Page 82 of Craved By a Wolf

He opened his eyes and angled his head towards her.

The tears that lined her dark lashes stripped his strength from him, and the way she shook her head, her gaze imploring him not to continue, had him falling silent. Apparently, sometimes the truth hurt others too.

She gripped his shoulder, pulled herself up his body and kissed him, her breasts pressing against his chest. Her lips moved gently over his, the softest kiss he had ever received, and he felt her pain, her sorrow, and her anger.

Tasted it in the salt of her tears.

She lowered her head and pressed her forehead to his as she whispered, “I’m sorry.”

“What for? You didn’t do all those things to me.” He caught her waist and tried to ease her back so he could see her face, but she gripped his shoulders and refused to budge.

Her voice cracked. “I’m sorry I chained you… that I trapped you in here. I’m sorry I hurt you. It was wrong of me, Kin. It was so wrong of me.”

“I was being a dick,” he muttered, trying to lighten the mood and failing judging by how she shook her head and her tears splashed onto his cheeks. He sighed and wrapped his arms around her, palmed the back of her head with his right hand and held her to him. “All forgiven, love.”

When she remained silent, he tried to find a way to get her talking again, because he needed to hear her voice.

“So… you were rebellious when you were a bairn too?” He eased his hold on her, reluctant to let her go but wanting to see her face to make sure her tears had dried up.

She shuffled down him a little, almost shattering his focus as her body slid down his and her thigh brushed his crotch.

“Rebellious is and always has been my thing.” Her smile wobbled on her lips but her tears were gone and she looked brighter.

He lifted his hand and stroked a rogue strand of blue hair back behind her ear, loving the fact she let him do such a thing.

“I never knew my father… so you have that over me, but then I guess yours wasn’t exactly claiming the Father of the Year title.” She drew little circles on his chest, her gaze tracking her fingers. “My mother died soon after I was born… in a war… and I was too wild… too like her… so my aunt handed me over to the coven to raise. I don’t hate her for that.”

“But you don’t like your coven either,” he said and she frowned at him, her gaze curious and intense. He stroked her cheek. “You spat the word coven like it was a curse. I have the feeling that they were a little too controlling for my hellion.”

She arched an eyebrow at him. “Don’t even think about trying to make that my nickname. People have tried.”

“People, I presume, who now have terrible disfigurements.” He smiled when the corners of her lips twitched, giving her away. She liked it when he was playful with her, letting her see the side of himself that he often kept hidden.

“You presume correctly.” She flattened her palms on his chest and rested her chin on them, and her lower legs came up. The covers fell off them and she rocked her feet back and forth as she pulled a thoughtful face. “My upbringing was… eventful.”

“An understatement, I imagine.” His smile widened as he tried to picture how much destruction she had caused, and how difficult she had been to tame.

“What makes you say that?” Her eyebrows knitted and her gaze seared him again.

“You don’t like authority or being ordered around, and the image in my head of a coven is akin to a boarding school, where the teachers are verra strict. All witches wear the same black dress when they are working, but you do not. This leads me to believe you didn’t enjoy your time at the coven and you don’t like conforming.”

She pouted. “Far too close to the mark. Irritating, perceptive, wolf. I think I’ll punish you for that.”

He tensed, his wolf side perking up and ready to snap fangs at her, but her punishment was far from what he expected.

She kissed him again.

Slow. Leisurely. Addling his mind.

He grinned when she eased back and settled on his chest again. “You’ll only encourage my behaviour with that kind of punishment.”

She shrugged, a wicked light in her eyes. “Covens are… You’re very right about them. I really didn’t fit in. Too many rules for my taste. It didn’t take them long to point out my flaws and try to correct them.”

“Flaws?” His female had no flaws, not in his eyes.

“You must have noticed my indomitable spirit and tendency to talk my mind.”

“Neither of which are flaws,” he countered.

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