Stone closed his eyes and dipped his head back in the water, not wanting to argue with Aubree anymore about apologies. He merely wanted her forgiveness for losing control. He was the one who was immortal. He was the one superior in strength. He was the one who could slip up and hurt her, or worse, kill her.
His heart clenched as his thoughts drifted back to that day in 1848.
.
When he came home, his paws had been muddied by the earth, but the stench of blood and smoke clung to his fur.
Adelaide, always in her human form, ran to him and dug her fingers into the thick fur around his wide neck. He whimpered as she buried her face into his fur, her fingers brushing soothingly through it.
"Sten? You're trembling... What happened?" she whispered in Lykostroya. "Why is there human blood on you?"
[It was an accident, mein Herz,] he replied through the mind-link as whimpers continued to rumble through his huge form. [I swear on it. I would never...]
A low whine howled from him as he drew away from her, shifting into his human form.
Adelaide hurried into the den during his transformation and returned as he was finishing with a folded cloth and a bar of soap. He was staring at his mud-caked hands when she reached his side.
"It was an accident..."
"I know, mein Lieber, I know," she said, putting the cloth and soap in his hands. "Please, hurry to the river and wash up before—"
He threw the items she handed to him on the ground and pulled her roughly against him, wrapping her in his arms and burying his face in her hair.
"He already knows. He's on his way here," he murmured as he choked back the emotion bubbling up his throat.
Adelaide clung to him, burying her face into his shoulder as tears began to stream down her cheeks. "It was an accident," she repeated his words. "Surely, it can be forgiven?"
"You know the Council doesn't give third chances," he said. "Not even second chances. Amora's not here to redeem me this time."
She sobbed into him loudly.
Brushing her hair behind her face, he cupped her cheeks in his palms as he tilted her face up and pressed his forehead to hers.
"Give Arthur, Guinevere, and Gawain my love," he whispered.
She heaved a shuddering breath as her body trembled in his hands. "Always."
A howl cut through the distance, making them both shudder in fear.
"I love you, Sten," she whispered.
He grasped her lips in desperation, kissing her with all the love he had in his heart, knowing that it would be his last.
"Von ganzem Herzen, Adelaide, ich werde dich immer lieben."
With all my heart, Adelaide, I will always love you.
Those words filled him as a furious voice cut through the forest and brought both of them to their knees.
A large man with thick, bulging muscles, long dark hair, and blazing dark eyes broke through the treeline around their den, accompanied by four warriors.
"Sten!" he roared, his fury rolling off him and crashing onto all of them. "Komm her!"
He shuddered. Come here, had never felt so terrifying.
Bowing his head, he rose to his feet and stepped forward, unable to bear the weight of his shame and the heartache as Adelaide screamed behind him.
YOU ARE READING
Heart of Stone (Parts I & II)
Werewolf[COMPLETE] Some bonds can't be broken, even in death. -- He couldn't endure another heartbreak. "Accepting her would be a mistake," he said. "She's a human. I can't afford to have her blood on my hands." Gwen looked away, and he knew she saw the ima...
