Page 45 of Wolf Marked

Astrid silently commanded her jumpy heart to settle and leaned closer to Erec. She ran the back of her hand along his fevered forehead and whispered his name, hoping to wake him. He bucked under her touch, snarling, and she pulled back.

Her heart constricted. She didn’t like seeing him in any kind of pain, especially if it was intangible, something she couldn’t help him fight. “Erec…” she called gently. “Erec, please wake up.”

Every one of his muscles was drawn tight, but he stopped twisting in the bed. What dream could be tormenting him so much? As she whispered his name again and again, she touched his brow for a second time. Her skin was icy compared to the heat radiating from his. His fear and anger pulsed through his new pack connection so strongly it seeped into all her senses, leaving a pungent, bitter taste on her tongue.

“Erec…” she said with a little more force this time. “Wake up.”

His eyes snapped open, wide with panic. He blinked several times, and when his gaze finally found her, his body eased into the bed, unwinding. A small smile teased his lips as if his dreams had only been full of happy things and not the terrible fight she had just witnessed.

“Good morning,” he said, his voice still raspy with sleep. “Or should I say afternoon?”

“Erec.” She couldn’t keep the worry from her tone. “You were having some kind of nightmare. You were thrashing in your sleep.”You scared me.

His brows rose in surprise. “I was?” His fingers brushed the dampness clinging to his forehead and his puzzled look intensified.

Unease turned in Astrid’s gut. “You don’t remember?” she asked. “It just happened. Now. I tried waking you.”

“I only remember pieces,” he started. “I remember repeating a lot of what you and I did last night. Although it wasn’t nearly as good in my head as it was in real life.” His blue eyes darkened on her, causing her cheeks to burn as desire stirred. Sweet Moons, this man could turn her into a puddle without even trying.

“I must have had another dream because I remember Jerrick’s face. His laughter.” His jaw clenched, and his fury surged around him again. “And the smell of blood.”

That had to be the nightmare. “But you don’t remember anything else?”

Erec shook his head and sighed. “No, but it’s not important.”

His fingers glided down her arm, beckoning her to lie back with him. She did, and settled in close to his chest. Being pressed against him did things to her body she had no control over, like make her pulse hum through her veins and her lower belly clench with need. But still, there were questions she wanted to ask him, questions she had been so willing to put off last night. She needed the answers, but she hesitated, unsure how she would feel after getting them. If Erec and Jerrick really did have some sort of history—or worse, a present—would she be able to pull herself away from him then? The sinking feeling tugging at her gut told Astrid she wasn’t as strong as she thought she was.

“What’s wrong?” Erec looked down at her, worry weighing his gaze. She was about to ask him how he knew something was bothering her, but then she remembered their new pack bond and the link between them.

“Filip told me what Claus said during the questioning,” she began, wondering how to go about the delicate topic. Maybe straight to the point would be best. “He told me Jerrick is looking for you.”

His body tensed against hers. “Apparently he is.” He said it through a tight jaw. “Unfortunately, your father was too quick, and I didn’t get the why before Claus lost his head.”

Why didn’t that surprise her? Her father’s temper was untamable. “So you don’t know why?”

“I have no idea,” he replied. “I don’t even know how he knows my name. We’ve only met once, and that was during the ambush on the east-side pack, when Jerrick snapped Mikel’s neck in front of me.” Erec’s rage pushed off him in waves, as fierce as the river’s current, and Astrid was sure he wasn’t lying. No one could fake that kind of fury.

Relief flooded her. Erec wasn’t working for Jerrick, but that left the question of why the alpha was looking for him still. It was best to leave it alone for now. Jerrick was a madman. Who knew how his brain worked? As long as Erec wasn’t part of that insanity, that was enough for her.

“We should probably get up and leave this tent before people start wondering where you’ve disappeared to,” Erec said as he stretched his arms up above his head. His well-defined stomach and hip bones peeked from under the blanket, just covering his manhood, and Astrid’s heart skipped a beat. She glanced up at him and met his eyes. Having caught her staring, he made sure to add, “As much as I don’t want to.”

Astrid sat up and scooted to the edge of the bed. “They’ll wonder where you are, too.”

He snorted a laugh. “Not me, but I’m sure Boden will be looking for his daughter, making sure you haven’t run off again.” Realization flitted across his face, and Erec suddenly looked ill. “Better yet, I think we both better wash before we step foot anywhere outside. I don’t need Filip or your father smelling me on you.”

Filip wouldn’t care, but her father… He was a different story. He may not be the alpha anymore, but he was still her father. An overprotective one, too.

“I’d like to make it to the Blue Moon alive, if possible,” Erec said, a grin playing with his lips.

“I distinctly remember you saying you didn’t care if you died before the Blue Moon. As long as dying was on your terms.” It seemed terrible to joke about such a thing, especially after the horrible words Erec had uttered the other day about wanting control over his fate. But something about his mischievous smile had her wanting to play along.

Erec put a hand on her shoulder and pulled her back until she lay flat on the bed again. Then he leaned down, his lips brushing hers as he spoke softly. “That was before I had something to live for.”

He kissed her, but this time, there was no rush to the possession. His tongue whirled with hers in an erotic dance that was both slow and hypnotizing. The heat of his hand cupping her cheek spread over her, warming her entire being. Astrid reveled in it, remembering sunshine and the spring and all the promises that time of year brought with it. She missed those things desperately. Erec reminded her of those things.

Was it love? Filip’s words bounced around in her head.“When you finally do know it, you’ll know it. With every fiber of your being. Believe me. It’s a feeling like no other.”

Astrid still couldn’t say it was love for sure, but she did know one thing absolutely—now that she had relished in that sunshine and hope with Erec, she had spent too many days in this bitter winter.

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