RUDY

 

“Do you have much experience with this sort of thing?”

“This specifically? No. But we bears are used to getting injured rambling through the brush. A few cuts and slashes aren’t anything to be concerned about.”

“I wouldn’t call these more than cuts and slashes. Wolf fangs and knives are a lot sharper than sticks and twigs. I hear there are hospitals in the city that can treat this sort of thing. Maybe—”

Megan turned toward me.

“It’s all right, Rudy,” she said with a smirk. “He’ll be fine.”

I looked at Vesper and he grinned just the same as her.

“I’m all right,” he said.

I sighed a deep breath though I wasn’t completely relieved.

Watching Megan tend to all of Vesper’s wounds, there were so many thoughts running through my head. Vesper had survived the hunt but I still wasn’t resting easy.

“Are you sure you can trust someone like Penn?” I asked. “Why would you leave someone as dangerous as him alive?”

“Because I had to make it clear to him that the days of violent predators are gone,” Vesper replied. “Killing him would make me no different from the other hunters. I’m not interested in becoming a predator. I only want to live in peace in the forest, the same as everybody else.”

“I don’t think you have to worry about Penn or the others causing any trouble regardless,” Megan added. “They saw what Vesper was capable of and he’s only one man. There’s a whole sleuth of bears that are willing to put up a fight if it comes down to it.”

“The hunters know that peace is the only way now. There are new challenges for them in Dirge despite, as Penn put it, living an ordinary life.”

Listening to their explanation put my heart at ease. But it still didn’t make me feel better knowing what Vesper had gone through.

His entire body was covered in wounds. There was so much blood on his skin that I feared he would bleed to death. I was surprised he’d even made it back to the cabin at all.

“It’s a good thing you’re here,” I said to Megan. “I don’t know if I would be able to tend to all of these wounds.”

“I come to visit Vesper more often than not,” she said. “I love bothering him when he wants his solitude.”

They exchanged grins with one another.

“I figured the hunt would be over by now. I was right.”

Megan did the best she could with all of Vesper’s wounds. She sewed the deeper cuts closed. The rest were covered in salve and bandaged. By the time she was done, more than half of Vesper’s body was covered up.

“That should do it,” she said. “How are you feeling?”

“Exhausted,” Vesper replied.

“I’ll tell you what… I’ll go out there and pick some berries and nuts. Maybe I can make some of that porridge you like so much.”

“Maybe you can get some fish, too.”

Megan sighed and rolled her eyes.

“Well… Since you were just involved in such a dangerous hunt, I suppose I can make an exception this one time.”

She got up to her feet and headed toward the cabin exit.

“Watch over him, Rudy. I’ll be right back.”

The door closed, leaving me alone with Vesper.

I sat down and looked at him. I grabbed his hand and he smiled up at me.

I couldn’t hold back my emotions any longer. Tears leaked from the corners of my eyes as I stared at him.

“I feared the worst,” I said as I squeezed his hand. “Penn is like nothing I’d ever seen before. Tools made specifically for hunting. I didn’t want to imagine what you went through—”

“Hush, Omega…”

He reached his other hand up and wiped my tears away with his thumb.

“…There’s nothing for you to cry about. It’s all over.”

“I know. It’s just… I’m so happy. I’m so happy that you’re here with me now. I didn’t want to go on without you in my life.”

“I know what you mean.”

He closed his eyes as he spoke.

“I saw your face,” he said.

“What?”

“When I was fighting Penn. He cut me so many times that I was completely drained. I’d lost all my strength. I was so tired. But I saw your face.”

He opened his eyes.

“I saw your face and I knew that I had to do everything I could to make it back to you. I wouldn’t let someone like Penn hunt in the Timberlands. Not when you were still here. Not when our child was still here.”

“Our child…”

I pulled my hands away from him and felt my stomach. Vesper placed his palm on top of mine and smiled up at me.

“There’s nothing more to worry about,” he said.

“I think there is.”

I dropped my head, knowing that it wasn’t all completely over.

“It doesn’t matter that you stopped Penn. Knox still isn’t happy that an outsider mated with one of the Omegas of his herd.”

“What will he do?”

“He wants me to remain with the herd. You will never be a part of it though. You are not one of us.”

Vesper slowly sat up straight.

“Vesper! Your injuries—”

“It’s all right… It’s all right…”

He put a hand on my shoulder and looked into my eyes.

“It doesn’t matter what Knox thinks,” he said. “I’ll do whatever it takes to remain by your side. No matter if it’s with the herd or out here.”

“I’ll leave the herd if that’s what it takes.”

“I can’t ask you to leave your brethren. It would be selfish of me to ask you to change your way of life.”

I laughed softly at the thought of it.

“I’ve lived that way of life for so long that I know when it’s time for a change.”

“Let’s not worry about that now.”

Vesper leaned forward and kissed me softly on the forehead.

“The hunt is over,” he whispered. “Penn and the others are no longer a threat. Let your heart be at peace for the moment.”

I couldn’t help but smile at the thought of it.

“Yeah… You’re right.”

“I can’t wait until Megan gets back. I’m starving.”

“After a hunt like that, I’m sure you are.”