Page 71 of Hunted By Wolves and Shadow
I’d decided it was better not to know the details, sort of like I was happier to ignore the criminal side of Locke’s smuggling when it resulted in me having enough emeralds to leave healing gem casts with our friends when we left. The lands near Aglonbriar Forest were still a dangerous place, and I likedknowing they could at least heal small wounds without having to come to me.
Not that I minded visitors. After the first few sought me out, more and more had started to come as word spread of the Emerald Witch and her healing powers. The cottage became a place for people to get help.
I healed all sorts. There were wounds inflicted by the beasts that were still being hunted down—the ones too far gone to ever be human again—and all sorts of construction and farming injuries as people worked to rebuild communities that had withered under the curse. I treated illnesses and the effects of malnutrition from all the annums when Anterrans had struggled to grow enough food under the shroud of the Mist. One by one, I undid damage done by my family.
Even Jade came to me, begging me to “heal” her. As far as I was concerned, there was nothing wrong with her appearances except that her magic no longer worked to make her look as pretty as she wanted. The initial warts had worn off, but she had flawed skin, her hair wasn’t as full and bouncy as it had been, and her cheeks were no longer full enough to hide the darkness under her eyes. In short, she was normal.
“Sorry, sister, I’ve helped all I can. When you learn to consider others, you’ll have full access to your magic again. It’s all up to you. There’s nothing I can do. Would you like some treacle tarts to take back to Father?”
Oh, the look of horror on her face…! Wolf had laughed himself silly after she left.
“There, all better,” I said, patting his leg.
He hopped down from the table and took me in his arms. “How will I ever thank you? I don’t think I can pay, but I’m sure I can think of something.” His filthy wink and growly voice shot pure heat through me, and I didn’t need any convincing to lockup the clinic for the night and drag my sexy wolf back to the cottage for some proper attention.
I only wished I could heal everything as easily as a sprained ankle. As far as I could tell, the only limit to my healing was matters of the heart and the head. I couldn’t restore memories or cure the lingering sadness that plagued many people after so long living under the oppressive Mist. Only time could do that. And love.
The other thing I still couldn't heal was myself. Not even the blisters on my hands from digging the new garden Amber came to help me grow. If all magic came at a price, this was one I would gladly pay. I didn't need magic for myself when I already had all that I could want in the man who dragged me through the door and then pinned me against it. Wolf claimed my mouth with hot breath and a forceful slide of his tongue, and I gave him all of me, loving every second of his hard body against me and his woodsy scent surrounding me.
He’d given me so much. He’d built the clinic so I could help more people and still have space for us to be alone. He made me feel powerful and useful every day, and he kissed me like he wanted me every time we saw each other. No matter what he was doing, when Wolf saw me, he would drop his work and stride over. He’d kiss me once, hard and claiming, no matter who else was around, and then again, softer, reminding me that there was more to him than the protective wolf. He was kind and good. And he was mine.
Which was why I knew something was missing.
It wasn’t us. I had everything I needed in him, and he loved me with all his big heart in return.
But in spite of our idyllic life, I could tell Wolf wasn't settled. Whether it was the cottage, Grandma Ruby's grave and memories, or a larger lingering imprint of the Mist and all he’d lost and survived, it was too much for that big heart to fully heal.
My magic couldn’t make him forget any more than I could make him remember. Wolf assured me he was perfectly happy, so it was only when I caught him staring into the shadows that I worried.
“You have that determined look about you, witchling,” he teased before nipping at my throat. “Is it just about getting me into bed, or something more? Because you should know by now, I'm a sure thing.”
I laughed and hooked my arms around his waist. “I do want that. But I want to talk to you first.”
“Sounds ominous.”
“No, nothing like that. It's just, I know you're not comfortable here. Don't deny it. I know you, Wolf.”
He sighed into my shoulder. “I suppose you do. But never think I'm not happy. I love you, Emi.”
“It’s because I love you too that I can tell you need more than this. We may never know who you were before the curse, but I want to find out everything you can do now. We should see what more is out there.”
Wolf looked around at the walls of the small cottage. “Where would we go?”
”Anywhere. The world is ours. Right now, I particularly want to visit the bedroom, but maybe after that, we can think beyond these walls.”
“Mmm. That sounds very good to me.” Wolf scooped me up like I weighed nothing, as if nothing could hold him down now that a weight had lifted off him. We smiled at each other giddily all the way to the bed, and for a long time after. No matter where we went, we’d be happy together.
WOLF
At the sound of Emi’s shriek, I dropped the shovel and raced to the front of the cottage. I rounded the corner in time to see the woman who set my heart racing fling herself at another figure. Protective instincts burned through me until I realized the shouts were of delight. Red and blonde hair met in an exuberant mess of arms and Emi’s elated cry.
“Jules! What are you doing here? You’re in Anterra!” Emi held the blonde woman.
There was a man too, muscular with dark skin and hair and a confident stance that told me he could handle himself. He hung back, though, not an immediate threat. My instincts assessed quickly, but I strode the rest of the way more relaxed when there didn’t seem to be anything wrong.
The blonde woman was no shrinking violet either. So this was Juliet. The woman who’d taught my feisty tigress to wield a blade so proficiently. I wouldn't underestimate her or her companion.
“I heard the Mist was gone. I wasn’t sure whether to believe it,” Juliet said.
