The Wolf Who Loved Me

CHAPTER SIX: The Prize


Waking up beside Hermione was awkward but pleasant at the same time. She was still naked, the quilt had shifted and one soft breast was bare and being spotlighted by a stray sunbeam coming through the slatted window at the top of the wagon. He still had the taste of her in his mouth, her scent in his nose and the sound of her cries in his ears. He was marked by her in every way and she had no idea, just as she was now marked by him. She was his, no doubt about that. One little taste of her and he had been like a wild animal set to devour her, and he had. He had never, never been so merciless with a woman in his lifetime and he could only put part of the blame on the moon heat.


There was something about being wanted by a woman that was more affecting than he realized. No, that wasn’t true, Dora had pursued him relentlessly but he never felt this kind of…rightness. He reached out and tugged the quilt up, covering the temptation that he could not, would not give in to until he had her back in the safety of their house and they had engaged in a long conversation about their situation, their feelings.


She stirred slightly, her eyes opening slowly as she stretched. She started when she saw him, still lying beside her bare chested and staring down at her. Her heart began to pound as memories of the previous night flooded back. Her cheeks, already flushed from sleep, heated even more and she pulled her bottom lip between her teeth and chewed nervously.


“Good morning,” he said smiling.


“Good morning, Remus,” she replied quietly. She realized that she was naked beneath the quilt and pulled it up beneath her chin. She didn’t know what she was supposed to do, how she should act, she had never been in such a place before. “What time is it?”


“Early,” he reached out and pushed a curl back from her brow. “Tomorrow night is the full moon, I have to get you back home today.”


“I know,” she replied. “What are you going to tell them?”


“The truth, that you are not a werewolf and I am returning you to our home before the full moon for your safety. I will return after and run with their pack as a guest tomorrow night,” he said, the simplest explanation was the best and it helped that it was the truth.


“Do you think that they believe you now…about who I am and why I am with you?” She asked. A slow smile spread across his face and she was struck by how handsome he was, despite the scars that marked his skin,


“I’m not sure how they could doubt it after your enthusiastic vocalizations last night,” he winked at her and chuckled when her blush deepened and she tried to turn her face away. “No, don’t do that,” he said, curling his arm around her and sliding her across the mattress so that she was lying against him


“I didn’t mean to…I mean, I couldn’t help it…” she struggled for an excuse but he didn’t need one.


“Don’t apologize, I enjoyed it. I’ve never enjoyed a woman more in my entire life,” he said, looking deeply into her eyes and feeling the emotional ties wrapping around him.
“We are going to figure this out, Hermione, when it’s safe we are going to have a long talk.”


“And then?” She couldn’t help her nervous curiosity. There was a part of her that needed to be prepared for anything. She hated going into a situation blind.


“And then our lives will become very complicated,” he smiled softly, touching his finger to her lips. “We need to get dressed and join the clan for breakfast.”


“I..I’m naked,” she said.


“Believe me when I say that I am painfully aware of that fact,” he groaned, rolling onto his back and stretching.


“Oh…I guess last night was kind of one sided,” she said, propping herself up on her elbows, careful to keep the quilt over her breasts. He looked up at her and smiled.


“Don’t worry about that, I wasn’t complaining, Love,” he said. Her heart melted at the endearment and she returned his smile with one of her own.


“I need a bath,” she said, twisting her lips.


“Put the tee shirt back on and get some clothes together, I’ll sneak you through the woods to the stream and we’ll have a bath,” he said as he sat up and reached for the shirt he discarded the night before.


“Together?” She squeaked. He looked back at her over his shoulder while buttoning his shirt and winked.


“Yes, together…never go anywhere without me, remember?” He reminded her.


“Yes, I remember,” she said. “Um…could you hand me my…erm, your….shirt?” Remus smiled when he reached for his wadded up cotton tee shirt and passed it to her, turning his back to give her some privacy. He closed his eyes and breathed deeply. Her scent was all over him and he couldn’t fight the smirk pulling his lips. He heard her wrestling into her jeans and then the wispy sound of the zipper being closed.


