Confused and slightly shocked, Anastasia instantly wrapped her legs around his waist and rested her face in the crook of his neck. The contact sending an electric jolt through her.

She could feel his heartbeat pounding against her chest. "Ileus…" she whispered against the skin of his neck. There was barely a hair's distance between her and his naked chest. Her hands were around his shoulders and then up to his nape, into his raven hair, where she dug her fingers in. His smell enveloped her. 

He removed her hair from the back, and stroked her back, her hair and her arms, silently. He rocked her and pressed kisses on her temple, as if in relief. 

"I don't know what happened to me." The way he caressed her, her inner storms were soothing to a gentle breeze. His heartbeat against her was like vibrations that took the negativity from her and converted it into the softest music, a melody she wanted to hum. And she shuddered at the thought that it all came naturally to her. 

He said in a soft voice, "You ate something, which had poisoned you." 

She jerked her head back to see his face. His brows were drawn together over his amber eyes. That beautiful jawline was tight and those high cheekbones… jagged like the mountain peaks she saw in the valley. Her breath hitched. When she found her voice a moment later, she squinted her eyes to see into his and said, "I ate everything you all gave…" 

"I know," he nodded and then curled his finger under her chin. "But are you feeling fine?" he asked in a worried tone, his eyes narrowed as if he was searching for something. 

She nodded. He wiped her tears. Then he asked, "You don't feel the hum of the portal?" 

"No," she shook her head as some tears fell again. 

Relieved, he took his hand at the back of her head and pressed her back in the crook of his neck, as if that was the place she belonged to. "Did you see a nightmare again?" he asked, his voice like a cool breeze over her sweat soaked body.

Her head was hurting a lot. She inhaled his misty, woodsy scent and tried to relax, closing her eyes. "I— I did. I am sorry for being such a mess," she said, feeling guilty for being so needy around him. Why was it that all the shields that she had built around her heart came down automatically when he touched her?

"You are anything but that, Ana," he said in a reassuring voice. Do you want to take this sweater out? You are sweating profusely and this sweater will only make you feel worse."

"Yes," she said, fluttering her eyelashes against the skin of his nape, making his heart take a leap to the tunnel's ceiling. 

Ileus pulled away from her and motioned her to put her hands up. At first she hesitated, but he bent to the side and pulled his shirt from nearby. She lowered her eyes and put her hands up. Ileus removed her sweater. A shudder passed through him and fangs sharpened when he saw her full round breasts for the first time. And just below the left breast there was another scar. It wasn't deep or too thick, but long, as if someone had swiped the tip of a hot iron rod over her. He shuddered and his jaws clenched. He wanted to touch her over there, but he closed his fists. 

She wondered if he flinched when he saw her scar?

Quickly he made her wear his shirt and as soon as he did that, she curled in him again like a kitten. He wrapped his hands around her. Both of them were breathing raggedly by that time. It took an eternity and a half for their hearts to stop beating like crazy. The attraction was maddening, the need to discover each other was like a frenzy. 

Moments later when he thought he had settled, he asked, "Do you want to talk about your nightmares?" 

"No… they aren't worth talking about?" she shook her head. She didn't want to go back to the nightmares. Why did she love to cling onto him? Maybe because in the entire group, no, in the past eight years, only he had shown her this kind of care… as if it was his responsibility to see to her safety. After all, what did he have to gain? 

"Would you like to lie down?" 

She shook her head again. "How long was I sleeping?" Her hand went to his chest on his dusty line of hair and then to the tattoo of a crescent moon on the right side. She traced it and then formed a star with her finger inside it. 

He stopped breathing. Her hand was like a brand on his tattooed chest. 

"I won't cite that as sleeping. You were unconscious for more than ten hours." 

"That's long!" she asked, amazed. "But I don't understand how I would get poisoned?" 

He said, "Maybe because you aren't used to this kind of food princess." 

She didn't deny it. The breads were bland. Suddenly her stomach grumbled. She chuckled. 

He kissed the tip of her nose and eased her out of his lap. "Sit here princess. Let me bring something for you." He rose to his feet. 

"Where is Nyles?" Anastasia asked, scanning the area around. 

He pointed to the left with his chin and walked away. Anastasia turned her head and her eyes flew wide open. Nyles was slumped against a column coming down from the ceiling. She was tied tight to it. How did that happen to a girl like her? She was her handmaiden who was trained to guard her. Feeling of fear skittered down her spine. She looked at Ileus who was taking out food for her from a bag and he appeared casual. Her eyes went to the bandages that were tied to his arm. There was blood over it. Her stomach roiled. It was difficult to imagine the scenario. Did Nyles attack Ileus? Blood drained from her face. Goosebumps prickled her skin. Bile rose up her throat. She watched him as he came to her with a trencher in his hand. His gaze locked with hers and she couldn't lower her eyes till he reached her. 

"H— how did you get that wound?" she pointed at his forearm, still staring in his golden eyes, which flickered a black as he clenched his jaws. She thought she saw a muscle flicker. 

He sat in front of her. "Don't worry. It will become fine soon." He gave her the glass of water. "Have this first. You need to be hydrated." 

Anastasia was feeling very thirsty and she only realized when she saw the glass of water he offered her. She gulped it entirely down her throat in one go and closed her eyes feeling great. When she opened them, she found a meat piece in front of her. She opened her mouth and took it from his hand. "Thanks." This man loved to feed her, and a disturbing thought came in her mind. Was she getting used to it? "How did you get that wound?" 

He fed her a with cheese cube. "When you were poisoned, we saw a pink froth on the corner of your mouth. I went to make an antidote for you and when I came back, Nyles wouldn't let me give it to you!" His jaw clenched in anger.

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