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Her eyes snap to mine, fire burning behind them. She is right to be angry with me. I was the one who pushed her away.
“Forgive me,”I say quickly. Even if she has had dozens of lovers, it would not matter to me. I love her and nothing will change that.“I’ve no right to—”
“There has been no one.” She lowers her gaze. “My first and only kiss was you.”
Primal possessiveness unfurls from deep within as my inner wolf revels in her words. My gaze darts to my mark on her neck and the desire to claim her fully burns like fire in my veins. All these years, I have dreamed of the taste of her lips and the sweet salt of her skin and the delicious scent of her body as she responds to my touch.
But I must be patient. I hurt her, and I broke her trust. Now, I must find a way to earn it back and to win her heart once more. I will do whatever it takes to make her mine for I will never want another as I desire her.
CHAPTER12
LUNA
“I’ve missed you,”his voice whispers in my mind.“Every day since we parted.”
I’ve missed him too, but I cannot tell him this. The words remain buried under the bitter pain of these past few years. Even though I understand now why he wrote me that letter that broke my heart, and why he was engaged to the Wolf Shifter Princess, the dull ache in my chest stubbornly remains.
He nuzzles my side with his long snout.“What are you thinking?”he whispers in my head.
Instead of answering, a bitter laugh leaves my lips. “I thought you could read my thoughts.”
“Our bond is not fully sealed,”he replies.“I can pick up some things… wisps of emotion, but not everything.”
“What can you sense now?” I ask, unable to hide the biting edge in my tone.
His green eyes search mine, sadness and something akin to guilt shining behind them.“I hurt you.”
Tears sting the back of my eyes, but I blink them back and lower my gaze. A tangle of emotions tightens around my heart, and I bite my bottom lip to stop it from quivering.
“Luna, everything I did was to protect you. I—”
“I don’t want to speak of it right now, Mal.” I force the words out of my mouth. “I’m tired. We’re in the middle of the forest, in the rain, and possibly being chased by a Blood Witch.” Exhaustion seeps into my bones. “I just—” I swallow against the lump in my throat. “We should rest,” I finally manage. “And tomorrow we will come up with a plan.”
His gaze holds mine a moment before he dips his head in a subtle nod.“Rest,”he whispers.“I will keep watch.”
Closing my eyes, I nestle into Mal’s side. Memories flit to the surface of my mind of days past when we used to explore the woods together, taking afternoon naps beneath the hollow of a tree. Those were days of contentment and peace. Of dappled sunlight filtering through the trees, and the naïve happiness of youth… of believing life would always be full of such beautiful days as I drift away into sleep.
As my mindslowly comes back into awareness, the smell of a campfire and roasted meat fills my senses. I open my eyes and see Mal, in his two-legged form, tending the fire spit, turning what looks like was once a hare over the open flames.
He is dressed in dark pants, that I know are conjured with his shape-shifting abilities, and his upper body is completely bare. Warmth flushes through me as my gaze travels over the thick cords of muscle that line his broad shoulders, torso, and arms. He is masculine perfection made manifest before me.
He twists to reach for something, and I notice a strange black symbol on his back.
As if sensing I’m awake, his pointed left ear turns in my direction a moment before he glances over his shoulder. “I caught us breakfast,” he says proudly. “I figured you might be hungry.”
I push myself up to sitting, and he hands me a strip of cooked meat. The familiar scent ofbrynlartouches my nostrils and a faint smile curls my lips.
“I flavored it with that herb you like,” he says proudly. “I found a whole field of it growing in a clearing nearby.”
I take a tentative bite, and an appreciative hum leaves my mouth as the delicious flavor rolls across my tongue. It’s been so long since I had this. “This is so good,” I murmur between bites.
Mal flashes a devastatingly handsome smile that makes my heart flutter as I nod.
How is it that he still has this effect on me after all this time?
He turns and uses his claws to slice off a few more strips of meat, and when he does, I notice the mark on his back again. “What is that symbol on your back?”
“A protective rune,” he replies. “Most of us got them during the war when Avalor started using witches and mages to fight their battles.”
