Page 17 of Luna Cursed

"I shouldn't have put you in that position. I should never have gone to you." Ciara didn't know why she was admitting it at all. Maybe it was easier to say what she was thinking in the darkness. She stared at the carpet under her feet so she didn't have to look at him. "The wolves are going to start shit with you over it, and I'm sorry about that too."

Ciara didn't hear him move, but warm fingers slid under her chin and lifted it. Tor's gray eyes were silver when they fixed on hers. "Stop saying sorry. I knew exactly what I was doing when I put the bond on you. You came to me when you were scared and hurt because you know deep down that we might snip and snarl at each other, but I'm always going to look out for you. You're safe with me, Ciara, and you know it."

She swallowed hard, unable to look away as his words sank in. She made a sound like a sob mixed with a laugh. "I must be crazy, right? I was half dead, and all I could think about was telling you about Linnea being alive. I thought I was going to die, and I didn't care as long as you knew you hadn't lost her completely," she rambled. The stress and confusion of the last few days had finally cracked her. "I've been hunting wolves my whole life. Who would've thought I'd go to one when I needed to feel safe?"

"Not just a wolf. Me. You came tome, Ciara." There was a touch of proud alpha in his voice, the wolf coming through and making the hair on the back of her neck rise. His thumb ran over her cheek, and her pulse leaped to her throat. "You don't have to worry, little bunny. I will protect you and keep you safe, just like you need me to."

A part of Ciara wanted to climb into his arms and accept what he was offering. She couldn't let that part of her win. She hadn't felt safe since her parents had died and had fought to create her own way to protect herself.Shekept people safe, not the other way around.

Ciara took a careful step back from him, making his fingers drop from her face. Her legs were wobbly as she went back to her room. Tor was watching her retreat with a predator's eyes.

"Goodnight, Tor. I'm… I'm glad you came back," Ciara said and quietly closed her door. She half expected him to come in after her. When he didn't, she climbed into bed and put a pillow over her burning face. She was such an idiot.

* * *

It took Ciara ages to fall asleep, and when she did, she was caught up in nightmares. She hadn't dreamed the whole time she had been recovering, and now they hit her with fever intensity. She was back on the wet ground, Varg's heavy body on top of her, jaws clamped tight.

"Stop struggling, little hunter," he said, turning into Tor. When he bit her, it wasn't a cry of alarm; it was ecstasy. Then he was Varg again, ripping her throat clean out, blood smearing his muzzle and fangs as he laughed and laughed.

A warm hand touched her shoulder, and Ciara roared into wakefulness, lashing out at the big figure in the darkness.

"Woah, Ciara, it's just me," Tor said. He grabbed her hands so she would stop trying to hit him in her roiling fear and panic. She was covered in sweat and shaking. "Are you awake?"

"Y-Yes. What are you doing in here?" she asked.

"The bond woke me up, and when I smelled your fear, I came in to see if you were being attacked," Tor explained, his eyes shining in the darkness.

"No, just…just nightmares," Ciara replied, kicking off her blanket and sitting up.

"Varg?" Tor guessed.

"Yeah. He got my throat out this time," she admitted. Tor hissed softly but said nothing. "What do you mean, the bond woke you up? I thought we didn't have that kind of connection like a mating bond?"

"We don't, but I still felt it." Tor sat down on the edge of her bed. "I know you're freaked out about it, but unless we create the mating bond intentionally while we have sex, it's never, ever going to be a mating bond. Although I hear sex when you're bonded is something else."

Ciara pushed her hair out of her face and huffed out a laugh. "I bet they all say that. Just keep your little wolf in your pants. We don't need any more trouble than what we already have."

"Bunny, you wouldn't be able to handle my little wolf without the bond, let alone with one," Tor replied. Ciara went hot all over, and a tingle went straight to her lady parts. In Svartalfheim, he had joked that she wouldn't be able to wrap one hand all the way around it… Nope, nope, nope, she wasn't going to think about it.

"Get out of my room." Ciara hit him with a pillow. Tor caught it and yanked it out of her hand.

"Stop having nightmares, and I will."

"Yeah, that's not going to happen. All I have is nightmares," she replied.

"The bond will stop them if I'm close." Tor dropped the stolen pillow onto the carpet beside the bed and lay down.

Ciara stuck her head over the side. "What are you doing?"

"Making sure we both get some sleep tonight. Trust me, it will work. It's a pack thing. It would work better if we were touching, but I know my little wolf frightens you."

"So do your manners."

"Shh, I'm trying to sleep."

Ciara bit back a laugh. It was beyond ridiculous, but she was too tired to fight him. She pulled her top blanket off and dropped it on him.

"I knew you liked me," Tor whispered.

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