Page 260 of The Lands Defying
I look away, then. “She told me she forgives me, and I’m learning to forgive myself, thanks to her. The only reason I am doing that is because she asked it of me.”
There is an uncomfortable silence that he eventually breaks. “And what if you can’t forgive yourself?”
My eyes swing to his, but he’s looking down at his clenched hands.
“We have to try for her, kid. It makes her unhappy, and I won’t make her unhappy, we clear?” His head lifts at my tone and he blinks wide eyes at me.
“You love her?”
I rise, holding out my hand to him, which he takes after a moment.
“What I feel for her goes beyond words. Now, let’s see how Axis and Drax compare.”
He smirks at me for avoiding my answer, and then his wolf is there.
Axis shakes out his fur, and I am glad his control is getting better.
I raise a hand and then Draxton is out, staring down the smaller wolf.
“You may be at a height disadvantage,” I tell the kid. “But your opponent, no matter who, always has a weakness. You just have to find it.”
Drax gets ready to pounce, and I grab his fur. “No flames.” He huffs at me, but the flames on his back die down, and then the wolves collide.
He holds his own as they spar, I will give the kid that, he’s getting in his own nips in, though it is clear he is always on the defensive.
But it will keep him alive.
“Where are you?”Rhea’s voice sounds in my mind and I smile, leaning back against a tree.
“Missing me again?”
I can’t see her roll her eyes, but I know she is.“Yeah,”she says, and I still for a moment, not expecting that reply.
I stand straighter, walking away from the wolves and following that pull that will always lead me to her.
“Are you done with checking the perimeter?”I ask, stalking through the trees and making my way to her.
“Yes, no sign of rogures, beasts or anything else.”
“Good.”
She has been doing this multiple times a day, and once when I watched her go for the fourth time in one day, Josh told me she got like that after an attack years ago also, when some broke through the barrier. He told me to just let her do it for her own peace of mind, so I do.
“So, where are you?”she asks again, and I smirk to myself as I spot her near the lilk trees, palm to it as she closes her eyes.
I lean against a tree, not answering her and just watch the female that has turned me inside out. She’s wrapped up in acloak, hood covering her head and her gentler breaths can be seen with every exhale.
Winter is definitely here, and so too will her heat be soon.
I don’t think she knows it, but I have sensed it coming for a little while now.
I have also made sure every male in the vicinity stays well away from her after the gathering. They know their life is in my hands if they so much as go near her with the intent to try to mate with her.
The thought has my magic coming to my feet, and Rhea smiles.
She knows I’m here.
Removing myself from the tree, I walk up behind her and wrap my arms around her waist. She leans back into me, sighing in my embrace as I pull her hood down and nuzzle into her neck, scenting her.
