Chapitre 25

I groaned as I fought the fatigue. I stretched my body, which cracked in places. I turned my head in surprise.

Hands.

I had fingers again. I could grab things again without using my snout. I pushed the covers aside. My legs were back. They were covered only by a shirt that belonged to Astor.

"You really are the most stubborn person I know," a voice said, drawing my attention to the bathroom.

There he stood.

Water beaded from his bare chest and my eyes widened. Only a towel covered his privates. I felt the heat , which shot into my cheeks, and a grin crept onto Astor's lips at my gaze.

A laugh gushed out of me as I looked at him. I was finally back. I jumped out of bed.

"I'm back," I said, and my voice was raspy, no wonder so long as I hadn't needed it.

Astor took two big steps and opened his arms. He held me against his chest and I nuzzled my head against his bare skin.

"I missed you," he murmured, his arms tightening their grip. "Don't get me wrong, your wolf form is great too, so nice and small. But the conversations end up being a bit one-sided."

I grinned against his shirtless shirt and kissed him. A shiver ran through his body, so I repeated the gesture.

"My wolf form can't do that either," I said, laughing, and looked at him. There was so much warmth in his eyes that my heart almost burst with joy. "Astor, I have to tell you something."

He brushed a tousled strand of hair out of my face and gave me his full attention. The excitement in my body combined with his warm touch drove all other thoughts away.

I was sure.

"Astor, I love you."

The words passed my lips, followed by silence. Something changed in his eyes.

"I never thought I would ever say that, but I love you too," replied him and the tension dissolved into pure joy. He leaned his head down and I closed my eyes.

The kiss started softly, but quickly picked up speed. Our steps went backwards towards the bed. We were dangerously close, both overwhelmed by the heat between us. I pried my hands off him and fumbled for the buttons on his shirt. Astor picked me up and sat me down on the mattress, not breaking our kiss.

He climbed onto me like a predator and I leaned back. He stroked my side, but suddenly a hot pain shot through my chest. I pulled back in surprise and bit my lip.

"Sorry, I forgot..."

I looked at the open shirt that revealed my stomach. I took it off and gasped. There, just down the sides of my chest basket under my armpits, two bright red scars ran and disappeared down my back.

"Dana..."

Astor's voice sounded as pained as I felt. I jumped off the bed and ran to the bathroom. I raised my arms to get a closer look at the wounds, tracing the incisions made by Laila's claws

Tears clouded my vision.

Those scars would stay forever.

A sob escaped my lips. Suddenly warm hands wrapped around my stomach and I felt Astor behind me. His heart pounded against my back as he wrapped me in a hug.

"You're beautiful, understand?" he whispered in my ear and kissed my bare shoulder. Two tears rolled down my chin and yet I nodded. "You're beautiful and even these scars won't change that."

He wiped my cheeks, his touch gentle. I pressed closer to his body. Now that I could see clearly again, I looked at us in the mirror. Astor still had the towel wrapped around me as I stood fully exposed in his embrace.

I swallowed.

Astor bent his head down and planted a kiss on my collarbone. A tremor went through my body and I closed my eyes. His lips followed the path to my neck. My heart fluttered as I leaned my head against his chest.

I let out a gasp as his hands moved.

"Astor," I breathed.

When I said his name, a growl escaped his lips and vibrated across my skin. i needed him

"I'm taking care of you so you know exactly how beautiful you are," he breathed against my skin, numbing all other senses. "Is that what you want?"

I nodded and turned my head to the side. The tingle of his touch was all I needed. With my eyes closed, I heard him drop the towel.

Now there was nothing between us.

The chirping of the birds pierced the mist of sleep. Everything about me was relaxed as I took a deep breath. The heavenly scent of my mate surrounded me and brought a smile to my face. We were still lying skin to skin in bed, just as we had fallen asleep yesterday. I was lying on his chest with my arms and legs wrapped around him.

My smile widened at the memory of the night. We hadn't gotten much sleep. My stomach tightened and I opened my eyes. The white rays of the sun came through the curtains and brought the squeaking of blackbirds with them.

