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Riding on the wagon, the wind gently sifting through his hair, Wolf thinks he should be reflecting on his newfound freedom, but all he can think of is the woman who gave it to him.Virginia, Virginia, Virginia. Darling, beloved, dreamy, creamy Virginia, his love, his mate.Oh, how could he have ever so much as looked at another woman when Virginia was always out there, just waiting for him to find her? He wants to shout at his wolf brain for daring to lust over those silly shepherdesses, with their long hair and false smiles and lascivious curves on full display.The way he acted was foolish when Virginia was right there, waiting for him to be a good man so she could love him.That’s all that needs to be done, really. His Virginia is smart; she’s practical. She doesn’t want a slobbering wolf barely in touch with his emotions, whining and whimpering and ready to hump her leg at any moment. She needs a man who can protect her, worship her, give her anything she desires.And Wolf knows that he can be that man. It’s why he keeps reading those books from her kingdom that tell him everything he needs to do.Admittedly, some of it doesn’t make sense. Waiting two days after a date to beep her so he doesn’t seem controlling? Even if he knew what it meant to “beep” someone, the idea of going on an outing with Virginia and then not seeing her for two more sunrises is positively dreadful.He knows enough about her and her kingdom that she would not consider rutting in the woods under the moonlight to be an adequate ending to a date. She’s much more sophisticated than that, would want to do it the human way. A chaste kiss and a goodbye. Maybe she’d even be so inclined to let him sleep outside her door, or, cripes, on the foot of her bed to protect her whilst she slept.Wolf can feel his tail start to wag at the idea, rustling the hay, and he quickly grabs it as Virginia looks up from her book to investigate the noise. He grins at her smoothly, and she fights back a smile before lowering her eyes back to her book.Cripes, she has the most gorgeous eyes. Eyes that see right through him every time they look his way. The thought of her going back home and never setting those baby blues on him again makes him feel like his whole body is burning, burning like they’d never uncovered the truth and he’d been set ablaze by those nasty villagers.How could he ever let her go now? It had been one thing when he’d barely known her but for her beautiful eyes and heavenly scent and the way she scowled at him like she was a princess and he a lowly, well, wolf. But then she stood up for him when he was falsely accused by that awful village. She was indignant, nay, she was angry for him. Angry that he was being treated badly; even though, really, it wasn’t much worse than he’d been treated all his life. Those beautiful eyes cried for him. Those perfectly kissable lips had spoken out in his defense.Tony and the prince might have been the ones to bring forth the real killer, but his darling Virginia had kept him alive with her faith.No one else, and he truly means no one, has ever come close to doing such a thing for him. No one else has ever treated him like the man is just as important as the wolf, like the wolf was no matter. No one else has ever– could ever– make him feel like he could have a family again.A wolf loses his pack and he has to be a lone wolf, that’s how it goes. People see him and scream, they shout, they brandish weapons and try to cast him out of their village. They don’t treat him with kindness, with compassion. They hurt him. They throw things. They treat him like a monster.Not Virginia. Never Virginia. Sure, she doesn’t fully trust him, but it isn’t because he’s a wolf. It’s because he nearly ate her grandmother, which, quite honestly, is nothing but a terrible misunderstanding. It’s nothing they can’t work through in the first year of their marriage.Oh, to marry Virginia. Wolves don’t wear wedding bands, but he would for her. He’ll wear a thousand rings for her, as many as can fit on his fingers. If she wants more, he’ll put them on his toes and walk barefoot. He’ll let her mark him up with scratches and love bites all over, returning the favor if she asks. Anytime she desires his attention, she can lightly grab his tail, no matter where they are. He won’t even mind if she pulls or strokes it the wrong way. Just her hand on it is enough.Cripes, she can ask him to fall to his knees for her in the middle of the town square and he’ll drop like an acorn from a tree, never minding the bruises on his knees. Maybe she’ll call him a good boy, even, for that. He can be such a good boy for her, a good man, a good mate, if only she’ll let him.He lets out a whine at that, clearly audible, and this time Virginia sets the book down on her lap.