Chapter 185

Chapter 185
As soon as Marian arrived, the first thing that hit her was the silence.

It was around ten p.m.

As she stared at the immobile but not quite frozen surface of the lake, a vision pushed up from beneath the water.

Marian held her breath as she watched the sweetest creature in the world reveal itself.

She had not sensed anything, had not felt anything.

But the surface of the water had parted, almost without any advance rippling, and a sleek, muscular body had burst from its cold depths.

Long, dark hair on pale skin.

Marian held her breath.

The last time she had been here with the creature who had just sprung forth, he had been bare. Bare as the day he was born.

She was yet to see what his new body looked like, and suddenly, she was excited for the reveal.

He burst out and sunk low. Only from his collar and above were visible now.

He was facing her. His eyes had locked with hers as he went down, and Marian had almost lost her ability to stand.

She stood fast as she gazed at him.

His face was different.

Not just that it was slim or leaner than the original form. She had seen his face clearly at the war camp.

This was something more. Something from within the owner.

It was harder.

As his bare collar bones and shoulders came out, and his wide chest rose above the lake’s surface, revealing taut pecks and pale pink nipples, followed by his tight abs and perfect belly button, Marian and Dinka shivered.

When his narrow waist and hip bones became exposed, Marian stopped breathing all together.

He was still as hairless as before, with few, light hairs on his chest and arms, nothing on his stomach.

Then, the line of his pants showed, his muscular, covered thighs and legs left the water, and Marian’s chest caved in as she exhaled what could only be called a sigh of disappointed relief.

The creature walked forward, dripping wet, skin like satin in the moonlight, lower half covered in off-white, damp cotton, what resembled lounge pants, with a thin knotted string holding the dangerously loose clothing up.

Her eyes drank him in, from his toes to his forehead.

Reyland’s eyes, on the other hand, never left Marian’s face.

He stopped ten feet away.

“Marian,” he breathed.

Her damp eyes found his and held fast.

“Reyland,” she croaked.

They stared at each other for a long while, alone, in the space under the gap in the trees that exposed the lake to the sky.

There was no sound.

Even the water dripping off Reyland’s tall, robust, body, did not make any sound.

“How are you…”

“How are you…”

Both asked.

“I’m well…”

“Fine…”

They both replied.

Marian’s eyes filled.

“Why are you standing over there?” she whispered.

Reyland smiled lightly, but the hardness in his face did not soften.

Marian stared wide-eyed at the difference between the old Reyland and the Lycan before her.

“Do you –” she rasped, taking a hesitant step backward, tearing her eyes away, and cold, so very cold, arms wrapped around her trembling body.

Marian breathed in the cold and swallowed a sob so profound that she made the Lycan shiver.

He held her tightly, careful of her surgery, but with all the power he possessed.

Marian broke down.

Every fear, every doubt, flew away as she squeezed him back.

She used all her strength and did not sense him flinch.

She squeezed tighter, and his chest shook.

Marian’s head snapped up, and a beautiful smile greeted her.

“Tighter, Mary, you can do better than this,” Reyland murmured, and she did.

With her head against his chest, she squeezed his waist, laughing like a little child.

He held her, taking everything she could give, holding her tightly.

Suddenly, she pushed away from him.

“I…” she stammered, turning here and there, her fingers twisting her shirt, “I should clean up… I –”

Reyland stepped forward and pulled her into his arms again.

“No. You should not,” he breathed against the top of her head.

“But…” she pressed, pushing weakly against him, her heart in no way desiring to be an inch from the cold, solid frame her hot body was leaning against.

“If you do, he will notice. We don’t want to upset him, do we?” Reyland continued.

Marian stopped struggling.

Her arms went back around Reyland’s waist.

“What do you mean?” she asked softly, locking her arms around Reyland.

His chest shook again.

He was laughing.

“My Mary, I’m not going anywhere. I won't let YOU go anywhere. You and I made promises, remember?” he rumbled.

“I asked you to come home to me, and you have. If promised to give you –” he continued in the same tone.

Marian’s neck snapped up. “No, my prince. Don’t say it. Don’t say it now,” she whispered.

Reyland’s brow furrowed.

“Why not?” he asked quizzically.

“Because you are naked. Because it’s nighttime. Because I am still weak. Say it when I can believe you,” Marian breathed, her hands resting on his bare chest.

Reyland held her gaze for a long moment.

“When?” he rasped.

“Tomorrow. Let me be strong. Tell me tomorrow,” she murmured, warm palms pressing on cold, hard nipples.

Reyland’s eyes searched hers.

The hardness in his face wavered, but only for half a second.

“Tomorrow, then,” he said hoarsely.

She smiled up at him.

A small smile.

Her temperature was rising, but his cold skin was easing it away. She placed her face against his chest, hands sliding back to his waist.

Marian listened to the only sounds in the woods – Reyland’s beating heart and his soft breath.

“I was afraid,” she whispered. “I was so afraid,” she repeated, closing her eyes gently as she listened to sounds that had been barely audible just a day ago.

Reyland kissed the top of her head.

“Don’t be. Ever again,” he replied huskily.

They held each other for a while longer, then Reyland spoke, quietly.

“He is stirring. You must return.”

Marian gazed up at him.

She didn’t ask any questions.

“I know,” she whispered.

Then, without warning, she stood on her toes, pulled her giant down, and kissed his lips softly.

Reyland kissed her back, his hands cupping her face as her fingers interlaced with the damp hair at the nape of his neck.

“Tomorrow,” he said huskily.

“Tomorrow,” she replied hoarsely.

With that, Marian ran back to the pack hospital.

Reyland watched her leave.

Naked?

Me?

Reyland mused, gazing down at himself as Marian vanished.

His lips pursed.

The pants, damp, did not leave much of anything to the imagination.

He shook his head at himself.