I looked at the bare torso I was lying on. He rose and fell evenly. I ran my fingertips over the marks on his muscles, which were warm and rock hard at the same time.

A hum vibrated through my head and I looked up. Astor frowned before opening his eyes.

"Good morning," he whispered, his voice a little lower than usual. A shiver ran through my body as I continued to paint over his skin.

"Morning," I replied, the smile lingering on my lips. Astor brushed the strands of hair out of my face and lifted me higher. I planted a quick kiss on his mouth before burying my head in his neck.

Astor's laugh shook my whole body.

"Now there's really no need to be shy anymore," he said. He ran one hand through my hair while the other was tight around me, hugging me against him. In response, I planted a wet kiss on his skin and grinned.

We lay in silence for a few moments, enjoying each other's closeness and the birds singing.

There between neck and shoulder my mark would rest. Only now did I realize that it was still quiet inside me. My wolf still hadn't returned. A thought pierced my heart.

What if I lost her forever?

"What's going on?" Astor asked, sitting up further to look at me.

Our time together was over. We still had so much to talk about that I didn't even know where to start.

"I don't want to ruin the feeling," I whispered, looking down at us. The scars on my chest were proof I hadn't imagined any of it.

Astor grabbed my chin and lifted my gaze back to his eyes.

"What we have is indestructible. Now tell me what's bothering you."

"My wolf," I whispered, "she's gone. She hasn't been here the whole time. I'm afraid she won't come back."

Astor's brown eyes melted at the pain in my voice.

"Give her time. The silver hurt her badly. She'll come back at the right moment," he replied, stroking my cheek. I nodded.

Our moment was interrupted by a growl erupting from my stomach. I buried my head in the sheets while Astor laughed heartily.

"Wait here, I'll get us some breakfast," he said, sitting me down on the bed. He pushed the covers aside, got up and walked over to the closet. Blushing, I enjoyed the view of his body. He pulled away far too quickly something and went to the door.

"I'll be right back," he said, and was gone with the click of the lock.

I groaned and pressed my head into the pillows. I could still feel the aftertaste of last night in my abdomen. How could you want someone so bad?

I got up to get my mind off things.

It really was time we talked about everything, and what better time than over breakfast. Something inside me purred that it wouldn't stop at a conversation.

***

My mouth watered as I stared at the tray Astor placed on the coffee table.

Pancakes, honey, strawberries and raspberries, fried bacon, steaming tea, boiled eggs, jam and fresh buns.

And all this on the finest tableware I had ever seen. I was slowly getting used to the white palace. The smells merged into a single scent that fogged the entire room. There had never been such a morning feast at home.

"If you want some of that, you've got to come here," Astor said, flopping down on the sofa. I tiptoed barefoot across the carpeted floor toward him. I was wearing one of his oversized shirts again, which I felt like a nightgown was.

"That smells like heaven," I said, sitting next to him. Talking could wait until after breakfast. Suddenly, Astor slipped his arms under my armpits and lifted me onto his lap.

"Hey!"

All I got in response was a laugh, one hand resting possessively on my bare thigh. Heat shot into my cheeks.

"We'd better start eating," he said, leaning forward with me in his arms to grab something on the tray. "Here."

He held out a strawberry that must have been as red as my face. The gleam in Astor's eyes was suddenly more interesting than the fruit. Still, I parted my lips without taking my eyes off him. The sweet taste exploded in my mouth as Astor held the stick.

His eyes darkened with pleasure as I accidentally brushed my lips against his fingers. My stomach clenched and by reflex I adjusted myself on his lap. A strained groan rumbled through Astor's body and I smiled.

I had more power than I thought.

"What is it?" I asked innocently, "I thought we wanted something to eat."

His hand brushed my thigh, leaving a tingling path of heat. My heart pounded faster with excitement.

"The game can be played by two," he answered and I swallowed the sweet taste of the strawberry. "You can now choose, little companion: eat or bed."

I was about to whisper the latter in his ear when, completely undisturbed by the flickering tension between us, my stomach began to rumble a second time.

"Don't you laugh now," I said, pressing my fist against his chest.

"I would never think of that," Astor replied with a grin. The smile in his eyes was warm and offered pure affection. We stared at each other for far too long, but we lost ourselves in each other.

