Page 18 of Destined to the Lycan (The Shadow Realms #3)

Defeated, I complied and hoisted myself onto one of the benches. I’d never been too fond of those raised seats. I liked sitting at the standard height of a chair, with my feet firmly resting on the floor. The footrests on the high stools never did it for me.

“Fine, you bully,” I grumbled with false displeasure. “For rabbit, well-done, please. For red meat, I usually go with medium. But let me guess, you eat yours rare?”

He chuckled. “In my human form, yes, usually rare. Though I can enjoy fully cooked meat, especially in a stew. But as a wolf, I eat raw,” he replied while taking out some spice.

I tilted my head to the side, my curiosity piqued. “Do you have a preference between human and wolf form?”

“Wolf form,” he said without hesitation.

He gave me a sheepish smile in response to my stunned reaction.

“I spent the first two years of my life entirely as a wolf. It took me a while to come to terms with being a man instead. As people didn’t like me, I often found peace and escape while roaming as a wolf.

It stayed with me. Life is simpler in the wild.

That I’m faster, stronger, with more acute senses as a wolf certainly plays an additional part in it. ”

I nodded slowly. “That makes sense. I envy you, and all shifters for that matter. It must be amazing exploring the world in a completely different form.”

“It is,” he concurred. “Do you wish for accompaniment for the meal? There’s a small garden outside from which I can fetch some tomatoes and—”

“That’s not necessary,” I said gently, interrupting him. “Meat will be enough for tonight. And what you’re cooking smells really good. Once we’re done, I wouldn’t mind taking a dip in that river out back.”

“You got it.”

Remus cut up one of the two rabbits so that each part would cook faster. The second rabbit hardly saw any heat. Calling it rare wouldn’t even begin to qualify. Had it not been skinned and gutted, that rabbit would have hopped right off his plate and back into the wild. At least, it wasn’t bleeding.

We settled at one of the four tables with another cup of mulled cider to eat.

Remus devoured his whole rabbit like a starving man.

I didn’t miss how his canines lengthened as he dug in.

He even ate most of the smaller bones, leaving the skull and other bigger ones.

I ate less than a quarter of mine. Beyond the fact that it was far too much food for me, the poison killing me affected my appetite.

I increasingly struggled with various foods, my stomach rebelling far too often.

“Here, have the rest,” I said, pushing the meat towards him.

“You don’t like it?” he asked, his crestfallen expression making me want to smoosh his face.

“No, silly,” I said with a chuckle. “It’s really good. But I’m full. I never ate much, and my si…”

My voice trailed off as I stopped myself, not wanting to dampen the mood. But the damage was done.

“Your what?” he asked softly. “Your sickness? It’s affecting your appetite?”

I nodded with an apologetic look. To my shock, he reached across the table to grab my hand and gave it a gentle squeeze.

“Then don’t force yourself. Once you’re cured, I intend to feed you with all kinds of wondrous delicacies I’ve grown quite expert at preparing, even meat cooked to medium,” he added, making a face as if it were blasphemy to prepare meat that way.

I immediately melted, squeezed his hand back, and gave him a grateful smile. Remus was truly growing on me.

“But I will not eat all of it. Let’s keep a similar portion as to what you just ate for you to have for breakfast,” he said in a tone that brooked no argument. “The rest, I’m happy to relieve you of.”

I chuckled watching him nearly gulp down the remaining half of the rabbit at lightning speed.

“By the gods!” I whispered, flabbergasted. “You’re a bottomless pit. I bet you’re still hungry!”

He snorted and shook his head. “I’m not. Granted, I could eat more. But I’m not actually hungry. I’m comfortably sated. Now come. Time to put this away before giving you that dip in the river.”

We cleaned everything up, and I wiped the dishes as he washed them. There was something heartwarmingly domestic about it all. I could picture this becoming a routine I would greatly enjoy with this man.

Once done, I hurried to the room I had picked to retrieve my nightgown and met Remus back in the living area.

He had already removed his shirt and shoes and was holding a set of towels and a bar of soap.

We exited the house through the back door, down the hallway, past the armory and the two ground floor bedrooms.

Although the view had been stunning from the upstairs bedroom, walking out of the lodge and into the courtyard almost felt like stepping inside a fairy tale.

