Page 46 of Oath of Revenge

She was cocooned by his arms again, and the safety they provided made her yearn for so much more. It’d be so easy to lean into his strength, to be taken care of for once instead of the one taking care of everything and everyone else.

Her nose twitched, a reminder that she couldn’t trust him. She had curses to break, people relying on her to find a solution. She slid to the left, away from the heat of his body and the feelings he stirred within her.

She couldn’t give in. She had to focus and plan the mission.

He cleaned his plate and answered her questions. By the time she’d put on both her boots, their plan was made. She frowned as she finally looked at him, leaning casually against the counter with ankles and arms crossed.

“Does everyone walk around at the Growlers camp naked?”

He snorted and shook his head. “No, we have bags of clothes stored throughout the woods if needed.”

Scarlet pursed her lips. “You can probably fit in my brother’s clothes upstairs. We can take them with us.”

“But not to wear now?” he grinned, his big teeth sending a shiver up her spine. Had he bit her with those teeth? Wasn’t that part of the mating process?

Her mind shied away from the answer. She didn’t want to think about it. No, they needed to focus on the mission. Curing her curses was her number one priority.

What had he asked? Oh, the clothes.

“You can shift and lead the way to camp in wolf form, but I can’t follow you as quickly on foot. Is my horse going to be safe at camp or should I leave her here and walk?” Scarlet stood and brushed her hands down her thighs as nerves threatened to swarm her.

She’d not gotten nervous on missions since joining the Hunters. Traveling with her dad had prepared her well. Years of work as a mercenary, and the thought of going into the Growlers den sent her into a tizzy. It was ridiculous, and it made her mad.

Wulfric shrugged. “Not sure. We’ve stolen horses before, but they don’t stay in camp very often. We don’t have a village with wooden buildings and a stable.”

He frowned, rubbing his hand along his jaw. “I remember buildings.”

Her skin tingled and itched, so she began to gather supplies for her pack that was still in the barn. “Fine, I’ll leave her here with enough food and water for a few days.”

“Then I’ll walk with you for a while. Stretch my human legs.”

She nodded jerkily. “Go upstairs and find some clothes, then.”

His steps echoed up the stairs, but she refused to turn and watch his fine ass walk away. She felt panic clawing at her, but she focused on breathing evenly and planning every step of their journey.

Her movements were still jerky as she gathered healing potions and ointment. The bag that Knox had brought from the old medicine woman was on the corner of the counter next to her shredded pants. She opened it and pursed her lips.

Shit, she hadn’t thought of that, but somehow Lailant had known.

She popped the cork on the vial and downed the disgusting ginger and fennel gel. A swish of water washed it down before her stomach knotted in pain.

She sank into a chair and put her head between her knees, holding her stomach as the magic swirled through her body. This never got easier. All she could do was breathe and try to unclench one muscle at a time. Slowly the roar of magic through her body subsided until she could sit up.

With a shaky hand, she took another drink of water. The spasms through her stomach grew fainter, more manageable. The spots on the edge of her vision disappeared. She blinked in the dim light of the kitchen as steps echoed through the room.

When Wulfric came around the corner into the open, her jaw dropped. He looked almost human, wearing brown pants and a dark green shirt. The sleeves were a tad too short, and the pants only came to his ankles. His bare feet weren’t quite human but neither were they wolf. Some sort of in between that made her feel akin to him.

But it was his expression that caught her attention the most. Frowning, he asked, “Are you alright? I got a stomach ache, but we’re nowhere near being separated.”

Her eyes widened, and she swallowed her suddenly dry mouth. “You felt that?” Her voice was soft, barely a whisper as he nodded.

She closed her eyes and leaned back in the chair. “Fuck,” she whispered.

It must be true. They were mates, and even though they hadn’t bonded yet, they were feeling each other’s emotions and pain. It wasn’t tied to the glocken berry.

Fucking hell.

She rubbed her forehead and sighed. “Yes, it was me, but I’m fine. It was just a potion.”

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