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“Well, she had children of her own to look after. And my mother’s death was sudden. They were estranged…”
De’drik shook his head as he crossed his arms over his broad chest.
“You are her kin. Her sister’s daughter. How would your mother have treated your cousins if the reverse had happened?”
The kind and loving woman I remembered would have treated them as her own. I’d known as a child that we didn’t have a lot, but there were many times I’d watched my mother stop to help others, sharing food and supplies with those that had less.
I ducked my head, unable to hold De’drik’s gaze when I knew he was right. But as he said, my aunt was still blood, and I didn’t like to speak ill of her.
A smooth claw moved under my chin, tipping my head back until I was forced to meet stormy green eyes.
“It is not a poor reflection on you. On the contrary, against the odds, you are a sweet and caring woman, who thinks of others before herself. I did not mean to upset you.”
Gazing up at De’drik, I had the strongest urge to wrap my arms around his neck and press myself against him.
To beg for a purr so I could purge all the emotions I held bottled inside.
So I could feel wanted, if only for a moment.
Chapter Thirteen
De’drik
Ivy didn’t know how special she was. It was obvious the more I watched and listened to her. While I didn’t understand everything she talked about, I read the things she hadn’t said.
This beautiful omega was used to being alone, even amidst others. She’d been taken advantage of by someone who thought only of themselves. Someone who didn’t deserve to be called her kin.
The urge to pull her against me and sink my teeth into her neck was strong, despite her not being in heat, and it took everything I had to restrain myself to a single claw under her chin.
I wanted to slide my hand to the back of her head and feel her curves crushed to my chest.
I wanted to worship her body and show her the care she’d been missing, in the basest way.
Sucking in a deep breath, I let my hand drop and took a step back. Ivy was lost and confused, and while she might be receptive because of our biology, I wasn’t going to take advantage of her. She’d had enough of that.
Her dark eyes blinked slowly before she seemed to realize she was still leaning toward me. Licking her lips and straightening, she turned her head in the direction we’d been walking.
“We should keep going.”
I grunted at her soft words, unable to voice the denial going through my head. She should be going back to the clan with me, not home to those who would only keep using her.
Pacing forward, I jerked back when she let out a yelp as she moved to follow me. Lurching into my side, she gripped my arm to keep from falling as she looked down.
Following her gaze, saw that the heel of her shoe had caught between some roots, causing her foot to slip free when she took a step forward. Her bare toes had come down on a fallen branch covered in thorns, her bright red blood soaking into the bark and turning it black.
Ivy hissed as I mumbled curses under my breath, sweeping her into my arms. One slim hand wound around the back of my neck as her other fisted the fur on my chest, the scent of her blood tickling my nose.
“We need to clean that and make sure none of the thorns broke off inside.”
I watched tears shimmer in her eyes as she whimpered, and every instinct in me pushed for me to take her pain away.
“I’m sorry,” she whispered, her sweet voice thick.
I’d had my own encounter with the thorn trees that grew throughout the woods and knew how bad the punctures they left could hurt. While thin, they sometimes grew up to two knuckles long, and it was a good thing that the fallen branch seemed to be a young one whose thorns were mostly short.
I shook my head, careful not to hit her with my horn.
“It’s not your fault.”
