Page 37 of Protected By the Wolf Prince

He extends his hand, but Mal steps between us and he lowers it again to his side. Sighing heavily, he rolls his eyes. “She is yourmate,” he says firmly. “I am not trying to coax her away from you.”

Mal says nothing, and Renard kneels before the hearth. Fortunately for us, there are stacks of corded wood on the side and a fire starter rock on the mantel. As soon as he gets the fire going, Mal ushers me toward it. “We need to dry your clothes,” he says.

I glance at Ren. Even though he’s a shifter, and shifters think nothing of nudity, I am not eager to be bare before a stranger. Sensing my concern, Malak pulls the comforter off the bed, shaking it to remove the dust before handing it to me. “You can use this while your clothes dry.”

I nod and he places himself between me and Ren. “Turn around,” he commands. “If you dare gaze at my mate while she is changing, I will claw out your eyes.”

Renard blinks several times. “I’ve already told you.” He huffs. “There is no need for threats of violence. I am not going to—”

“Turn. Around. Now,” Mal grinds out.

“Fine.” Ren huffs again. He turns his back to us, his fluffy tail flicking agitatedly as he stands there. “I thought only humans cared about nudity. Not—”

“My mate cares,” Mal grits through his teeth. “And so I do too.”

“Ah,” Ren says. “I understand.” He rests his chin on his hand. “You know, I’ve never understood why humans feel the need to hide their bodies.” He shrugs. “Perhaps they think others will find them strange. But in truth, it’s not as if they are that different from us,” he muses as Mal hangs my clothes on a few nails in the mantel to dry.

“We choose to only show ourselves to our mates,” I explain. “It is a sign of intimacy.”

Mal’s expression softens as his eyes meet mine. He wraps the blanket tight around me, and then pulls me into his arms. He settles down in one of the chairs, settling me into his lap, before the fire.

“You can turn around now,” I tell Renard.

He sits in the other chair and flashes a warm smile at us. Mal gives him a dark glare in return, and I lightly smack at his shoulder. “Stop,” I hiss. “Be nice.”

“Iambeing nice,” Mal grumbles.

“Well, if this is your version of nice, I cannot imagine what mean would look like,” I admonish.

Ren tries but fails to hide a grin. He clears his throat. “If you do not mind my asking, how did you two meet?”

Despite Mal’s rumbling chest, I launch into the story of how we met when we were children. When I’m finished, Renard nods. “Friends to lovers,” he muses. “My grandparents were the same.” Sadness flashes in his eyes, but he quickly averts his gaze.

“Why are you here?” Malak asks again. “You never answered my question.”

“As I mentioned,” he begins. “I am on a quest.” He turns his gaze to the dancing flames. “A seer came to our court. She told me that I must come here. That I must search for an enchanted tower, in the forest. And in it, would be not only my destiny, but a great treasure that would save our kingdom.”

Mal arches a brow. “How do you know she spoke truth?”

“Because I have dreamed of a tower many times before.”

My curiosity is piqued, so I lean in. “How long have you been searching?”

“I arrived here a little over a week ago,” he explains.

“What if you do not find it?”

“I will not give up until I do,” he replies. “Our kingdom is constantly under threat of invasion from the Troll hoards in the North. If there is something that will aid in our defense, I must find it.”

“Trolls,” Mal grumbles. “They are a plague on these lands.”

“I agree,” Renard says. “I heard a tale that you drove them off your lands. That you regained the Vale for your people, is that true?”

Mal nods.

Ren’s eyes spark with interest. “Impressive. How did you do it?”

“We surprised them,” Mal says. “They thought our forces were engaged elsewhere. They were unprepared to meet us in battle.”

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