Page 191 of The Lands Defying
She barks after me, and she sounds like a damn boulder coming through the forest, but she will learn in time to be silent when she’s wolf.
I don’t run too far from her, letting her chase me until she jumps at me from the side. We go rolling, and I nip at her front leg as we both stand again. Walking further into the forest, she rubs up against me, never leaving my side until a rabbit catches her attention.
Her head lowers and she gives chase, making all the noise for the rabbit to easily go back to its burrow. She looks down into it, waiting for one to come out, but they won’t.
I grab her by the scruff of her neck, pulling her to me to follow. When we come across another rabbit, I stand in front of her, and lower myself a little. With a pointed look, she copies me.
I take slow steps forward, making sure it is only one paw at a time, and being as quiet as possible. Runa comes up beside me, following everything I do and when the rabbit turns, she pounces.
I watch as she misses its tail by a hair and she shakes her head back and forth, growling.
I huff and nudge into her before nipping at her tail. She spins, legs down, hind in the air as her tail wags as she barks at me.
We run and play in the forest until the sun begins to set, until the ground is fully covered in snow and we are panting wildly. We go to the river last, taking a drink and I think playtime is over…untilshe jumps on me.
We waver to the side, landing on the ground hard, and I’m about to bark at her, to tell her it’s enough and that she couldhurt herself, but all she does is nuzzles my neck and licks my face.
I’ll allow it, I suppose.
When she’s done, she moves between where I have laid down and curls up between my front and back legs, soaking in my heat. I nuzzle behind her ear, curling myself around her and resting my head on hers, watching over her as she rests.
Because whether male or wolf, I’ll always watch over her.
Fifty Six
Rhea
I wake to a body pressed against mine. Warm, tight, safe.
I peel my eyes open to the morning light and stretch my limbs out. A fire burns next to us, keeping us warm through the winter night and I have no idea when Darius had done that.
I groan at the ache spreading through my muscles, but then I suddenly sit up, gasping.
Daruis wakes, magic out and widely looks around.
“What is it, what’s wrong?!” he demands and I laugh, jumping on him so he’s laying down again.
Anoomphcomes from him as I straddle his waist and smile. “She came out!”
“What?” Darius’s eyes turn concerned, but then realization hits and he pulls his magic back. “She did.” His hands go to my waist as he lets loose that smile of his and I laugh again.
“I can’t believe it!” I tell him. “She’s amazing. Isn’t she?” I stroke Runa within me, feeling her puff up her chest at my words.
“She is,” he chuckles, now playing with a strand of my hair.
“She can jump so high too! When you jumped over that huge stone, I thought there was no way I can do that, but with Runa being so tall, we did it with ease. And Gods,” I say, laughing. “We can runsofast, did you see us? And we didn’t even get tired for ages…” I taper off as Darius chuckles beneath me. “What?” I grin, even as my cheeks heat.
Darius sits up, his grip steadying me and it’s then that I realize how very naked I am. I look down at the cloak wrapped around me.
“Yours?” He nods, and then chuckles. “What’s so funny?”
He shakes his head. “Your excitement, little wolf. It feels like you are breathing life into me.”
My cheeks redden further at his words, and I bring my hands up to his shoulders. “Thank you,” I breathe, and then I lean in to kiss him.
I’m hesitant at first, but when he groans and pulls me closer, I’m the one that deepens it, my hands going to his hair, trying to get as close as possible.
Feeling Darius relax from my touch, feeling him grab and pull me close, gripping tightly so as not to let me go, is a feeling I think I will always cherish.
