Wild Hunt

~ Chapter Nine ~

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~ Chapter Nine ~

"Wolves and women are instinctual creatures. They are loyal, protective of their packs and of their pups. They are wild and beautiful."

To The Men Who Wish To Tame Us, Silverfawn

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I had pretended to be asleep when I had felt him stir beside me. I hadn't slept all night. He had called me his Luna, his 'Moon Goddess'. Women had always spoken of the phrase. Wolves used it to signify their love and adoration for their mates, like the wolf loves the full moon. He had said he would protect me. He could protect me from everything but his wolf. I lay still and alert as I felt his wolf prowl in my mind. It had breached every defence I had, broken through every wall, every memory, he knew everything. Faolan.

Would he hurt Faolan. Why would he? He didn't have to, I was his now. I should have been sleeping, or at least mourning over the loss of my Stag, or contemplating my supposed new obsession, my mate. Yet, it had been uneventful. I had simply felt nothing, like I was weightless, like I had been drifting in nothingness. It was strange. Fallen prey normally felt an intense agony at the loss of their spirit, no women ever spoke of such things, but one could see it in their eyes, they always seemed to be on the verge of a breakdown but the scales never quite seemed to tip.

I tensed as the bed shifted and Maicoh instinctively pulled me closer. I hissed sharply as the rough movement ignited a fleeting agony across my body, a dull ache between my legs causing me to relax them. A quiet growl alerted me to Maicoh's consciousness. He had heard. I felt him sigh into my neck, inhaling my scent as he revelled in the feeling of my nakedness. He moved and I flinched as his warm hand gently tugged my chin so I could face him.

Nobody could understand.

Nobody could understand how I felt in that moment.

As I looked upon him in the light of the morning sun, his features clean, untouched by anger or jealousy he seemed reborn. He was simply content, and it was a state which softened his features to the point where I almost felt a deep affection for him. I couldn't explain it. He had hurt me, torn my spirit from me and yet I...couldn't hate him?

"Maeve." He sighed my name as he laced his fingers in my hair, admiring the soft strands against his skin. "How do you feel my Luna?"

"Fine." I barely whispered. A soft smile graced his features and he leaned in to softly kiss my collarbone. I tried not to convey my discomfort as his arm snaked around my waist and he began to trail soft kisses up my neck. Before I could stop myself I sighed into his embrace, causing him to lick my mark, his mark. I inhaled sharply as the maddening tingling sensation caused me to squirm. He trailed his tongue along the open wound. It was an overt sign of affection. Everyone knew a wolf's saliva held healing properties. He moved to claim my mouth, his grip tightening around my waist with such force that I couldn't help the sharp cry of pain from escaping my lips as a blistering pain tore from within me. He stilled immediately, his eyes wide with shock. I tried to control my panting as I winced, willing the pain to go away.

"Maeve, love?" He murmured worriedly as he gently untangled his arm. I sighed as I sunk carefully down onto the bed, spreading my legs slightly to try and ease the pain. I knew I couldn't walk. My eyes flashed open as I felt him tug at the covers. My grip tightened defensively. I don't know why I felt that way, why I felt ashamed, like it was my fault. He clutched the blanket.