Page 15 of The Wolf and Her Shadows

Hmm. Good to know indeed.

Now that I think of it, her obvious attraction to me could come in handy should I ever need to… I allow the thought to fade away, unfinished. No. Regardless of her original intentions, Vannaria deserves better than to be treated the same way as the countless men I’ve manipulated while on my journey. I allow myself a moment to trail my eyes over her leather-clad form. At least for now.

Hopefully she won’t make me regret my foolish trust in her. In them…

Her cheeks are still a bit darker than usual when she turns back to me, holding up a skewer and grinning triumphantly. “Your meal is ready, Your Majesty.”

A fond smile creeps onto my face as I push to my feet and join her by the fire. “Why thank you, kind citizen.” Playfully snatching the food from her hand, I blow on the still-sizzling meat to cool it a bit before taking a hesitant bite. My eyes widen even more so than a moment ago. “Oh my gods, this is the most delicious thing I’ve tasted in years.”

Vannaria winks. “Told you.”

Taking a much bigger bite, I mumble, “I shall never doubt your culinary expertise again. Or your mushrooms.”

She takes a large bite of her own piece of meat, then asks, “Did you have more questions, or is your curiosity as satisfied as your belly soon will be?”

Tilting my head, I consider her question for a moment, then ask one more of my own. “Had you already stolen the cart and intentionally parked beneath my window?”

Lowering both her eyes and her dinner, she nods. “I had.”

My eyes narrow. “Before or after you’d entered the tavern for the first time. And your attempted rescuing.”

There’s a look of guilt covering her face when she slowly meets my eyes. “Before.”

I nod, ignoring the unease churning in my gut and forcing myself to take another bite of the delicious meal she’d made for us while I’d been unconscious. “Ah. All of my questions have been answered now.”

“I’m sorry, Mariane. I–”

“You know, you apologize an awful lot for a mercenary,” I say, shaking my head. “Aren't you lot supposed to be all blood-thirsty and heartless?”

She exhales a heavy sigh, her expression unchanging. “I can be, when the need arises.”

“Hmm.” I take another bite, deliberating including a bit of mushroom. “Perhaps one day you’ll be the one to give me a show. Return the favor of the one you seemed quite excited to witness.”

Slowly, her grin returns. “Perhaps I will.”

A sudden realization strikes me and I blurt out, “Oh, I have one more question.”

“Alright.” She raises her brows, her amused tone hinting that she’s holding back laughter. “Ask away?”

“Where the hell were you hiding that pelt? It’s much too large for your bag.”

“That’s what you think.” She winks at me again. “It’s full of surprises.”

Rolling my eyes, I decide not to push the matter and instead focus on my meal. Or at least try to.

While not all of her answers had been what I’d hoped they’d be, at least she hadn’t lied. That I know of. And if she’d still intended to manipulate me, she likely wouldn’t have told me about her original intentions to do so. Right?

My mind is screaming that it’s somehow a trap, but… My gut and my soul are telling me something entirely different. Something I’m finding a bit hard to ignore. Something that makes no sense considering we only just met. And yet…

I trust her.

With that terrifying thought echoing through my mind, I make a second attempt to focus solely on eating. And not the gorgeous woman who’d cooked it.

Which becomes a little harder when as soon as we’ve both finished with our meals, Vannaria nods towards the bedroll I’d awoken on and says, “Go lay back down, I’ll be there in a moment to honor your other request.”

For a moment, I consider arguing that the massage she’d offered isn’t necessary. That the food was enough. But then, I nod and slowly stand up. Not only am I still exhausted, but my already sore muscles now feel as if they are filled with lead after using that fragment of my magic.

Once I’ve made it back to her bedroll, I slowly lower myself onto my knees. My hands immediately begin to tremble as images from the last time I’d been in this position flash through my mind. Squeezing my eyes shut, I grip the hem of my shirt, assuming at least part of Vannaria’s offer was in hopes of seeing me at least partially nude again.