Chapter 19

Aurora POV

The meat in the skillet sizzles loudly, spitting oil and trying to hit me, but I finish flipping the meat and slap the lid down.

Not today, oil.

I’m trying a werewolf recipe that Thorne had bookmarked in the cookbook. Hopefully, that means he likes it and that it wasn’t a negative bookmark. I figured thanking him with a dish he loves would be the best course of action.

I feel a warm presence behind me, and I instantly know it’s Thorne back from his shower.

“Dinner is almost done,” I announce, scooping the sides on to the plate.

Fingers brush down the back of my neck, making me gasp as goosebumps race across my skin.

“Have you not been applying the ointment? Your bruises aren’t gone,” Thorne murmurs, closer than I expect.

“I’ve only had the ointment for two days, Thorne. Humans take longer to heal, remember?”

He growls softly, his eyes finding mine, “How long?”

“Um. Bruises can take a week or two depending on the size. They’re different than scrapes or breaks, too. Like the one on my hand, it could take a few days or a week,” I explain, and the way his eyebrows pull together makes me smile.

It’s kind of cute.

“That long?”

I nod. He grunts.

“What about the one on your back?” He asks, and I sigh. I guess he’d seen that one while I was wearing that backless dress earlier.

“I couldn’t reach it, but it doesn’t matter—”

Thorne’s hand lands on my shoulder, much gentler than I expected, and he turns me around. His eyes flash gold, like they do sometimes, and he sighs.

“Where is the ointment?”

“In the medicine cabinet in the bathroom.”

I watch him walk away, going back to the food. When he comes back, I have the meat and sides all on plates, and I’m carrying them to the table.

Once I set the plates down, Thorne snags me by the waist, pulls me close, and opens the ointment bottle. I watch as he dips his fingers in and tilts my chin up so he can more easily reach the bruises on my neck.

Goosebumps spread across my skin while he gently applies the medicine. I watch his concentrated face, his eyes pinned on my injuries. It gives me time to study him. The hard lines of his face have softened, a small frown pulls at his lips, and his brows pull together in what I think is worry.

“Your hand,” he grunts. I lift it, having discarded the gauze before my shower, and watch as he applies ointment to the scrapes on the side of my hand.

“Your back.”

“You don’t have to—”

“Turn around, Aurora, or I will turn you around.”

The promise sends a shiver down my spine that melts the moment it reaches my core. Biting my lip to keep from releasing any embarrassing sounds, I turn and suck in a breath when he lifts my oversized shirt to get to the bruise on my back.

Thorne’s fingers are gentle and warm, sending completely inappropriate thoughts into my mind and every other part of my body. I grip the counter, my nails pathetically digging into the marble until Thorne finally moves away from me.

“We should eat before it gets cold,” I say, practically throwing myself into my chair. Does he know how he affects my body?

I bet he does, and I bet he’s laughing at how easily he can get a reaction out of me. At that moment, I hear Thorne chuckle from behind me, but I ignore it. Of course he knows. He’s a werewolf. Their senses are so much better than a human’s senses.

Thorne sits down, and I wait nervously as he cuts into the deer steak and takes a bite. It’s almost like I can’t breathe until he smiles and nods, saying, “It’s perfect.”

Sighing, I also eat, finding this steak better than any I’ve tried… which was once, at a crappy restaurant when I was younger, and the second time, on a cheap date in high school. Comfortable silence falls over the two of us as we eat, but I continue to watch Thorne’s reactions to the food.

“Relax, Aurora. You can talk if you want,” he suddenly says. “I’m not going to bite… unless you ask me to.”

Heat fills my cheeks, and I force my eyes down to my plate. I remember the way he nipped at my neck the other night, and I squeeze my thighs together as heat blooms there.

To keep myself distracted, I stab a piece of steak.

“Did I mess your meeting up?”

“Yes, but it’s fine,” Thorne answers, “I won’t be working with scum like that.”

Nodding, I find myself relaxing at his words until I remember that we left those other girls there.

“Don’t worry. Jace is taking care of the women that were trapped there.”

“Can you read minds?” I ask, pointing my fork at him. This isn’t the first time he’s guessed exactly what I was thinking. I’m sure he just has good instincts, and my thoughts are probably written all over my face.

Thorne chuckles and shakes his head, “No.”

I trust that he’s not lying, but I continue anyway.

“That’s exactly what a mind reader would say,” I tell him, narrowing my eyes suspiciously.

“What do you want me to say? That I…” Thorne’s words fall off when he sees the smirk on my face. He shoots me a deadpan look, and I smile. It’s so easy to get a rise out of him.

Dinner flows smoothly after this, and soon, I’m stumbling to the couch, yawning. I hit the slightly stiff surface, almost instantly falling asleep.

Suddenly, a heavy weight is on top of me, and reflexively, I push at it. A soft sigh reaches my ears, and I realize it’s Thorne.

“Sorry,” I mutter, yawning again. I can’t force my eyes open, even as arms slide under my legs and back.

“The sofa is uncomfortable,” he says, lifting me. I’m slipping between wake and sleep, but I feel when he settles me on the bed and crawls in behind me.

“Did you ever cook for Jackson?” Thorne whispers, his lips near my ear as he pulls me back and to his chest.

I allow myself to sink into his warmth while shaking my head, “He never ate anything I made. Through the entire year I was with Jackson…” I yawn and rest my head back on Thorne’s chest and finally open my eyes.

Thorne is watching me with an intense gaze.

“He often reminded me that I was human. He said I couldn’t fully integrate into the werewolf world,” I mutter, turning over to face Thorne. Despite Jackson’s views, we were happy, or I thought we had been, but now… Well, now I know he thought otherwise.

My mother had been so happy when I found Jackson. She was proud of me.

But that’s all gone now.

Thorne’s arms tighten around me, bringing me closer to his body, and a thought sparks in my mind. Is he waiting for me to initiate intimacy? I mean, he does expect me to sleep with him when he wants.

Thinking that’s what he wants, I lift up and try to kiss him. However, his arms tightened even more, stopping me from reaching him.

“You’re injured, so we won’t do anything tonight,” he says softly, closing his eyes.

Warmth pierces my chest again, and I sigh, curling back into his chest and letting sleep take me.