Hudson wrapped his arm under my legs and lifted me. “I can walk, you overgrown cat.”
“I know, just give me this. You got hurt and I need to reassure myself you are okay.” He started walking with me through the dark woods, with the moon as our companion. A naked shifter and a half naked elemental, what must we look like.
“I am okay.”
“I know.”
He pulled me tighter against his chest and the muscle in his jaw ticked. My fingers trailed along it, trying to coax it to relax. He glanced down at me.
“I’m here, alive. I’m okay. It’s going to take a hell of a lot more than some power-drenched elementals to get the better of me.”
He squeezed his eyes closed. “You jumped in front of me.”
“Technically, Indigo jumped in front of you. They threatened you, her mate.”
“Your mate,” he corrected.
I nodded, because I could sense from the tremble in his body that he was on the edge and one wrong move from me and I’d be burrowed away in some secret hideout with him. It didn’t sound like a terrible idea.
We emerged in front of the car. I lifted my head and dropped a kiss on his lips. He didn’t waste time, he delved deeper and twisted me so my legs wrapped around his waist. Pushing me up against the car, his fevered body met mine, every hard ridge was defined for my fingers to explore. From the bunched and tense muscles on his back, to more private regions, Hudson was defined in all the right ways. My fingers threaded through his hair and I tugged. I needed to get closer, it wasn’t enough. I tensed my thighs and his chest brushed mine. I hissed at the contact. He jerked away from me and frowned.
“I’m sorry,” he said, looking away.
I gripped his chin and dragged his gaze back to mine. “I’m not fragile, Hudson, I won’t break. Don’t hold back and treat me like some precious princess. This won’t work unless you are able to be yourself with me.”
He tucked a piece of my wild hair behind my ear and leaned his forehead against mine. “You are precious.” I opened my mouth to disagree and he brushed his finger across my lips to silence me. “But like a diamond is precious it’s also almost unshatterable. Don’t think for one second I don’t know you are capable of changing this entire world if you so wished, but it won’t hurt you to let me look after you once in a while. Okay?”
What did a woman say when her man treated her like a flower, but respected her strength? Nothing. Because without trying, he’d become exceptional, and nothing I could say would come close to the beauty of his words. I was lost to him, untethered in a raging storm, but he would always lead me to safety.
Chapter Fourteen
Acceptance is the greatest gift of humanity, which is why rejection burns so deep.
Hudson turned on the lights of the car to give us better light. Then he unzipped my bag and rummaged around for the pot of healing balm. He unscrewed the lid and scrunched his nose up at the smell. According to him, it smelled like ass, but it was a powerful substance I always kept with me.
He swept his fingers into the jar and I lifted my top to reveal the burned flesh. With a steady hand, he began applying the clear gooey substance. I gritted my teeth and suppressed the scream building in my throat.
“I’ll be passed out in five minutes,” I warned him. “I best get in the car before that happens.”
“Yes, I don’t want a swooning princess at my feet.”
I rolled my eyes and climbed into the passenger side, my eyes already heavy with the pull of sleep which would hasten the healing process. Hudson started the engine and then we were off. I curled on my side and gazed at the man that stole my heart before succumbing to the lull of oblivion. Unlike before, I didn’t feel vulnerable or threatened in his presence. I was safe. Hudson had torn through my defenses and for the first time in my life, someone knew my secrets and had accepted me for all I am. The horror, the ugly, the good, and all the complexities of my heritage. He was my mate, and I knew in my heart I would tear the world apart if anything happened to him. That thought was both terrifying and comforting.
***
Rolling green fields separated by a lazy river filled every direction. The sun warmed my skin and coaxed a smile to spread on my face.
“Do you hear it?” Hudson asked from next to me. We were lying on a large soft picnic blanket with an array of fruit and sandwiches between us.
“Hear what?”
“The battle cry of your future.”
My life was a battle, but I didn’t hear it cry. “No.”
He gazed out across the scenery. “There’s something coming.”
“Something?” I felt like an idiot repeating his words back to him, but he wasn’t making any sense.
