Chapter 5
CHAPTER 5
S atisfaction filled Lothar as Jana agreed to share his camp. The mate bond hummed inside his chest, raw and new, but his elation crumbled as reality crashed in. He hadn’t prayed to the gods. He hadn’t asked for their blessing or guidance. The Trials had proven he didn’t deserve a mate - he’d walked away rather than fight for one.
His gaze dropped to her bleeding arm. Whatever his doubts, she needed help now.
“May I look at your wounds first?”
He kept his voice soft, gentle, trying not to scare her further.
When she nodded, he reached for her arm, careful to move slowly. She still flinched away from his touch and his chest tightened. Of course she’d be afraid - he was massive compared to her small body. The makeshift covering of leaves and vines barely preserved her modesty, leaving her vulnerable, and his protective instincts surged.
“I won’t hurt you,” he murmured, examining the claw marks on her arm. Fortunately they weren’t deep, but they needed cleaning. “These should heal well enough.”
“I told you they were just scratches.” She bit her lip, blunt little teeth closing on the soft pink flesh. “How do you know English? This isn’t Earth, is it?”
The simple question twisted his gut. She reminded him of Kari when she first arrived - lost, confused, but brave enough to ask questions. But Kari had been meant for Wulf. What if Jana was meant for someone else too? What if the gods had other plans and he was interfering?
“My brother’s mate taught me while I taught her our language. I believe she came from your world as well.”
Her ankle caught his attention - swollen and starting to bruise.
“This looks worse than the scratches.”
She winced as he gently probed the joint, fighting down his rising anger at her injuries. Someone should have been here to protect her.
“How did you get here?” he asked.
He needed to know if she’d been called, if someone was waiting for her. The thought made his stomach churn.
“I don’t know. I was in my workshop when this storm came out of nowhere. There was this light and then…” She gestured helplessly at the forest around them. “I woke up here. Wherever here is.”
Something had pulled her from her world to his, but why? He shoved the question aside.
“This is Norhaven. We are one of the Five Kingdoms.” He hesitated, uncertain how much to explain. “Sometimes women from your world are brought here by magic. Usually there’s someone…” He trailed off, unable to finish the thought.
“Someone waiting?” Her mouth twisted. He couldn’t read her expression. Was that anger or sadness?
“Yes.”
“There was no one waiting for me.”
Definitely sadness. The words sounded flat, empty, and the urge to pull her close, to hold her until the sadness went away, was almost overwhelming. But he resisted. He had no right to give her the comfort she needed.
“My camp isn’t far. You’ll be safe there, and I can properly tend those wounds.”
He reached to help her up and she jerked back. Fear flashed across her face - the same instinctive terror prey showed when cornered. His hand dropped to his side, the rejection stinging more than it should.
Of course she is afraid. Even kneeling he towered over her. She was so delicate, so fragile.
“You are safe with me.” He smiled at her, trying to appear less threatening. “You need shelter and healing. Let me help.”
She hugged herself tighter, eyes darting between him and the dark forest. The fear in her gaze felt like claws in his gut. He’d never flinched before an enemy, but this small woman’s distrust cut deeper than any blade. His fingers twitched with the need to protect her, to sweep her up and carry her to safety, but her fear held him back.
“You are safe with me,” he repeated, hoping she could hear the sincerity in his voice. He would die before he let anything happen to her.
She searched his face, weighing his words against her fear. The wind rustled through the trees, and she shivered.
“How far is your camp?”
“Not far. Just beyond those trees.” He pointed back the way he’d come. “There’s a fire already built, and I have furs. And clothing.”
The skin covering her cheeks darkened as she looked down at the vine-held leaves that barely preserved her modesty. He followed her gaze, noticing the curves only partially concealed beneath the green foliage, and his body stirred. He did his best to force it back under control, worried about frightening her further.
“I suppose that would be better than being Jane to your Tarzan,” she muttered at last, and he frowned, disliking what appeared to be a reference to another male.
“I am Lothar, not Tarzan.”
“I know. It’s just… Never mind. I’ll come with you.”
She started to rise, then cried out when she attempted to put her weight on her injured ankle. He instinctively reached out to catch her, then froze as his arm curved around soft, lush female flesh.
