Page 16 of Destined to the Lycan (The Shadow Realms #3)

Amara

W rapped in a divine cocoon, I grumbled in displeasure at the annoying motion trying to pull me out of the best dream I’ve had in far too long to remember. I snuggle more deeply into the softest pillow. The heat emanating from it warmed me to the bone.

Heat from a pillow?!

Even as that thought snapped me out of my slumber, a chuffing sound followed by a slow growl had me wide awake in a blink. Wide-eyed, I stared at the face of a giant wolf half a second before his massive tongue licked my entire face.

“Hey! You’re going to make me sticky!” I exclaimed while pulling my face away from him.

Remus emitted that chuffing sound again that I believed was his way of laughing in his wolf form then rubbed his temple against mine before releasing me.

He deftly hopped down the stone slab that we had slept on.

I instantly felt cold and bereft, not only to be deprived of his embrace, but also because his body literally radiated heat like a bonfire.

The thought that proximity to me might be the cause had a swarm of butterflies fluttering in my belly.

By the gods, he was truly magnificent in his beast form.

He stood well over five feet from the bottom of his paws to the tip of his ears, his snout at a height with my face standing up.

His lustrous fur was a darker shade of his dark brown hair.

His golden eyes starkly contrasted with it, giving him an almost supernatural edge.

The fur around his neck was surprisingly thick.

It didn’t compare to that of a lion but vaguely reminded me of the one from the Maine Coon cats.

My fingers itched with the urge to sink through it and to caress him all over.

I nearly whimpered with need just at the memory of how soft it felt against my face as I slept snuggling with him.

Had he been an actual pet, I’d be all over him right now.

It kind of messed with my head that a man hid behind that beast form.

A man who believed me to be his soulmate…

He gestured with his head for me to follow before heading towards the exit of the cave.

Intrigued, I tagged along, the bright light of the early morning sun blinding me as we stepped outside.

He circled around a small outcropping of rocks, revealing a recessed nook where a couple of water barrels had gathered rainwater.

“Thank you!” I exclaimed.

He bumped the back of my hand with his snout then turned around and headed back inside the cave. I splashed some water on my face and performed some quick ablutions before rejoining him. To my chagrin, in that short time, Remus had reverted to his human form and donned his pants.

My ears burned with embarrassment at the naughty thoughts that crossed my mind as to what he might be packing inside his pants. Did he have a knot like canines or the standard equipment in his human form?

My gaze roamed back up his bare chest, appreciating the view. His body was sheer perfection. I didn’t fight the wave of possessiveness that swept through me. After all, he was the one who claimed we were fated.

To my dismay, I looked up at his face to find him staring at me with a discreet smile laced with undeniable smugness. I averted my eyes, mortified to have been caught ogling him.

“I hope you rested well?” he said with a hint of amusement while putting his shirt on.

“Fantastically well, thank you. You’re the best pillow and mattress in the world,” I deadpanned.

He snorted. “That’s one title I never expected to earn, but I welcome it.”

We settled at the table and quickly ate more bread and dried meats with some fruits. We washed down our meal with some cider from a canteen, packed our stuff, and resumed our journey.

I would lie by saying it wasn’t arduous. Being mostly sedentary, I wasn’t used to such long rides on horseback, and especially at such a fast and hard pace. Frankly, our mounts’ endurance blew my mind.

For all that, I loved how Remus constantly checked up on me, assessing my current state, and ensuring my welfare. We only stopped long enough to stretch our legs, rest the horses, eat, or answer the call of nature.

Saying I was relieved when we finally reached the Hunters Lodge would be the understatement of the century.

Every muscle in my body whined and complained.

My back and legs felt incredibly stiff. I probably looked like a waddling duck as I took a couple of steps towards the large two-story wooden building.

To my surprise, it appeared totally vacant. Not a single light illuminated the countless windows. I cast an inquisitive look towards my companion, who effortlessly grabbed all our bags off our horses.

“Just like the cave that we slept in last night, the lodge is a public location that everyone may use freely,” Remus explained when he noticed my confused expression.

