My Second Chance Mate is a Barbarian (Sera and Fenris) novel Chapter 24

Sera

An hour passed, maybe two. I drifted in and out of sleep, my body heavy from the heat of the furs Fenris had piled on me. The smell of the mountain and the lingering scent of woodsmoke from his skin stayed trapped in the blankets . Every time I closed my eyes, I felt the phantom sensation of his hands on my waist, pulling me out of the dark water .

A soft knock sounded, but the door opened before I could even think about answering.

Mina slipped inside. Her usual restless energy was gone, replaced by a face that looked completely wrecked . She had dark circles under her eyes, and like back at the spring, she couldn't seem to look at me directly. She stood by the foot of the bed, picking at a loose thread on her sleeve.

"Are you okay?" she asked, her voice small.

I didn't answer. I just stared at her. I thought about everything she had done . The lying bitch had played me from the second I stepped out of that wagon .

Mina looked away and let out a long, heavy sigh. "I’m sorry, Sera. For the dress. For the... I… should have told you how deep the pools get near the center" .

"The pool wasn't your fault," I cut her off, my voice raspy from the water I’d swallowed. "I walked into the water without thinking. That’s on me" .

Mina nodded, but she didn't stop. "I was just trying to help. I thought if Fenris saw you—if he saw you as someone desirable—he’d take the protection of you more seriously" . She stepped closer to the fire, her shadow stretching across the floor. "I know I pushed too hard."

"Why do you even care?" I asked. I pulled the furs tighter around my chin. "Why does it matter so much to you what he thinks of me?"

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