27. Brinley
Chapter 27
Brinley
G asping for breath, Brinley lowered her head to the arm rest.
Behind her, Gabriel ran a hand along her bare back. “Are you all right?”
She smiled, glad he couldn’t see her face as she tried to catch her breath. With a nod, she whispered, “Yes.”
As he pulled away and walked to the other room, she turned to lie on her side on the settee. She brushed her hair out of her face. They were getting really good at that. It amazed her how whole she felt in these moments connected with the alpha. Though, she refused to admit it. He returned with a wet cloth, and she couldn’t hide the grin anymore as he cleaned her up with such gentleness.
“What?” he asked.
Brinley sat up. “You’re just so…”
He set the rag aside before slipping on his pants and handing her the dress and chemise they’d managed to keep intact this time. Standing, she stepped into the chemise, and he pulled it up. Helping her into the dress next, he repeated, “What?”
Her cheeks heated as she attempted to come up with the right words. “Your demeanor changes so abruptly once we’re done.”
At that, he chuckled, but she could sense some sort of tension underneath the amusement. Like he was trying to hide something. She tried to turn around, needing to see his expression. He stopped her under the guise of tying the back of her dress. “Which part do you not like? The hard fucking or me taking care of you after?”
Brinley sighed. He finished with the ties and put his hands on her shoulders, stepping close enough for her back to brush his chest. The truth was, she enjoyed both. That was what scared her. “I didn’t say I didn’t like it.”
He pressed a kiss to her hair, and her eyes fluttered shut. They hadn’t actually kissed again since that first day of training, but these small gestures were growing more frequent. It was getting impossible to pretend she didn’t revel in his touch and that her hatred of him and his kind hadn’t faded with each passing day here.
Taking a deep breath, she opened her eyes and stepped away from him. It had been six weeks since he brought her here. Six weeks of getting to know the caring man who was supposed to be a monster.
“Brinley?”
“Are we training today, or do you have other things to do?” She pulled on her pantalettes under her dress before beginning to braid her hair. When he didn’t respond, she finally turned around to face him. For a long moment, they simply stared at each other.
“Actually, I was hoping you’d come somewhere with me today.”
Which was how she ended up in the stables thirty minutes later, with Gabriel leading a saddled horse her way. She held out a hand, letting it smell her before petting its head.
“Her name is Stella.” He passed over the reins then motioned for them to head out to the street.
They weren’t far from the village gates, and when Brinley realized that was where they were going, her heart raced. It pounded in her chest at the idea of leaving the safety of the village walls.
That thought nearly made her trip over her own feet. She wasn’t supposed to feel safe here.
“Calm.” The back of Gabriel’s hand brushed hers. “You’ll scare her off.”
Brinley glanced at him, raising a brow. “My nervousness will frighten her, but the village full of wolves doesn’t?”
“She’s used to us.” He shrugged.
“Where are we going?” she asked as they stopped near the open gates and he greeted the two sentries on duty. Heat crept through her as he began stripping down to his underpants, even though she’d seen him fully naked multiple times now. She blushed even more when Darren approached and did the same. These DeLoup really weren’t shy about their bodies at all.
“Do you trust me?” Gabriel stepped closer and held out a hand.
Brinley scoffed. “No.”
The corner of his mouth curled up. “Will you come with us anyway?”
She looked out at the wide clearing between the towering walls and the forest in the distance. Since the night she tried to run and was attacked by the rogue wolves, she hadn’t stepped foot outside the village. “Is it safe?”
“No.” He mirrored her tone, and she snapped her eyes toward him. His smile grew, sending butterflies careening through her stomach. “I promise I won’t let anything hurt you, bijou.”
Chewing on her lower lip, she nodded. He took Stella’s reins again and offered his other hand to help her climb up into the saddle before handing them back. She hadn’t ridden a horse in years, but she feigned confidence. The skirt of the dress she wore today was loose enough that she didn’t need to sit sidesaddle, but it did rise, exposing the lower half of her legs. She tried to adjust it but gave up quickly. As if reading her thoughts, Gabriel squeezed her bare knee and then walked to the gate. He only hesitated a moment before stepping through and shifting into a large black wolf. Darren followed, transforming as he moved. His coat was nearly as dark but more of a russet color.
She urged Stella forward, and the three of them were off. They started at a slower pace, crossing the field of grass, but soon they were moving quicker. The horse trailed along with the two hulking wolves as if used to these journeys. With the sun shining high in the sky, the forest didn’t seem near as sinister as the last time Brinley was here. She did note, however, that they steered clear of the area the rogues had been, instead heading southwest.
They raced through the countryside, and Brinley tilted her head back. She felt freer than she had in far too long. Since before she even came to Zareia, she realized. Darren led the way while Gabriel followed behind her. And she knew it was likely to make sure she didn’t try to leave them, but she had no doubt it was also so he could watch her, watch for danger.
The thing was, even though she now had a means to escape and make it home, she didn’t want to. She clenched her jaw at the thought. But it was true. She didn’t want to run away anymore; she needed to find a way to help Rose and learn more about her father.
Besides, she was curious where Gabriel was taking her, and regardless of what she told him, she found that she did trust him. At least in this. She knew he would protect her, if only because he needed her. Deep down, she knew that wasn’t the sole reason though.
She wasn’t sure how long she’d been riding, maybe an hour or two, when they finally slowed. They made their way through the treeline and to another clearing. A meadow full of tall grasses and flowers greeted her, and a two-story brick home came into view. Her breath caught in her lungs.
Dismounting, she looped Stella’s reins around a tree branch near a stream that led to the crystal blue lake shimmering behind the home. Once the horse was secured, Brinley moved into the open field, one hand on her stomach. Darren and Gabriel waited in the trees while she walked farther out.
It was just as she remembered. Just like in her dreams. She swallowed past the lump in her throat, taking in the serene scene. Lifting a hand to her mouth, she let out a sob and dropped to her knees.
“It’s real,” she whispered as footsteps padded closer. A nose bumped her arm, and she sniffled and turned toward Gabriel now sitting beside her. She wished he could shift, could talk to her while here in this place that meant so much to both of them. Her heart ached at the memory of her mother.
Pushing up onto her knees, she ran her fingers through the fur atop his head. He leaned into the touch. She sighed and pressed her brow to his, no longer fearing this DeLoup who was supposed to be her enemy. With him, she knew she was safe, could feel it deep in her soul.
Before she could think better of it, she wrapped her arms around him and buried her face into the side of his neck. A low rumble reverberated through him, and she could almost hear his comforting words as he assured her that everything would be fine.
“I’m going to break this curse,” she said, holding him tighter. “And one day, we’ll come back here when you can tell me all about it.”