Page 51 of Witch Undecided
Chapter Fifteen
Ilay on the forest floor, staring at the sky through a canopy of leaves. My pounding heart slowly returned to resting pace.
Not bad.Rune’s wolfy face appeared above me, his golden eyes bright with exertion.You kept up.
“And I don’t feel like puking.”
Always a good sign.
I’d been running with the wolves for almost three weeks, and training with Sloane for the same, and my mind and body were sharper than ever, and they’d only get more honed with time. When the Sons of Adam came for me, I’d be ready.
Any news from Sloane?Rune asked.
“You mean any luck in translating the book? No.” I sat up and brushed bracken out of my ponytail. “I called Fee, but it went to voicemail. I’ve left her a message saying I need help translating it.”
Elijah and Bramble?
My heart sank. “Nothing from Bramble.” I’d left her a soppy message two nights ago after getting drunk with The Elites. We’d barely spent two weeks together, but I fucking missed her. “Elijah hasn’t checked in either, not with me or with Anna. Rune, I’m worried.”
There is nothing you can do, and worrying is a waste of mental energy without a course of action. We wait until we have information we can act on.He padded around to face me, and then extended his neck and gently plucked a leaf from my hair.Better.
I locked gazes with him, seeing not the wolf but the man from the photos Halle had shared with me. I’d been dying to ask him why he was stuck in wolf form but opted to wait until he offered the information. I was beginning to think telling me wasn’t on his agenda in the near future.
I reached out and sank my fingers into the fur at his neck. He closed his eyes and nuzzled my cheek with his nose.
“Why won’t you tell me, Rune?”
He stilled.Cora…
“I don’t want to push you, but—”
He pulled away from me.Then don’t.
Fuck. “I’m sorry.”
He dropped his head and closed his eyes.So am I. I want to share myself with you, Cora. You’re my mate and I feel things for you just like Leif and Tor, but I can’t be with you the way they can. I’ll never be able to be with you in that way. I won’t be able to hold you in my arms, or caress your cheek with my hand, or feel the silken strands of your hair slip between my fingers. Your decision to keep your relationship with us platonic came as a huge relief to me. Selfish, I know. But I don’t know if I’d have been able to see them with you in that way, knowing I could never have you like that, and be okay with it.
“But you won’t tell me why?”
I’m cursed, Cora. I can never shift into human form, and that’s all you need to know. Reliving it won’t change the facts. It is what it is.
There was pain in his voice and my heart ached for him. Fuck it, I didn’t need to know any more. I wrapped my arms around his neck and pressed my cheek into his silken fur.
I hugged him for long seconds, then pulled away and stood. “You wanna race back to the cabin?”
He chuffed.Race? As in you want to compete with me.
“Is that arrogance I hear in your tone, Mr. Holm?” I cocked my hip and rested my hand on it. “Just for that, I’m gonna kick your furry ass.”
He raised his head slightly, and I could imagine the arched brow. Impossible to kick ass when the ass is—
He bolted.
Shit! I bolted after him. The fucker. The cheating fucker. I tucked in my chin and pushed everything I had into the run. Thank God I’d opted for my low-heeled boots for this. They had an added rebound in the heel and the shock absorption gave me every advantage. Dammit he was fast, weaving between the trees with sinuous grace. There was no way I was catching up with him.
Enjoying eating my dust?
I didn’t have the breath to respond. But an idea formed in my mind and then I made a jump, materializing meters ahead of him.
