Taming the Wolf Prince (Re-uploading Edited Chapters)

Chapter 9 The Maiden In the Water

The woman's voice found her again, but this time it did not come from the wind, but rather, inside her own head.

"If you want to find me, try searching for me in him."

A panel of moonlight danced across the black water like a path towards Tamer.

She waited but no further words or explanation came. The suddenly blinding moonlight faded away. She was left alone with her thoughts and the now softly whistling wind.

Her first instinct was to touch the rose again to see if any other visions flourished, but all she found was a discarded stem; somehow, the petals had completely vanished. She raked her mind for answers, but she could recall nothing. There was a sweetly grassy taste upon her tongue, but she could not for the life of her figure out what she'd ate.

What the hell? She wondered, eyes darting around. There was definitely a rose here. Did...something happen to it while I was hallucinating?

No. While it was possible Tamer might not have heard it being so far out, she was positive he would have at least smelt something if there had been a person nearby. 

Her hands curled around her knees. Am I going crazy? She gave a nervous laugh. No, it's too soon for that right?

Biting her lip, she realised, I am hearing voices.

She watched Tamer shiver in the dark expanse of the lake. Could he really have answers? Was it even appropriate to listen to the voices in her head in the first place?

Visions aside, there were other pressing issues that she had to find out before she could even begin setting her mind toward deciphering magical roses. She didn't bring it up because she could see how unbelievably angry it made him, and rightfully so considering everything he'd been through to save her, but while she didn't have the emotional capacity to unravel such a mess, the truth was that what Xavier had said unsettled her.

She trusted Tamer. And yet, the idea that he could be preying upon her via their mate pull unsettled her. All her life little girls like her were told stories about Lupine seducing human women to feast upon their souls. The hysteria was so deeply beat into her that she began to question the man she loved. She trusted him – or so she kept telling herself over and over. The truth was that Tamer had lied to her about being a half-breed. What else could he be hiding? Was there a predator inside him who really did enjoy the taste of her blood?

Her palms clammed at the mere thought. She dreaded being eaten alive more than being burned at the stake. For her own sanity, she was going to need to find out if Tamer had some desire to eat her, whether subconsciously or not.

She noticed the blood on her fingers. There was a lot more than she was expecting, like she had repeatedly stabbed herself on the thorns over and over. She swallowed. As nerve wracking as it was, she decided to bare all her vulnerabilities before him so she could know for certain. That lacy white wedding dress, the symbol of her supposed purity – she pulled it over her head and tossed it into the dirt. She shivered, but it was not due to the cold. He wouldn't eat her. This man had traded everything just to save her. Still, to tempt a creature she'd been told was a danger to her whole life... She licked her lips. If he could resist her naked and bleeding, she knew he'd never harm her.

She dipped her toe into the lake. She could sense that the water was cold in how the temperature seemed to electrify her, but strangely, it didn't bother her. With that dress off she felt so much lighter. So liberated. She was supposed to die a virgin sacrifice, but here she was, alive and with her clothes off, about to present herself to the man she loved.