety for my loved ones was the priority. My shoulders slumped. “How did they know I was Fae?”
“Like I told you last night, it’s not unusual for Unnatural club owners to spike drinks to weed out other species. They are able to pinpoint Fae by their reaction to wolf’s bane.”
“Will my friends be okay?”
“I have no idea.”
Right. No one knew how anything would affect half-breeds. They’d seemed fine when I left. Plus, Rosalind hadn’t been drinking. “I have to go back, anyway. Rian is meeting me there.”
His jaw clenched and undulated as he ground his teeth. “I will make sure he finds you. Why did you come to the human realm?”
“So, you don’t know everything,” I muttered. He remained impassive as he waited. “We have a lead on freeing magic.”
I expected him to start peppering me with questions, but surprisingly, he remained closemouthed and merely shook his head slowly. “No, there is nothing here, I’ve searched for centuries. All you are doing here is tempting Unnaturals to target you. I am sure whoever drugged you at the bar has spread the word that there are Fae in the area. You must return to Faerie. It is not safe.”
I rolled my eyes at his cynicism. “Well, maybe there was nothing you could find because this person wants to only talk to me. And they’re only visible on full moons.”
His eyebrows crinkled. “Goblins?”
I didn’t answer. Bitterness rose. “Anyway, shouldn’t you be glad about this? I mean, you and that woman have been trying to unbind magic for centuries.”
“Not at the expense of your life. Never that.” He took a step closer, invading my personal space. The abrupt closeness made me catch my breath, and I blinked up at him, off-balance. His words registered then, and I was ashamed to admit that it sent a thrill through me. Swallowing, I tried to dislodge the knot in my throat.
“Wish it had always been that way,” I tried to bite out, but it came out
