The Forest Witch's Home for Magical Creatures

Chapter 31: Beauty in Simplicity

He woke up tangled in the witch. Their bodies had found each other in the night. She was on one of his wings, but the pressure was comforting. His arm was wrapped around her, keeping the witch in her place against his side. Their legs were intertwined. Her face was against his chest and he could feel her as she breathed.

It was everything to be tangled up in her but at the same time not enough.

He wanted to be so intertwined with her that he couldn't tell his body from hers. He wanted to know the noise she makes when she's kissed first thing in the morning. He wants to know the way her mouth tastes.

This was enough. For now.

His fingers danced across her side, down to where her shirt had ridden up in her sleep.

He pressed his hand against her warm skin.

After a few minutes of laying there and appreciating the weight of her body against his, the witch started to wake. She grumbled to herself and burrowed closer to him, rubbing her face across his shirt. Like a little kitten.

He chuckled and her head shot up at the sound. She had sleep lines on her face and her eyes were puffy.

It felt like someone reached through his chest and squeezed his heart, finally battering through his last barricades. She was beautiful.

A part of him was still weary of it all, this happy little life. Did he have any right to any of it? Did he deserve to live an idyllic life in the woods with his witch? Could he fully set the pains of the past go and trust in her, in this?

But he made his choice, he made his oath. She is mine, and I am hers.

The witch clambered over him, all knees and elbows. She sat across his stomach. He groaned and acted put out by it all, but the weight of her was a comfort.

He wanted to grab her by the hips and have her sit lower. She leaned forward. Their breath mingled and their foreheads touched.

She had a forest worth of green in her eyes.

"Can we kiss now?" She asked in a soft exhalation.

He snorted. "You tart! Are you trying to use your womanly magic to ensnare me first thing in the morning?"

Her face was bright with laughter and mischief.

"Is it working?"

"You seem a bit out of touch. Might need some more practice, witch." He tried for droll but he couldn't stop smiling.

"Oh, I'm sure I can find someone to practice with"

He smacked her off him with a wing.

—-----------------------------------------------------------------

Waking up with the witch was easy. Going downstairs and facing the consequences of his anger was difficult.

The witch had left him to glower alone in his room. He could hear them downstairs. He can still picture Gael standing before him, begging him not to hurt the witch. He can't erase the fear from Jace's eyes.

He made his way downstairs, making sure his steps were heard. He didn't want to surprise the boys. He wanted to give them enough time to flee if they weren't ready to see him.

All eyes were on him as he entered the kitchen. The boys were still little statues, wide-eyed and frozen.

He cleared his throat but Jace was on him before he could speak. The little werewolf barreled into him, headbutting him in the stomach and wrapping his gangly arms around him. Wren dropped to his knees and hugged the little wolf. Jace was crying, wiping his tears and snot on Wren's shirt.