King of the Seditious
Healing Touch

Dimurah felt the warmth of morning sunlight heating the cloth walls of the structure.

“Yes, we’re in my tent.” He dismissed before she could rail at him for some alleged advances.

“I’m glad.” She surprised him by saying. “I doubt I could’ve slept otherwise.”

Bringing him to a dead stop.

“What?” He deflated. Blinking blue eyes at her in shock.

“I know I’m safe with you.” She looked away.

“Then why order me away?” He roared. Tossing his arms.

Sending men outside the tent scampering from the courtyard.

In-case I emerge in a fury, no doubt.

“You know why.” She murmured brokenly. Quoting the phrase, he so often told her.

His head whipped to her in annoyance. Eyes narrowing. Damn her!

“You order me away, rail at me, tell me I’m not what you want or need. Bid me tell everyone in this bloody encampment that you and yours are no longer under my protection despite that you know you’re safe with me!”

He quoted. Nearly quaking with fury.

“Are you upset that now you must go back on your words?” She asked. Chewing her lip.

Worrying I might not do it?

No. He decided. She knows me better than that.

“I couldn’t give two shits! I’m mad because if I’d done as you asked, you’d be bloodied and broken now!”

“All of this,” He gestured to her torn dress. “Is what I was trying to protect you from. And for all my efforts, you think me all the eviler!”

“You killed a woman!” She leaned up from the blankets, resting her weight on her palms to lift her shoulders forward. Making the coverlet fall enough that her ripped dress was revealed. Showing the deep shadow between her breasts and the edge of one nipple peering from just above the cloth. Reminding Savage of his fury at what’d very nearly happened to her. Making his blood thrum in his ears.

“I knowthat!” He shook the tent in his fury. Resuming pacing like a hungry predator. His skin beginning to take on a gold sheen which winked like flakes of gold coin as he neared the sunlight peering in.

Dimurah shook her head and blinked and as he moved into the darker parts of the tent, the illusion was gone.

“I don’t think I’ve ever actually seen you upset.” She softened her tone to soothe him.

“What?” He rotated to face her. Stopping again. Thrown off balance once more by his pretty Barter Queen.

“Even when you’re violent, your icily calm.” She remarked.

“Well congratulations to you for getting me there!” He said acidly over his shoulder.

“Why are you so upset, Jax?” She persisted.

You could’ve been hurt.

“You know why.” He said through gritted teeth.

I could’ve lost you.

Her eyes narrowed. Hating that phrase more every time he said it. She hates when I say it.

But it was easier than trying to explain his feelings.

“You don’t know she would’ve harmed me.” Dimurah argued under her breath.

Yes, I do.

“I know what she was, Murah.”

“What?”

A Cimmerii Firoque.

“Evil. Darkness. Demonic.”

“Like a Dread?”

“No,” He was pacing again. Shaking his head like an annoyed animal. Brow scrunching in ire. “Dreads aren’t evil. No more than anyone else. But demons are all evil.”

“I don’t understand.”

I know! I’ve always known you wouldn’t.

“Why won’t you just trust me?” He expostulated. Tossing his arms in frustration. “I’ve never hurt you. I never would hurt you!”

“I know that.” She responded with equal vehemence. Breathing so heavily she was near to erupting from the top of the open gown.

Savage dropped down over her and slinked up her body.

Making her breath catch.

He lightly fingered her lips. “They clearly would’ve ravished you. It would have destroyed you. I’ve seen what it’s done to other women.”

She frowned at him. “When?”

“When I was ward of the demon.”

“Radix?”

He nodded. Without warning, without thought, he replaced his fingers with his lips. Taking her mouth in an all-consuming kiss. Pushing aside the torn dress and kissing along her neck and the opening between. Dragging his mouth over her as if he could heal all the bruises and internal wounds that the hands of other men had caused her.

“They could’ve killed you.” He murmured between kisses.

“What they were going to do would’ve been worse than that.”

His head lifted and he gave her a pensive study. “I can’t lose you.”

“Why?” She asked.

“You’re my grounding force. The one thing that keeps me into unleashing into an entire beast. The killing I do now is limited to the necessary. Without you, God help anything that’d cross my path…”

She caught both sides of his face and forced her lips to his. Kissing him until he was growling low in his throat. She grabbed the edges of that dress and yanked them down off her. Exposing herself to his roving eyes.

She laid back and lifted her hips.

He caught the hem of her skirt and dragged it down with slow precision. Watching every lovely inch of skin that was revealed. Sun-kissed and freckled.

And perfect.

Once entirely naked, she wriggled her hips and settled in over his blankets. Letting a hand fall next to her face as she splayed for his view.

“What are you doing?” He questioned thoughtfully.

“Proving to you. And to myself. That despite what happened, I’m not broken. Not afraid. Not of your hands.” She lurched up and caught one of his palms. Pulling it down to place across her chest.

Savage splayed his fingers. Noting how his palm covered nearly the breadth of her narrow shoulders. Reminding him how small and fragile she was, despite her mental strength.

And a stubborn streak as wide as my horse.

“Touch me, Savage.”

He leaned over her to brush his lips along hers. “Where?”

“Everywhere…”

That was a directive he was more than happy to comply with.