Mate , his beast purred as his cock hardened.
She had frozen as well but her weak ankle wouldn’t allow her to pull away.
“Your ankle won’t hold you,” he said. “Please. I promised you’re safe with me, and I keep my promises.”
She bit her lip, then gave a small nod. He scooped her up as gently as possible, but her entire body went rigid in his arms. The mate bond hummed between them, and his heart soared despite her obvious discomfort. She weighed almost nothing to him, fragile and precious. He tightened his grip, taking care not to hurt her. The feel of her against his chest was intoxicating but he did his best to ignore it.
“I am glad you can understand me,” he said, picking his way carefully through the underbrush. “Kari says I sound like a grumpy lion.”
That earned him a tiny smile.
“I don’t think you sound like a lion at all.”
“Good. Although, to be fair, I haven’t met a lion.”
“Giant wolves and no lions.” She shook her head. “Where is this place?”
“We are in the foothills of the Dragon’s Teeth. I suspect you are far from home,” he added gently.
“Yes.”
He could almost taste her sadness.
“Is there anyone who will be searching for you?”
The question left a bitter taste in his mouth, but he had to know.
“No.”
She wasn’t looking at him, staring out into the forest instead.
“What about family?”
“There’s only me.”
He carried her in silence for a moment, trying to figure out what to say. He wanted her to keep talking, wanted to hear her voice and discover everything about her, but the words wouldn’t come. Instead he resorted to his usual humor.
“Perhaps the gods are making up for my brothers,” he said lightly. “I have two.”
“I don’t have any brothers or sisters. My mother was… damaged, giving birth to me. She could not be fruitful and multiply.”
The sadness in her voice had been replaced by bitterness, but some of the tension leaked from her shoulders. She felt less like a board in his arms and he tucked her a little closer as he considered her words. Did humans also have problems with breeding? Kari had not mentioned it.
Her muscles gradually relaxed as he made his way back to his camp, stepping carefully to avoid jostling her ankle. She winced as he lowered her onto his bedroll, despite his care, and he frowned. The sooner her injuries were tended to, the better. He dug through his pack, pulled out a clean shirt, and held it out to her.
“Here. Much better than leaves.”
That earned him another small smile. He turned to give her privacy, focusing on rebuilding the fire. The sounds of rustling fabric made his ears twitch, but he kept his eyes fixed on his task until the flames caught and danced upwards.
When he looked back, his breath caught. The sight of her in his shirt did something strange to his chest, and he swallowed hard. She was so small and delicate and precious.
He studied her, unable to look away. Short, dark hair framed a heart-shaped face and her skin gleamed gold in the firelight. Those big dark eyes met his and the feeling of rightness, of connection, deepened.
The urge to wrap her in his arms and promise that nothing would ever hurt her again threatened to overwhelm him, and for a moment he couldn’t breathe. Rose tinted her cheekbones and she started to raise her hand to her hair, then winced, recalling him to his promise.
“I will bring water to cleanse your wounds.”
He stood and her eyes went wide with panic.
“Wait-” Her voice shook. “Don’t-”
“The stream is just through those trees.” He pointed to where the water burbled nearby. “I’ll only be a few steps away.”
She wrapped her arms around herself but nodded. He grabbed his water bucket and hurried, not wanting to leave her alone any longer than necessary. When he returned, she visibly relaxed.
He knelt beside her and dampened a clean cloth.
“May I?”
She nodded again and he gently drew the shirt down over her shoulder.
“This might sting,” he warned, as he began cleaning away the dried blood, glad to see that the bleeding had stopped.
She flinched as he dabbed at a deeper scratch, but she didn’t object or try to move away from him.
“You said your brother’s mate is from Earth as well. Did a storm bring her too?”
“No. She simply said she felt something pulling her.”
“I felt that as well - during the storm.”
But if Wulf had called to Kari, who had called to Jana? And why had she appeared alone and unprotected?
I will protect her now , he swore.
Unless another shows up to claim her , a voice warned but he ignored it as he focused on her injuries. Her sweet scent wrapped around him as he worked, and the mate bond sang with joy at their closeness. He found himself stroking the delicate skin and she shivered as his rough fingers traced her shoulder, but she didn’t pull away.