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We stayedin the den for the next few days, giving Ivaylo’s pack time to calm down after the fights. I read more books, while he cooked for me and continued to work on the lever mechanism. He was hoping he could make it work without a few of the broken parts, but wasn’t having much luck.
We got to know each other on the surface-level, trading jokes and a few stories. It was surprisingly comfortable. And the bag he’d brought in with him after the fights had been full of toiletries for me, including conditioner and the Evare version of a toothbrush, so I was perfectly content.
The frenzy’s lust was annoying, but we survived. It grew increasingly difficult for me to ignore, but I didn’t acknowledge that fact aloud or in my mind.
When morning came around nearly two weeks after the fights, Ivaylo told me he needed a few more supplies to try to fix the lever’s mechanism. He thought it was safe for me to interact with his pack, and invited me to go with him. I wasn’t sure what that would entail, but reluctantly let him carry me out of the den.
There were a handful of wolves sitting near the entrance, and I eyed them as Ivaylo set me on my feet. It was strange not to have shoes on, but I hadn’t seen any shifters with them, so I’d just have to watch for rocks.
“They won’t hurt you or challenge me. Most are waiting in hope that you refuse to claim me, so they have a chance to chase you,”he told me.
Damn.
My gaze scanned the trees around us as he led me through the forest. They were so different than the parts of the Broken Woods I had seen, which made me curious. I loved the green, and all the vibrant flowers, but they seemed a bit out of place.
“Why are the trees green here, when they were red and black in the other parts of the Woods?” I asked Ivaylo as we walked.
“It was one of Serae’s attempts to break her curse. She hoped bringing in plants from other parts of the world would change the magic around us, but it failed. We assumed that if we did manage to find females, they would enjoy the colors, so we’ve been tending them since.”
I raised my eyebrows. “You guys are gardeners?”
“I suppose.” He lifted a shoulder, apparently comfortable enough in his masculinity not to dislike the idea. I was glad he wasn’t self-conscious; it would be a pain to be with someone while having to worry I’d make them feel less manly by accident.
The sun streamed through the trees, and honestly, it was beautiful. The Woods still smelled nice, but since I’d realized the spicy scent was Ivaylo rather than the forest itself, it no longer held the same appeal.
Yet, some part of me wanted to just… run.
To let loose, and sprint through the forest without a care in the world.
I wasn’t sure where that desire was coming from. I’d never been a runner, or ached for any kind of freedom. Up until I lost my grandparents, I had been satisfied regardless of what life held. That was the power of my grandma and her positives, I supposed.
My lips curved up as more of those positives rolled through my mind.
Evare was beautiful.
I felt safe with Ivaylo, and he respected the boundaries I set.
The other shifters weren’t trying to kill him for the moment.
We walked toward the biggest tree I’d seen in the Broken Woods so far, and as we approached, I took in the shape of it with curiosity. It was far bigger than any house I’d ever lived in—larger than a few houses put together, even. And the bottom center of it was carved out, so the tree itself was being used as a monstrous canopy of sorts to protect a large area from the weather.
Beneath the tree canopy, I could see what looked like a huge kitchen and a few tables. There was a library area in the middle of the space, and on one side of the library, there were massive, sprawling couches and cushions. On the other, there was a large, padded space that kind of reminded me of a gym.
I assumed that space was for wrestling or fighting, given the way none of the men had flinched when the fights had begun.
Shifters were spread through the space, some cooking, some reading, and others eating. I didn’t see anyone on the mats, but that could change quickly.
“This is the pack’s den.” Ivaylo gestured toward the area. A few of the shifters waved or nodded at me, and maybe it shouldn’t have, but it made me more comfortable. “Most of us spend a lot of time here. Being around others slows the immis.”
Immis.
The insanity that accompanied immortality if one wasn’t mated.
Right.
I still needed to ask for more details about it, but I understood the basics.
“What do you do as the alpha?” I asked him, more curiosity blooming.
