His entrance drew the attention of two of the wolves, and he didn’t hesitate to charge. He wanted all of the wolves upon him and far away from Susanna, who was swinging her branch back and forth as if it were a sword, crying, “Get back! Get!”
The first wolf wasn’t a problem. It charged him head-on, and he was able to rid the earth of it with a single slice of his sword. The second wolf, however, jumped toward his face. It knocked him to the ground and went for his throat, but he got his sword between them just in time to drive it through the beast’s chest. The whimpers of the dying wolf, which he quickly shoved off his body, attracted the attention of other two that had remained nipping at Susanna’s swinging branch.
Taking advantage of the distraction, Susanna clubbed one hard upon his head with her branch, leaving it motionless on the ground as the last wolf charged at Gerhard. He got his sword back into position and readied his stance. The wolf came at him, snapping his fangs. The beast was quick, but Gerhard was quicker, and a savage stroke from his sword sent the wolf’s head tumbling to the ground, followed an instant later by its now lifeless body.
There was silence in the clearing after that, except for the pig who apparently couldn’t be quieted even to save his skin. Susanna ran toward him and was soon at his side. “Gerhard!” she panted. “Are you alright?”
He was both panting and shaking with emotion as he looked Susanna over. There wasn’t a spot of dirt on the white wool dress he had gifted her just the day before, back when she still wasn’t speaking with him. She looked fine, although pale with a pink nose from the cold chill in the air.
He had never been so thankful that he had moved fast. Four wolves could have torn her apart. He pulled her body to him, wrapping his arms around her and cradling the back of her head as he kissed her forehead.
All of his dreams had nearly died on the ground. He would have done anything for her, and she could have died while she was still angry with him. Now, he was livid that she had been in that clearing in the first place. He hugged her tighter, trying not to shake from his surging adrenaline. He felt her arms wrap around him as well, and he slowly allowed himself to calm.
“You are the most foolish woman I ever met,” he told her, feeling breathless. “You cannot go this far from me by yourself.”
“I am sorry,” she replied, her voice also quiet.
He pulled back from her and shook her hard. “Don’t you know you might have been killed? You had nothing to protect you. You were alone! I told you to stay in my sight!”
She swallowed and shook her head, still looking dazed. “I know, I know, I am sorry!”
Without another word he grabbed her forearm and pulled her firmly in the direction of their camp. His mind was reeling with images of what mighthave happened to her. How had he ever thought himself paranoid! He knew what could happen—he’d seen victims of wolf attacks many times before. They were all too common, especially in the winter months when their prey was scarce. And Susanna had gone marching away into danger just to pout!
“Gerhard, speak to me,” she begged, and by her tone she had to have known that she’d upset him greatly.
“I’m tired of letting you play the role of spoiled princess with me, Susanna. As I told you, you are no longer a princess. You are mine. You will be my wife, and I will not see you risk your safety. Do you understand me?”
“Y-yes,” she said uncertainly, sounding apologetic. “I said I was sorry, Gerhard, I—”
“You will be sorry,” he gritted. “You’re going to be one sorry girl when I’m done with you. I’m going to give you a whipping you’ll not forget anytime soon!”
She tried to stop and then dug in her heels when she stumbled slightly, finding that he wasn’t planning on stopping until they were safely back at camp. “Gerhard, stop!’ she whined. “Stop, please. Be reasonable—I was upset, I needed air!”
“And now you need a good spanking,” he retorted, yanking her back into step with him. Bacon had no objections—he was leading the way, apparently as eager to gain distance from the wolf attack as he was, oinking as only a living pig could.
She was trying to fight him now, slapping at his arm. “Please, I was grateful! Can’t you just let me be grateful?” she demanded.
“I am very glad you’re pleased with me, sweeting,” he gritted, “but I have to show you that, although I’ll be a patient husband with you, there is certainly still a line that I expect you not to cross. Anything that risks your safety is over that line.”
Again she began to dig in her heels until she had become entirely dead weight to him. With a roll of his eyes, he bent down and, in a fluid motion, hoisted the young woman over his right shoulder and continued to march on. He found this easier, despite the fact that she was pounding on his back with her palms and the side of her fists. She was not the strongest lass, probably since she’d had no reason to develop physical strength in her life. That would surely make disciplining her an extremely easy task for him.
He stepped into the camp and then finally put her down near the campfire. She looked like she meant to bolt, but he held her arm firmly and snapped, “Susanna, desist!”
She calmed slightly, looking up at him with round eyes, filled with fear and anticipation. “Look at me,” he said, pointing at his eyes. He didn’t want the woman that he was falling so quickly in love with to look at him with fear. However, he did need her to heed him and to trust him. “I know I’ve done things to you that you are having trouble forgiving me for, but I want you tolook at me now and tell me that you still don’t trust that I think the world of you.”
She looked around, back and forth, but then she straightened. She took a deep breath and then put a hand across his chest. “I do know that. I do trust you. I just… wanted you to feel some of the rejection that I felt.”
He picked up her hands and brought her fingers to his lips and kissed them. “I will never forsake you, Susanna. That is my vow to you. I’ve loved you like the sun since I met you. Do you think I would harm my sun, Susanna?”
She blinked at him, seeming to soften, but didn’t answer.
“Trust me to guide you without causing you harm. I will have you cry, and learn, and then we will be done.”
She suddenly chewed her lip, which he had only seen her do once, and that was when they had been making love. It made her seem so uncertain. “Please, why can’t we forget it?”
“Because I will fear that you have not learned this unless I teach you,” he replied, then curled his fingers around her palm.
Ever so slowly, after what seemed like an age of silence, she nodded. Her cheeks were already glowing.
