Page 59 of Magic Claimed
Alerick had sent out patrols to all ends of the wolf Territory to weed anyone out who shouldn’t be there.
We bounded through the forest, sticking to the densest paths, looking out for any of Esoti’s Guards who may be lurking. Leaves and branches streaked past as we all but flew through the underbrush.
We came to the section of the forest where I’d taken my first run as a wolf. Although it was only a few short days ago, it seemed like a lifetime. We trotted into the clearing and Changed.
Alerick opened the bundle Sedric had prepared. He tossed clothing at Jarom and Eike and then handed me a dress. “I’m sorry you have to wear these rags,” Alerick said.
I took the clothing gratefully. “It’s not like I can turn up in velvet.”
“I will dress you in velvet every day of your life,” Eike said.
“As long as you provide underwear, I’ll wear whatever you give me,” I said.
The next instant, Jarom tugged me into his arms and held me flush to his chest. “Do you know what you said, Serafine?”
“That I like being clothed?” I said.
“That you admitted you will come back to us. That you accept us,” Jarom rasped.
My thoughts hadn’t been about running. They had been about staying.
His sharp gaze roamed my face before his lips descended and he kissed me. He did nothing to stop his emotions from flooding into me. His desire ignited mine. I writhed in his arms, desperate to strip the rags from my body and feel his naked skin against mine.
When Jarom ended our kiss, Eike folded me into his arms. “My turn,” he rasped, before kissing me as deeply and with as much passion as Jarom. Desire fired at the edge of my consciousness. Deep and needy desire, but tinged with a sense that was completely Eike.
His tongue plunged into my mouth, stroking against mine. My dress was too tight. Too constricting. My core swelled and throbbed, aching with the sweetest of needs. All too briefly, Eike’s kiss ended, and I was left panting and desperate and breathless.
Alerick swept me up; one powerful arm about my shoulders, the other beneath my knees, and he held me as though I was lighter than air. His glittering eyes roamed my face. “We are yours, Little Mate.”
I heard the honesty in those simple words. His lips brushed mine as my arms wound about his neck. Desire raced through me as his essence brushed against mine.
This is what it felt like to be fully accepted. This is what tenderness felt like. This was home. A sweet pressure bloomed in my chest, bursting to expand, trembling on the cusp of something great. Alerick set me on my feet and supported me until I found my balance.
“I want you to have this.” Eike pressed something cold and hard into my hands.
A dagger was sheathed inside a decorative covering carved by a master’s hand. The details reminded me of Jarom’s tattoos and when I looked closely at the design, three male wolves surrounded a smaller, female wolf in the centre of the design. Vines and delicate leaves framed the wolves, enfolding them into a beautiful forest.
The handle of the dagger was just as delicately designed. It slid free from the sheath, the blade bright and sharp. It was magnificent. My breath caught in my throat.
“I made it for you.” Eike said quietly.
I looked into his face, which was stained with a blush. His gaze flicked to me before dropping to the ground and he shuffled his feet.
“You…madethis?”
He nodded, this time his gaze not touching mine.
“Eike, this is…this isbeautiful.” Tears clouded my vision. I sniffed and wiped a stray drop away as it trailed over my cheek. He’d made it for me. My first proper gift. I cleared my throat as my tears threatened to take the ability of speech away. “I’ll treasure it. Always.”
Eike’s smile was as brilliant as sun peeking from grey clouds. His twin dimples puckered his cheeks and his eyes danced. “You like it?”
“Eike, this is…I have no words…Thank you,” I rasped, hot pressure clogged my throat.
He caught me in his arms and spun me around, his joy catching before he set me on my feet. He took the dagger from me and unraveled a chain contained at the back of the sheath. “I added this so you can wear it around your neck.” He put the chain over my head and tucked it under my clothing. The dagger nestled between my breasts, hidden from view. “Now you have a way to defend yourself.”
“You can dig their hearts out if they hurt you,” Jarom said.
“If we don’t get to them first. I make no promises there will be a heart left to dig out after we’ve finished,” Alerick growled.
