R E M
Rem awokewith stiff joints the following day. Her body ached in ways that her first, groggy thought was to recall her mother’s complaints after giving birth to Oliver.
Mom.
Opening her eyes, she stared at the ceiling until her stomach growled with enough desperation that she thought it might start eating itself.
The area between her thighs was tender. Lying under the furs, she smiled and stretched her feet and hands, wishing her bed wasn't empty. It was something she used to yearn for back in Ashmire, always desiring a husband to keep her company.
How things have changed and yet remain the same.
What was she to do now when she saw him? What wouldhedo? Was she allowed to approach him—no, he doesn’t like public displays of affection.
She bit her lip, sucking on it and then curtly sighing.
Ronan never left her mind while she readied for the day, only exasperated by his lingering scent in the room that emanated directly from her. Their chemistry was thrilling. She had never been so enthralled, and there was something about a shifter like him returning her interest that made her randomly grin whenever those thoughts floated by.
Every time she moved too quickly, however, she grimaced, the depth of her injuries haunting her. They healed abnormally quick, serving more like echoes rather than debilitating jabs. Examining herself, she noted that nearly all of them skipped the scabbing phase and went straight to forming pink scars that she was told would be pale and colorless by the end of the month.
Rem limped with a stiff knee to her dresser, choosing the simplest dress to fetch breakfast in. Her mouth watered at the thought of raw, tender meat and apples. Salivating, she licked her teeth—her tongue stopped.
Her canines were sharper.
She hobbled to the mirror, pausing when her orange eyes harbored a hint of glowing amber. She barred her teeth, revealing canines that were indeed sharpened.
Her eyes widened as she grinned, staring at herself like a madwoman. Then, the fangs rescinded. Her grin slowly faded as she, for the first time, watched the magic of her blood revoke its effect.My shifter blood.
It really hit her that yes, shehadbeen born with blood meant for shifters.
Did she ever even count as human, then?
Rem brushed her hair and tried to braid the middle before tying it back in a messy collection of hair—a new look she had grown to love—but her throbbing clavicle fought her, and she gave up, leaving it wavy and down.
It took a while, but once Rem was downstairs, she gathered a plate of meat, some fruit, and two honey muffins; they were Nia’s favorite.
Surely, Nia would be starving too. And if not, Rem would just eat it.
She sighed as she walked up another flight of the stairs to the rooms on the third floor. Nia’s room was at the end.
"It's Rem; can I come in?" she asked through the worn door.
"Come in,” echoed a familiar voice.
Rem very carefully opened it, performing a balancing act, and walked into the room with a smile. Warm sunlight gently lit the room through a small window. The first thing she noticed was Nia’s braids were bound behind her head in a very thick bun.
"You changed your hair,” Rem said with a smile.
"Can't do anything for myself. The braids were getting in the way," she said, raising her wrists. Wooden strips were tied together for stability on each hand, bound in tightly wound fabric. "Oh! Is that a honey muffin?"
Rem set the tray of food on a small table and dragged it over to the bed, along with a chair. "It is, and the meat is cow's shoulder. Are you hungry?"
"I wasn't, but now I am," Nia said with a faint smile. The swelling in her right eye was a fresh reminder of what they just survived, but it was much better than yesterday.
"Do you need help with anything? Or to eat?"
Nia bit her lip before sucking air through her teeth. "Yeah, I do. Oh, it's so embarrassing," she said, rolling her eyes and looking at her hands.
"No, no, it's fine," Rem reassured, breaking off a piece of muffin and offering it to her. "I can't imagine being stuck to the bed like this. How are you doing?"
