Wolf Tracks - Bianca D'Arc Page 0,91
oblivion, secure in each other’s arms. Jim growled as Helen moaned, joined in bliss, together in ecstasy.
Chapter Twenty-One
A long time later, Jim carried Helen into the attached bathroom. She didn’t need to be carried due to injuries. No, her injuries were long gone, she was sure. He carried her because she was boneless from his lovemaking, and she liked this evidence of his incredible strength.
He sat her on the counter, a towel beneath her bottom to prevent her from feeling the chill of the stone countertop. Then, he filled a truly massive bathtub with steamy water and a small dollop of herbal-scented bubbles. It wasn’t a strong scent. Helen surmised that shifters didn’t like overpowering scents in their toiletries, but it was lovely. Fresh and green and wild.
He spent a few moments taking off the remaining bandages that had made it through their lovemaking, discovering healed skin with not even a scar beneath each one. The pink line on her arm was gone, too.
“That really is some amazing stuff,” he observed as he looked closely at her arm. “If I hadn’t seen you fall beneath those mage bolts, and the aftermath, I would never know you’d been hurt at all.”
“Only rarely can I achieve this kind of complete healing with my power,” she told him. “Usually, there’s some kind of mark left behind.”
“More proof that we are magical dynamite when we’re together,” he said with a grin as he lifted her and placed her into the half-filled, sudsy tub.
A moment later, he joined her, and they took turns washing each other and just enjoying being together. When they inevitably made love, again, it was a bit of a miracle that they didn’t flood the bathroom, but they managed to keep all the water in the tub, where it belonged.
They ate the sandwiches and the delicious pastries in the box then made love again, all through the night. When the next day dawned, Helen playfully demanded to see a bit of the town, and they took a walk down the beach in the early morning. Helen thought she saw a mermaid’s tail glistening in the early morning sun, but when she blinked, it was gone.
They breakfasted at the bakery, meeting Nell, one of the sisters who owned the place, and her mate, the sheriff of the town, a fellow named Brody. He and Jim were already acquainted, of course, but everything was new to Helen, and she enjoyed meeting new people. She particularly liked the way they seemed to respect Jim, and their genuine friendliness would be hard to fake.
“Thank you for sending all that food to the hotel for us,” Helen told Nell as the men discussed meeting times for Jim to attend the Town Council.
“Glad to help. I’m actually surprised to see you up and around. The news from the clinic was pretty bad that first day.” Nell’s expression invited an explanation, and Helen figured, why not?
“It was pretty bad, but there’s some kind of amplification effect when Jim and I are together.” She looked at him fondly as she tried to find the words to explain. “I’m a healer. I’m used to healing other people with my energy, but there’s usually only so much power to go around without draining me too low that I start to falter. But, with Jim… It’s all so different. It’s like we feed each other’s magic, and we both grow stronger as a result. Just spending time with him healed me completely. It’s miraculous, even to me, and I’ve been healing others pretty much my whole life.”
“I’m not magical at all,” Nell said, her expression completely open, “but I’ve seen a lot of strange stuff since coming to this town, and my mate has explained a bit more. What you’ve got is something special with Jim. I’m glad you found each other.”
Helen smiled. “Me too.”
*
They walked along the Main Street, arm-in-arm, window shopping and getting to know the town a bit better. Often, people would stop to say hello to Jim and be introduced formally to Helen. Many of them had taken part in her rescue from the road outside of town, and she found herself thanking them for their help. One and all, they were gracious and kind, if a bit overwhelming. Bears, she was learning, were quite different than wolves.
They were friendly and outgoing, for the most part. The town wasn’t exactly a bustling metropolis, but there were enough people moving around to indicate a thriving community. Helen liked the