I turned my gaze to the food and leaned forward. A hot pain shot through my side right where the scars were. Astor immediately pulled me back against his chest.

"Careful," he said, setting the tray on the sofa next to us instead. He'd been very careful about my injuries all night. I lifted the shirt to see the two red welts, which looked the same as yesterday. "You need your time..."

I nodded. He handed me the plate of pancakes, which I devoured in large chunks.

"What happened?" I asked. Astor tensed beneath me. He handed me the cup of tea before sitting back. I started sipping the hot drink and stared at him.

"After I cooled down, I wanted to talk to you again," he began. That's right, we had a fight after the hearing. The whole thing seemed so far away again, as if it hadn't happened not take me to our room. I was afraid you went to the dungeon yourself."

His voice darkened with every word. I finished the tea and carefully set the cup aside. I ran my hands down his arm as if that would calm him down.

"What happened then?"

"When I found you in the dungeon between Solana and Laila, I knew someone had locked you up," Astor growled. "You were lying...in wolf form on the dirt floor, almost unconscious. The smell of your blood was everywhere."

I stared at Astor with wide eyes. A pang shot through my stomach.

"I ripped the silver door off its hinges when your heart stopped beating. I've never been so scared..."

I wrapped my arms around him and squeezed as hard as I could.

"I'm sorry," I whispered. "I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have..."

My voice broke. What would I not have? Maybe I shouldn't have listened to the sounds of Beta Talon. Then none of this would have happened.

"What wouldn't you have? What really happened?" Astor asked with renewed strength.

"Nothing," I replied puny.

"Dana, please. Why did Talon throw you in the dungeon? That could have been your death sentence."

His gaze was so unyielding that I sighed.

"I saw something I shouldn't have seen," I said. But then I thought about the death threat Beta Talon had given me in the dungeon. If I told his secret, he would kill me.

"Dana, I swear to you, if you don't talk to me I'll go insane and this won't end well for anyone," he snarled. "Talon won't hurt you anymore, I promise you that. He knows we're mates and he knows the consequences if something happens to you."

"It, I only saw who he kissed..."

Surprised, Astor leaned back.

"What, but why is he locking you in the dungeon with the beasts for that?"

My eyebrows shot up.

"What about Laila and Solana?" I asked excitedly.

His eyes darkened.

"Laila got what she deserved."

His words echoed in my head and I clenched my hands in his shirt.

"You think..."

"Yes."

Silence followed his confirmation. She was dead. Part of me was glad about that. She had finally paid for what she had done to so many wolves, especially Luke. Another part of me felt nothing.

"What about Solana? I saw her drag Laila away from me."

"She was the one who killed Laila before I had a chance," Astor replied.

"What?"

"Yes, not only did she yank it from you, but she took all her anger out on her. The silver chains made it easy for her."

The image of Solana floated in my mind's eye: her tousled hair, the stench around her, the scared brown eyes with so much anger raging behind them...

"We have to get her out of there," I said firmly. Just as I was about to get off Astor's lap, he stopped me.

"That will not do. She's a descendant of the Hunters, and now she's killed her first werewolf."

I furrowed my brows and struggled out of his grasp. I knew inside that it only worked because Astor let me.

"She saved my life. Without her I wouldn't be here and without me she would have been free a long time ago!"

I felt hot desperation in the pit of my stomach. The scars on my sides began to itch uncomfortably. Astor stood up so that he was taller than me again.

"The warriors would have caught her within minutes. She would never have gotten away," he replied, walking towards me.

I took a few steps back because if he touched me I would be distracted. He stopped, offended by my gesture.

"Please Astor, we couldn't even talk if it wasn't for Solana," I whispered. I could see the inner conflict and pain.

"I don't think I ever told you how my mother died," he replied, turning away from me. The portrait of the beautiful woman who had once been Luna shone in the morning sun one final attack. Solana's father was successful, and even though he had to flee and lost his own wife, he was hailed as king by the hunters."

His voice dripped with bitterness.

It was personal to him. He would never set her free.

And at that moment I decided to take matters into my own hands.