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She dug in. She ate quickly, as though her alter body demanded as much sustenance as she could give it and as fast as she could deliver.
She glanced up briefly when Braden returned, but all her attention was on her meal.
When her body started getting the message she was being well-fed, she finally surfaced. Braden now sat in a chair he’d drawn close to the bed. He held a cup of coffee in both hands, an amused smile on his lips. She took her own sip of the rich black brew.
“In case you’re wondering.” Braden pointed to her tray. “I know that exact same panicky feel.”
“Right. You were in the same state when you woke up from your coma.”
“I was.”
She stared at him for a moment. “You shouldn’t be so handsome, you know. It would make it easier to refuse your offer of a wolf-mark.”
“Are you saying no?”
She shook her head. “I’m still thinking.”
“Don’t worry. It can be undone. This is for my peace of mind.”
“But that’s not all, is it?”
He shook his head. “No, it’s not. I want more. As I said earlier, you’ve become important to me. But how about you? Any thoughts that direction?” The question made her stop and think. She set her coffee back on the tray.
“I have a lot of affection for you, I might even call it love. That much I know. The sex is amazing. And your wolfness doesn’t bother me anymore. It’s not personal. I mean you being a shifter disturbed me in the same way I was a witch. I’ve had so much to get used to. A year-and-a-half isn’t that long.”
“No, it’s not.” He cradled his cup in both hands as he leaned forward. He rested his forearms on his powerful thighs.
His shift in position brought him within touching distance. She reached out and swept her fingers into his hair. Silky. A sensual slide across her skin. “It’s been a long time since I had a man in my life.”
Shifting his mug to one hand, he caught her wrist then kissed her palm. Her heart flipped a couple of times. She could get used to this. She just didn’t know if it would be wise. This was Five Bridges, a place of violence and death. What if she got close and Braden died?
“Hey.” He reached up and thumbed her che
ek.
She was surprised to realize tears had slid from her eyes.
“The last thing I want is to upset you.” His deep voice pounded against her heart. “Why don’t you finish your meal and I’ll tell you about Kiara.”
She breathed a sigh of relief. “Good idea.”
He told her about the burns and Alfonso’s excellent care. “She’ll be scarred, but she knew that would be the case when the torture was happening. She’s been asking for you, though I think she’s asleep right now. I checked in on her about a half hour ago, not long before you woke up.
“Greg and the wolves celebrated her rescue in prime style.” As Maeve finished her steak, he talked about the bonfire, beer and a whole lot of howling.
“I would have loved that.”
“I’m sure they’d be happy to do a repeat just for you.”
She chuckled.
Once she finished her meal, she headed to the bathroom. A hot shower sounded good. Plus, she wanted to wash her hair and think. She could feel Braden holding back a request or two. She could sense his need to be with her and how much he longed to take her back to bed.
She wanted to be with him, as well, but she was scared. She was starting to care too much and relationships in this world tended to end in death.
Once in the shower, the warm water eased her. She was stiff from being in bed so long. She knew something within her needed to change, she just couldn’t figure out what?
Thoughts of Frank brought a new bout of unexpected tears.
