Chapter Eleven

Chapter Eleven

I t was dark when I finally returned to the inn with my metaphorical tail between my legs. It wasn't by choice, I just had nowhere else to go. For a moment, I feared the front door would be locked and all my stuff kicked out but that wasn't the case.

I pushed inside as quietly as I could, relieved to find the main room empty. The fire in the hearth was reduced to a smoulder and the warmth embraced me like a long lost child. I was so cold, I wanted to crawl into the coals and burn. Instead, I tiptoed upstairs, praying that Konomi was already asleep.

The door creaked so loudly, I was sure the entire inn heard it. I paused on the threshold, listening for Konomi's breathing. It sounded even and deep which meant she was asleep.

I closed the door, begging it to be silent, but failing. Everything was so much louder when I was trying to be quiet. My shoes thudded on the floor when I took them off despite me setting them down slowly. I changed into my night robe and the bedsheets sounded as loud as a nearby storm when I slipped into bed. It creaked too, like it was on the verge of collapsing.

Even my heartbeat felt so strong, I was sure it could be heard outside my body.

I nestled my head down on my pillow, trying to temper my breathing. Despite being outside for a whole day on my own, I still hadn't come up with a solution. I supposed there was none. We just had to carry on like normal because splitting up would be a death sentence. My feelings were irrelevant, I had a sacred quest resting on my shoulders. It was the only thing that mattered. Although the further I got away from the village and the Elders, the less I cared.

A sound came from Konomi's side and her breathing changed. "You're back."

I almost couldn't breathe. "You're awake? Why didn't you say anything?" I'd been so sure she was asleep, maybe I didn't know her as well as I thought.

"Because I didn't want you to run away again. I've been so worried about you. Are you all right? Are you hurt?"

"I'm fine, just cold." I swallowed the guilt away. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have worried you."

Her bed creaked and I heard the sound of her bare feet hitting the wooden floor. It only took her two steps to get to my bed and I froze even more than I already was, afraid of what was about to happen. If she wanted to slap me, I deserved it.

Instead, she slipped under the covers with me. The warmth of her body was almost painful but oh so welcome.

She gasped. "Mayu! You're freezing."

I mustered a weak smile. "It's cold outside."

"You fool. You're such a fool." She grasped my arm, her fingers almost painfully digging into my skin. "I'm so glad you're back."

The guilt was unbearable. "I won't worry you like that again, I promise."

"You better not," she whispered.

Something warm pressed against my cheek and it took me a moment to realise it was her lips. My heart fluttered like it was going to explode. I didn't know what I'd done to warrant such tenderness and grace from her but I definitely didn't deserve it.

Her warm fingers slid up to my chin and she turned my head so I was looking at her. We were sharing my pillow so her face was only inches away and the full moon meant I could see every detail of her. The slight slope of her rounded nose, the lift of her cheeks, the fullness of her lips. She was so beautiful it ached.

Konomi swallowed visibly. "Earlier today... I wanted to talk to you because I was worried that I'd been too forward."

"What do you mean?" I breathed, not sure what she was talking about.

"I was so sure that you'd realised... how I felt about you. That you were pulling away because you were disgusted with me."

Hope bloomed up within me together with confusion. I didn't know why she was saying these things, maybe it was all a delusion caused by the frost, but I didn't care. I so desperately wanted to hear these words, even if it was only a dream.

"What do you mean?" I wetted my lips. "How do you feel about me?"

"I love you, Mayu. I'm in love with you. I have been for a while now. That's what I wanted to tell you before you confessed and stormed out."

This had to be a fever dream but it was beautiful and everything I'd ever wanted. I shuffled closer, bridging the space on the pillow so I could press my lips against hers. They burned against mine and didn't taste of raspberries but of something much sweeter.

Konomi let out a strangled breath as she kissed me back. She was gentle and soft until she wasn't, until her lips became harder and more insistent. She opened her mouth and her warm tongue touched mine, causing me to jolt back.

"Too much?" she asked, panting slightly.

"This is real." I touched my lips, as if I would find the answer on them.

Konomi frowned. "Of course, this is real?"

I grasped her arm, harder than necessary but she didn't seem to mind the touch. Instead, she melted more into me, the heat of her body making mine tingle. This was real. Konomi felt the same way. She didn't just accept my feelings, she loved me. She loved me .

A strangled sob welled up from the depths of me and Konomi's arms tightened around me.

"Are you all right? I'm sorry, was this too much?"

"No, this was perfect. I'm just overwhelmed. I didn't think this was real, I didn't believe this could ever happen. I love you, Konomi. I love you, I love you, I love you ."

She chuckled warmly and patted the top of my head affectionately. "There, there. If you want to cry, I'll hold you."

I snuggled deeper into her, my face pressed into the crook of her neck. She smelled even more like herself there and I wanted her scent more than air. She shifted ever so slightly to the side and the movement made me suddenly very aware of the rest of her body, of her leg pressing between mine.

A different tingle danced up my spine and I kissed her again, searching for that same jolt of pleasure. I searched for her tongue with mine, groaning when she parted her lips for me. She kissed me deeply, hungrily, with a fierceness that I wasn't used to from her. Almost like she wasn't in full control of herself and I loved that I was the cause of it.

A strange tug in my chest made me aware of my wolf soul and in that moment, I knew I'd never love anyone as much as her.