Page 34 of The Storm
They spentthe afternoon cleaning and decorating the tree, cutting paper garlands from stacks of newspaper piled by the fire, making stars out of sticks and thread, and finding small candles to light the branches. They set the tree in the corner, and Max decorated it while Renata cut bread and opened cans of oily sardines and oysters one of the renters had left. She set out a tray with oysters, olives, apples, and roasted hazelnuts.
“We should be fine as long as you like bread,” she said. “There’s plenty of flour and oil. The meat I brought will last for another week or so. The previous renters left quite a few cans of these. The apples won’t last long though.”
“Is there hunting here?”
Renata nodded. “There’s good hunting if the weather clears. Deer and chamois, mostly. I can set out traps for rabbits.” She could feel his eyes on her. “What?”
“You’re very easy to live with,” he said. “I remember from Vienna. Not everyone is.”
“I thought the same about you.”
“Did you live with Balien?”
Her chest tightened, but she forced herself to take deep breaths.
Max said, “It still bothers you to talk about him.”
“It bothers me to talk about the past,” she said. “It’s not him in particular. And no. My parents were traditional. We wouldn’t live together until we were mated, though we shared rooms when we traveled. That wasn’t an issue.”
“Why didn’t you mate?”
Renata laughed a little. “Not everyone is so eager to jump into mating. I wanted to meet Balien’s family. And later, he was worried that mating with me…”
“You both would have been weaker for a time.”
She nodded. “It didn’t seem like a good idea when we were running.”
Max turned back to the tree, hanging red paper stars on the top branches. “I’m giving us six months.”
Renata blinked. “What?”
“Six months,” he said. “After that, the world might be falling apart, but I’m taking you away and making you mine. My brothers will have to understand.”
“Six months is not very long.”
He frowned. “How about six months and eighteen years? Is that long enough to know if someone is your mate?”
Her cheeks reddened. “I suppose you have a point. Still, we don’t know what will be happening in six months. It might not be a good time—”
“No.” Max walked over and pulled her up by her hand. “Six months, Renata. I knew years ago we were suited. I’m not willing to wait longer to appease someone else’s schedule or plans. You are my priority. When it comes to you, I will be entirely selfish.”
“You’re important to your watcher.”
“And you’re important to me.” He kissed her and let her go. “Six months.”
* * *
She snuggled into his side,looking at the tiny lights on the tree as they sat by the fire.
“Admit it.”
Renata didn’t feel like arguing. “You’re right. It’s lovely and a wonderful tradition. Though I’ll be sweeping up pine needles for weeks.”
“Worth it. I’ll vacuum them up too. The tree is perfect.”
She cocked her head. “It does look very nice there.”
“Our dinner was delicious. And the bread you have baking smells heavenly.” He nuzzled her hair. “Almost as heavenly as you.”
