Chapter 18 : Lost in the Village

Baird’s POV

I felt the hard cottage floor beneath me before I opened my eyes, but I was used to discomfort. Though I was still wounded, I had slept better than I had in a long time. I stretched one arm above my head, but realized I couldn’t move the other. I opened my eyes and glanced down. Serena was curled around my arm, but of her hands wrapped around it and her face pressed against my bicep.

A smile tickled my lips. The woman almost looked like a cat, curled up against me like that. A wave of sympathy passed over me. She acted aloof and picky about my lifestyle, but overall, she was a scared girl in a strange environment. She might even be using her disgust over the bread and the river to cover up her fear.

Tenderness washed through me. I reached my free arm over my body and pushed her hair away from her face, tucking it behind her ear. It was much softer than it was before, now that it was clean. Even in the dim lighting, I could see the natural highlights and different c