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“I have you, Little Drownling,” Rythos murmured reassuring me, his voice vibrating through his chest and into my own.

My body wanted to betray me, every tight, trembling muscle begging to surrender against him despite the war raging inside my heart.

My fists slammed into his chest. My body thrashed, but he held me tighter while Solas and Aldric rushed towards us.

“Sweetheart—”

“Your reunion will wait.” Rythos spoke over the top of Solas’s concern, turning his back to him and carrying me away.

I gasped, his scent igniting every starving part of me.

No. No!

He would die faster if I kept loving him.

With a feral cry, I twisted violently in his arms, shoving against his chest as power burst from my body in a savage wave.

The blast ripped a strangled groan from his chest. He staggered, one knee threatening to buckle as his arms loosened just enough for my stomach to lurch.

“I have you,” he soothed, jaw clenching as if he were trying to mask his own pain.

Why couldn’t he have just fucking killed me when he found me at Stonebriar?

“Aldric and Solas are safe, love. Let’s get you cleaned up and dressed,” he whispered and planted a kiss to the top of my head.

As if I hadn’t married another male.

Bonded another male.

Fucked another male.

“You are meant to hate me!” I shouted, striking his chest again. “You should have killed me like you were supposed to.”

Rythos tightened his hold on me as though he could somehow shield me from my anger. “Stop,” he murmured, pressing his cheek briefly against my damp hair as he nudged open the narrow wooden door with his shoulder.

“And where,” Helion drawled from behind us, “would you be taking my wife?”

Rythos’ stride faltered.

His jaw flexed once.

Twice.

I fell quiet, struggling to pry his hand off my body with my fingers.

Gods, his hands were so fucking big.

Silence stretched taut between them, thin as a blade. His expression didn’t change, but every muscle beneath my body hardened until it felt as though I were being carried by carved stone instead of flesh.

They couldn’t fight. Not again.

There would be no winner.

I slowly stopped struggling and met Rythos’ gaze, silently begging him to understand. He couldn't kill Helion. Our lives were intertwined, but that wasn't the only reason terror clawed at my chest. Somewhere along the way, the god I'd sworn to hate had become someone I couldn't bear to lose.

His brows drew together for the briefest heartbeat, darkness bleeding through his eyes before he exhaled through his nose and something softer settled behind his eyes.

He gave the smallest nod, one that made my heart ache.