“There are three other similar lodges in the area. All the guides like me pitch in a fixed amount every month to maintain them. Some basic supplies are always available and regularly replenished by the caretakers. But some of the things we have to replace before we leave, like fire logs if we use them.”

“Oh! That’s pretty neat then. But what if there already were other people here,” I asked. “Would they have turned us away?”

He smiled and shook his head while making his way to the front stairs.

“There are eight bedrooms in the lodge, and a few couches in the living area that can also be used as beds. Multiple parties can share the place. However, it rarely occurs as guides normally communicate with each other where they intend to go to avoid overlaps whenever possible.”

“Fair,” I replied, shadowing him as he reached for the door handle. “But what if some random interloper decided to drop by? We’re in the middle of the woods. Some psychopath could sneak in on us during the night, pretending to seek shelter, and then slaughter us in our sleep.”

Just as I spoke those words, my skin tingled. I jerked my head up to look at the sudden lights that appeared above me as I crossed the threshold of the house.

“Protection wards,” I whispered with sudden understanding as he waved his palm in front of an arcane symbol by the door.

Remus nodded then walked further inside the lodge.

“This is but one of many. You didn’t feel them, but we crossed quite a few protective wards on our way here.

Our shamans have scattered them on a one-kilometer radius around the building.

No dangerous animal can approach, and any person with evil intent will be immediately repelled.

There’s a reason why Wolfmoon Mountain is deemed one of the safest and most sought-after hunting and hiking destinations.

No danger can come to you here, my mate. ”

I bit the inside of my cheeks not to chuckle when Remus visibly flinched at subconsciously using that term of endearment. He was so incredibly cute.

Obviously, it was much too early for us to refer to each other in such a manner. And yet, I liked it coming from him. I didn’t want anyone to think they could own or control me. But there was something incredibly flattering and comforting in the underlying possessiveness with which he claimed me.

“I’m glad to hear it,” I said with a smile. “I might be a little skittish when it comes to random strangers showing up at my front door.”

“Understandable,” he replied, relieved that I didn’t seem offended by his slip up. “But now that we have entered the house, and I claimed it, it will warn us if anyone approaches during our stay, not that there should be any visitors until two days from now. But we’ll be long gone by then.”

“I like the sound of that,” I replied enthusiastically.

He obviously assumed I meant the fact that we would get warned if an intruder showed up.

Although that was true, it was mostly the fact that we would have the house to just the two of us that pleased me.

As an introvert, I wasn’t too keen on hanging out with big crowds.

But more importantly, I wanted to get to know this fascinating man with whom I could possibly spend the rest of my life.

We’d been together for two days now, which we mostly spent racing through the woods.

That had not been too conducive of any type of bonding time.

“There are two bedrooms on this floor,” Remus said, waving towards the back of a large corridor on the opposite side of the open living and dining area at the entrance of the lodge.

“The other six rooms are upstairs and are accessible through the staircase over there. You will find two hygienic toilets—one on each floor—and there is an outhouse in the garden. Unfortunately, there are no baths or showers. We normally bathe in the river at the back.”

“I don’t mind a midnight bath,” I said in a reassuring tone, even though it was still early evening.

“Excellent!”

He glanced out one of the many tall windows before casting a speculative look my way.

“I would like to go hunt for our meal tonight to spare our food reserves from Misty. Would you feel comfortable remaining here in my absence?” he asked carefully.

“You said it’s safe, and that the wards will keep any one with hostile intentions at bay. Therefore, I don’t mind staying here alone for a little bit,” I replied in a friendly tone.

He beamed at me. “It certainly is. I would not consider it otherwise. It shouldn’t take me long. There’s plenty of small game in the area.”

“Take your time. I’ll look around and pick a room in your absence.”

“See you soon,” he said before heading out.

I watched him through the window as he first secured the horses and fed them.

Guilt surged through me that I didn’t even think of doing it or even offering to do so.

To my surprise, he didn’t strip and shift into his wolf form but simply broke into a run at dizzying speed with no apparent weapon on him.