Page 75 of Potions and Proposals
“Benedict? What is with you and trees?!” She spoke at a pitch she was rather ashamed of. She was surprised she’d managed to land a hit. She’d never been in a fight before.
“I was being followed. How was I to know it was you?” he said, wiping his nose to see if it was bleeding. “Hell of a punch, pumpkin.” Looking at her with watery eyes, he sounded proud. “But you didn’t have to hit me!”
She’d take any praise she could get to make up for her throbbing hand. Any joy she felt disappeared, however, when she saw three sharp, bloodied lines cutting across his cheekbone. Claw marks, and a black eye developing nicely. Neither injury could have been caused by her.
“I wouldn’t have hit you if you hadn’t surprised me. Who did this to you?” Lucy asked, instinctively reaching for his cheek.
He flinched, his gaze hardening. “The person I thought was following me,” he said, turning to walk deeper into the wood.
“You flooded the manor. I thought you might need help,” Lucy panted, trotting to keep up with him. “I take it that would be the wolves, considering you’re headed straight for their territory?” The claw marks were a big hint.What the hell had caused him to get into a fight with a wolf?
“How do you know where I’m going?” He stopped, but he didn’t look back at her.
“There are maps all over the library. You should study more,” she said, trying not to lose her footing as she struggled to keep up with his long strides.“Even if a wolf did that in town, there are no laws out here. They could disembowel you for simply stepping into their territory without permission!” She might want to set the person who’d messed up his face on fire, but she needed him to reconsider.
He spun around, pointing in the opposite direction. “Which is exactly why you should turn around and head back. Your family would never forgive me if I let anything happen to you, and I wouldn’t forgive me either.”
Lucy squared up to him with a smile, holding up her ringed finger. “Sorry, sweetie, this means your problems are my problems. I’m not going anywhere.” She marched ahead of him, stopping him from going any further.
“Go home, pumpkin, this doesn’t involve you,” Benedict said, though there was no anger in his voice. His hair fell haphazardly, as though he’d been obsessively running his hands through it.
“What about the manor?” she asked, trying to distract him.
He hesitated. “I burst a pipe before I left. I didn’t want her to use it against you with the coven members.”
“Thank you for protecting me.” She meant it, even though the fact that she’d already taken credit for the flood meant she had some explaining to do when they got back. “Now let me protectyou. Come back with me.”
“I will– once I’ve dealt with the wolves,” he said coldly.
“But we’ve got another issue,” Lucy blurted out as he stepped past her.
“What?” he snapped impatiently.
“My mum came by the manor. She felt your element through my skin because I was so upset!”
“So she knows.” Benedict shrugged like it was nothing. “Good.”
“What?” Lucy gawked as he came back towards her, finally distracted enough to forget his mission.
“Maybe we don’t have to hide it. I know you feel what’s happening between us as intensely as I do. Otherwise, you wouldn’t be here trying to protect me,” he said, a hair’s breadth between them. “Admit it, you’re not here because of the manor.”
“Of course I want to protect you. I don’t want to see you torn apart by the wolves for stepping into their territory without invitation. I would do the same for anyone!” Now really wasn’t the time for romance.
“How long are you going to lie to yourself?” he exclaimed, and she wished they’d go back to talking about the wolves. “What if the switch only showed us what we were too stubborn to see ourselves?”
“Y-you can’t mean that,” she stammered, nearly tripping over a branch.
He caught her andpulled her close, tipping her chin up to face him. “I do.”
“I don’t like the idea of others putting their hands on you, of them hurting you,” she admitted.
“I’m fine. You don’t have to protect me.”
“Your face tells a different story.” Lucy ran her thumb under his eye, where the skin was darkening. “Grams’ll be able to brew up something to help that.”
“Some wolves didn’t feel like paying their bill. I’m going to settle the issue.” Benedict brushed her hand gently from the wound.
“Fine. If you’re going, I’m going,” she informed him. “If we’re going to lead the coven together, then this is a good test for us.”
