That was how I thought about the cave now. Asours.And how wonderful the last time had been. Despite everything that had happened, I remembered it as if it had happened a couple of days ago. The two of us laughing as we ran through the rain. Going into the house completely drenched and taking a blessedly hot shower together.
Bliss.
I missed that kind of physical intimacy, craved it even, but we didn’t have the time and certainly not the opportunity. I hoped that would change soon. Maybe when there were a fewer people with exceptional hearing around and less slave auctions we had to bust up.
“A walk?” Ven asked uncertainly, her eyes flitting this way and that.
It didn’t sit right with me to see my confident, normally cheery mate so off-kilter. Even when she’d sat next to me when I was stuck in my wolf form and espoused about things I couldn’t quite grasp, I’d always gotten the sense she was sure of herself at her core. That didn’t seem to be the case now.
I wanted to assure her, to getmyVen back, so I gently cupped her chin and tilted it up.
God, those eyes. They still struck me speechless. Those deep, deep pools of chocolate brown shone amber whenever the light struck them. They contained so many emotions, so many thoughts I wanted to tap into.
“You don’t have to if you don’t want to, my love, but I thought it might be nice to step away from all the... personalities we have visiting.”
Ven heaved a sigh, and I swore I saw a glimpse of the normal her. “You know what? That’s a great idea.”
“I’m glad you think so.”
I yearned to kiss her, but I could tell it wasn’t the right time. Truthfully, it was hard to think of a time when Ididn’twant to kiss Ven. She was everything I could ever want in a match and more. For all the bad luck I’d had in my life, I would always be grateful that the path I’d been on led me to this amazing woman.
I mean, I wouldn’t have minded a little less turmoil and struggle, but I would go through all of it again if it meant it ended with me at Ven’s greenhouse door.
Reluctantly, I let go of her chin, and she took my hand. As we walked off into the trees, I reminded myself to slow my strides. Ven’s legs weren’t nearly as long as mine, and if I didn’t pay attention, I’d drag her along—the exact opposite of a relaxing walk.
We didn’t speak much, but that was okay. We didn’t need to. Ven was definitely processing things as we made our way to our secret cave. It was a bit amusing how a place meant to be an emergency shelter had turned into a secret fort for us. A getaway from the hustle and bustle that had developed in Ven’s cabin. It definitely wasn’t a quiet place any longer. Part of me hoped that, in time, Ven would be more comfortable around large groups of people. After all, packs weren’t small. At least, they weren’t supposed to be. At the moment, mine consisted of four shifters and the beautiful woman I was in love with. Not exactly an impressive force.
And yet, we’d accomplished a hell of a lot.
I kept that thought to myself, however, and waited for Ven to initiate conversation. I had expected her to relax once the sound of rushing water became audible—it was one of her favorite sounds—but even when we were close enough for a human to hear it, she was still agitated. My concern grew with every passing second, and I couldn’t help but wonder if something terrible had happened while she had been on her own in the mansion.
I cursed myself because I had been worried about that possibility. I hated the idea of putting Ven in any danger, but I had to respect that she was one of the few people in our group who could do what she did, and she did have an incredible knack for getting others to safety. She’d definitely proven that time and time again.
“Ven, you don’t have to tell me anything, but I can see something is bothering you. I hope you know you can trust me with whatever it is. I’m here for you.”
Although words were still very much not my thing, they always came easier whenever Ven was involved. Her very presence made me a more insightful person. Or maybe it was just that it was so easy to communicate with her. I didn’t know which it was, but I wanted her to talk to me.
“I…” She swallowed hard. While normally I would watch the column of her throat bob up and down, now was not the time for it. “Do you not remember what happened?”
What happened?
“You’re going to have to be a little more specific than that. It was a long fight, and I was in really rough shape there at the end.”
“Yeah, you were,” Ven agreed, although she didn’t sound happy about it. “He was going to tear you limb from limb.”
Oh, wasthatwhat she was so upset about? It probably said quite a bit about me that her concern made my inner wolf preen. I didn’t exactly enjoy being in danger or being hurt, but I was incredibly lucky to have a partner who was so torn up about it. Ven truly did care for me. To her, I wasn’t just an alpha who had to protect the entire pack. To her, I wasLeo.
“But I’m here now, and I’m safe. I know I got a little hurt, but not nearly as bad as at the medical facility.” It had taken me more than a week to recover from that. While all my joints werepretty sore, I would be right as rain in maybe another day or two. “And I’ve got you to take care of me.”
“Of course, I’ll take care of you,” Ven said, but she sounded defensive instead of relieved. Or maybe not defensive, but… guilty? It wasn’t a tone I was used to. Maybe I hadn’t hit the nail on the head like I had thought I did.
“Ven, did something happen when I was unconscious?”
“You really don’t remember?”
She sounded so tortured that it was my turn to feel guilty.
“I remember being surprised to see you in the hallway when we took down Nikolas. And then I remember ordering you to go before I had to deal with another wave of Alric’s personal security detail.” I racked my brain, trying to put the foggier pieces together. I used to pride myself on my sharp memory even in stressful situations, but ever since the curse, recall wasn’t nearly as easy as it used to be. It was frustrating, and I hoped I could get it back in time. Whole chunks of that night were gone or obfuscated by an impossible-to-navigate haze.
