Page 31 of Destined to the Lycan (The Shadow Realms #3)
“He’s not a monster,” I said with a fervor I couldn’t explain.
I glanced away, staring at the ground without seeing it as I reflected on my interactions with the doppelganger.
“Lyall truly believes he is, but I don’t.
A monster is mindless, controlled by their basest instincts.
He just has a very strong feral nature. But deep down, I believe there is a truly kind man who is just very lonely.
You should have seen the way he glowed when he was drinking my blood.
It felt like being surrounded by divine light.
I pray that he finds his soulmate one day. ”
“She’s not you,” Remus replied sternly.
I snorted as my gaze flicked back to him. “No, She’s definitely not me,” I said teasingly, amused by this display of jealousy. “But going back to your venom, how do I get that from you?”
To my shock, Remus suddenly blushed and lowered his eyes in embarrassment. There was something so incredibly adorable, almost boyish in his timidity. The fact that he was so big, muscular, and intimidating when he wanted made it all the more shocking to see.
And then, I understood.
“Oh, I see!” I said, before giggling nervously.
The flame of arousal sparked low in my belly.
“Well, we should eat something and rest for the night,” Remus grumbled to hide his embarrassment. “We rise at dawn and ride hard to reach the inn before the sun fully sets.”
“Wow, someone’s eager!” I said teasingly.
“Amara!” Remus exclaimed, which made me burst out laughing.
Considering the naughty games we played the previous night, I found it hilarious that he should be so prudish.
Still, he was right. I needed food and rest. The stress of the day, and my growing sickness were taking a toll.
I felt guilty watching Remus taking care of everything while forbidding me from making any effort.
He wisely chose not to go hunting for fresh food tonight in the woods, and we ate some of the rations we still had in our bags instead.
After taking care of the horses, he shifted into his wolf form, and I snuggled against him for the night.
I couldn’t believe how easily sleep claimed me.
Considering we were in the heart of the Haunted Woods and only sheltered by a cave without doors, I should have been terrified.
But the powerful wards that protected the cave and my man’s warm body around me made me feel safe.
The next morning, we didn’t dally. There was no nearby river to take a dip in, not that I would have risked venturing in any body of water within a cursed forest. We ate some dry bread and cured meats with the last of the cider Misty had given us.
Remus donned his clothes, which he had wisely left with his horse before chasing after the Aegarims, and we set off.
Mesmerized, I stared at the strangest trail of mist that seemed to form in our path the minute we got on our horses.
It had a bluish tinge, as if some tiny spirits or magical fireflies flew within it.
Whatever it was, it didn’t qualify as a random occurrence.
It turned and circled around certain areas as we followed it and acted as a magical guide who took us back safely to the road.
Not once during that trek did the alluring songs that plagued me the previous day manifest themselves.
Before his departure, Lyall instructed Remus to follow the blue trail.
Was it an automatic phenomenon that appeared whenever someone sought refuge in the cave, or had Lyall personally set it up for us?
I would probably never have the answer to that question, but my chest warmed for the doppelganger.
If I managed to survive this ordeal, I would find a way to thank him.
As soon as we reached the road, we set a hard pace.
We barely spoke at all, only indulging in brief chats whenever we would slow down to let the horses rest. None of the spirits pestered us for the remainder of the journey through the haunted woods.
Once more, I couldn’t help but wonder if it was due to some form of intervention on Lyall’s part, or if he was following us, lurking in the shadows.
I didn’t doubt that his mere presence sufficed to send all the lesser creatures running for cover.
Just like when we entered the Haunted Woods, no clear sign indicated the moment we exited it.
And yet an undeniable shift occurred. The air felt cleaner and lighter, as if a boulder had been lifted off my shoulders.
The colors looked brighter, and even the exhaustion I felt significantly dampened.
I realized then how that accursed place had weighed on me both physically and mentally.
We finally reached the inn an hour after sundown.
