He finally turned his head towards her when he was finished cleaning his skull. “There, is that better?”

She peeked at him slowly before she turned her face to him completely. “Much better.”

His eyes wandered over her shivering form as they continued to walk at the slowed pace he’d set.

“You are cold. I cannot carry you on my right arm currently, but I’m sure I could hold you with my left.”

He offered his arm out to her.

She scrunched her nose, making the bridge crinkle as her gaze took on a concerned hint. “But you’re hurt.”

“You weigh nothing to me. You will not tire me any quicker than my wounds.”

“Well... I guess it would be warmer.”

“Come, little human.” He gestured his hand out to present more of his left arm for her. “Let me melt your heart.”

His vision took on a purple hue, his eyes turning to that colour, when pink began to rise in the arch bones of her cheeks accompanied by the tiniest peek of a smile. It was the first one he’d seen from her soft looking lips, and it caused heat to swirl in his gut and steal his pain from him completely.

It was a strange reaction from him, a foolish one, but it caused his insides to sing when she willingly stepped over to that side of him and sat upon the crook of his elbow that he lowered for her. He curled his arm around her, spanning

his hand around her side completely, as he hoisted her up into the air and away from the snow.

She came to me. Even after he’d changed into his most monstrous form in front of her. Perhaps there is a chance of hope after all.

He took a few quick sniffs of her chest where he’d licked away the herbs and oils that had been bathing her natural smell, causing her to make this strange squeaking noise.

Elderberries and red roses – each coloured rose had their own specific scent. Their meanings didn’t escape his notice, and Orpheus huffed before taking his snout away from her flesh, feeling a ripple of satisfaction ruffle through him.

Her smell is pleasant to me. And she didn’t smell of honey or cream or of food, which was also a good thing.

Reia was curled up in his arms again as he cradled her.

Night had fallen, and he’d offered to carry her like this now despite his wounds.

His pace was brisk once more.

The idea of being surrounded by delectable heat and away from the potential of being swiped by a Demon in the trees was the only reason she’d agreed.

His warmth and strong forestry scent enveloped her, which was both relaxing and soothing. I can’t believe he smells so nice. Other than the metallic tang of his own blood, which smelt sharper than any other she’d smelled, she couldn’t help being drawn to it.

In some ways, she wished he’d smelt of rot and decay.

She wouldn’t have been so relaxed within his arms. It would have reminded her constantly that he was disgusting, and she shouldn’t think of him as anything other than a nightmarish creature.

He is not your friend, Reia.

Despite him saying that he was intending to protect her life, she couldn’t trust him. No matter if he was being kind to her, no matter if he wasn’t completely unpleasant to be around, she had to remember, always, that he wasn't to be trusted. Her plan to flee had failed, but she would find another way to be free.

Since she’d been curious, she’d already asked about why he no longer had his black wolves following him. He’d explained that since he’d stopped concentrating on them, they’d disappeared. In order to get them back, he’d have to do the spell again that required him hunting down another wolf to trade its life force, destroying it, for the illusion enchantment.

Apparently, they acted as deterrent to both Demons and humans. If they thought he wasn’t alone, it would be less likely that he would be attacked even though he’d arrogantly told her that attacking him was pointless.

After what she’d seen earlier, she couldn’t say he was wrong or that his arrogance was unfounded.

But Reia had many questions, and she wasn’t sure where to start. He also hadn’t answered quite a few, blatantly and deliberately avoiding them.

“Why did you pick me over Clove?” Reia asked while pressing the back of her skull into the firm flesh of his arm to look up to him. “It was obvious she was more willing to go with you.”

“Because of your anger. You had greeted me, so I thought you had made the choice, but it was your anger that had intrigued me. She also reeked of fear when I approached her, whereas you had not.”

“I was pretty angry with you when you grabbed my throat, but I was surprised that it didn’t hurt.”

“You were angry before that.” She pursed her lips together in annoyance; she hadn’t thought it was so obvious before that. “I did not intend you harm. I had just wanted to see you better.”

“You chose me as your bride because I was angry and not as afraid?”

“You are not my bride,” he said sharply, his head turning down and twisting enough to look at her. Even though there was a hint of anger in his voice, his eyes turned a deeper well of blue.

She sucked in a gasp of surprise before frustration bubbled inside her like a corrosive pond in her gut.

“Then why the hell did they put me in a wedding dress?!”

She’d felt ridiculous in it from the moment the Priestess put it over her.

“In order to become my bride, you must gift me something. No human ever has, and I am beginning to doubt they ever will. You will be no different.”

“You’re actually seeking a bride, though?”

His answer was slow to come, but he eventually said,

“Yes.” The word was spoken as though it was sticky and unimaginably hard to say with a grated voice.

That was something she was also curious about. He didn’t open his snout to speak, and yet they were able to have a conversation and his voice held emotions in it.

His head turned up to look where he was going at the same time she lowered her own to stare at her clasped hands. She was holding her cloak closed to help keep the chilly night air out.

“What must be gifted?”

“No human has ever been comforted by the answer.” She looked up just in time to see the glow of his eyes illuminating just his wolfish skull turn an even deeper blue.

“I merely seek a companion now.”

All he seeks is a companion? She blinked up at him as her brows creased together so tightly she felt the pressure radiating through her forehead. He is truly lonely?

How could knowing that send a wave of pity through her for him? Reia had been alone all her life, she understood his pain, but she’d accepted her fate and lived with it without feeling desolate and lonely. She no longer cared to have a friend. All she wanted was freedom and to avoid the cruelty of being outcasted and shunned as a harbinger of bad omens.