Page 67 of Wolf's Bane
Alek counted Solenne’s heartbeats.The even measure of them as she slept kept him grounded in the present and not lost to chase down the fiend who hurt her. As the total reached four thousand, Luis returned with a hamper, a blanket bundled under one arm, and a saddlebag slung over his shoulder.
The young man approached the stone circle cautiously.
“I won’t bite,” Alek said.
Luis wrinkled his nose. “More jokes. You’re clutching my naked, bleeding sister, your wolfy brain won’t let her go, and you makejokes?”
“The bleeding stopped.”
“Oh, then by all means, resume with the comedy.” Luis tossed the saddlebag at Alek’s feet. “That horse is the calmest creature I’ve ever met. You’d think it’d be scared out of its poor mind from the fighting, but no. Found a patch of rye grass and couldn’t be bothered.”
“She’s Chambers’ horse.” Alek could not claim responsibility for the horse’s temperament.
He set the hamper down. “I brought what I could pilfer from the kitchen, mostly bread, cheese, and cold ham. One thermos is water. The other is hot tea. I added in that powder she uses for fever and pain, but since that is bitter, I added sugar. Too much, probably. Make her drink it now because it’s vile when it’s cold. You’ve clean bandages in there because I’d really rather she not bleed out because you have to defend your territory.”
And his mate, the beast added.
“She stopped bleeding before you arrived,” Alek said.
“Oh, well, bully for you. I guess there’s no need for hygiene. We’ll catch a lovely infection, and it’ll be grand.”
“I don’t remember you being a sarcastic little shit.”
“I was eight when you left, but I assure you I have always been thus. There’s a nightgown in there. Please dress her when you return to the house.” He took a breath, as if mentally crossing off another item on his list. “That’s it. Papa and I will find the beast. If you won’t go to the house—”
“Stay here. I know.”
He woke a reluctant Solenne, dressed her in the nightgown, and coaxed her to eat a bit of bread and drink the tea. When her eyes grew heavy with sleep, they resumed their position with her snuggled against him while he stayed on guard.
He counted heartbeats until dawn.
Solenne
Dawn crept over the horizon.
Solenne snuggled into the blanket, burying her nose against Alek’s chest and allowing herself to soak up his heat. Birdsong warbled, and his hands brushed back her hair. Eventually, it registered that his chest was free of the excessive fur he wore the previous night, thus he was stark naked.
Because of the whole shifting into a werewolf thing. Trousers optional.
She had seen nude men before, specifically her brother, but that was her brother, and she had even seen Alek nude, albeit when they were children. Swimming in the pond and creek was practically a requirement on a hot summer day. She simply had not seen a nude man recently who was not related to her by blood.
The Young Lady’s Guide to Etiquettefailed to prepare her for the situation.
“You fake sleeping as poorly as you lie,” he said.
Solenne pulled the blanket tighter around herself, dimly aware that she wore a thin nightgown. Outside the cocoon of warmth, the air held an unexpected chill. Autumn would arrive before long. She stretched, her shoulders making a terrible noise and her legs screaming in agony. Every part of her was sore. Exhaustion weighed on her, and she felt as if she could sleep the day away.
“Where did this come from?” She gestured to the now filthy nightgown, keeping her eyes averted from Alek’s nudity.
“Luis delivered supplies. What are you looking at?” He twisted around, looking behind him.
“Protecting your dignity,” she said, eyes fixed on the sky.
“I’m wearing trousers. Like I said, Luis delivered supplies.” He leaned to one side to pick up a shirt, along with a needle and thread.
She looked down at his bare chest and disappointing lack of nudity. “You’re mending your shirt? It’s barely light.”
“My eyes are better than the average human’s, and there’s a tear on the sleeve. Appearances matter,” he said in a tone reminiscent of Godwin. “Have some water. You drank all the tea.”
