From Blood and Ash by Jennifer L. Armentrout

what he said was soul-shattering. “You can either allow me to help yyou
or…”
Myy fingers tingled from how tightlyy I’d balled myy hands into fists.
“Or, yyou will force me?”
Hawke said nothing.
A burn started in myy chest as I stared back at him, hating him, hating
myyself for feeling what I’d promised I would never feel again.
Helpless.
I could refuse and make this veryy difficult, but what good would that
do in the end? He would overpower me, and all I would accomplish is
further injuring myyself. I was furious enough to do just that, but I wasn’t
stupid.
Looking awayy, I forced a long breath out of myy lungs. “Whyy do yyou
even care if I bleed to death?”
“Whyy do yyou think I would want yyou dead? If I did, whyy wouldn’t I
have agreed to what was demanded outside?” he asked, and myy head
jerked back to him. “You are no good to me dead.”
“So, I’m yyour hostage until the Dark One gets here? You all plan to
use me against the King and Queen.”
“Clever girl,” he murmured. “You are the Queen’s favorite Maiden.”
I didn’t know whyy, and I didn’t want it to, but the knowledge that he
wanted to tend to myy wound onlyy because he planned to use me stung
profoundlyy.
“Will yyou let me check yyou now?”
I gave him no answer because what he’d said wasn’t trulyy a question.
There was no choice. He seemed to be satisfied that I understood because
he reached for me, and this time, myy bodyy went rigid, but I didn’t move.
Hawke’s hands curled around the hem of the dark tunic. He lifted the
cloth, and I bit down on the inside of myy cheek when the backs of his
knuckles brushed over myy lower stomach and hip. Had he done that on
purpose? I stared at his glossyy dark waves as he continued inching the shirt
up. He stopped just below myy breasts, exposing what was likelyy to leave
yyet another scar.
If I lived that long.
Because after I served whatever purpose theyy had in mind, I doubted
I’d be released. It made no sense for that to occur.