“Ready?” He asked, turning around to smile at her as she sat up and tried to finger comb her hair.


“I look like I got into a wrestling match,” she grumbled as her fingers snagged on a particularly rough snarl.


“Well…I suppose in some ways…” he blushed a little when he said it, laughing softly at her surprised expression. She probably didn’t expect him to tease her. “Come, let’s go, I know a good spot along the river.”


He held out his hand and helped her from the wagon. He really shouldn’t be taking the time away from his mission to indulge in an early morning swim, but they did need to bathe and he would rather she didn’t do it alone where just anyone might stumble across her. He kept his fingers wrapped around hers, gently leading her from the camp and along a narrow path through the woods. He recalled a small inlet surrounded by a jagged circle of rocks where the water pooled, warmed by the morning sun. He helped her maneuver along the rocky wall, mindful of the slippery stones as he led her down to the grassy banks.


“The water is a bit warmer here and still,” he said as he bent over to unlace his shoes.

“What are you doing?” She asked, biting her lip as she watched him remove his shoes and socks and set them aside.


“I’m undressing, I can’t very well bathe in my clothes,” he said as he unbuttoned his shirt. “Suddenly shy?”


“I’ve always been shy,” she muttered as she slipped out of her shoes. “So were you, once.”


“You didn’t seem so shy last night,” he commented while unfastening his trousers. “I wasn’t shy, I just knew the truth of who and what I am. No one cared what I had to say, what I looked like or what I wanted.”


“I was too distracted to be shy,” she said softly, watching him undress. The sun chose that moment to shine between the clouds and illuminate him in its golden warmth. He may have been, in her opinion too slender, and scarred but she thought he was the most beautiful thing she had ever seen. She gasped when he stretched his arms way above his head and dove into the water, sluicing through the clear liquid smoothly before lunging to the surface and shaking his head like a dog, laughing softly at the childish pleasure.


“Are you coming in?” He asked, slicking his hair back from his face.


“Um…yes…but turn around,” she insisted.


“Hermione, I saw you…I touched you…I had my mouth all over you…”


“But that was in the dark…it’s different in the sunlight,” she said, her cheeks flaming at his casual mention of the previous night’s activities.


“Fine, I’ll turn around,” he chuckled, turning his scarred back to her while she undressed. He listened to the rustling of her movement, closed his eyes and breathed deeply of her scent as she unclothed completely and stepped into the water. He smirked at her soft hiss when she stepped into the cool water and gave her a few moments to reach a safe depth to protect her modesty. “Safe?”


“Yes,” she said timidly, holding her breath when he turned around and moved in closer to her.


“Are you really alright?” He asked.


“Yes…just…I can’t quite get a handle on what happened,” she said. At the rate she was going she was going to have permanent burn marks on her cheeks from embarrassment.


“I can’t quite believe it myself,” he smiled and reached out to touch her cheek. “I can’t regret it, no matter how I try.”


“Neither can I,” she whispered, her voice soft and quivering slightly as he laid his hand on her waist beneath the water. He kissed her lips, lightly brushing his mouth against hers for just a moment. It was meant to soothe her, to reassure her but it also served to arouse him, to remind him that while she had been screaming his name in pleasure he had remained unfulfilled. He wasn’t complaining, he barely noticed the previous night, enthralled as he was with his unique reaction to her. However, in the harsh light of day he was painfully reminded of his own needs. The urge to take her was strong, almost staggering as he slowly backed away from her in confusion and fear. He had to get away from her before he said to hell with it and took her right there in the river. “Something wrong?”


“No…nothing is wrong, it’s just, this…with you, it feels very right,” he said softly, easing back and putting space between them. “So right that I don’t trust myself being so close to you with nothing between us. So, I suggest we bathe and get back to the camp so you can say your goodbyes.”


