Page 104 of Oath of Revenge

He kissed the side of her head where her antlers grew out of her skull, and she shivered in his arms. “Thank the gods,” he said, holding her tight.

“Wulfric, I–”

“Sh, it’s alright. Let’s get you better. Don’t talk,” he said, his chest growing tight. If she talked, she might push him away again. He felt her grow limp in his arms, and he froze.

Then he felt her slow and even breath, and realized she’d just fallen asleep. He bit his lip and looked around. When she woke, she might be hungry. Slowly, he eased her back down and went to the kitchen.

Hours later, he’d made a good broth for her. With his memories restored, he remembered a few recipes from the human world. He brought the bowls over and sat on the floor next to her, sipping his own as he waited for her to wake.

He didn’t have to wait long. Her nose twitched as the scent of the broth reached her. Then her eyes fluttered on her rosy cheeks, the color back as she’d warmed up. Her eyes did have golden flecks in them now. Mixed with the green, it was unusual and beautiful.

“There you are,” he sighed, relaxing for the first time since leaving her in the woods. Her eyes were clear with no sign of fever.

He felt her forehead anyway and smiled. “No fever. How do you feel?”

She lifted on one elbow and finally displaced the blankets. She nodded, her eyes going to the steaming bowl. She picked it up in a shaking hand and downed it so fast, he blinked in surprise. Then he chuckled and offered her the rest of his own.

She took it eagerly but sipped more slowly as he got up to refill her own bowl. When he turned around, she was leaning against the chair, the blanket tucked under her armpits for modesty as she drank.

He handed her the fresh bowl, then sat in the chair opposite as she ate that too. When she’d slowed to barely a bite every minute, he asked, “Are you feeling better?”

He wouldn’t rest until she was whole and hearty.

She sighed and sipped the broth before answering. He thought she wasn’t going to answer at all, but then she looked up at him with those captivating eyes full of such sorrow and anger.

“I’m such an ass,” she said.

His lips twitched but he knew better than to let her see, so he raked a hand down his face and grunted. He wasn’t about to point out that he’d been talking about her clothes in the road and finding her naked, freezing self here. If she finally wanted to talk about them, he wasn’t going to stop her.

Her chin fell to her chest and her shoulders slumped.

“I was running away from whatever this is between us because I’m scared. I’m scared of being hurt, of being abandoned like my parents did when they died. And being scared makes me mad.”

She said it with such an attitude he couldn’t stop the laugh that broke out. She looked up and glared at him.

“Well, it’s true. When the queen cursed me, I was a scared little rabbit, running for my life. I swore I’d never be like that again.”

There was a pause in the air as she faltered and looked down at the broth. “But here I am, running scared again.”

Wulfric shifted on the chair. “Are you scared of me? Of my tribe?” he asked, his voice soft, reminding him of when he’d been human.

She shook her head slowly. “Not when I first arrived, no. When I was in the Growlers camp, I felt...safe. It wasn’t like what I expected. I haven’t had a home in a very long time, but when I was in camp, and everyone was surrounding me, even with Brody and his people threatening me, I felt at home. I–I think I can make a home there, but I shifted into the rabbit and the deer again. I’m not just a Growler, and if they can’t accept me—“

He leaned forward on the chair, his eyes flashing. “They’ll accept you. The alphas have already told me as much. You just surprised us all, and they needed a little bit to get used to the idea of you.”

Her chin quivered, and the pressure on Wulfric’s chest eased as he sank to the floor on his knees. He cupped her cheeks as she sat the bowl on the ground. When he stared into her eyes, he saw the regret.

“But I’m not going to sit idly by the fire and pop out babies,” she glared.

He smiled and kissed the edges of her mouth softly. “I’ve wanted you from the first, and I’ll accept whatever you can give me.”

She pulled back, her gaze wary as she watched him. “Are you sure? I’m not an easy woman to live with. Plus, I’m a freak of nature, still double cursed, and–”

He kissed her to silence, probing her mouth open and dueling with her tongue. It was a kiss that promised hope and a future. It spoke of possibilities, and most of all trust, acceptance, and love.

When the kiss broke, he sat on the floor with her sideways on his lap. Her gold rimmed green eyes stared up at him, her lush lips swollen from his kiss.

“You’re not a freak,” he murmured. “You’re my beautiful mate.”

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