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The Beast followed us, watching Mercy with a forlorn look in his eye.
He sat nearby, and put the rabbit down and waited.
She watched him from the corner of her eye as I built up the fire and brought over the cooking pot, chopping up more carrots to put in.
The Beast nudged the rabbit a little closer.
Mercy bit down on her lip, but not before the faintest hint of a smile touched her features. “You’re really quite insistent, aren’t you?” she asked him. The Beast cocked his head.
“It’s a good rabbit for a good woman,” he said. I wanted to cover my face with my hands, even though I’d found their bluntness refreshingly charming, myself. “I can bring you a deer. And a cow. I even know where the biggest, fattest mountain goats live.”
Mercy gave him a bemused look. “Do I need mountain goats?”
“You will if you want to become strong enough to bear young.” The Beast was warming to his speech of why he was the strongest, greatest mate in the Arbor. “I have a warm nest and can feed you all through the winter.”
She gave me a look, slight panic in her eyes.
“All right, back off,” I told him. “The girl just barely escaped with her life. Give her a little time to settle in before you go talking about pups.”
“Pups,” Mercy mouthed, her eyes growing wider.
The Beast’s ears went back, and he looked shame-faced. “The rabbit is a gift,” he said, and fled.
“You don’t have to let them bully you into anything,” I told her, snatching up the rabbit and finding a knife to skin it. “Seriously. They will respect your choice if you tell them no.”
“Pups?” Mercy asked again.
I stopped midway through skinning the rabbit and looked up at her. “Look. If you choose to remain in the Arbor, you will likely end up with a Beast as a mate. We’re perfectly capable of procreating despite being different species, but our children will be Beasts, too. But you’re also free to leave. The Beasts will guide you safely out of the Wood if you choose to go. It’s all up to you.”
I resumed skinning the rabbit. “They won’t return you to Vostok, but you don’t have to stay. We’re free to choose what we want here.”
Mercy nodded, then reached out to help. “As long as I get a choice… I’ll give it a chance.” Then she scowled. “But he’s going to have to bring me a lot of mountain goats before I consider it.Pups,” she repeated, shaking her head.
Chapter Twenty-Three
I spentall day finding Mercy a home and helping her gather materials to make it comfortable. The Beast who had brought her a rabbit lurked, watching us and occasionally slipping from a shadow to push an overstuffed feather pillow at her.
Mercy accepted these gifts, giving the Beast a sidelong glance with every gift.
She was alone when I left her at dusk, but I knew the Beast was out there, keeping an eye on her knothole home and ensuring she was safe.
I climbed into my own home and was immediately accosted by my Beasts. Draven licked me all over until I opened for him, and I fell asleep on his chest, my pussy stuffed full with his knot.
I was so…ridiculously, ludicrously happy.
And then I woke up surrounded by hundreds of pounds of werewolf. He had finally unknotted from me, his cock slipping out so they could arrange themselves around me. Draven and Torr surrounded me, but Ash was absent.
I was about to get to my feet when a thought crossed my mind. I reached up to Torr’s head, feeling his pointed, velvet-soft ears.
Then I scratched behind one of them.
He didn’t wake up, but his tail wagged.
My smile became a full-fledged grin as I scratched again, watching the plume of his tail sweep back and forth in his sleep.
“What are you doing, little one?” he rumbled, cracking one eye.
“Nothing.” I stuffed a fist in my mouth to stop laughter from escaping.
