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She raised her hand to smack me, and I winced, bracing for impact. After a pause, instead of hitting me, she rested her hand on my head. “I suppose you’re not ready to understand what I mean. I know you’ve got a lot on your plate, baby.” She stroked my hair, and then she kissed my forehead. “I’m going to go check on Bryn. I’ll see you tomorrow, Night.”
And just like that, I was thinking about Bryn again. I was pretty sure Mom had mentioned her name on purpose—a bit of a punishment for missing the point of her story.
Fortunately, I wasn’t left alone with my thoughts for long. In a few minutes, Dom had returned with confirmation that the ferals were indeed the same ones Iggy had scented at the border.
“That could have been really, really bad,” Dom said. “If we were even a minute later, Bryn might have—”
I cut him off with a snarl. The thought of how close Bryn had come to death made my blood boil. “She can’t be allowed to be alone again,” I raged. It sounded ridiculous even to me, like I was trying to imprison her all over again. “I don’t care what I have to do to make sure she never leaves my sight.”
Dom waited until I finished my tirade, and then he asked, totally deadpan, “So, why do you think that is?”
I paused. The question was so far out of left field that it actually gave me pause. “What the fuck, Dom?”
“I’m just saying,” the smirk was back on his face, “that you’re doing this thing again. You only get this way about Bryn. It almost makes me wonder if you and her might be—”
I pointed at him. “Don’t you dare fucking say—”
“—mates.” Dom finished with a grin that was a mile wide.
I groaned and shook my head. But the more I heard the word, the more I thought about it, the more right it felt. I couldn’t deny the way I reacted when I thought Bryn was at risk, and I certainly couldn’t ignore how recklessly I had behaved when she was threatened right in front of me.
My wolf had completely taken over, something he had never done before. I couldn’t let that happen again. My immediate response was to assure everyone that I would keep myself in check, but a promise without taking action would mean nothing.
I knew what I needed to do, if I was being honest. I’d been ignoring my wolf and quieting him every time he yearned for Bryn. By stifling him, I’d basically forced him to take control of my body.
“I don’t think she’ll accept me,” I said finally. “Not after all that I’ve done and said, not after how badly I’ve treated her.”
Dom chuckled and bumped me with his shoulder. “You need to get your shit together and treat that woman the way she deserves. If you’re gentle with her, I think you’ll be really surprised by Bryn’s response.”
I wanted to believe he was right. Somehow, the universe chose this human to be my mate, and she would be. I just needed to figure out how to convince her to give me a chance.
Part of me didn’t think she would give me the time of day, but a greater part of me no longer cared about my doubts. I was sick of my own bullshit. Sick of my hesitations. Because of my fears, I had neglected my wolf’s needs, and it was past time for me to listen to my other half.
29
BRYN
I slept for nearly forty-eight hours after the ordeal, waking just long enough to use the bathroom, drink some water, and nibble on some crackers. On the brief occasions when I was awake, I remembered Violet telling me that I’d had visitors—Dom, Tavi, and even little Pax—but she’d sent them away with the assurance that I would be alright.
Out of my mind with exhaustion, I had nodded in response to Violet’s reports. I apologized for not finishing my gardening work before I’d left for the cave and then returned to bed.
Finally, when I had rested long enough, I got up to take a shower. I felt sweaty and sticky with sleep, and I stayed under the water for a long time to make sure I was clean. When I emerged in a cloud of steam, my hair wet, my face washed, dressed in comfy leggings and an oversized sweater, I went down the stairs to find Violet waiting for me with warm food.
The moment I saw the assortment of meatloaf, mashed potatoes, and gravy, I threw myself into the chair and inhaled my food. It was delicious, I knew, but I ate so quickly I was only aware of a consistent state of tastiness on my tongue. Violet calmly drank her coffee, watching me with kind eyes.
Finally, after finishing two and a half helpings, I reached for a glass of water to wash it all down. When I was finished, Violet moved to clear the table, but I stopped her, placing a hand on her arm.
“No, no let me,” I said with a smile. “It’s the least I can do after you took care of me.”
Violet eased back into her chair, and I quickly washed the dishes and wiped down the table. When I returned to where Violet had been sitting, I found that she had moved into the living room.
“Grab us some tea or coffee, girlie,” she said, “and then come sit with me.”
Tea sounded divine. I brewed two cups of lavender chamomile, each with a dollop of honey before I sat by Violet on her tiny love seat. We sat beside each other in companionable silence and enjoyed our drinks.
As the tea warmed my belly, I thought back to everything that had happened in the cave. I remembered how terrified I had been of the wolves and how close I’d come to death. I remembered the way Night had emerged from the tunnel, all teeth and righteous fury, and I remembered feeling safe in his arms.
Then I replayed the events leading up to the cave, how I’d spotted the russet-brown wolf between the trees, how it had come to me and led me to the cave. Now that I looked back on it, I was beyond confused. Who was that wolf?
