Page 57 of The Wolf and Her Shadows

She nods. “Yes.”

Filing all of that delightful information away, I do my best to change the subject back to our original conversation by nodding towards the stream. “Well, we should probably hurry and bathe. It’s getting quite late and with all that running I did earlier, I’ve worked up quite an appetite. I’m looking forward to seeing what delicious food Slivo packed for us.”

Barking out a laugh, Vannaria places a soft kiss on my cheek before taking a step back. “Apologies, Your Majesty. I shall do my best to prepare your meal with the utmost urgency once our bathing is complete.” Her fingertips ghost down the backs of my arms, leaving behind a trail of goosebumps. “Another apology that your massage will unfortunately have to be delayed until after I do so.”

Feigning a pout, I take her hands in mine and begin tugging her towards the stream. “Less talking, more washing.”

With a soft chuckle, she obediently follows.

Heeding Vannaria’s warning, I let go of her hand before I take my first step back into the cool water, shivering slightly as I do so. It had felt so much warmer when I’d still had fur. Having already found the deepest section of the stream while I’d been frolicking about earlier, I quickly head towards it.

Knowing I’ll feel at least a bit warmer once I’ve fully submerged myself, I carefully drop to my knees and dip my head beneath the surface. Holding my breath while I wait for my shivering to subside, I do my best to enjoy the feeling of the frigid chill slowly giving way to an almost soothing coolness. Lifting my head back out of the water, I gasp, sucking in air as I brush away the strands of hair clinging to my face.

Glancing over my shoulder, I see Vannaria a few feet away, a small smile curling at her lips while she watches me. Making sure to lift my breasts above the waterline, I turn to face her and ask, “Enjoying the view?”

“I am.”

It’s my turn to shamelessly watch her as she draws her long white hair over her shoulder, slowly beginning to unbraid it. The way her long fingers deftly unweave the strands causes fresh heat to pool low in my belly, easily remembering how those same fingers had felt when they were buried deep inside my cunt.

A tickling sensation against the side of my leg causes me to yelp, all lustful thoughts forgotten as I do my best to leap to the side while submerged up to my waist in water. The darkness makes it difficult to see, but luckily the moon is full tonight, its glow bright enough that I’m able to make out what looks to be a tiny fish darting away from me. The poor thing was likely just as frightened of me as I’d been of it.

The sound of gentle laughter draws my attention back to Vannaria. My attempt to scowl at her is abandoned when I see her wading towards me, long white hair fanning out around her waist. The way the moonlight is reflecting off her damp skin makes it appear as though she’s glowing. A shiver of a different kind runs down my spine, the sight before me eerily similar to a painting I’ve seen of the moon goddess, Seline.

Vannaria may not be a goddess, but in this moment I’d gladly worship her as one.

My fingers twitch where they hang limply at my sides, the desire to reach out for her so strong I have to force myself to look away. Tilting my head back, I lift my eyes to the moon above us, offering a silent prayer to Seline, thanking her for whatever part she might’ve played in putting this woman in my path.

“How does it feel?”

“How does what feel?” I ask, risking a quick glance at the elf.

She lifts her hands, gesturing to the forest around us. “Being back here. I’m not sure how long you’ve been gone, but–”

“Seven years,” I whisper, struck by a wave of emotions much less pleasant than the ones I’d just been feeling. “That’s how long it’s been since my father came for me. When he’d forced me to go with him. If only I’d fought harder… If I hadn’t let my stupid pride get in the way…”

“I’m so sorry, Mariane.” Taking a step closer, she holds a hand out to me. “Come here.”

I shake my head, a single tear trailing down my cheek before I can stop it. “No, I’m alright. You don’t need to–”

Ignoring me completely, she quickly closes the remaining distance between us and wraps her arms around me. In a voice barely above a whisper, she says, “If you’re going to talk about your painful past, I fear I must insist you do it from the safety of my arms, Your Majesty.”

A mix between a sob and a laugh rips its way from my lips as I return her embrace, my head resting against her shoulder. “Your ridiculousness will never cease to amaze me.” I let out a sigh, suddenly filled with the desperate need to tell her everything that had happened that day. “I’d been sparring with my friend Stephan in a clearing about a mile away from our village. He was like a brother to me and that was our hiding spot when we wanted to avoid helping with the afternoon chores.”

Clutching Vannaria tighter, I take a shaky breath and force myself to continue, “We were so busy taunting each other that we didn’t hear my father and his men approaching. Not until we were already surrounded.” My voice begins to tremble. “My father said he was there to bring me home with him. I refused, of course. I already had a home. Here. At first, we’d foolishly tried to fight them off…” I trail off, choking on a sob.

“Shh. It’s alright,” Vannaria whispers, stroking my hair. “Take your time.”

Nodding into her shoulder, I inhale a few more shaky breaths. After a few moments, I’m able to tell her, “My father stood by while his men attacked us. Once we’d both been forced to our knees, he put a knife against Stephan’s throat. Said that if I didn’t come with him willingly, he’d kill him and everyone else in the village.” My lips curl up into a snarl as a swell of hatred rises in me. “I never knew why until he introduced me to the vile piece of filth he intended to marry me off to.”

A low growl rumbles in her chest, the feeling of it vibrating through my own. “We’ll make them both pay for what they’ve done to you, Mariane. I promise.”

Remembering the last promise I heard her make, my anger slowly gives way to worry and I mutter, “Didn’t Slivo already tell you not to make promises you can’t keep?”

“They did.” The arms around me tighten. “But they also know I’ve never broken any before, and I have no intentions of starting now.”

“Then I need you to make me one more promise.” I lift my head so I can look her in the eye. “Promise me you won’t take any unnecessary risks and get yourself killed. We both deserve vengeance, yes, but not at the cost of you.”

To my relief, she nods. “I promise, Your Majesty, I will do everything in my power to make sure we both survive whatever life may throw at us in the coming days.”