Page 34 of Destined to the Lycan
“You reckless female,” I growled disapprovingly. “You said you’d do thingsmyway.”
Far from being repentant, Amara chuckled smugly. “Yes,last night. Today is a different day. And I was careful.”
“Not enough!” I grumbled.
“Fine, then we’ll worktogetheron finding ways that you are comfortable with. But you will not deny me your pleasure.”
I muttered something under my breath, which only made her giggle some more. The rational part of me wanted to be mad—and likely should be. But the needy part of me was utterly grateful for this wondrous woman.
“Well, I need to go dispose of this biohazard,” I said begrudgingly, pointing with my chin at the soiled blanket, even as I wiped myself clean. “You should get dressed and come down to have breakfast. It is nearly time for us to head out.”
“Okay,” she said in a docile voice before giving me another bone crushing hug.
I melted from a powerful emotion swelling within me. Turning my head to the side, I glanced at her beautiful face over my shoulder. She smiled affectionately at me, then brushed aside a rebellious lock of hair from my forehead.
“Thank you, my Flame,” I said softly.
“Any time,” she whispered before leaning forward.
Our lips met in a deep and passionate kiss. Something settled inside me. I didn’t need my physiological responses to tell me this woman was my Twin Flame. Even without that trait, I would be falling hard for Amara. As the Gods were my witnesses, I would do everything in my power to save her and keep her forever.
We parted with much reluctance, then set about our respective tasks. After burning the blanket—as washing it with regular soap and water couldn’t guarantee my toxins were neutralized—I warmed up our meal, and we ate quickly.
Once the lodge was back in order, with clean new sheets on the bed, we set off on our journey. My chest constricted asthe silhouette of the building rapidly vanished behind the thick foliage of the trees.
“We will reach the Haunted Woods in about ten minutes,” I said in a serious tone as we reached the packed dirt road that crossed most of the region. “Under different circumstances, I would take another route, but this will save us at least two days.”
“With that name, it doesn’t sound particularly safe,” she said warily.
“It’s fairly safe, so long as we remain on the path,” I said reassuringly. “Various wards and protection magic keeps most foul creatures from stepping onto the road.”
“Mostbut notall?” Amara insisted.
I smiled approvingly. “Nice catch. Most low-level fiends, revenants, and abominations will be repelled by the wards. A high-level demon or mythical creaturemightbe able to ignore them. But they never come here. The people who travel this road have nothing that they want. However, there is some wildlife that occasionally shows up while hunting. I will have no problem dispatching them.”
“Okay,” Amara said, still looking uneasy.
“Here, wear this amulet,” I said, bringing my horse a little closer to hers so that I could hand her the necklace. “It will block the abilities of the majority of mystifiers in the forest, if it ever came to that.”
“Mystifiers?” Amara echoed, while taking the pendant.
“They’re animals, plants, or sentient creatures with the power of illusion,” I explained. “If you enter the forest, they could make you believe that you’re following the road when you’re in fact heading deeper into the woods, where they will ambush and devour you.”
I hated the fear that fleeted over Amara’s face as a shiver coursed through her. My words and actions should bring her peace, confidence, and make her feel safe.
“So long as you wear the amulet and stay close to your horse, it will also remain calm and be immune to the lure of the mystifiers,” I added. “Just focus on the road ahead and ignore anything or anyone that tries to lure you into the woods.”
“Understood.”
With that established, I set a fast but sustainable pace for our horses. Although no physical sign or marker indicated the beginning of the Haunted Woods, an undeniable shift occurred the moment we crossed its invisible border. The air felt thick, damp, and almost slimy. It took on a sickly-sweet scent that revolted my sensitive nose.
Amara shuddered, and her deliciously dark skin erupted in goosebumps. The tension emanating from her was almost palpable. Pride filled my heart watching her staunchly move forward despite her misgivings. Externally, my mate could fool people who mistook her demure demeanor for a meek and submissive personality. But my female was no pushover. She held a quiet strength that surged forward when needed, destabilizing those who stupidly underestimated her.
Remembering the assertive way in which she had claimed me as hers and stating imperiously that I wouldn’t deny her what was rightfully hers still had me tingling in all the right places.
Too soon, the malevolence of this wretched place became even stronger. Most people would be unable to say what was amiss, but an undeniable sense of unease would overtake them. Although still green, the grass had taken a dull hue. The tree branches laden with lush leaves seemed deceptively normal. However, upon further inspection, one could see how twisted and deformed they truly were.
A discreet but alluring melody tickled my sensitive ears. I glanced at my woman. Her human ears couldn’t perceive it. And yet, a shiver coursed through her as she peered uneasily towards the dense woods. Amara was unnerved and subconsciouslydistressed. Not for the first time, I’d noticed her ability to perceive things with far more accuracy than the common mortal. I suspected she might be an empath.
