Misguided Wolves

14. A Taste of Home

A week had passed since the announcement of Sumner and Deborah’s wedding, set for the coming days. Defying Vargr’s traditions, Deborah insisted on a Vintr ceremony, arriving the day before and forbidding Sumner from seeing her until their vows. As the date neared, Sumner grew increasingly withdrawn, his silence heavy with unspoken conflict.

For Kate and Elliott, the week was a blessing. Sol’s preoccupation with the wedding gave them freedom to grow closer. Kate blossomed, her shyness melting as she embraced Vargr’s warmth and Elliott’s affection.

Elliott, feeling a touch of nerves, wanted to surprise Kate with a taste of Fror to honor her roots. Though confident in Vargr dishes, Fror cuisine was uncharted territory. He enlisted Ara, Kate’s vibrant werebird friend, to guide him. In the castle kitchen, they donned aprons, gathering ingredients for a simple dish of garlic potatoes and steak—one of Kate’s favorites, Ara assured him.

Elliott cubed the meat and potatoes while Ara prepared herbs, her blue bangs bouncing as she worked. Vargr’s chefs, eager to learn Fror recipes, begged to help. Ara suggested rye bread, a Fror staple, and the chefs crafted their own version. She also described rose water pistachio cream pound cakes, a spring tradition. “They’re usually rose-shaped,” Ara explained, “but any flower works. The pistachio cream is Kate’s favorite. Between us, she hates Fror’s snow and cold.”

The kitchen buzzed with laughter as they worked, the chefs shaping flower cakes with glee. Elliott, grateful for their enthusiasm, asked Mahni to keep Kate occupied. Mahni, thrilled, whisked Kate away for a day of Vargr stories and crafts.

Ara orchestrated the dinner’s setting in the garden gazebo, enlisting maids to adorn a small table with wildflowers and an enchanted crystal radiating soft, moonlike light. Covered dishes hid the meal, preserving Elliott’s surprise. A cart held butter, cheeses, rye bread, and the delicate cakes. Satisfied, Ara shooed everyone away, leaving the gazebo for the couple’s private moment.

****

Elliott washed up, choosing suit pants and the blush shirt he wore when he first met Kate, its pale hue accentuating his eyes. He mind-linked Mahni, “Tell Kate to meet me in the garden.”

He escorted Kate to the gazebo, her eyes widening at the glowing crystal and floral arrangement. “Elliott, this is beautiful,” she breathed, stunned.

He pulled out her chair, lifting the dish covers to reveal garlic potatoes and steak. Kate gasped. “How’d you know?”

“A little birdie told me,” he teased, winking.

“And Fror spring cakes?” Her voice rose with excitement.

“Ara said they’re your favorite. The chefs were thrilled to learn, even if they’re not rose-shaped.”

Kate savored each bite, the flavors transporting her to Fror’s spring meadows. The setting sun cast a golden glow, wrapping them in a romantic haze. After dinner, they strolled hand-in-hand through the garden, the air fragrant with Vargr’s blooms. Eventually, they returned to Elliott’s cozy cottage, where a lit fireplace cast flickering shadows. Enchanted crystals scattered around the room glowed softly, their pinkish hue pulsing faintly, as if echoing the prophecy’s eclipse. A table held a chilling bottle of wine with two glasses, and a pitcher of water sat by the bedside.

Elliott rolled his eyes, chuckling. “Ara’s work, no doubt.” He opened the wine, pouring two glasses. “This is made from Vargr’s Wolf Tears berries—light blue, almost translucent, like tears on shrubs. They say sweeter berries bring better luck.”

They sipped, the wine’s sweet burst fading to a faint sour note. Elliott grinned. “Seems we’ll have plenty of luck, princess.”

He set their glasses down, cupping Kate’s face and claiming her lips in a tender kiss, her apple-cinnamon scent igniting his senses. She surprised him, her fingers deftly unbuttoning his shirt, her touch tentative but bold. He pulled back, searching her eyes, his voice husky. “Are you sure?”

Her gaze burned with a fire he hadn’t seen before, and she nodded, tugging him closer to claim his lips with a hungry edge. Elliott’s restraint snapped; he ripped his shirt open, buttons scattering across the wooden floor with a soft clatter. With a low growl, he extended his claws, slicing the straps of Kate’s pale yellow dress, letting it pool at her feet. She gasped at her sudden nakedness, her cheeks flushing crimson, but a playful glint flickered in her eyes.

