Chapter 24 #2
It doesn’t take long to recall Vaelen and we make our way into the forest. The smell of impending rain hangs heavy in the air, as dark clouds begin to move in. If we hurry, we should be able to make camp before the storm arrives.
I glance down at her. “You surprised me.”
“How so?”
“You chose the forest. In a storm,” I murmur. “Over a roof and four walls. For someone who dislikes sleeping in the woods as much as you do, it seems… unusual.”
She exhales slowly. “I didn’t like the way those men looked at me.”
My claws extend as the primitive instinct to protect my mate coils tight in my chest. I wanted to tear out their eyes for daring to even look in her direction. “I wouldn’t have let them touch you,” I say in a low voice.
“I knew they wouldn’t. Not with you there.” She pauses. “You wouldn’t let anyone hurt me.”
“Never,” I agree. I would die before I allow anyone to harm her.
As we continue, Vivienne leans back into me, just slightly, but she doesn’t pull away.
I remain as still as possible, not wanting to interrupt this closeness between us. I love that she knows I’m safe, and that I’ll always protect her.
When we find a spot to make camp, Vivienne is quiet as we set up our tent. She doesn’t complain about barbarism or cold. Instead, she helps me unroll the canvas, hands me the rope before I ask for it, and braces the pole as I raise it.
She’s gone quiet before when she was angry, but this feels different. I do not sense any hostility or even agitation from her. Her silence is measured… as if she’s contemplating something.
Perhaps, she’s thinking of the kiss she gave me last night. We haven’t talked about it, but it’s been on my mind all day. And I’m fairly certain it’s been on hers as well.
I had no idea kissing was so intimate. Even now, my lips tingle at the memory of her mouth moving against mine. As I gaze at my lovely bride, I wonder if she’ll roll toward me against tonight… if she’ll allow me to hold her as she sleeps.
As the final stake sinks into the soil, I glance at her. She straightens slowly, one hand pressing briefly to the small of her back as she stands.
“You’re sore.”
She stiffens at once. “I’m fine.”
“The ride was long. Would you like me to try some healing magic on your back?” I offer.
“I’ll be alright,” she replies, as she removes the bedding from our satchel.
She has difficulty accepting help. Perhaps it’s from the desire for more independence after living so long under her father’s smothering control.
I wish she understood that I would never cage her.
Nor would I ever try to tame her, as I’m sure many of the males would have done who came seeking her hand.
A smile tilts my lips as I think of her fiery spirit and her iron will. She will make an excellent queen and mother to our children.
She arranges two of the blankets in the upper corner, sort of like a nest. I’m about to ask if it’s for me, but she calls Vaelen inside, and gestures to it. “There,” she says, running her hand over his thick fur. “I made you a bed so you don’t have to sleep in the rain tonight.”
He nuzzles her side before he lies down on the pile.
A smile crests my lips as he rests his chin on his forepaws, watching her make her own bed. It seems they are very fond of each other and I am glad.
As I prepare our fire and the food, the first low rumble of thunder rolls across the sky. Vivienne sits across from me as she eats, but she remains surprisingly quiet. And I wonder again if last night’s kiss is on her mind.
She’s attracted to me. I know it. I’ve felt it in the way she looks at me… in the way she leans closer when she thinks I won’t notice.
But she’s holding herself back. As if she realized last night, when her fear for me took hold, that her feelings run deeper than she intended… and now she doesn’t know what to do with them.
And for someone who is afraid of being caged, I’m sure the prospect of falling in love can be a daunting thing.
When she’s finished eating, she slips back into the tent to go to sleep.
It’s dark now, and although Vaelen has given no indication he believes there are any threats nearby, I decide to check the perimeter once more before the rain begins.
I duck my head inside the tent to inform Vivienne that I’ll return shortly, but the words die in my throat as I gaze at her lovely form. It’s dark enough that I know her human eyes cannot see me nearly as well as I can see her. And I take a moment to study her.
She lies on her side beneath a thick blanket, her silken hair spilled across the pillow in dark copper strands.
One hand rests near her cheek, fingers curled loosely.
Her long lashes fan over her soft pink cheeks.
And as my gaze drops to her full, perfect lips the memory of our kiss flows through my mind.
I long more than anything to touch her. To pull her close against me and press my lips to hers once more. She shifts slightly and the blanket falls away to reveal the elegant column of her neck.
My fangs extend as intense need burns through me. The desire to mark her, to claim her in the ways of my people, is an instinct that is difficult to ignore.
Light rain whispers against the canvas overhead, pulling me back from my errant thoughts. I’m about to step outside when her voice stops me.
“Are you going to stay awake for a while?” she asks, her eyes still closed.
“I’m going to check the perimeter.”
Silence stretches between us, filled only with the sound of rain before she adds, “Try not to wake me when you come to bed.”
I go still. Her words are light, but they are far from careless. She’s telling me I can sleep beside her again.
I’m so stunned by her offer that I find it difficult to form a reply, much less a coherent thought. Swallowing hard, I somehow manage to find the words. “As you wish.”
After I check the woods, I slip inside and settle next to her. Vaelen is lying in the corner. He lifts his head and his glittering eyes meet mine before he chuffs in greeting and then closes them again.
As I lie down next to Vivienne, I leave enough space between us to honor her boundaries, but close enough that I can feel her warmth. The rain begins to fall harder, pelting the tent canvas. A rolling boom of thunder shakes the ground as lightning flashes outside.
My nostrils flare as the acrid smell of fear threads through her delicate scent. My ears detect the sound of her heart quickening its pace. “Vivienne, are you alright?”
She pulls the blanket over her head and rolls toward me.
I’m speechless as she practically burrows into my side, so much so that I have to move my arm, extending it around her shoulders.
“Don’t get any ideas. This doesn’t mean anything,” she mumbles from beneath the thick fabric.
“I just… I’m not used to the thunder being so loud. ”
A smile tugs at my mouth because she’s wrong. She’s choosing me again because she trusts me. This means everything. “I’ll keep you safe,” I murmur, curling myself protectively around her. “My vow.”
For a long moment, neither of us moves. Outside, the rain falls steadily as thunder rumbles above us. And this quiet closeness, chosen without argument or pride, feels more powerful than any declaration my lovely human bride could have ever made aloud.