She smiled as she felt for the dead leaves at the foot of the tree. Just there, under the hard ground. She took the knife and stabbed at the frozen dirt. A few inches below the surface she found what she’d been looking for. Sanguinaria Candensis or Bloodroot as it was commonly called.

The small, perennial plant graced the floors of forests across the northeastern United States. When in bloom, the small white flowers with their one, large leaf were quite pretty to look at. But it was the root, with its reddish sap, that gave it its name. That was what Rayne wanted.

When she went back inside the cabin, she shed her outer things and washed the snow and dirt from her hands. She cleaned and cut up the root and set a pot with water on the stove to boil. She turned her head and listened. Cael was still muttering in his sleep. She worried her lower lip with her teeth and went to him, drying her hands on a towel as she went.

She stopped in the doorway. He’d thrown off the blankets and was sweating profusely now. She bent to him and retrieved the sheet to cover his body. He must have kicked off the boxers too. She couldn’t help her blush as she covered him with the sheet. He grabbed her wrist, and his green eyes opened, they were glazed with fever.

“I’m sorry, Rayne, so sorry. You’re as beautiful as ever. Even if you are just a dream.”

“No, Cael, I am here now, with you.”

He sat up and pulled her to him, strong despite his fevered state. His lips pressed down, crushing hers against him and Rayne gasped. He took advantage of that small opening and kissed her deeper still. It was just like old times.

He was the only man she’d ever lost her head with. He cupped her boldly on top of her clothing as he sought to deepen the kiss and she was helpless to stop him. She felt his arousal pressed up against her through the thin sheet and she struggled to breathe as he moaned her name.

Rayne was so swept up by the kiss she nearly forgot where they were or why she was there. Being in his arms again was like coming home. Just like that he broke the kiss and fell back on the bed. Rayne sucked in air and tried to steady her nerves.

“Just a sweet dream,” he murmured, “But every night since I’ve wished for you in my bed. God, I didn’t want to stop that night. So sweet,” he let go of her arm as he slipped back into a restless slumber.

So many secrets, she thought sadly as she stood to check on the tea. She pressed a trembling hand against her swollen lips. Could he possibly have the same regrets? She smiled and rolled up her sleeves. First, she needed to get him on his feet. Then, she’d worry about the future.

A few hours later…

“This tastes terrible,” Cael muttered as he sipped his sixth cup of Bloodroot tea.

“Yes, I imagine it does, but it broke your fever.”

“I have never had a fever before,” he said and looked at her quietly. He didn’t remember much, but he recalled dreaming about her.

“It’s unusual for Werewolves to get sick, but it does happen. Especially, when said Werewolf hasn’t been taking care of himself,” she announced with all the authority of her position.

“I had a dream last night,” he began and watched her cheeks turn a bright shade of scarlet.

“Oh?” She avoided his eyes as she fed him scrambled eggs. She must have found the powdered eggs he’d bought as he didn’t recall her having any fresh eggs in her grocery bag.

“Yes. It was of you. You were bathing my head with a damp cloth, caring for me, and you kissed me and whispered so sweetly in my ear to get well. You said we had something to talk about?”

“That’s some dream, Cael. Finish your tea. I want to change the bandage on your leg.”

“Okay, doc, for now,” he said and watched her closely as she left the confines of the tiny bedroom.

He felt as if he’d just spent the night wading through hell itself. His body had been in a torment of pain and searing heat. Then suddenly, she was there, cooling his fever and caring for him in the most delicious way. Cael hadn’t had that in a long time.

If he was being totally honest, he never had that. He realized for the first time that he could have died if she hadn’t come by. Despite his withdrawal from society, he didn’t want to be alone, and he certainly didn’t want to die.

For the first time in a long while, he felt ashamed of how he’d handled the entire situation. He wasn’t a coward and he sure as hell wasn’t guilty of the crime he’d been accused of. Still, he’d allowed himself to be bullied and forced into fleeing his home.

He wondered if things would have been different had he stayed and fought. But he couldn’t do that to David and Rayne, well, they’d only just started going out. How could he drag her through all the mud with him? It was an impossible choice.

He left to save everyone the trouble of walking out on him as they eventually would have. His brother worked for years to get where he was, Cael couldn’t ask him to risk it all. He growled and banged his fist on the bed. Regret left a foul taste in his mouth even more so than the red Bloodroot tea she served him.