have you here with me if I hadn't."
Torben slides the car onto the highway and points us south. "I'm the one who's glad. I'd already fought three others by the time Krassok finally stepped up to face me." His weariness comes through. "He was aiming to kill me. If you hadn't shown up, I'd be still there, trying to kill him instead."
His sober voice sends a chill through me. "Won't they come after you again? To finish what they started?"
Torben considers, then shakes his head. "No, I don't think so. They wouldn't accept my stepping down during a time of peace, but after what I did in the face of the enemy? Krassok has the alpha position. And he's welcome to it." Torben frowns and reaches up to wipe some blood from his cheek. "I owe you my life, Saira. If you hadn't brought those wolves, I'd still be fighting. I miscalculated. They were going to keep challenging me until one of them killed me. There was no way out. Even if I beat Krassok, and the one after him, and the one after that."
I feel a chill pass through me, and study Torben's face, reading each line of pain and weariness. "But you're done now, right? That world? It's behind you?"
"Yes," says Torben. Then, as if he's surprised by the fact, he says it again, voice lighter, happier. "Yes, I am. My past is behind me." His eyebrows go up, as if he's only now realizing it. "I'm free." He grins. "Free to be with you." A moment of hesitation, and then he looks at me in a way that's half shy, half nervous, and totally adorable and gorgeous. "If you want to be with me?"
I laugh and lean my head on his shoulder. "Let me think about it."
Chapter 14
I want to stop at a nicer hotel, but Torben insists on another parking-lot style motel due to his condition. No Sheraton would allow him to walk bleeding through the lobby. I go into the little ground floor office to rent a room, and a moment later I unlock our door and step inside, Torben limping behind me. Already his wounds are healing, scabbing over as they close. It's amazing to behold. His shifter metabolism is causing him to radiate heat like a furnace as his body heals.
The room is small, dominated by the queen-sized bed and mustard-colored walls. The comforter on the bed gleams like plastic, and the carpet is an indistinct chocolate mousse color, scarred and burned. I pull the yellow curtains closed, and then turn to Torben, who's locking the door.
"What can I do?" I step close, hesitant.
He doesn't answer. Instead, he splays his fingers and claws emerge from their tips, powerful talons that he uses to cut away his already torn shirt. I peel the bloodied garment from his body and toss it in the small trash can. Up close, his wounds are awful. Any one of them would have sent me to the ER. I don't know how he's standing there as if they're nothing. I feel powerless to do anything meaningful.
"Do you need hydrogen peroxide?"
Torben laughs and then winces again. "No. Just a little time. I've had much worse, believe me."
I look at him with mock-wide eyes. "Is Honeycomb Falls that dangerous?"
Torben laughs again, and winces again. "Stop. No. Don't make me laugh."
I grin and step in close. "I had no idea running a bookstore was so rough."
"Ah," he gasps again as he laughs. "No, mercy."
I place both hands on his chest. His muscles are as hot as sunbaked stones. "Only if you promise me one thing."
Hands on the buckle of his belt, about to shuck his pants, he pauses. His golden eyes gleam as he looks down at me. "Anything."
My breath catches in my throat. He means it. We stand there, and I lower my hands down over rippled abs to his hands. "Promise me there will be no more violence. No more fighting."
He turns his hands around so that our fingers interlace. "You know I can't promise that," he says, almost sorrowful. "But I can promise you this: I won't seek it out."
I feel a knot in my throat. "But if it comes after you?"
"After us?" His smile is sad. "Then I'll do whatever I have to keep you
Torben slides the car onto the highway and points us south. "I'm the one who's glad. I'd already fought three others by the time Krassok finally stepped up to face me." His weariness comes through. "He was aiming to kill me. If you hadn't shown up, I'd be still there, trying to kill him instead."
His sober voice sends a chill through me. "Won't they come after you again? To finish what they started?"
Torben considers, then shakes his head. "No, I don't think so. They wouldn't accept my stepping down during a time of peace, but after what I did in the face of the enemy? Krassok has the alpha position. And he's welcome to it." Torben frowns and reaches up to wipe some blood from his cheek. "I owe you my life, Saira. If you hadn't brought those wolves, I'd still be fighting. I miscalculated. They were going to keep challenging me until one of them killed me. There was no way out. Even if I beat Krassok, and the one after him, and the one after that."
I feel a chill pass through me, and study Torben's face, reading each line of pain and weariness. "But you're done now, right? That world? It's behind you?"
"Yes," says Torben. Then, as if he's surprised by the fact, he says it again, voice lighter, happier. "Yes, I am. My past is behind me." His eyebrows go up, as if he's only now realizing it. "I'm free." He grins. "Free to be with you." A moment of hesitation, and then he looks at me in a way that's half shy, half nervous, and totally adorable and gorgeous. "If you want to be with me?"
I laugh and lean my head on his shoulder. "Let me think about it."
Chapter 14
I want to stop at a nicer hotel, but Torben insists on another parking-lot style motel due to his condition. No Sheraton would allow him to walk bleeding through the lobby. I go into the little ground floor office to rent a room, and a moment later I unlock our door and step inside, Torben limping behind me. Already his wounds are healing, scabbing over as they close. It's amazing to behold. His shifter metabolism is causing him to radiate heat like a furnace as his body heals.
The room is small, dominated by the queen-sized bed and mustard-colored walls. The comforter on the bed gleams like plastic, and the carpet is an indistinct chocolate mousse color, scarred and burned. I pull the yellow curtains closed, and then turn to Torben, who's locking the door.
"What can I do?" I step close, hesitant.
He doesn't answer. Instead, he splays his fingers and claws emerge from their tips, powerful talons that he uses to cut away his already torn shirt. I peel the bloodied garment from his body and toss it in the small trash can. Up close, his wounds are awful. Any one of them would have sent me to the ER. I don't know how he's standing there as if they're nothing. I feel powerless to do anything meaningful.
"Do you need hydrogen peroxide?"
Torben laughs and then winces again. "No. Just a little time. I've had much worse, believe me."
I look at him with mock-wide eyes. "Is Honeycomb Falls that dangerous?"
Torben laughs again, and winces again. "Stop. No. Don't make me laugh."
I grin and step in close. "I had no idea running a bookstore was so rough."
"Ah," he gasps again as he laughs. "No, mercy."
I place both hands on his chest. His muscles are as hot as sunbaked stones. "Only if you promise me one thing."
Hands on the buckle of his belt, about to shuck his pants, he pauses. His golden eyes gleam as he looks down at me. "Anything."
My breath catches in my throat. He means it. We stand there, and I lower my hands down over rippled abs to his hands. "Promise me there will be no more violence. No more fighting."
He turns his hands around so that our fingers interlace. "You know I can't promise that," he says, almost sorrowful. "But I can promise you this: I won't seek it out."
I feel a knot in my throat. "But if it comes after you?"
"After us?" His smile is sad. "Then I'll do whatever I have to keep you
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