"We won't know if I will turn until the full moon?" Ciara asked. There was still a slim chance she hadn't totally fucked her life. "When is it?"
"About a fortnight?"
Ciara drained her glass. "Anything else I should know?"
"You will need to come back for it. First turnings can be rough. You'll be volatile, and it's better if you're near other wolves. I'm to watch over you until then because even though Varg bit you, I took responsibility for your life. You are…Ulfheðnar."
The fuck she was. "So you're going to babysit me until then?" she demanded.
"Yes, and you can be pissed off about it all you want," he growled, making the hair on her arms rise. "You came to me for help, and you're going to get it, whether you want it or not."
Ciara's eyes narrowed at his tone, and she turned away from him. "Get out."
"Be shitty about it all you want. What's done is done, and you have no one to blame but yourself. You should've thought about the consequences of hunting a monster like Varg on your own," Tor said and shut the door behind him.
Ciara drained her drink and made a decision. As soon as she was strong enough, she was out of there, and one wolf wasn't going to be able to stop her.
"Guardian, my ass," she hissed and slid under the hot water.
4
The next time Ciara woke, it was afternoon. She was wearing the soft cotton shirt Tor had left for her, and there was a travel mug of soup on the bedside table that was still warm. Her head was clearer than the day before, and all her bones seemed to crack when she stretched. It was probably the most she had slept in years.
Ciara sipped the vegetable soup, and her brain came back online. She needed to find a phone and get Layla to bring her some clothes and get the fuck out of there. She couldn't let Varg's trail go cold. That fucker had bit her, and she wasn't going to stop until she had cut his damn head off.
Ciara got out of bed with ease and used the bathroom. She examined her injuries and found none. Tor's bond had given her some of his healing after all.
"Holy crap." There wasn't a single bruise on her, and the bite was nothing but a circle of small pink scars. She would wear that fucker's marks for the rest of her life.
"He has to die," she said, and it came out as a growl. Her eyes went wide at the sound. Fuck. "No. Don't think about it. You need to focus on getting out of here."
Ciara walked out of the room and looked around the small house for Tor's phone. The rest of the place was neat, with comfortable-looking furniture and an incredible view of the lake. A thumping sound had her stepping outside into the cool afternoon. Tor's shirt was big enough to brush her knees, but she still felt too naked. She needed Layla, and that meant dealing with her wolf babysitter.
Ciara almost tripped over when she went around the side of the house and found Tor shirtless and standing next to a massive wood pile. His broad back was covered in dark blue Viking tattoos and scars that looked like they had been made by claws.
She had done her best not to look at him when he decided to be shirtless in Svartalfheim, but now she found herself staring. Maybe she had gotten so used to him being around that she forgot how massive he was.
"Awake again. Come to yell at me?" he asked, lifting the ax and splitting the block of wood with one perfect strike.
"I need…" Ciara cleared her throat and dragged her eyes off him. "I need clothes." That made him turn. Tor raised an ashen brow.
"You're wearing some," he said.
"Real clothes. I need your phone so I can ring Layla and get out of here."
Tor's ax came down hard on the block and stayed there. "How are you feeling?"
"Fine. No bruises. Nothing. I'm good to go," Ciara said. Tor walked over to her, and she felt a wave of masculine heat and power hit her. She had always been aware of the BDE he seemed to exude, but now it hit her like a truck and made her take a step back. All her hunter senses were suddenly telling her to run, and she had to physically stop herself from doing just that. Ironwoods didn't run.
"Go where?" he asked.
"Anywhere I want. You can't keep me here, Tor. I don't care what your guardian bullshit is," she replied, lifting her chin.
"I could, you know, keep you here," he said, eyes flashing wolf.
Ciara didn't like that tone one fucking bit. "I'll fucking walk to Layla if I have to. Call her right now."
"Or what? You'll run?" Tor smiled, showing way too many teeth. "Please do,kanin."