“Huh, cool trick,” I say as I lift my chin and walk past him, still holding the dress just against my front and very aware of his perfect view of what I know is a great asset as I walk down the tunnel.Yes, I’m definitely starting to love my curves.
I look over my shoulder to see his eyes widen as he stands in shock with his palms both still open before shaking his head and quickly following me back to our room, his heat dries my hair as we go.
When I turn to enter our room I stop dead in my tracks, locking eyes with the grey wolf who is now lounging on our bed. Embrys bumps into me from behind and places his hand on both of my shoulders to steady us from toppling onto the ground.
“Oh, hello,” Embrys says casually to the wolf as if it is his pal. I can feel myself start to tremble at the memories of the wolf headed man in my visions. “Nuria you’re shaking, let me grab you a blanket,” he says and goes to step around me but I grab his hand to urge him to stay put.
“What’s wrong?” I can feel him looking at me but I don’t dare remove my eyes from the wolf. She yawns; baring her teeth to us then lets out a big sigh before jumping off the bed and sauntering out of the room, brushing my leg with her fur as she goes.
When she is gone I let out the breath I was holding and let my shoulders slump forward.
“Wolves. I don’t trust wolves,” I say and the memory of the vision I had back in the human realm of The Wolf King sitting on his throne flashes in my mind. Then I remember whose eyes I was seeing through in the first place and whirl around to face Embrys, “you know The King. You’ve spoken to him recently in the Palace!” I accuse as I back away from him. He puts his hands up and takes a tentative step towards me.
“I am his subject, yes. He called upon me to give reports on the climate events within our lands.” He takes another step closer and I shake my head in warning but I am now against the wall so he has control over coming closer or not. He stays put.
“Nuria, I am not a part of his plotting. Please believe me, I can keep you safe.” He drops his hands and gives me a pleading look. “Come, let’s go to bed. It has been a long night.” He reaches out his hand and I choose to trust him and let him lead me onto the bed.
He is so gentle as he tucks me under the covers, the tender action shocks me and leaves me feeling a strange vulnerability at the tenderness he is showing. He gives me a little smile as he stands and goes to leave the room.
“Wait, where are you going?” I call to him, all tucked in with just my head sticking out of the blankets.
“I’ll stand guard. There does not appear to be a door to this room and I want you to be able to sleep.” He shrugs, walking out into the tunnel. He slides down to sit on the floor and leans on the rock wall beside the door.
“If you really need to fulfil this ‘protector’ role, you know you can do it beside me… in bed. I won’t bite, I swear,” I say, trying to keep the mood light. Judging by the heavy sigh I hear, followed by silence, I gather that he isn’t buying it.
After a few minutes of waiting awkwardly, thinking he is ignoring my last comment, he says “I… I can’t share a bed with you…”
“Oh. That’s fine.”I didn’t want you to anyway.The sting of rejection hurts more than I’d like to admit. I thought he wanted me… in that way.
“I mean… I just can’t. I’m sorry,” his voice is quiet, withdrawn.
“Why? You can talk to me…” He goes silent for a long while. “Is it me, or…”
“No Nuria, I want to be with you. I just… I fear anyone I share a bed with will end up likeher. I fear I will do… what my father did.”Oh shit, he thinks he will burn me? Is that why he kept us from going further?I have to tread carefully here.
“Have you ever slept with anyone before?” I never would have expected this cocky man with a protector complex and insanely skillful fingers to be a virgin.
I hear his sigh. “No. I’ve been intimate but never… to the full extent. I couldn't put anyone at risk…”Ok… ok, ok that’s all right, I can work with this…
“Embrys, I’ve said it once before and I will say it again, you are not your father. His powerissomething to be afraid of because his emotions run rampant and he uses his fire to harm others and gain control, but you aren’t him! Do you wish to harm and control others?”
“No, never… but Nuria, my powers…” he cuts himself off.
“Your powers, what? I’ve only seen you create a flame for light and to dry your clothes. You’re harmless, Embrys!” I so badly want to get up and hold him. This man that I saw as so strong, is scared – of himself.
“I’m not harmless, Nuria! My powers are greater than my father’s. They started surpassing his when I was a teen. I tried to hide it but The King himself was even growing suspicious ofmy abilities. He would have seen me as a threat had my father not taken control of the House.” He blows out a breath. “I’m dangerous. We shouldn’t do… what we did, again. It isn’t safe.I’mnot safe.” His last words are barely more than a whisper.All right, that’s it.I wrap the blanket around my shoulders and roll out of bed.
“I’m not afraid of you.” I slide down the wall, beside him, “look at me.” He lifts his hanged head to peer at me through his hair. It’s all ruffled, as if he had been running his hands through it.
“You should be, Nuria. I’m not even sure if the feelings we have for each other are real or if we were somehow tethered together. You shouldn’t waste your time on me. You know what I did to my sister. For Mother’s sake, I nearly burned your hands off with the handcuffs in the caves, remember? Why do you care about me?” His eyes darken, not even the slightest flicker of an ember within them.I did forget about the handcuff thing…
“I don’t know if we were somehow connected bymymother orTheMother, but what I do know is that youdocare about your sister. You also care about and fight for your people andthatis what I respect. Let’s just take whatever this is one step at a time. You don’t have to hop into bed with me but don’t let your fear of harming me be what stops you. Having power of any kind is a new concept to me but from what little I have seen, evenIknow that who you are, deep down, governs how your powers show up. You protect. Your father controls. It’s as simple as that.” I grab onto his hand and give it a squeeze. The faintest flicker reignites in his eyes.A good start.
To my surprise, he leans in and brushes a soft kiss on my forehead. “Thank you,” he says, still from that quiet place within himself. I blow out a breath and give him my best interpretation of his cocky half smile.
“Now mister brave protector, would you please guard my door. There is a big bad wolf out there and I am in need of your services.” I manage to get a chuckle out of him as he nods. I shuffle back to the bed and nestle in.
Part of me craves his closeness but I don’t want to push him. This is enough. I probably wouldn’t sleep if he was next to me anyway if I am honest with myself. The intimacy of sleeping next to a lover seems too daunting right now and with that wolf lurking out there it is nice to have him guarding me instead.