“Too beautiful,” he murmured, his cedarwood-mint scent enveloping her as he scooped her up. Her legs wrapped around his waist, her breath hitching as she felt his hardness press against her core through his pants. She squirmed, half-laughing, half-moaning. “Elliott, you’re teasing again!”

“Patience, minx,” he teased, nipping her earlobe, his breath hot against her skin. He carried her to the bed, laying her gently on the plush furs, his lips trailing featherlight kisses down her jaw to her collarbone. She giggled nervously, swatting his shoulder. “You’re too much!”

“Oh, you love it,” he countered, blowing a soft raspberry against her neck, drawing a squeal that melted into laughter. “Let’s see how much you can handle.” He nipped her other earlobe, then kissed a slow, deliberate path down her chest, pausing to circle a n****e with his tongue, teasing it to a peak. Kate’s giggles turned to soft moans, her fingers tangling in his hair.

He grinned against her skin, trailing kisses lower, across her stomach, pausing to blow another playful raspberry on her hip. “Elliott!” she gasped, tugging his hair harder, her laughter mingling with desire. “You’re cruel!”

“Cruel, huh?” he murmured, his voice low and teasing as he nipped her inner thighs, inching closer to her core but skirting around it, making her squirm with frustration. Her hips bucked, and she pouted, her voice breathless. “Stop teasing, you beast!”

He chuckled, his eyes darkening with hunger. “As you wish, princess.” His tongue finally found her sensitive bud, circling it expertly, slow and deliberate, then quickening as her moans grew louder. His fingers traced her wet folds, slipping inside with a gentle rhythm, finding her sweet spots with ease. Kate’s hands clawed at the furs, her back arching as pleasure built, her breaths coming in short, desperate gasps.

“Elliott,” she whimpered, her voice a mix of need and delight. He growled softly, the sound vibrating against her, pushing her closer to the edge. He added a second finger, curling them just right, and she shattered, her release crashing through her as she cried out, her body trembling under his touch.

“You’re sweeter than Wolf Tears,” he murmured, kissing his way back up her body, savoring her flushed skin. He stripped off his pants, revealing his hard length, and Kate’s eyes widened, a flicker of worry knitting her brows. She bit her lip, her gaze darting between his face and his arousal, a mix of curiosity and nervousness.

He leaned in, kissing her gently, his lips soft against hers. “I’ll be gentle, princess. We’ll go slow.” His voice was a soothing rumble, his hands stroking her sides to ease her tension.

She nodded, her hunger returning, her hands roaming his chest, tracing the lines of his muscles. “I trust you,” she whispered, pulling him closer. Elliott growled possessively, stroking himself along her slick entrance, the sensation drawing a moan from her. He entered slowly, just the tip, pausing to let her adjust, his eyes locked on hers for any sign of discomfort. Her fingers dug into his shoulders, her breath hitching, but she nodded again, urging him on.

He eased deeper, inch by inch, filling her with a delicious stretch that made her gasp. “You okay?” he asked, his voice strained with restraint. She nodded, her nails grazing his back, finding pleasure in his gentle movements. Their rhythm built, slow and steady, her moans mingling with his growls as they moved together, the enchanted crystals pulsing brighter with each shared breath, as if Vargr’s magic blessed their union.

Kate’s hands slid to his hips, urging him faster, her shyness giving way to passion. “More,” she breathed, and he obliged, his thrusts deepening, each one drawing a sweet cry from her lips. He nipped her neck where her mating mark would go, his canines grazing lightly, making her shudder with anticipation. “Mine,” he growled, the word a vow as he pushed them both toward release.

Their c****x hit together, her walls tightening around him as he spilled into her, his seed hot and claiming. They collapsed, breathing heavily, hearts racing in sync. Elliott pulled her into his arms, her apple-cinnamon scent mingling with his cedarwood-mint, grounding him. “She’s ours,” Leo purred in his mind, triumphant. Kate nestled closer, her body soft against his, and they let sleep claim them under the glow of the pulsing crystals, their bond sealed in Vargr’s sacred warmth.