Chapter 23 · The Blood-Tether

"Stop touching me like I'm a debt you're collecting."

Torin didn't move his hand. Flat over my stomach, warm through the sheet, thumb stopped where there was still nothing to see. Eight weeks, four days. He knows the count to the day. He's never once said it out loud.

"Stop what." His voice came out wrecked from sleep.

"Stop checking on it."

"I'm not checking." He turned his face into my shoulder, teeth against the mark, not biting, just resting. "I'm saying good morning."

"To me, or to the—"

Three knocks hit the door. Flat. Official. No apology in them.

"Alpha." A man's voice through the iron. "Sunrise session. The elders are convened."

"Tell them the Alpha's busy."

"Tell them yourself, sir. Elder Halvard says he'll wait in the great hall with the whole guard. Says that's easier on everybody."

Torin got up.

He pulled a shirt over his head and the whole night was written on his back in red. My nails, my nails, my nails. He didn't look at me. "Stay in this room," he said, and reached for his belt.

"No."

"Briar.