Chapter 72: Naked Truths.

MARIA

Was she dreaming?

She was a thousand percent sure that she was. She had to be because what the hell was happening right now?

It was only in a dream that Bran would carry her in his arms like this, like she was fragile as an egg, like she was something he cared about and cherished so much, like she was the center of his worlds.

Yes, she was certain that it was a dream.

And as if to prove to her that it was very much real and not a dream, Bran's arms tightened around her before he dropped her carefully on the ground.

She'd lost her slippers at one point in the mud when it had caked around her legs and refused to let her go. She didn't want to but she'd had to abandon it if she didn't want to sink and that was exactly what she'd done.

Now that she was looking down at her very dirty legs, she cringed, asking herself why she'd even thought walking in the dark was a smart idea.

But then again, she'd been hurt.

"Can you stand right here for a moment so that I can run you a bath?