I’m lost in my thoughts, barely noticing that Meadow is shivering beside me, until she whispers,
“D...Dom...?”
Turning to her, I frown at her paled face and she’s staring straight into the forest as if transfixed by something.
“What is it?”
Her voice lowers even more and I feel a tinge of fear in the air and I put my arm around her shoulders but she barely reacts to my touch, her body as stiff as the log she’s sitting on.
“There’s eyes watching us from between the trees.”
Looking up, I go rigid when I see them. Three pair of glowering eyes, shining like torches in the dark.Wolves. Not an ideal situation but not as scary as it might seem. It is rare that they attack a human but if it happens, it is usually during the winter and only if the pack is starving.
My guess is that these ones are simply curious and want to see if we represent a threat. Or maybe they simply liked the smell of the grilled meat.
“Don’t panic,” I tell Meadow softly, “just stay close to me and make no sudden moves.”
“O...okay,” she stutters, slowly pulling her dog to her chest, who is still blissfully unaware of her ancestors and Meadow plasters her body against mine, craving my protection.
“Don’t worry, they won’t do anything. They’re probably just hungry.”
“For h...human flesh?”
“Mine in that case,” I jest, to get her to relax. “You´re too clean and perfumed for their taste.”
“P...promise?” she says, not relaxing and still a little panicked, so I pick up a log and throw it into the woods, causing the wolves to scatter and she finally eases. “I’d like to go inside now,” she whispers.
Nodding, I get up, giving her my hand and she sneaks her palm into mine. I let her walk ahead of me, making sure to cover her back, should anything happen. As expected, nothing does but Meadow is still relieved when safe inside our four walls.
It’s late and leading her into the bathroom that has no shower or tub, I grab some toothpaste I left here the last time I came to visit and hand Meadow an extra toothbrush and she smiles awkwardly.
“You told me to pack a bag.”
“And now you regret you didn’t?” I ask.
“Uh-huh,” she nods, moving her foot in a half circle on the floor and I get a sudden urge to have her press up against me while she’s straddling my thigh. Maybe the white foam dripping from her mouth has something to do with it...
Once done in the bathroom, I rasp, “You sleep on the bed. I’ll take the floor.”
“The floor,” she blurts, looking horrified. “You can’t sleep there.”
Does that mean she’s going to offer? Is the fancy and straitlaced princess going to offer to sleep next to a rugged male like me? I shouldn’t take advantage of the situation but I’m tired, I’ve been shot and I want to sleep next to her so I do it anyway. No regrets.
“My only other choice is to sleep with you,” I say cunningly and she bites her lip.
“It is big,” she nods, giving me her approval. I shamelessly undress down to my briefs and she lets out a squeak and I wish she’d stop making those sounds. They make her sound like prey, making me want to hunt her, then nuzzle and then mount her.
Jumping into bed, she throws off the first shirt until she’s only in my t-shirt and ducks under the covers. Prowling over to her, I watch her guarded eyes lay down next to her.
And...I enjoy this. Probably more than she does and when she turns her back to me, it makes me want to force her down on her stomach and lay on top of her. But I keep my hands to myself. She’s had a long day and then I just lay there in the dark with my eyes wide open, listening to her breathe and I feel a calm spreading through me that I’ve never felt before.
This. This is too fucking good to ever give up.
9
Meadow
Cracking a lid, I take in the still unfamiliar surroundings. There’s beams crisscrossing the ceiling and the smell of fresh wood, is nonstop tickling my nose. A smile draws at my lips when I notice that Dom is still fast asleep on his back, a sheet covering his hips and Persy is resting on his chest.