Page 27 of Their Rejected Queen

Godric’s hand feels like it brands the small of my back as he leads me to a cushioned area and sits me down.

“Stay,” he orders, making me bristle again.

“I’m not one of your dogs,” I snap back.

Both of us freeze as I realize I said that out loud, but really, what’s he going to do to me? I’ve already attempted an escape and humiliated him in front of his precious pack. Whatever punishment he has in mind for me can’t possibly be made worse.

Right?

I can’t read the expression in his amber eyes. The firelight brings out the gold flecks even more, making me work a swallow down my throat.

Damn. He’s far too beautiful to be one of the psycho killers that inhabits Monster Isle.

He makes that same dismissive snort he made toward Ronan when he was in wolf form before disappearing into another part of the tent separated by a flap.

When he emerges, he’s holding a wooden box, a bowl of water, and a plate of dried meat. I numbly watch as he sits at my feet, arranging the items, then opens the container, revealing the promised bandages and neatly folded pieces of cloth.

I’m not sure why a shifter would need them, but I realize I might not be the first or last human female in his tent.

He sets the plate next to me, along with a container of water, and tells me to eat.

“Do you patch up all your sex toys before breaking them?” I ask when he starts shuffling through the box of bandages.

Godric gives me a raised brow before bringing my foot into his lap and removes my shoes. He takes a cloth and wets it, then starts to clean away the dirt and the blood.

Is the Alpha of the Blood Moon Pack actually washing my feet?

“What makes you think you’re a sex toy?” he finally asks me. He glances at the plate I haven’t touched. “Eat,” he orders again.

“What else are humans to you? Isn’t that why you’ve purchased a bunch of women?” I fire back, ignoring his command. I’m actually starving, but I’m too angry to care. All they gave us on that stupid ship was this ridiculously sweet water and barely any scraps.

I can’t hide the anger in my voice, and if I’m going to die, then the least I can do is stop pretending like this world doesn’t bother me. It’s not okay. It’s not right.

And I’m not going to be silent about it anymore.

Instead of answering me or defending himself, Godric gently cleans my foot before wrapping a bandage around it. I could just use my healing tonic on my feet, but it’s best to let them heal naturally. I don’t want to tip off the Alpha that I have more tricks up my sleeve—or my thigh, as it were.

Sighing as he works, I reluctantly take a piece of the salted meat. Even if I don’t trust him, I need nourishment to survive. So eating isn’t obeying him—it’s doing what I need to do.

“Who helped you in the woods?” he finally asks, startling me after I had downed most of the meat and had a sip of water.

I hadn’t realized that my eyelids had fluttered closed while Godric worked. He could be surprisingly gentle.

“What?” I dumbly ask as my heart skips a beat.

Then the pace increases, and I lock eyes with the Alpha.

His sharp gaze doesn’t miss a thing. He finishes up with my foot, then puts it on the ground. He eases onto the cushion next to me and leans in too close for comfort as his nostrils flare.

“There’s another scent on you that wasn’t there before. Someone helped you.”

My throat goes dry as I realize I can’t lie my way out of this one. “I… I don’t know,” I answer honestly.

I go very still as he trails his fingers through my damp hair, then places his nose behind my ear and inhales. Goose bumps spread over my skin in response.

“A male,” he decides. His voice has gone a pitch lower, as if that displeases him.

Although, if I’m not intended to be a sex toy, I’m not sure why he cares so much. Unless it’s just a wolf thing.