Page 43 of Blood So Brutal

One glance at Jessiah told me he was still fast asleep. His wings cascaded around him, blocking out the rest of the world as he snored quietly.

That would be fucking nice right about now.

I pushed myself up and stormed in Wolf’s direction, wrapping my arms around my stomach to try and fight off the cool breeze of night. He sat against a tree trunk near the trail, using his dagger to sharpen a random piece of wood. He didn’t stop as I approached, didn’t take his eyes off what he was doing for even a second.

“How’s your arm?” I stood awkwardly a few feet away, not sure what to do with myself, not sure it was safe to allow myself any closer to him.

He stilled, dropping the now violently pointed stick. “My arm is not what I’m worried about.”

I took one step closer and paused. “You don’t have to worry about me.”

“Yes, I do,” he answered without a breath.

I closed the distance between us, moving to sit beside him, resting my back against the same rough bark. His shoulder brushed mine gently, and neither of us moved away.

“Well, I don’t know why. I can take care of myself.”

His laugh was silent, but I felt his shoulders shaking beside me. I snapped my eyes to his. “What?”

“You think I don’t know that, Huntress? You’re a wicked, violent little thing. I know you can take care of yourself just fine.”

“Then what’s with the act? What’s with…” I waved my hand between us. “What’s with all of this?”

“This?” he asked, turning his body to face mine. Below the moon and the stars, his eyes nearly glowed. He was only inches from my lips, so close that I could feel his breath as he spoke. “You mean me sharing my blood with you?”

“That, and then there’s the kiss.”

The smirk fell from his face. My stomach dropped.

“I shouldn’t have done that,” he whispered. “I’m sorry.”

I bit my lower lip. “I didn’t bring it up so you could apologize. I brought it up because—because I’mconfused.” I pulled my knees up to my chest and wrapped my arms around my shins, dropping my forehead to rest against them as I took a long, calming breath. “Why is this all so damn difficult.”

Wolf didn’t respond with a snarky comment like I expected. He just leaned his own head back against the bark and twirled his dagger in his hands. “I don’t know.”

I lifted my head. I wasn’t sure why; maybe it was the way his voice broke just a little, or it could have been the way his brows wrinkled in worry as he focused on his own hands, but I couldn’t stop myself from reaching out and pushing back his thick, dark hair. It had grown so much since we met. It now fell in waves, nearly long enough to tuck behind his ears.

He froze at first, then leaned into my touch slightly, jaw clenching.

“You’re feeling a lot of things right now,” he whispered. “The feelings that come with feeding can be a bit sensual.”

“Does it always feel like that? Even with others?”

His eyes snapped to mine in the darkness. “No, Huntress. It does not.”

“And when you fed from me?” Heat flushed my cheeks. “Is that what it felt like for you too?”

He smiled. “Are you asking me if I enjoyed it?”

“I guess I am.”

“Yes, Huntress. I enjoyed it. I enjoyed every goddess-damned moment of it.”

My chest cracked. My stomach dropped. I didn’t want to fight with Wolf. Not anymore. Not after everything.

I mean, hells, I had lost so much.But so had he.

Tears came rushing forward. I wasn’t sure why, but I couldn't stop them. I couldn't even begin to control them as they spilled over my cheeks, dripping down my chin in a sudden rush. Wolf didn’t say anything; he sat beside me silently as I cried and cried.

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