Page 36 of Promise & Artem

“Good as new,” she said, relief flowing through her.

“It’s really late. Do you want me to go walking with him so you can rest?”

“No, I’m good,” she said. She was tired, but also wired in that weird way when someone you were crazy about nearly died.

“All right, we’ll see you whenever you both are up for the day. Rest well. And Promise?”

“Yeah?”

“Thank you for saving my son.”

“You’re welcome. But I wouldn’t have been able to save him if you and Ian hadn’t been there with him, so thank you for that.”

Axtyn nodded and walked away.

She looked up at her mate.

“Ready for a walk?”

He nodded his big head. She walked with him to the front door and swung it open all the way. He had to go out sideways because of his horns, but once he was out on the porch, he liftedhis head to the sky and let out a deep bellowing roar that seemed to shake the trees.

Her wolf was so happy he was okay.

She moved to step off the porch, but he stopped her, dropping to one knee in front of her and motioning to his back.

“Oh yeah? You’re going to carry me through the woods? All right.” She climbed onto his broad back. He looped his arms under her legs and rose to his feet. She let out a laugh and said, “This is high! Holy crap!”

He took off toward the other side of the campground, walking along the dirt road, and then he veered off toward the mountains she could see in the distance, their darker shadow standing out against the night sky.

Resting her head on his shoulder, she yawned.

“I’m so glad you’re okay.”

He hummed in agreement.

“Okay, so since you can’t talk, let me tell you about being a healing wolf. It’s pretty freaking epic. The first time I saw my mom heal, I was six…”

Artem could have listened to his mate talk about her family and their healing abilities, about the pieces of her past that came to her mind as he alternated between walking and running, forever. She had a musical voice he found enchanting, and he loved how tightly she held onto him.

He was falling hard for her.

Even if she hadn’t been the sweetest female on the planet, or incredibly beautiful, or an amazing healer, he’d still give her his whole heart because they were truemates and he felt that connected to her.

He wanted to tell her in an epic way, though.

Make a whole night of it.

Take her out somewhere nice and show her how much he cared, and then he’d give her his heart and ask her to be his wife, too.

He could picture their future so easily now that they were together. The wedding, fixing up the cabin so it was more of a home than he’d ever made it, and a few rugrats running around.

He carried her partway up the mountain, his hooves perfect for the terrain. When he’d reached a plateau he knew would be perfect for viewing the sunrise, he set her on her feet and settled onto the rocky ground.

She rested her hand on his shoulder. “Oh, I can see some gold in the darkness, that’s the sunrise! Oh, it’s perfect.”

He patted his knee and she sat, snuggled in his embrace in the chill of the early morning.

They watched the sunrise, the golden orb painting the midnight sky with oranges and yellows, pushing away the darkness and letting in the dawn.

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