Page 44 of Luna Cursed

"You look good like this. Like a wild god of the forest," she whispered, brushing her nose against his in a small affectionate gesture. "I like it."

"Then I'll make a note to fuck you under the stars more often." Tor kissed her sweet smile. "Let me take you home, Ciara."

If she demanded to go to Layla's, he would take her. He didn't really care where they were as long as they were together.

Ciara put her arms around him and placed her head on his shoulder. She breathed him in and made a little growl of contentment.

"Okay, but you're going to have to carry me," she murmured.

"I planned on it," Tor replied, standing up and cradling her close. "You have had a big day. Let me take care of you for once."

"Because I'm so great at letting other people do that," she said bitterly.

Tor kissed the top of her head and held her closer. "You'll get used to it, bunny."

23

Ciara was feeling a million things at once. She wanted to fight with all of her impulses to reject what Tor was offering, but she couldn't. She was done fighting for the day.

Tor carried her like she was a doll, something fragile and cherished. She tried not to be embarrassed by it. It had been a long day, and she was too tired to want to argue for the sake of it.

She had run because she knew he would fuck her senseless, and she loved the thrill of it…of him. It was probably the result of deep trauma, but she wasn't about to analyze it. She didn't care.

Tor's house came into view, and he took her to the bathroom and into the big shower. He kissed her softly and set her down on her feet. She was filthy, her skin stained with mud and moss and with leaves in her hair. Tor was in the same state, and he had never looked sexier.

He waited until the water was hot before tugging her under the spray. Ciara groaned. She hadn't realized how chill her skin was.

"How's your arm? We didn't pull your stitches?" he asked.

Ciara showed him. "No, it's fine. It must be healing because it's not aching."

"Good. I swear I almost had a heart attack when you agreed to fight her," Tor admitted. He soaped up a soft cloth and started to wipe the mud and forest grime from her.

"Why? Did you think I couldn't take her?" Ciara asked.

Tor knelt down on the tiles and washed her legs and feet. He pressed a kiss to the side of her knee. "I'm not good with losing people. I knew Petra would cheat. I hate seeing you hurt in any way."

"Can I ask you something?"

Tor looked up at her. "Sure."

"If wolves choose their mates for strength, why didn't you want to mate with her?" Ciara asked.

Tor stood up, and she got the chance to admire all of the wet tattooed Viking in front of her. Gods, he was beautiful.

"I've never felt anything for her. I've also never wanted to take a mate at all. I figured I would fail at it and become my old man. I've had enough of women leaving me," Tor replied. The admission made Ciara's chest ache.

"And what makes you think I won't do the same?" she dared to ask.

Tor braced his arm on the wall above her head and leaned into her, his fangs showing. "You saw what happened when you tried to run away tonight. I'm serious when I say I'm not going to let you go, bunny. I'm going to do whatever I have to do to make you stay."

Ciara tried to push down her own insecurities and failed. "Give it time, Tor. I'm not the kind of woman people want to keep forever. I'm sure this sudden interest in mating has something to do with the bond and an emotional day. It'll wear off."

"Yeah, we'll see about that. In the meantime, we have a psycho wolf to hunt down." Tor lifted her chin. "After Varg is stopped, we will figure this mating thing out. I'm not going to pretend otherwise." He brushed his lips over hers, a silky soft touch that went straight to her pussy. "Tell me you'll consider it, Ciara."

"I-I'll think about it," she stammered. "I won't hold it against you if you change your mind between now and then."

Tor made a sound between a hum and a growl, his lips gliding down her neck. "That's all I ask. Think about it in lots of detail. Think about how nice it would be to have a mate to worship this gorgeous body of yours whenever you wanted."

---