Page 137 of Rescued By the Beast
Her hands slide down from the back of my neck, leaving a trail of goosebumps until they reach my chest.
"Can I see?"
I hesitate for a moment, not wanting to let go of her body, but I remove one of my arms from around her and lift it slightly, revealing my side.
"They're healed..."
"Yes, Balthazar's potion did the job."
"He mentioned the side effects..." she murmurs, her green eyes full of concern seeking mine. "Are you alright?"
I press my lips together, wishing I could say I'm fully recovered, but my essence and magic are still weak. I know that if I dare to take another potion now, my body will end up dependent on it...
I need to let myself recover naturally, wait for my essence to strengthen and grow on its own.
But without the healing acceleration I ingested earlier, my essence would be dragging itself through my cells, patching up wounds out of sheer necessity for survival. And I needed to direct all my strength towards protective magic. Even so, I almost exhausted it completely by maintaining the barrier around us in the witch's house. I can barely feel it now.
"I'll be fine."
She nods, understanding the truth behind my answer, and lowers her head, kissing the place where my heart beats.
My whole body warms up and I have plans for what to do with her, but when the sound of her stomach echoes in the air, I put my desire on the back burner. We have time, all the time in the world now that we are together for me to do whatever I want with her...
But first, I need to feed my Kitten.
"It's already lunchtime, how about I make us something tasty?"
"Hmm..." She lifts her face and nods, biting back a smile. "You're beautiful, you take care of me, and you cook too? You're the complete package."
"And I have a huge package for you between my legs."
"Mark!" She opens her mouth, her eyes wide with surprise. "Are you joking? Where did the grumpy guy I know go?"
"He doesn't exist when he's with you, Kitten, you make me want to be the best I can be."
I kiss her smile quickly before pulling away. If I linger here, I'll end up making her my feast and forgetting about the real food.
"What would you like me to make for lunch?"
She thinks for a moment, absentmindedly caressing my face with her fingertips.
"The forest is safe now that she's dead, right?" she asks, looking at me expectantly.
"Yes..." I frown, a little confused by the change in conversation. "Without the witch, the wolves are no longer being controlled, so they won't come after me. And you no longer have to fear monsters appearing out of nowhere."
She seems to breathe a sigh of relief and smiles.
"Then I want to have a picnic outside. I've always thought it was a beautiful place, but I never had the chance to explore it," she murmurs, wrinkling her nose before continuing. "The day I tried to run away doesn't count..."
"Then I'll prepare the best picnic ever. There's a clearing nearby, a few metres beyond the barrier. You'll like it there."
Her eyes sparkle with excitement before she throws herself at me, showering my face with kisses.
"Thank you!"
"I already told you, there's no need to thank me, sweetheart." I smile. "Now, let me take care of the food."
We get dressed and then go downstairs together.