“I don’t want to leave you here,” she said, biting her lip as she realized how silly that actually sounded. He was trained to handle himself in such situations, there was nothing she could do for him aside from getting in his way.


“I’ll be fine, Hermione,” he smiled. “I just want you back at home, safe and sound.”

They washed quickly using the soap from the small toiletry kit Remus had brought with him, then dried off using a simple drying spell. They sat on the sun warmed rocks for a little bit talking. Remus reassured her that he would return home shortly, he didn’t expect the mission to take very long to complete thanks to Gilford’s hot temper. He couldn’t tell her that he feared the upcoming conversation with her more than the confrontation with Gilford Greyback.

He held her hand on the walk back, not because he needed to but because he wanted to. He was surprised at how good, how natural it felt to have her smaller, softer hand in his. Their lives were about to become very complicated when the mission was over. He had planned on convincing her to stay away, that he was a bad idea all the way around but after having a taste of her he knew that was going to be an impossibility. She was his, no question about it and he intended to have her. For once in his life he was going to be selfish and take something for his own. It might not be the smartest decision he would ever make, it might not be what was best for her, but they were going to be together, they would find a way…once he could actually sit down and deal with it.


For now he needed to get her away from the Beng Ruv, away from him so that he could focus on what needed to be done. Lost in his thoughts he was distracted from searching the area, so he didn’t catch the scent of their pursuer until it was too late. Hermione screamed as she was jerked away from him by Gilford Greyback.


“Release her, now!” Remus crouched low and bared his teeth, the hair on the back of his neck rising.


“I don’t think so, Lupin,” Gilford sneered as he jerked her back against him. Remus could see the fear in her eyes and it made his gut tighten with rage. Gilford tucked his face into her neck and breathed deeply, daring to run his tongue along her throat. “Mmmm…your scent is stronger on the bitch, but despite all her caterwauling last night your scent isn’t part of her yet…you didn’t take her at all.”


“Let. Her. Go. Now.” Remus snarled, his wand sliding into his hand with the flick of his wrist.


“I don’t think so, she smells so sweet, even with your scent all over her…but that will fade once my scent is in her,” Gilford slid his hand around and cupped her breast, causing Hermione to whimper in distress and struggle.


“She isn’t a pack female, Gilford, she isn’t even a werewolf, you have no rights over her, NONE,” Remus shouted, his voice edged with a growl.


“I beg to differ,” Gilford chuckled as she squirmed and fought against him. “She’s a feisty one, isn’t she? We know she’s a screamer, she sent bats flocking from the trees with her cries. She certainly made me hard.”


“She is mine, you overstep yourself assaulting my female,” Remus tightened his muscles and prepared to attack.


“I must concur with, Lupin,” the rich, cultured voice of Paine Greyback interrupted as he stepped out from behind the trees. “Let the witch go.”


“He lies, Father! The bitch is untouched, “ Gilford growled, his hold tightening on Hermione.


“But she is his, by her own admission. She is not of our pack, let the gadje witch go,” Paine said firmly.


“Father, you trust Lupin far too much, if you would….”


“I am still ataman, Gilford, and I command you to let her go,” Paine watched the rebellion flare in his son’s eyes for a moment before he cast Hermione away and into Remus’s arms.


“Thank you, Paine, I am in your debt,” Remus said as he held Hermione close to him.


“Take your female home, Lupin, make sure she is safe and then you may return to run with the pack,” Paine said. “I shall deal with my son.”


Remus didn’t bother to stay and listen, he could tell from the look on Paine’s face that Gilford would not get off lightly. He had already come to the conclusion that Paine Greyback had not issued the order for the blanket cruciatus, Gilford had acted alone with his hothead friends and made excuses that it had been accidental. Remus could also see that Paine no longer believed that to be true and was finally coming to see the truth about his son. Without another word he wrapped his arms around Hermione and apparated with her back to Grimmuald place. Leaving the tribes Ataman to deal with the rogue wolf.