Page 67 of Claim the Light
I’m on edge until he says, “I don’t sense anything magical about it.”
“Except for the fact that it appeared when we stepped inside,” I say, rounding the table to join him.
The fireplace is now at my back and the warmth is calming, the burning wood making a soft, crackling sound.
I sniff at the carrots before I poke one of them and then dab my finger to my tongue.
Micah waits for my assessment.
“Glazed in butter,” I say.
“If you’re worried, we can skip the food and get some rest in front of the fireplace.”
I notice he doesn’t suggest the bedroom and it’s probably for the best. That bed looks entirely too accommodating of activities that don’t involve sleeping.
My stomach immediately protests at the idea of forgoing food. “Let’s eat.”
We sit down to the sumptuous meal and, when nothing awful happens after we start eating, I finally relax. The food is delicious and the white wine is sweet. I limit myself to a single glass because I want to stay sharp.
When we step away from the table, I notice once again that, although Micah filled his plate, he didn’t eat much of it. Maybe only a few pieces of chicken and some peas.
His lack of appetite brings back my worries.
I take his hand and urge him toward the couch in front of the fireplace, which sits low to the ground. It’s covered in thick cushions and is both wide and long enough for me to lie beside Micah.
Once we’re settled, he strokes my hair, his eyelids drooping.
“When this is all over, I want to try connecting with my mother’s family,” he says, suddenly but quietly.
I lift my head to find him relaxed, but in his eyes is a hint of determination.
“I’ve been thinking about it for years,” he says. “I have no real connection with the wolf side of my nature, other than to benefit from its senses. I can’t shift into the shape of a wolf. Hell, until the dragon’s light was freed, I couldn’t control my ability to take on dragon traits. But the wolf is a part of me I can’t keep pushing away.”
“Reaching out to her family could definitely help with that.” I worry at my lip. “But you said her brother—your uncle—was prone to violence. Will he welcome you?”
If wolf shifters are anything like dragon shifters, then rival alphas are rarely welcome.
Micah acknowledges my concern with a nod. “There are no guarantees. I heard that his son is alpha now. But, yes, it’s a real possibility that there could be tension. Or that I won’t like what I find.” He gives me a smile. “But I need to know.”
“Okay,” I whisper. “When this is over, I’ll come with you.”
It sounds like a simple thing, but it’s far more complicated.
He seems to know it. “I wouldn’t expect you to come with me. Not when it could be dangerous.”
I peer up at him. “Are you suggesting you’d go on your own?”
“I could.”
“Nope.” I lower my head to his chest again. Then I second-guess his wishes. “As long as you want me to come with you?”
“I would like that.”
We’re quiet after that and within minutes, his breathing deepens.
I thought I would drift off too, but I can’t sleep.
My mind is churning too much.
