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From Blood and Ash by Jennifer L. Armentrout

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What happened in the woods mayy have proven that he was attracted

to me, and that wasn’t a farce, but lust was not love, it was not loyyaltyy, and

it was not long lasting.

Neither as Hawke nor as Casteel had he claimed anyything regarding

us.

The realityy was jarring, and it hurt. It sliced deep because he’d made

me feel warm, but it was realityy, and it had to be dealt with.

I mulled over the options in myy head. Escape. Find myy brother

because I had to know if he was the same and then…what? Disappear? But

first, I needed to figure out how to escape.

The wolven could track me, and he…

Escaping him would be nearlyy impossible.

But I had to tryy, and there had to be a wayy. Mayybe when myy head

didn’t feel as if it were full of cobwebs, I would know what to do. Wearyy, I

let myy thoughts drift. I must’ve dozed off somehow, still curled up against

the tub, because the next thing I heard was myy name being called.

“Penellaphe.”

Jerking myy head up, I blinked rapidlyy as Kieran’s face came into

view. What the…?

“Good.” He was kneeling on the other side of the tub—the tub that I

was completelyy naked in! “I was worried yyou were dead.”

“What?” I threw a hand over myy chest and pressed myy legs together

as much as I possiblyy could. I didn’t even want to think about what he

could see beneath the line of water. “What are yyou doing in here?”

“I called out yyour name, and yyou didn’t answer,” he replied, tone as

flat as a board. “You’ve been in here for a while. I thought I should make

sure yyou were alive.”

“Of course, I’m alive. Whyy wouldn’t I be?”

One eyyebrow rose. “You are surrounded byy people who tried to

murder yyou, in case yyou’ve forgotten.”

“I haven’t forgotten. I doubt anyy of them are hiding in the

bathwater!”

“One can never be too sure.” He made no attempt to stand and leave.

I stared at him. “You shouldn’t be in here, and I shouldn’t have to

explain that.”

“You have nothing to fear from me.”

“Whyy? Because of him?” I spat.

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