Page 24 of Wolf Tamer

She stares me down for a moment, her gaze colder than ice, searching me for some sign of teasing. “But you let me go.Youdid that. But I still need to be punished for it?” When she finds none, when she recognizes my unwillingness to budge on that count, she sighs. “Fine. Fucking wolf politics—I’ll never understand it. If that’s the way you have to play this—”

“I do,” I insist. “I know I let you go, and you know that, but the others… they don’t.”

I wish I had something witty to say, but I have a feeling that anything that pops from my mouth right now would only dig this hole deeper for me, so I hold my tongue. It’s better for her to be mad at me than cause irreparable damage to our relationship.

Apparently, even somewhat out of it, Tasha manages to surprise me.

“Then I guess I have no choice but to play along.” Her voice sounds a bit stronger, but her eyes are closed. “You won’t really punish me, punish me? You won’t hurt me, right?”

“Never. I’ll never hurt you, Tash.”

Part of me knows I should have just let her leave. Only, if I hadn’t been there, she wouldn’t be alive now, and I have to wonder at the irony of this situation.

“I didn’t really want to let you go,” I tell her. “I wanted you here.”

She chuckles but says nothing, and in an instant, her eyes flicker beneath closed lids. Asleep.

She… fell asleep on me.

I want to wake her but stop myself with my hand on her arm, prepared to give her a good shake. She needs her sleep to recover, and I think we’ve gotten to a safe point where I don’t have to worry about a concussion. But damn, I’m not willing to let the conversation drop just yet.

Instead of waking her, I draw her closer against me still, snuggling her, content at seeing her chest move as she breathes evenly.

We’ve got time.

We’ve got more than enough time to talk. And formulate a plan.

ChapterNine

Tasha

I’m not sure how long I’m out, but by the time I wake up, my limbs feel like someone has soaked me in lead and sent me downriver. Even my fingernails hurt.

Better to be hung up and beaten piñata style than go through this. I wonder if this is a normal reaction from using too much magic or if it’s because I haven’t had much of a chance to practice before.

I’m not used to it on any level.

Then again, being tied to a stake and nearly burned also tends to do a number on a person. I shift back into the ultra-comfortable mattress at my back. My skin feels too tight in places and itchy in others.

Cracking my eyes open, I glance at the window and the sliver of light peeking in through the closed drapes. It tells me nothing. Blowing out a breath, I sit with myself for a moment, taking stock of my body. It could be better.

It could be worse.

Nothing is broken, and outside of a few aches and pains, I think I’ll manage just fine.

It takes half a second more to realize I’m in bed alone.

“Reid?” I call out for him before I realize what I’m doing, and the surprise of it has me waking fully. My eyes pop open with a gasp, and suddenly I’m struggling to untangle myself from the nest of blankets nestled around me.

Damn it, I can’t become too dependent on him.

He saved me, yes, and we’re in this together, but that doesn’t mean I have to look to him to solve all my problems. And Icertainlydon’t need to call out for him when I’m alone in bed like some kind of needy child who wants to be smothered in kisses and cuddles.

Although I have to admit I like snuggles. Especially after what I’ve just gone through.

Eventually, I push myself off the bed, only then realizing I’m not in my room.

Shit, myroom?Really?

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