He needed to correct that, and he needed to do it in a way she understood.
Clenching his jaw, he turned to the entrance of his pavilion. “Tonight, you will go home.”
9
ANA
Maddoc didn’t return until just before dusk.
He entered with a bundle of furs and hats and cloaks and threw them down on the table before pulling her out of bed to dress her. Ana observed him. He seemed solemn as he untangled her hair, but she couldn’t judge his mood.
She’d spent the day in bed, mulling over their conversation and everything that happened since she arrived, but she still couldn’t make sense of much. Part of her recognized she was exhausted and emotionally drained and couldn’t think clearly about anything. It could be what happened yesterday in the healing tent, or it could be the breaking point of seeing all that abuse in the kingdom. Another part of her recognized that she had stopped thinking of trying to escape—that she was starting to care Maddoc was successful when they went out to interfere with the royal houses. And that scared her. She could see with her own eyes that what the houses were doing was wrong, but after reading all those reports and hearing about Maddoc’s “destruction” all her life, supporting him felt like treason. Not to mention, she was beginning to care greatly for him beyond their attraction.
“Why do you always dress me every morning,” she asked tentatively.
Maddoc made a sound in the back of his throat. “It is not morning.”
Ana lowered her head. So he was still annoyed.
After a moment, he said, “I started doing it because it was the only way I could have time with you alone when I stopped sleeping in here. And then I noticed you enjoyed it, so I kept doing it.”
A flush crept up Ana’s neck. She did enjoy it, and it was for the same reason—she wanted to be near him.
“I need to bathe,” she said, as he pulled on a thick tunic over her head.
“No.”
“But… I smell.”
Maddoc paused, looking at her in the eyes. “Should I bathe?”
Ana leaned forward to sniff him. He still smelled of last night, and it wasn’t just her scent—her dried, old slick still coated his face and neck. Her cheeks burned with embarrassment as she leaned back, but deep within her, a preening satisfaction bloomed that he smelled like he was hers.
“Should I?” he asked again.
Ana shook her head.
Maddoc dipped his head in agreement. “And neither will you. You will smell of me while you travel so all are aware. Bathe when you get there.”
“Get where?” His cryptic last line to her earlier seemed to suggest he would take her back to the palace, but she knew that wasn’t the case. She wasn’t even sure she wanted to go back.
Maddoc didn’t answer. Once she was wrapped in layers of clothing and furs, he lifted her into his arms.
They trudged outside as the darkening skies approached, and when they reached the campfire several families stood with the highcloaks, talking excitedly among themselves.
“These families are coming with us?” Ana asked, confused.
Maddoc nodded.
They exited the camp and traveled through the dense trees as usual, but when they got to the more spacious area, no horses waited. They trudged through the forest on foot, veering sharply to the right, and the whole party was quiet, even the children. Ana noticed that Maddoc was carrying her slightly differently, more heavily on his left arm.
“I can walk if your shoulder hurts,” she said, quietly.
“No.”
“If we walk for too long, your injury could get worse,” she insisted.
“It’s not much longer.”
“Did…” Ana swallowed. “Did Raine finish treating it?”
“No, but there’s not much she can do anyway.”
“What do you mean.” Ana’s voice rose slightly, a tinge of panic fluttering in her chest.
Maddoc glanced at her, his beard twitching. “Our main healer is traveling, but I will see her to treat me.”
Ana relaxed a little. “Oh.”
After a while, they came to a wide river. Ana looked up and down it curiously. This must be the river Joe and Conrad’s camp had been talking about. It was calm, not a ripple across the waters reflecting the fading sun.
Maddoc carefully set Ana down and drew something from his pocket. The families around whispered quietly, eager for something, everyone watching Maddoc and the river.
He held a fist of what looked like sparkling sand over the water and sprinkled it in a circular motion until his hand was empty. The sand made tiny, golden, ripples in the waves, and as Ana watched them, they came together and hardened to form a huge, flat, golden raft with tiny ridges on its top.
Ana opened her mouth and then closed it again, blinking to make sure she hadn’t just seen the impossible. The sand suddenly turned into the raft? But before she could say anything, the families and highcloaks were already climbing on.
Ana dragged her eyes from the raft, her eyes wide on Maddoc. “Did you do that?” she gasped.
Maddoc chuckled.
Ana’s eyes widened even further and she turned to look back at the raft. “That’s magic?”
“Yes.”
Ana stared at the raft as the families all climbed on and shuffled near the middle. The highcloaks stood around the edges.
Maddoc took Ana’s head in his hands and pulled her eyes back to him. “Analisa.” Ana quickly sobered, at the strange look in his eyes. “It was not my intention to shoot your father.” His low voice rumbled through her just as it always did when he spoke quietly close to her. “I did what I had to do in battle, and in that one, I took actions against the man who ripped my Omega from my arms. I didn’t know it was your father until my arrow released from my bow.”
Ana swallowed, recalling how quick everything happened.
“I do not regret shooting him,” he clarified, “but I am sorry that you are unable to see past your grief for such a man. Your father made an agreement with me that he would let me keep you if I got to you first. And I did. But he still tried to take you away.”
Ana opened her mouth to say something but nothing came out. What could she say? Why would her father make such an agreement? She recognized that there was very little point in Maddoc lying about it, but Father was also not here to defend himself.
“I know you are already forming excuses for him in your mind,” Maddoc said, a snarl in his throat. “You are a specialist at making excuses for them.”
Ana smiled at him, but it was sad. “We come from very different worlds, Maddoc.”
“That does not mean we do not belong together,” he said. “We do. Once I have finished my duties, I will join you.”
Ana frowned. “What do you…?” She glanced at the raft. “You’re not coming with us?”
Maddoc kissed her hard, just the way he always had when he came to see her in the evenings, full of passion and longing and a desperate need to taste her.
When he pulled away Ana had tears in her eyes, but she didn’t know why. “I thought you were coming with us,” she said accusingly.
“Griff will look after you,” Maddoc said, ignoring her. “Unfortunately, he is an Alpha and also a male. So I will not permit him to stand near you.”