Page 82 of Oath of Revenge

The more she spoke, the more tense she became. “Sh,” he said, kissing her head and stroking her hair once more. “We’ll find them and figure out why together. Don’t worry, bunny. You’re not alone in this.”

Not alone. She relaxed into his arms. It was nice to not be alone.

“Are you sure I have to be there?” Scarlet asked, tugging at her new Growler’s clothing. She’d chosen to keep her black pants and green shirt under it.

He just smiled as she cinched the leather vest over the top of it. It was her armor, and she wouldn’t feel comfortable without it, he knew.

“Yes, as my mate, you need to stand by my side.”

“But we haven’t completed the mate bond,” she pointed out.

He splashed water on his face and arched a brow at where she sat on the bed, lacing up her boots. “Not from lack of trying on my part,” he murmured.

She sat up and glared at him. He wiped his face with a towel and then strode to the end of the bed to fetch his fancier clothes. He wanted to impress her, and this was a big pack meeting. He had to remind his people what the alpha looked like.

He pulled on his soft leather pants, tying on a beaded belt.

“Look, I know we’re not mated yet, but if anyone asks, we’ll tell them that we were waiting for the full moon to complete it.”

“That would be a lie,” she said, glaring at him. “I don’t like that you lie so easily, Wulfric.”

His brows rose. “I do?”

She nodded. “You lied about only going to recon the guards. You said you wouldn’t come into camp, but you did.”

He frowned and pulled on his beaded doe-skin shirt. She gulped and paled, then glanced away with arms crossed.

He shifted his gaze from her to the shirt, noting how its color almost perfectly matched her skin—a delicate and natural shade of doe-like brown, with a hint of rosy undertones. With a frustrated huff, he swiftly discarded the shirt back into the chest and pulled out another one. This time, it was a crisp white shirt with shimmering silver beads and thread delicately stitched into intricate patterns.

“I’m sorry about coming into camp without you. It was not intentional. I had to roll with what was happening in the moment. I did not intend to lie to you, bunny.”

She looked up at him, her frown deep as she demanded, “Do you intend to lie to me again?”

He shook his head, as solemn as her. “Never.”

She pursed her lips and then dropped her hands into her lap. She dug at her nails, then pulled her dagger from her pants’ sheath to clean under them.

“Bunny? What’s really wrong here?” He asked, sitting on the side of the bed.

She took a deep breath and sighed. “I don’t like crowds. I freeze up, can’t talk. If you need me to say something in that meeting, I—I probably won’t be able to.”

He reached over and stroked her cheek until she looked up at him. Her gaze was fierce as she pointed the knife at him, but he didn’t pay it any mind.

“If you need someone to have your back, I’ll be there every time. I’ll protect you,” she said, biting her lip and looking down at the knife. “But I can’t speak up.”

He gently took her chin between his finger and thumb. “You can speak or not, it doesn’t matter to me,” he said softly, peppering gentle kisses to the edges of her mouth.

She swayed closer, but the flap of the tent flew back. A guard stepped in and narrowed his gaze between the two as Scarlet pulled back and put her dagger away.

“Alpha, the Elders said they are ready for you,” Todd said.

“Thank you. We’re on our way.” Wulfric took her hand and stood, striding toward the door.

She sighed and barely dug in her heels as they strode the few feet to the longhouse.

Many were already sitting on either side of the room. Wulfric tucked her hand in his elbow and circled the room, talking quietly with each table.

He chuckled where needed, asked after children and how certain people had been treated in the past few days under Brody’s reign of terror.

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