“Claiming.”
Maddie’s eyes went wide, and a line formed between her eyebrows. “How would that help?”
“Once the mates are entwined by the act of claiming, their strengths mingle, making each other stronger. We think that if I claim you, it’ll give your wolf the strength she needs to complete the first shift.” I interlaced my fingers and leaned forward. “I promise you I won’t force this. I don’t want you to do something you don’t want to do. I swore from the beginning that I’d do anything to protect you, and it’s pretty painful for me to watch you go through that kind of agony. I can’t do it, Maddy. I can’t see you like that again?—”
She stopped my rambling by putting a hand on either side of my face. “It’s okay, Nico. I think this is where it’s supposed to happen. I know it.”
I shook my head slightly and frowned. “How do you know that?”
“The trees and the moon. They’re the exact same from my dream. It’s meant to be. I think my wolf somehow knew this was the place I’d end up. I don’t have any idea how it could know that. I don’t even have the energy to question it. I choose you, Nico,” she said, looking deep into my eyes. “I already did—weeks ago. I just never felt like there was enough time to discuss it. So much was going on, I didn’t want to push.”
I pulled her toward me and kissed her. I pulled back and looked into her eyes. “I love you, Maddy. No rush, but I really don’t want to see you in that kind of pain ever again.”
“Before the next full moon? How about that? We’ll be back home by then, probably. Once we have time?”
“Perfect. We’ve got a lot to do, but it’ll be soon.”
The sound of a clearing throat echoed across the room. We turned and saw Kenneth sitting by the door. We’d both forgotten he was sitting right there. “So, do you guys need some alone time?”
33
MADDY
I’d never been so sore in my entire life. My muscles felt like they were being pulled apart every time I moved, my bones ached, even my hair seemed to be throbbing. The only good thing was that my wolf seemed calmer now that the full moon had passed. It took a few days of recovery for me to understand that my building anxiety when we arrived had been the wolf knowing that the full moon was approaching. She’d known what was coming and had been freaking out. She was trapped inside me.
The first day I spent in bed, then each passing day, things got better. By the third day, I was pretty much back to normal. Sore but normal.
I found Nico in the kitchen that morning. He was just putting his phone down.
“Who were you calling?” I asked as I poured myself a cup of coffee.
He glanced at me and shrugged. “Your parents.”
I gritted my teeth. I was still angry at them. So many lies. So much that had been hidden. I didn’t know how long it would take for me to forgive them. I loved them, yes, but I also hatedthem for keeping me in the dark. I hadn’t talked to them since that last phone call at the clinic.
“Have you been talking to them a lot?”
“Uh…I’m gonna tell your mom she’s paying my cell phone bill next month,” Nico said. “They call all the time. I mean, it’s like two in the morning back home, and they’re calling.”
I sighed and sat down. “Are they worried?”
“What? Worried that their daughter is in a different country and there’s a secret society of psychopaths after her? Why would they be worried?”
I gaped at him. “You told my parents everything?”
He waved me off with a smile. “No, of course not. They do know you’re in a different country. I didn’t say where, in case the royals have their phone tapped or something. They know you’re in trouble, but that’s all I’ve said. They know you’re with me and safe. That was all they were really concerned about.”
I slowly turned my cup in my palms, warming my hands. I’d need to speak with them as soon as all this was over. I couldn’t keep them out of my life forever. I didn’t want to, either. I just needed to get my head around it. “I just need time to come to grips with…well, my entire life, I guess.”
Nico nodded. “They get that. Trust me, they do.”
We ate a breakfast of toast and jam. Nico said he had some more calls to make to the guys back home, so I went outside for a stroll. I’d been in the cabin for three straight days and was desperate for some fresh air. I put on a light jacket and took the path by the house that led up to the waterfall. The air was brisk, much colder than back home. It honestly felt good. The icy air against my skin helped to focus my mind. Helped me think about everything.
The waterfall had seemed fairly close to the cabin, but it must have been an optical illusion because it took almost ten minutes to get to it. There was an ancient-looking stone bench beside thelittle river that was fed by the waterfall. I took a seat and stared at the water, losing myself in the roar. The spray churning up out of it turned into mist in the air, the early morning sunlight making it burst into rainbow colors. It was the most at ease I’d been in weeks.
It was nice. I must have completely zoned out because I never heard Kenneth make the climb up. I jumped, startled when he sat next me.
“Sorry, didn’t mean to scare you,” he said, giving me an apologetic smile.
