you.”
She wished he had been there, too. That little girl had needed a champion. Stag was warm against her, a living shield against a cruel world. “I bet that big old dog would have run away from you.”
“My wolf would have shredded him. Sherry, they should have loved you.” He pulled back to look into her eyes. “You deserved to be loved and protected. You deserved it then and you deserve it now.” Tear tracks gleamed like liquid silver down his cheeks. “I promise I will always love you and protect you. Even if you never accept me, I will take care of you, the way your dad and your brothers should have. They were selfish, cruel assholes.”
The last word was vehement. Sherry had never heard Stag use such foul language. Somehow it comforted her. She sniffed loudly and wiped a hand under her nose. She probably looked awful. Her head hurt and her eyes were swollen almost shut by her tears and her nose was running. She tried to smile at him. The smile was a trembling failure. “Thank you.”
She’d had to go fifty years into the future to find someone who saw her father and his family for what they were. Even LeRoi never understood the extent of their cruelty. Her father didn’t approve of LeRoi, but he had charmed her step-mother. Chantelle had done her best to take LeRoi away, and taunted Sherry with stories of LeRoi’s moves in bed. Her sister had mockingly thanked her for being a prude, since that had allowed her to take care of LeRoi’s “manly needs” during their engagement. LeRoi denied sleeping with Chantelle. But that didn’t matter now. They were both dead.
What she wouldn’t give for a Kleenex. Were there any hankies here? Sherry pushed Stag away to stand up and that’s when she noticed though his kneeling position hid his man bits, he was naked. Of course he was naked, he’d just changed from being a wolf. A shadow of her old revulsion touched her. Werewolves were not natural . But a few minutes ago his wolf had laid his head in her lap and let her pet him. He had licked her face. Tami had told her how the wolves at Taye’s den had fought and even died to defend her. Sherry looked down at Stag’s face with hope trembling in her heart. Would he catch her if she leaped?
“Sherry?” Stag asked, standing up and revealing his limp penis. “What do you need?”
Sherry was grateful he wasn’t aroused. “A tissue.” At his blank look, she elaborated. “A handkerchief to blow my nose. All this crying has clogged my nose and given me a rotten headache, too.”
“I’ll make you some tea. That will help. You sit back down.”
Sherry gritted her teeth. For a wolf who wasn’t Alpha, he was damn bossy. “You know, it sure would be nice if you asked instead of just telling me.”
“Asked what?”
“You should ask if I want tea.”
He stared at her for a moment. “Sherry, would you like me to make some willow bark tea to help with your headache?”
“Yes, Stag, I would, thank you.”
He continued to stare for another moment before waving to the chest of drawers by the bed. “There should be some bits of cloth in the top drawer you can use for a handkerchief.”
She found a pile of clean rags and blew her nose. Stag moved around the small kitchen area, dipping a small pot into the big kettle of water and putting it on the stove to begin heating before unwrapping a square of waxed paper filled with shredded bark. The fact that he was stark naked didn’t bother him at all. Sherry appreciated the view. His strong back and round firm ass moved in a smooth symphony of muscle that made her want to pet him. She wondered, though, if his dangly bits weren’t worried about being so close to a hot stove. A tired giggle pushed at the back of her throat.
In a few minutes he came back to her. “Come lie down,” he urged her, nudging her toward the bed. “The tea will take a while to steep. I’ll put some snow in a rag for your head.”
He pulled off her shoes and got her settled in bed
She wished he had been there, too. That little girl had needed a champion. Stag was warm against her, a living shield against a cruel world. “I bet that big old dog would have run away from you.”
“My wolf would have shredded him. Sherry, they should have loved you.” He pulled back to look into her eyes. “You deserved to be loved and protected. You deserved it then and you deserve it now.” Tear tracks gleamed like liquid silver down his cheeks. “I promise I will always love you and protect you. Even if you never accept me, I will take care of you, the way your dad and your brothers should have. They were selfish, cruel assholes.”
The last word was vehement. Sherry had never heard Stag use such foul language. Somehow it comforted her. She sniffed loudly and wiped a hand under her nose. She probably looked awful. Her head hurt and her eyes were swollen almost shut by her tears and her nose was running. She tried to smile at him. The smile was a trembling failure. “Thank you.”
She’d had to go fifty years into the future to find someone who saw her father and his family for what they were. Even LeRoi never understood the extent of their cruelty. Her father didn’t approve of LeRoi, but he had charmed her step-mother. Chantelle had done her best to take LeRoi away, and taunted Sherry with stories of LeRoi’s moves in bed. Her sister had mockingly thanked her for being a prude, since that had allowed her to take care of LeRoi’s “manly needs” during their engagement. LeRoi denied sleeping with Chantelle. But that didn’t matter now. They were both dead.
What she wouldn’t give for a Kleenex. Were there any hankies here? Sherry pushed Stag away to stand up and that’s when she noticed though his kneeling position hid his man bits, he was naked. Of course he was naked, he’d just changed from being a wolf. A shadow of her old revulsion touched her. Werewolves were not natural . But a few minutes ago his wolf had laid his head in her lap and let her pet him. He had licked her face. Tami had told her how the wolves at Taye’s den had fought and even died to defend her. Sherry looked down at Stag’s face with hope trembling in her heart. Would he catch her if she leaped?
“Sherry?” Stag asked, standing up and revealing his limp penis. “What do you need?”
Sherry was grateful he wasn’t aroused. “A tissue.” At his blank look, she elaborated. “A handkerchief to blow my nose. All this crying has clogged my nose and given me a rotten headache, too.”
“I’ll make you some tea. That will help. You sit back down.”
Sherry gritted her teeth. For a wolf who wasn’t Alpha, he was damn bossy. “You know, it sure would be nice if you asked instead of just telling me.”
“Asked what?”
“You should ask if I want tea.”
He stared at her for a moment. “Sherry, would you like me to make some willow bark tea to help with your headache?”
“Yes, Stag, I would, thank you.”
He continued to stare for another moment before waving to the chest of drawers by the bed. “There should be some bits of cloth in the top drawer you can use for a handkerchief.”
She found a pile of clean rags and blew her nose. Stag moved around the small kitchen area, dipping a small pot into the big kettle of water and putting it on the stove to begin heating before unwrapping a square of waxed paper filled with shredded bark. The fact that he was stark naked didn’t bother him at all. Sherry appreciated the view. His strong back and round firm ass moved in a smooth symphony of muscle that made her want to pet him. She wondered, though, if his dangly bits weren’t worried about being so close to a hot stove. A tired giggle pushed at the back of her throat.
In a few minutes he came back to her. “Come lie down,” he urged her, nudging her toward the bed. “The tea will take a while to steep. I’ll put some snow in a rag for your head.”
He pulled off her shoes and got her settled in bed
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