Light rain whispers against the canvas overhead, pulling me back from my errant thoughts. I’m about to step outside when her voice stops me.
“Are you going to stay awake for a while?” she asks, her eyes still closed.
“I’m going to check the perimeter.”
Silence stretches between us, filled only with the sound of rain before she adds, “Try not to wake me when you come to bed.”
I go still. Her words are light, but they are far from careless. She’s telling me I can sleep beside her again.
I’m so stunned by her offer that I find it difficult to form a reply, much less a coherent thought. Swallowing hard, I somehow manage to find the words. “As you wish.”
After I check the woods, I slip inside and settle next to her. Vaelen is lying in the corner. He lifts his head and his glittering eyes meet mine before he chuffs in greeting and then closes them again.
As I lie down next to Vivienne, I leave enough space between us to honor her boundaries, but close enough that I can feel her warmth. The rain begins to fall harder, pelting the tent canvas. A rolling boom of thunder shakes the ground as lightning flashes outside.
My nostrils flare as the acrid smell of fear threads through her delicate scent. My ears detect the sound of her heart quickening its pace. “Vivienne, are you alright?”
She pulls the blanket over her head and rolls toward me. I’m speechless as she practically burrows into my side, so much so that I have to move my arm, extending it around her shoulders. “Don’t get any ideas. This doesn’t mean anything,” she mumbles from beneath the thick fabric. “I just… I’m not used to the thunder being so loud.”
A smile tugs at my mouth because she’s wrong. She’s choosing me again because she trusts me.This means everything. “I’ll keep you safe,” I murmur, curling myself protectively around her. “My vow.”
For a long moment, neither of us moves. Outside, the rain falls steadily as thunder rumbles above us. And this quiet closeness, chosen without argument or pride, feels more powerful than any declaration my lovely human bride could have ever made aloud.
CHAPTER 25
VIVIENNE
Pain twists low in my abdomen, tugging me awake. My eyes open only to find my cheek resting on Auren’s chest, his heart beating a strong and steady rhythm beneath my ear.
Another cramp, this one stronger than the last, aches deep within. I shift slightly and the sensation worsens. Dread fills me as I feel the unmistakable warmth between my thighs.
Oh no. No, no, no.
Humiliation heats my face before I even lift my head. Gods, I don’t want him to see me like this. And I really don’t want to have this conversation, but I know the instant I move, it will only get worse.
Of all the moments, of all the places. Here, in the wilderness… in a tent.
I press my lips together, attempting to regain my composure, reminding myself that this is a natural thing. I have endured this every month since I was twelve… but never like this. Never without fresh linens prepared, the discreet help of a healerbrewing teas and tonics to help with the pain, and never without my privacy.
Pain blooms across my abdomen and curls up my lower back as another cramp tightens and releases, then tightens harder. I close my eyes, trying to breathe through it. I need water and cloth. We have spare tunics, but I’m not sure we have enough to waste.
I glance up at Auren. He’s still asleep. His face is turned slightly toward me, his dark hair fallen loose across his brow. I clench my jaw. I need his help; I cannot handle this alone in the forest.
"Auren," I whisper, embarrassment tight in my throat.
His eyes snap open, and his entire body goes rigid as his nostrils flare. His gaze sweeps to mine, his expression full of panic. “Vivienne, I smell blood. Where are you hurt?"
“I—”
“Tell me,” he demands, frantically moving his hands over my body, searching for any signs of injury. “Where are you bleeding?”
“It’s my courses,” I whisper.
He goes still and then pulls me into his arms, pressing his nose to my hair as he breathes out a sigh of relief. “Thank the gods you’re alright,” he murmurs. “I thought you were hurt. You should have woken me sooner,me’lira.”
“I—” I hesitate, his concern catching me off guard. “It’s bloody and messy, and… I thought you might be disgusted,” I admit, wincing as warmth pools beneath me on the bedding.
“Never.” He cups my chin and tenderly brushes his thumb across my cheek. "I'm a warrior, Vivienne. Blood doesn’t bother me."