The wall over the door frame glowed. At first, I thought that protection wards had lit up.

But it was a different set of runes that our presence activated.

Simultaneously, two rows of glowstones stirred to life, illuminating a wide path leading to the river.

On the right side of the path, a generous garden offered a variety of fruits and vegetables.

Considering the total absence of weeds and how healthy each plant looked, the caretakers had to frequently drop by to maintain them.

However, I suspected that a green witch also had a hand in it.

On the left side of the path, a beautiful gazebo adorned with a few vines and surrounded by fragrant flowers offered an inviting place to relax and enjoy a pleasant conversation while sipping a refreshing drink.

Countless fireflies danced around in a mesmerizing and luminous choreography to the sound of the crickets chirping. I realized I had slipped my hand into Remus’s when his thumb gently glided over its back. His tender smile felt like the sweetest caress.

The clearest water sang happily as it trickled down the semi wide river.

Although I would have loved for there to be a waterfall, I couldn’t complain about the enchanting tableau it offered.

Multiple tall decorative rocks and a few sculpted stone benches provided strategically placed seating for people to enjoy the view.

“You can strip in here,” Remus said, pointing to a rectangular building at the right of the path, which I initially thought to be an oddly located outhouse.

“The area is safe. You can just go directly into the river when ready. I will go over there, on the other side of that tall tree. Don’t worry, I’ll be within hearing distance. ”

I frowned. “You don’t have to go,” I blurted out, surprising myself. “I’m not prudish, and I would feel safer with you here, even though I know the wards protect us.”

“Uh…”

He stared at me, looking uncertain. I couldn’t say if it was discomfort at the thought of us bathing together, or if he wasn’t sure this was a good idea.

“But don’t worry, I will manage, if it makes you uncomfortable,” I added, suddenly feeling self-conscious for being so forward.

“It doesn’t!” he replied quickly, as if fearing he had offended me. “I’m a Lycan. Nudity means nothing to us. It is you I’m concerned about. If it’s just that you would prefer I stay in your line of sight, I can sit on one of these benches while you bathe, and—”

“No,” I once again interrupted in a soft voice. “I genuinely mean that I don’t mind you bathing with me. So long as you’re not uncomfortable, then neither am I.”

“Then together it is,” he said with a tender smile.

My stomach fluttered as I watched him carefully place the towels on one of the benches and proceed to detach his pants.

Not wanting to be caught ogling him, I forced myself to avert my eyes, placed my nightgown on the large rock next to me, and proceeded to strip out of my clothes.

Despite the hour, the early summer night air was comfortably warm with only the slightest breeze.

I removed my pants first, then my shirt.

As I’d been spared from overly generous breasts, I avoided the uncomfortable corsets like the plague and usually stuck to a stay or chemise.

For convenience during our trip, I had opted for a stay and short drawers.

My eyes still averted, I removed my undergarments and neatly folded them on top of my other clothes before finally turning to face Remus.

He was standing in his glorious nudity a couple of meters away from me. Unlike me, he appeared to have no qualms examining me. Although his sclera had once more darkened, and despite the obvious glimmer of desire in his golden eyes, there was nothing lurid or vulgar in the way he observed me.

Obviously, I did the same. The thought that he had surprisingly very little body hair fleeted through my mind.

Aside from his neatly trimmed beard and mustache, Remus only had a sexy patch of hair on his chest which narrowed into a happy trail down his chiseled abs and then blossomed into thin curls below the pelvis.

The outer edges of his shoulders and arms also had a soft trail of fur that demanded to be petted.

To my dismay, I couldn’t boast about displaying the same restraint he did.

With a will of its own, my gaze zeroed in on his manhood.

My toes curled at finding it partially erect.

It was long and thick, with bulging veins along the shaft, and a pair of testicles.

Although generally shaped like the penis of a man, it possessed a narrower head.

However, it was the rounded bulge close to the base of the shaft that retained my attention.

“So you do have a knot!” I blurted out.

The words no sooner crossed my lips than I visibly flinched, mortified.

“Nine Hells! I’m so sorry!” I quickly added.

To my utter relief, Remus burst out laughing. He glanced at his shaft, totally unfazed, before peering back up at me, a mischievous glimmer in his golden eyes.