Page 56 of The Wolf and Her Shadows

“Are you trying to tell me you’re ready to shift now, Mariane?” I ask the wolf, wiping the back of my hand across my face to wipe away her slobber.

She nods, tail slowly wagging back and forth.

Our palms begin to heat up, my hands now under Aren’s control as they reach up and cup Mariane’s face. The wolf closes her eyes, leaning into our touch. Her skin begins to ripple, and, to my shock, it only takes seconds for the transformation to occur. Even more astonishing, not a single pained cry had escaped the woman’s lips. A far cry from any of her previous shifts.

There are tears in Mariane’s eyes when she opens them and her lips tremble as she whispers, “Thank you, Aren. I can’t believe that actually worked.” She chokes on a sob. “I don’t know what you did, but thank you.”

Aren slips into full control for a brief moment to say, “You’re welcome, Mariane,” and then their presence recedes.

Hoping to bring back a bit of her earlier playfulness, I brush a lock of wet hair behind Mariane’s ear and mutter, “Apparently the water didn’t magically vanish along with your fur. A shame, really, that would’ve been handy the next time it rained.”

Snorting a laugh, she leans forward and rubs her head back and forth across my chest, thoroughly soaking my chest wrappings.

After she pulls away, I glance down at the wet fabric and say, “Well, that was rude. Just for that, I think you should have to unwrap them.”

Hooking a finger into the bindings, she gives them a tug and whispers, "Happily."

Chapter Twenty-Three

Mariane

My fingers are still a bit shaky as I slowly begin unwrapping Vannaria’s chest, but the lack of excruciating pain is enough to bring fresh tears to my eyes. Whatever it is that Aren did… There are no words to express the depths of my gratitude.

Seven years… For seven years every transformation has left me feeling as if I’m inches away from my own death. And yet, with a single gentle touch from Aren, it all simply vanished. If I hadn’t known better I’d think they had healing magic of some sort. Hells, perhaps they do. I’ll have to remember to ask Old Greyva once we reach my village.

When the last bit of fabric falls away from Vannaria’s breasts, the sight of her stiff nipples forces every other thought from my mind. Licking my lips, I lean forward, intending to wrap my mouth around one of them. A hand on my own bare chest stops me. Frowning, I lift my eyes to the woman’s face.

She smirks, fingertips tapping against my skin as she says, “You may have already had a bath, but I have not. No sex is to be had until after I am no longer covered in sweat, dirt, and quite possibly a stranger’s blood.”

Barking out a laugh, I pry the elf’s hand off my chest and kiss her on the lips instead. “Fine. I suppose I’ll allow you to bathe first. But I’m still expecting my nightly massage at some point. A naked one, preferably.”

“Of course, Your Majesty.” Vannaria climbs to her feet before holding out a hand to help me up as well. “And don’t worry, I’ll make sure to pay extra close attention to the muscles between your thighs.”

A shiver of anticipation runs through me as I place my hand in hers. Doing my best to keep a straight face, I nod. “Thank you, my loyal subject. My cunt will greatly appreciate it.”

She nods back, then we both burst into a fit of giggles at our own ridiculousness while I slowly stand up.

After making sure my legs are steady beneath me, I hook my finger into the waistband of the shorts she’s still wearing. Lifting a brow in question, I give a gentle tug. She nods, her eyes never leaving mine as I slowly peel the shorts down her legs. Tossing them aside, I lick my lips, hoping I’ll be allowed to taste her at some point tonight.

Pressing her body against mine, Vannaria brushes her own lips against my ear and whispers, “Don’t worry, it’ll be all yours soon enough.” Pulling back, she glances towards the water, a strange look of apprehension crossing her face. “But I’m afraid I’ll have to ask you to keep your hands to yourself while we bathe.”

Ignoring my pang of disappointment, I reach up and run my fingers along the smooth skin on the side of her head. “Alright. I suppose I can contain my lust for you a bit longer.”

Letting out a small sigh, she leans into my touch, the bit of tension in her shoulders easing. “Thank you. We… Well, for lack of better wording, we have some rather painful memories involving nearly drowning. Rayne was kind enough to remind me that I should warn you. If something had happened to cause me to panic, it would’ve thrown her into control.” Her eyes drift to my chest, still pressed against hers. “And we wouldn’t want that, now would we?”

I hum, arching into her. “While I’d love to get to know her better at some point, I’d hate for it to be at the expense of further traumatizing you both.” I’m about to lean in and kiss her, when a thought hits me and I blurt out, “Vannaria, do you get jealous of your own mental companions?”

Her head jerks back, understandably taken aback by my outburst. Then she chuckles. “Not usually, no.”

“Usually?”

“Ah. Well, I suppose there are a few things I’m jealous of. Aren’s magic, for instance. I’d love to be able to summon their flames myself, but alas…” One corner of her lips twitches as if fighting back a grin. “Although I have a feeling that’s not the type of jealousy you’re referring to.”

My cheeks begin to heat as I slowly shake my head. “No. It isn’t. But feel free to ignore the question, if you’d like.”

“Hmm.” Vannaria wraps her arms around me, her fingers toying with the ends of my hair. “I suppose I can be nice and answer it. No, I feel no jealousy when it comes to sharing romantic partners with either of them. In fact, it would be rather rude of me to not share, considering that if any of us have a partner, neither of the others are allowed to engage in casual sex with strangers anymore.” A smirk slips onto her face. “At least not without both consent and participation of said partner…”

I barely manage to choke down my squeak of surprise at her last words. And at the fantasies I’d been harboring since our time with Gwen now flashing through my mind. Clearing my throat as subtly as possible, I say, “Ah, I see. So, you’re collectively monogamous then? With the exception of the occasional three-some?”