Page 9 of The Satyr's Wood

Bit of cloth? Her mind did a quick tally, and she groaned. He stole a pair of her panties. Panties that were overdue a thorough washing at that.

“Your scent was quite rich upon them,” he continued with a purr. “I could follow your scent for miles, myself, just from one taste of it.”

Tiffany buried her face in her hand, embarrassment flooding through her. “That’s... great,” she choked.

“It is,” he agreed. “The pack will guard this cabin as assuredly as they guard my territory, never fear that,” Barbasa rumbled happily—a little too pleased with himself.

She gave him a faint smile but couldn’t help the small shiver of apprehension that swept through her. Would they guard it, or would they make certain that she was trapped within the cabin and the woods with the satyr?

Her gaze shifted to the window once more, certain that she saw the glow of eyes watching her.

Chapter 7

Barbasa regarded Tiffany from beneath lowered eyelids as the female ventured nervously from the cabin behind him. She still did not entirely trust him and although she slept well enough in the same bed with him if he refrained from joining her right away, she was still hesitant in her movements around him. And it seemed that accompanying him into the woods was testing every bit of her courage. She glanced nervously at the trees and thick bushes as if expecting a monster to leap from them without provocation.

“Come on,” he cajoled. “We aren’t going far, and you need to get out of the cabin before it begins affecting your mental health.”

Startled at the sound of his voice, her head whipped toward him, panic rising in the depths of her beautiful eyes. That look alone made him instantly contrite. Playful as his nature was, and as merciless as his lust for terror run when he was on the hunt, he did not want to see that look in her eyes. It cut into the withered remains of his heart, making him wince as the sudden pain it gave him.

“There is nothing to fear,” he tried again with a reassuring smile.

She peered at him warily for a long moment, her thoughts well-hidden behind her eyes. He returned her regard calmly and extended his hand in invitation. Her eyes dropped to his hand for a moment but then snapped nervously back to the trees. Perhaps it was the woods itself she was afraid of. If that was the case, then he would reassure her as he ought to.

The presence of her guardians should do the trick.

He peered into the trees thoughtfully and then opened his mouth to allow a long howl to roll up from his chest and intothe air. At first there was no response but a thickening silence as the wildlife quieted in reaction. The brush rattled and three dire wolves rushed out, one among their number gangly with the disproportionately long legs of a juvenile still growing into his body. The male’s tongue lolled out indignantly as he rushed forward ahead of his parents, his tail flagging with excitement. Barbasa glanced over at his female with anticipation and immediately frowned when her expression closed into a look of panic as she caught sight of the dire wolves heading their way.

This was not right—she could be afraid of them. Could she?

Dropping his hand, he slowly returned to her side, keeping his movement slow and purposeful so as to not frighten her more. He had not imagined that she would be afraid of his home and companions—the very things that were keeping her safe.

“Tiffany,” he coaxed in a crooning voice.

As if sensing his intention, the juvenile pup lowered himself down onto his belly and crept forward, his ears flattened to the sides and tail lightly wagging. Tiffany blinked at the pup before shooting an uncertain look in Barbasa’s direction. He gave her an encouraging smile and several emotions flitted too rapidly across her face for him to decipher.

“They have come to greet you,” he hastened to reassure her. “They even brought one of their juvenile pups with them. They are powerful and loyal creatures, but they mean you no harm.”

She immediately directed a narrowed look at him. “Their loyalty to you doesn’t guarantee me anything,” she observed, a sharp note evident in her voice.

He peered at her in surprise. Did she truly imagine that? “The dire wolves of the fae realms are not like normal wild beasts or any other animals that you may be familiar with. They are intelligent and accepted your scent into their pack, bringing it with them into their den to mingle with their own scents. Theywould protect you as one of their own—even from me,” he added with a self-deprecating chuckle.

Her gaze cut toward him, her brows raising with intrigue. “Really? They won’t try to hurt me or keep me here? Or hunt me down if I leave the cabin?”

Barbasa shook his head and resisted the urge to chuckle at her imagination. She clearly believed it, however, which made it a serious matter. He could not laugh out of respect for his female. “You are not my prisoner or enemy, my pet. I would not give them your scent to keep if I wished to ask them to do this for me. It is because I want them to keep you safe from any and every threat. This pair, Eesha and Ashel, are never far from the cabin now. They will alert the rest of the pack should someone or something manage to penetrate my woods and find the cabin.”

Her gaze skated over to the mated pair before turning to the juvenile with a thoughtful look. She nodded toward him. “What is his name?”

“Dinix,” he replied promptly. “I gave him this name at his birth as I have for all the pups born into the pack since Eesha and Ashel came to my woods.”

The dire wolves in question pricked their ears, their tails flagging slightly at their names being spoken.

“Will they follow us while we are out?” she queried, and he immediately nodded.

“If you are comfortable with their presence, you will see them pacing in the undergrowth not far from us. Otherwise, if not, you will not see them as they follow us.”

“I see,” she murmured, and he breathed a small sigh when some of the tension tightening her body loosened and drained from her as she crossed the porch to him. “I think I would feel better if I can see that they are there,” she quietly admitted. “It is more reassuring this way rather than feeling watched but not seeing anything.”

As accustomed as he was to being surrounded by hidden worlds, it hadn’t occurred to him that anyone would have found it unsettling.

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