Page 44 of Wulver's Flame
Was the wolf in my chest? Or had he simply cursed me with his own?
He spoke of a bond before he mated me—something sacred. But the words slipped through my grasp like steam.
Neither of us spoke now.
Only silence.
Anger, fear, resentment, numbness—layered thick in my chest.
I couldn’t tell which feelings were mine anymore. Or which were his.
He never stepped into the bedchamber when I was awake, but I knew he still came to sleep. I could smell him in the linens. And when he was gone, I pressed my face to his pillow, stealing his scent like a shameful thief. It made no sense, but it gave me comfort. A terrible, uninvited comfort I never asked for, but still craved.
“I was jesting, mistress. I meant no offence,” Brynhild said with a worried frown.
“No. I just remembered something,” I said with a forced smile.
Relief cleared her face, and I wondered how Vargr treated his servants.
I was stealing her recipe for the sweet mead bread—I mean, helping her in the kitchen when Vargr came in. Tall, golden and cursed. He stared at my dough-filled hands before walking out again.
“Don't worry, his bark is worse than his bite,” Brynhild said, nudging my shoulder.
A hysterical laugh built up in me at her words, but I had nothing to laugh about, and Brynhild had no idea how close to the truth she was.
I had to escape the man and his wolf. Maybe if I crossed to the mainland and made it to one of my sisters’homes, I could break the curse. Put distance between myself and the bond. Silence his voice in my chest.
Perhaps then I’d be free.
???
I was tempted to slip out of bed when his breathing became heavy and rhythmic. Fear stopped me. One bite from the beast or even a claw, and I would be doomed. My daggers were locked in his chest. I waited a little longer, pausing to inhale the smoky-sweet scent before carefully slipping out of the bed.
My bag was hidden away outside so my movements would not alert anyone. Little by little, I crept to the door, prying it open wide enough to slip through. My heart pounded as I worked my way out of the house.
The servants had their own home attached to the back of the house. I winced thinking about my family and the treaty, but my Da had thrown me to a beast, not a man.
The moon was high, and the nearby woods were dark, but my resolve was strong. I took a deep breath and retrieved my bag, slipping it across my body before running as fast as possible. It was a good idea to go to bed with my boots on.
Chapter 19
Vargr
Ireached for her as I always did, my hand closing on nothing but twisted furs and linen. The bed was cold. No scent. No warmth. No mate.
My eyes opened slowly, the way a predator opens its jaws. She was gone. At first, it didn’t register. Just a flicker in the bond. A tug. A chill.
Then Sköll rose, sniffing the air.
The breath fled my lungs like wind from a cracked hull. I sat up slowly. Listening.
Nothing.
The hearth fire had burned low. The house was quiet. Too quiet.
I stood, naked, heart pounding. The bond vibrated like a plucked string—frayed, faint, and distant. She wasn't here.
Sköll began to snarl. Low and endless. A sound that promised blood.