“Do you need something?” she asks, half-amused and half-annoyed.Wolf lets out a nervous laugh. He needs, alright. It feels like all he does is need. Needs her touch, her praise, her hand on his tail, his lips on her neck. He needs her to see all of the work he’s doing and encourage him to keep going, to tell him that it’s not all in vain. He needs her to tell him that she’s capable of loving him the way he loves her.He needs her to want to stay.He shakes his head quickly. “No needing here, my darling Virginia! Unless it’s you who needs something? You’re not tired, are you? I’m here if you need a cuddle pile.”Virginia raises her beautiful brows at him. “A cuddle pile?”When Wolf was a pup, his pack always slept in a cuddle pile. It was the best way to conserve heat, after all. And it felt so cozy, so snug. Even when he and his brothers and sisters would go play, his parents would stay in their pile, cuddled up and nuzzling against each other’s noses.How he’d love to do the same to Virginia. She’d never be cold or lonely on his watch! He would curl himself around her like a blanket of furs, covering every inch of her body. And because he’s done so much self reflection and is, of course, a much better man now, he’d never even dream of copping a feel.Well, he’d dream of it, but he wouldn’t actually do it. If all she wants is to be safe and warm in his arms, that’s exactly what he would provide. Watching her fall asleep in his arms, perfect face tucked into the crook of his elbow, would be his personal happily ever after. Watching her nose scrunch up as she dreams, smoothing out the crease between her eyes when her brows furrow in her dreams…But of course, maybe she’d want him to cop a feel one day. That is the natural end of the dream, isn’t it? Maybe one day she’ll press herself against him, her soft body lining up so perfectly with his, and she won’t want to hesitate any more. Maybe she’ll turn around and press her lips to his, press… other parts of her body to his, and they’ll become one under the watchful stars. When they both come undone, he’ll howl so the whole world will know he’s hers. And huff and puff, maybe she’ll howl with him, angelic voice harmonizing with his own.Against his better judgement, Wolf makes a tortured sound from way back in his throat, and his mouth falls open, panting.Virginia makes a face at him. “I’m so not asking,” she says.At this wonderfully ideal time that he’s already starting to turn red, Tony decides to tune in, throwing out a “Whatever you’re thinking about my daughter, stop it.”Well, cripes, does this whole situation make him want to jump off the wagon and run through the woods until he can breathe again. That is, until he sees Virginia blush out of the corner of his eyes, and suddenly he doesn’t want to be anywhere but right here.“We’ll revisit this later, dearest,” he tells her, winking.Virginia scoffs. “How about never, actually?”Wolf mimes being shot through the heart and pretends to fall, landing dramatically with his head in Virginia’s lap.She pushes him off, of course, but she’s laughing, mirth lighting up her beautiful face, and he laughs with her as he rights himself.From their side, Prince makes a doggie huffing sound that is definitely his version of derision, and Tony pushes Wolf back to his side of the wagon.That’s fine. He can win over her family, no problem. Right after he convinces her to stay and makes her fall madly in love with him.It just takes time, and right now, he has time. For how long, he’s not sure, but he’ll take and use and cherish whatever time he has.He goes back to his book, eagerly looking for the next tip that will send his darling mate falling into his waiting arms. He’s rereading a particularly juicy paragraph when he feels the sensation of warmth against his ankle.His head rises from his book, looking right to Virginia, but she just smothers a smile and flips the page of her book. When he dares to glance down, he sees that she’s pressed her ankle against his.There’s fabric in the way from his trousers, but oh, her touch is no less addicting that way. And the fact that she’s chosen it, that he didn’t even have to coax her into reaching out, makes it all the sweeter.He vows here and now that he will glean every secret he can from this book, that he will transform himself into the dashing prince of her dreams. He will be so good, so gentle, so irresistible, that he’ll have all of her casual touches. One day, this will be his delicious normal. One day, she’ll feel just the way he does, and she’ll never want to stop touching at all.He tempers back his longing whine, stopping it in his throat, and goes back to his book.He has a lot to learn.