Touch of Flame

“I need linen and pillows,” Ravina told him.

Malachi left to bring what was needed while Ravina studied her ankle. It was beginning to swell. This was the last thing she needed at the moment. Her head throbbed. Her whole body throbbed with pain. She looked at her arm, she had several cuts and some redness in several places that would probably bruise later. She also felt pain in her left thigh and waist when the jars and shelf fell on top of her. She was a complete mess.

This went from wanting to heal her hands to bruising herself all over. She looked at the fireplace ahead while Malachi returned. He came back with several pillows. He put one behind her and to her surprise, lifted her leg gently and placed two of them beneath her leg.

The savage knew something.

He sat at her feet and opened a tiny box he brought. “What is that?” She asked.

“Something for the pain.” He told her.

He had two other small boxes with him but before she could ask what was in them he pulled her skirt up her leg.

“I can do it myself,” she hurried to say. Unaware she almost pulled her leg away before he held it in place.

“Do you want to hurt yourself?” He asked. “Be still. I know you don’t like to be touched which is why I am going to enjoy tending to you.”

She noticed the slight curve of his lips and the heat of his palm where he held her leg still. So after showing stomach and back now it was legs? Soon he would have seen her whole body.

Well, she had seen him almost naked too. She tried not to think back about it but the stubborn image had to appear in her head at least once.

Malachi dipped his fingers into the paste before gently massaging it into her skin. It was cool and soothing but she was caught by the contrast of his skin against hers. She was so white against his glowing bronzed skin. He was caught by her skin as well. “Your skin is so thin,” he said.

Fragile was what he had called her, but she wasn’t offended. In comparison to him, she was fragile. He could break her arm with one hand.

When he was done, he closed the box and put it on the table. Then he reached for the linen. “I am guessing it is to wrap your leg?”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

“For the swelling.” She reached for it but he held on to it.

“Relax,” he told her, pulling the rest out of her fingers.

“Do you even know how to do it?”

“I have many talents. Even you admitted,” he reminded.

He went on and began to bandage from her toes and down while putting light pressure. He understood the technique while he couldn’t understand other more simple things.

“This reminds me of something,” he smirked. “Then bandaging.”

She was confused for a moment before she remembered banding him.

“Too bad you didn’t do it when YOU shot me,” he added.

“You seem to still be upset about that as if shooting is not the least you would have done to someone who came with the intention to destroy your home.”

He gazed up at her, his eyes intruding. “Well, I have not shot you.”

She smiled. “I am sure you would do worse if I wasn’t your breedmate.”

He narrowed his eyes. “You are probably right. I guess you are lucky.” He turned his attention back to her leg and continued to bandage. “What were you doing up there?”

“Uh… looking for ingredients?”

“For what?”

、 “To make medicine… for my hands.” She said. She didn’t like when she or people mentioned them.

“You could have just asked me.”

Maybe if you stopped behaving like a savage, she thought. Then she suddenly remembered Aaron’s words. The way Malachi was there within a second. It couldn’t be. This was ridiculous. So what? This made her a damsel in distress.

Oh no!

“Stop!” She called as if she had seen something shocking.

Malachi froze and looked up at her confused. She stared into his eyes for a moment, words unable to form in her mouth.

“What is wrong? Am I binding too hard?”

“Yes, it hurts.” What? What was she saying?

He began to untie it without a word and made another attempt. “Is this better?”

“Yes.” She swallowed.

She hated this. It reminded her of the time Ares put the healing paste on her hands while she was asleep. It had touched her because he had done it discreetly. He was not trying to show her that he cared. That was how she knew he truly did.

Tears began to wet her eyes and she fought them back. Oh no. Not now.

Malachi looked up at her and was surprised to see her teary-eyed. “What happened?” He asked with a frown.

“Nothing.” She said, praying no tear would fall.

“Are you in pain?”

Yes. No.

“Yes, it hurts.” She lied, trying to keep her voice sturdy. How would she explain her tears otherwise?

“Don’t climb chairs again!” He said upset.

Why was HE upset?

“Ah! Careful!” She said just to get out her frustration.

“I haven’t done anything.”

“You bandaged hard right there.” She pointed. “Undo it! And you are doing it wrong!”

He glared at her but still undid the bandage and tried again. “Is this better?”

She shook her head. “You have to roll them closer, otherwise there won’t be enough pressure.”

“I thought you were just complaining about too much pressure,” he bit off.

“Yes, but that was too much. You need to find the right balance.”

“Hmm…” he said his lips twisting. “I see. Now you are behaving like a princess.”

“Well, I am a princess and you remind me of that as if you can’t use my name.”

“I do say your name. Occasionally like you do with mine without adding king before it. It sounds intimate then. Does it not, Ravina?”

She looked at him surprised. It did sound intimate just to say the name which was why they didn’t do it in their world. They added titles before it. Only saying the name made it sound as if he knew her. But to him, wasn’t it normal? People didn’t use titles here.

“Would you feel that way if I only said your name?”

“Yes.” He said focusing on bandaging her leg then suddenly he smiled, revealing his pearly white teeth. So unfair for such beautiful teeth to belong to such a vulgar mouth. But then she looked at his lips. They were nice too. Well-shaped and full. His whole mouth was… oh lord, she averted her gaze. “Now you will avoid saying my name,” he added.

“No, Malachi. Messenger of God.”

He chuckled. Ugh. Who asked him to show his teeth again?

He finished bandaging her and then moved to sit at the table. He took the other box, opened it, and dipped his fingers inside. When he reached for her shoulder, she flinched away instinctively.

“Princess, you make weapons. Why so scared of a touch?” He drawled.

“I am not scared.”

“No?” He raised a brow looking suspicious. His eyes slowly dipped to her shoulder and reached for her again. She remained still this time as he smeared the paste onto her wound.

As she looked away, her hair fell over her shoulder. He reached with his other hand to remove it and she stilled. She could see him smile a little from the corner of her eye. What was funny?

“Your hair is beautiful,” he said as his fingers now moved to the wound on her arm.

Why the sudden compliment?