Addictive (Hellish Mates #1)

Chapter 10

Before Rina could realize she was conscious, she felt the aching of her body pull her from the reigns of sleep. Her first thought was that she had died from the succubus's attack. After all, the best way to kill a mythic was to sever the head from the body, and her wounds had been dangerously deep. But if she were truly dead, then there was no way she could still feel the pain of the attack.

She was alive.

And in a surprisingly comfortable bed.

Her eyes finally opened, and she saw a familiar ceiling. She was in her room in the Hellions' stronghold. Zachariah must've found her in time and brought her back while she was still unconscious.

A strange feeling bubbled from the pit of her stomach, and Rina didn't often experience it, but she knew exactly what it was.

Anxiety.

She had failed.

If Rose hadn't been there, Rina would've been dead, and the succubus would've escaped to continue preying upon humans.

With heavy steps, she made her way into the bathroom. Through the reflection of the mirror, she saw that her wound had been treated, and there were bandages wrapped around her neck. She unraveled the cloth and discovered there was not even a single remaining scar left over.

Externally, the wound had closed, but internally, Rina knew her body was still recovering.

For a few more seconds, she stared at herself, unsure of what to feel or what to think.

A knock from the main door broke her from her daze, and Rina exited her bathroom to open it. She was met with the sight of Zachariah looming above her, a blank expression on his face. Unable to meet his gaze, she instead stared at a point over his shoulder. Neither of them spoke for a few seconds, but eventually, he took it upon himself to make the first move.

"May I come in?"

Rina moved to the side, allowing him to enter. She shut the door after and turned around, surprised to find him right in front of her. He was staring at her neck.

"How are you feeling?"

She pressed her lips into a firm line and shrugged. "Fine."

He stared at her, again, showing nothing of his inner thoughts. Was he disappointed that she had failed? Was he smug that he had been correct about her naive character? Or maybe he truly didn't see her as anything more than a trainee who he could conveniently feed from. After all, he was still staring at her neck. However, she also noticed that it wasn't his usual look. Rather than thirst glowing within his eyes, Zachariah looked...perturbed.

"You almost died, little halfling."

Rina clenched her jaw. "I know."

"You were lucky Rose was there."

Her eyes widened. "How—?"

"Her scent is unique. It lingers far after she is gone." Zachariah reached for her, and Rina flinched when his cold fingers brushed against her neck. "If your head had been lopped off thoroughly, a scar would've been leftover."

She blinked. "Oh?"

As far as she knew, mythics didn't scar. Usually, their regenerative powers were strong enough to mend the body back to its original state, but it seemed the same couldn't be said if there was a complete detachment. Regardless, Rina didn't know exactly how Zachariah wanted her to react by telling her that information. But he didn't linger on the topic, and instead, shocked her with his next question.

"Are you ready for your next assignment?"

He withdrew his touch and clasped his hands behind his back, waiting for her answer.