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She stared back at him, and like the melting of clay, the king felt his beloved take hold of her panicked wolf. The panic washed away like a heavy rainfall, replaced by trust and a supernatural form of love that made Declan want to weep.
He smiled at her.
“That’s it, darling. You’re doing it. You can do this.”
The wolf, Taryn, collapsed onto her belly. She whimpered more out of exhaustion than anything else.
She closed her eyes and placed her snout between her limbs, her heartbeat slowing, her breathing deep and steady.
Declan watched with proud astonishment as his future queen shifted in front of him, returning to her nude form.
He had never been more proud or more joyful than after seeing her shift back.
But all of that would come later. Taryn had just experienced great trauma and sudden, unexpected change.
Declan could celebrate his pride for her later.
He went to her when he knew she wasn’t going to shift and scooped her into his arms. Her body went limp, but she pressed her face into his chest and sobbed.
When she spoke, her voice was hoarse. “Did I … kill him?”
Her lips were dry, coated with Phillip’s blood. She croaked as she spoke, and Declan’s heart broke a little as her bright, sharp-blue eyes dulled.
Declan rushed to the car, carrying Taryn as carefully as he could.
“No, you didn’t. Don’t worry about that. Focus on me. I’m so proud of you.”
TWENTY-NINE
TARYN
Taryn dipped in and out of consciousness. She was nauseous when she was awake, even if it was only for a few seconds. The constant movement from the sleeping world to the waking one was like being rocked on a boat.
When she did finally wake fully, she was glad she was no longer gripped by panic and fear.
Declan had seen to that. His hypnotic voice had pulled her from the clutches of frenzied thirst. He had guided her back to where she could see her human self and hold onto her. Hold ontoTaryn.
Now she had the ability to balance her human side with her shifter half. She wasn’t sure how Declan had done it. But he had saved her from herself. From losing herself in the wild, feral mind of her shifter.
He had called herhome.
Declan had the housekeepers roused from their sleep to run a hot bath, and the beautiful hot water was blended with healing salves made of lemon and lavender.
Rose petals floated atop the water like water lilies, and the bath looked almost sacred.
Like a baptism.
And maybe it was. A baptism now that Taryn had finally unlocked the wolf inside her. Declan had access to more healers than was necessary, and he knew exactly how to create a soothing environment of peace and mindfulness.
The bath was a rebirth and washed away the trauma and violence of Taryn’s first shift. Declan was helping her to only associate positive things with the shift … with her wolf.
And this bath was one of those good things.
Taryn sank into the warm water and allowed the feelings of tranquility and safety to envelop her. Declan stayed at her side the entire time, washing her body with a tenderness that made her sob with happiness.
Exhaustion returned when the bathwater cooled. Her body had finally relaxed completely as the last dregs of adrenaline left her. She felt as though she had been given a sedative and covered in a shroud of serotonin.
But Declan wasn’t finished yet.