The place was packed. It felt awkward walking in with so many eyes studying us as if we were some sort of anomaly.
In that instant, I realized that word of our mission had spread here as well.
No wonder Lyall heard about it. I still didn’t understand why it drove him to seek us out.
Even if we had meant to kill Ranael, why would he care?
Ignoring the borderline rude stares of the customers, Remus made a beeline for the counter manned by a portly innkeeper.
As much as I enjoyed my privacy, having so much attention on me left me mostly indifferent.
So long as no one directly pestered me, they were free to ogle all they wanted.
But the less-than-friendly glances leveled at my mate angered me.
It whipped the protective mama bear I didn’t know lurked deep within me into a frenzy.
It took every ounce of my willpower not to give them a tongue lashing.
At least, Remus seemed totally unfazed, having likely grown used to it after a lifetime of such treatment.
I leaned against the counter as he began to speak to the innkeeper.
The man in his early fifties had a jovial demeanor and appeared to frequently indulge in his own famous warm mead.
He invited us to sit at one of the few remaining free tables while he had our room prepared as well as a hot bath drawn for us.
After a hearty meal—that my man all but inhaled—we headed upstairs to our room.
The soundproofing was extremely good. Considering the substantial crowd loudly chatting and the small band playing live music, I expected the noise to make it difficult for anyone to enjoy some peace and quiet.
The innkeeper probably had some witch or sorcerer cast a silence spell on the rooms.
It was pleasantly spacious. Inns tended to have smaller rooms to maximize the number of guests they could accommodate at any given time.
This one had a massive bed and a small nook with a clawfoot tub.
A dresser sat on the left side, across from a seating area consisting of two cushioned chairs and a coffee table next to a large window that gave a pleasant view onto the silhouette of the highest peaks of the mountain in the distance.
A familiar rune glowed on the side of the tub.
A basic spell kept the water warm inside it.
Remus discarded our bags on the dresser and immediately began to undress.
Like me, he was casting an approving glance at our surroundings.
None of the furniture spelled luxury, but it was sturdy and clean.
Above all, it beat sleeping on the floor of a cave in the middle of a cursed forest.
I was halfway through removing my clothes when Remus gently batted my hand away so that he could do it himself.
Once more, I melted looking at my beast of a man.
He was so big, tall, and muscular, you’d never think he could handle anything or anyone with such care.
But above all, it was the constant air of wonder filled with infinite tenderness in his eyes that messed me up.
If he looked at me like this when he hadn’t fallen in love with me yet, I could only imagine what it would be like once he did.
No one—and especially no man—had ever made me feel so treasured.
He stripped me out of my clothes and absentmindedly discarded them onto one of the two chairs by the window.
He then picked me up effortlessly and carried me to the tub.
A shiver coursed through me at the intense heat of his bare skin against mine. A part of me mourned the fact that once we were fully bonded, he would likely stop going into heat whenever he was in my presence. I selfishly loved how warm and toasty he felt when I snuggled with him.
He settled me in the water before joining me.
It surprised me that we both fit rather comfortably.
At a glance, the tub appeared much smaller than it truly was.
Remus took his sweet time washing me, just like he had done in the river by the Hunters Lodge.
But this time, he didn’t keep his touch clinical.
His gaze followed the movement of his hands as they freely roamed over me.
They lingered on my breasts, his thumbs tracing the areolas and flicking the nipples until they hardened.
My breath felt shallow as I watched him explore every inch of my body.
His palms pursued their journey down over my stomach and further south.
To my dismay, he didn’t venture towards my throbbing core but went on to wash each of my legs with slow and sensuous movements.
My abdominal muscles contracted as he lifted my right foot, forcing me to lean back in the tub.
He massaged my foot before gently kissing it.
A shiver coursed through me as his lips brushed over the length of my calf, only pausing long enough for him to gently nip at the fleshy part, just below my knee.
He continued to move forward, his face partially sinking underwater to pay the same attention to my inner thigh.