Treasured

32)

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Violence ahead

Wren

I grit my teeth, waking with a start as my bad leg cramped. My hands clamped around fabric, squeezing tightly as my body tightened like a bow string. A whimper escaped, and I quickly tried to distract myself.

"Wren?" A somewhat hoarse voice sleepily mumbled.

I stiffened, realizing I wasn't alone. My heart began to race. The darkness was my enemy of the night, obscuring my surroundings and making me vulnerable.

"Hey, sweetheart," Chapped lips brushed my temple, and the scent of Cedar reached me, calming me instantly.

"What's happening? Is it your leg?" Cedar continued.

"Cee-Cee," I all but mewled, trying not to let the pain control me.

"Let me help you," Cedar comforted me, reaching for the candle on the bed table.

In moments a small light had been lit, and I was staring into his molten eyes. His hair was flyaway and messy, and his nightshirt was missing, but it was so true to character a fond affection for him nearly suffocated me.

"Here, let me rub some salve in it," Cedar suggested, rising from the bed.

I shamefully realized that I was still naked beneath the blankets. Heat crawled into my cheeks, and I yanked the sheets up to my neck as a small squeak left my mouth. At the noise, Cedar glanced back from the doorway,  only to see my embarrassment. Immediately, his eyes sparkled and a loud laugh echoed around the bedchamber.

His head tilted back and his face relaxed into a wide smile as the sound of his merriment flowed from him. His hair tumbled across his shoulders in beautiful strands of blond, brown, and red, mixing together in a complexity that matched his temperament.

"Wren, you have nothing to be shy about. I've already seen everything," Cedar managed to say after a minute. "Besides...those sheets leave little to the imagination."

I scowled, knowing he was right. Still...I'd take the sheet over nothing. The bed covers were at the end of the bed, and I didn't want to move because of my leg...

Cedar flitted into the hallway, leaving me and the guttering candle behind. Spikes of pain kept me company, preventing me from truly relaxing. However, Cedar's reminder was enough to divert my thoughts to something other than pain.

My skin prickled as I remembered his sensual touches. The heat of his lips had goosebumps raising along my arms. I recalled the way he had looked at me, passion and emotion burning brightly in his expressive eyes...

I giggled to myself, grabbing his pillow and pulling it over my face. Glee rose so suddenly I wasn't sure what to do other than laugh like a maniac. Cedar's scent caught my senses, causing me to inhale deeply.

It was a beautiful thing to be loved. After being violated, I never thought I could open myself in that way again. I didn't think I was capable to trust anyone in that way. Intimacy was ruined for me...unthinkable.

And then I met Cedar, Branson, June, Fletcher, Robin, Sal, and Orion, and my whole perspective changed. I realized that I wasn't alone. And although I had scars, I wasn't done fighting just yet.

A creak jolted me from my thoughts. I peeked out at the door from beneath the pillow, anticipating Cedar's return. I frowned, puzzled as I realized the door was still shut.

A hand clamped over my mouth, causing me to jerk my head toward the window. A familiar black clad figure hovered over the bed, eyes glinting in the light. My eyes widened, and my chest tightened as fear and panic coiled tightly in my gut.