Nuzzling against his chest, she let out a sigh. Her heat would be coming soon, and she made a promise to herself she’d be better in time for him to claim her. She wasn’t going to wait any longer to bind her fate with his.
Autumn remained in bed for two more weeks before she was strong enough to get up on her own. Darcon hovered by her side, ready to catch her if her legs gave out.
She’d been doing simple exercises in bed to keep herself from growing stiff or losing any more muscle, but the few steps to the chair took every bit of energy she had. It was frustrating, but she knew it would take time to regain what she’d lost due to the Nightblossom milk.
It was a few more days before she convinced Darcon to help her to the main cavern to have dinner with the clan.
“This is my clan now too, and I’m tired of being stuck in this cave. I want to get out and eat with everyone.”
His eyes softened before he let out a sigh. He’d remained by her side almost constantly, and whenever he was called away either her sister or Iris would sit with her, so she wasn’t left alone.
Darcon ran a hand through his hair, pulling it back from his face before letting his arm drop.
“Fine, but if I think you’re getting too tired, I’m carrying you.”
Autumn smiled up at him, nodding her acceptance.
Darcon had always been a quiet man who valued his space and privacy, but he’d put up with a parade of people coming in and out of his room for her. She wanted to get well enough to be able to give him back his sanctuary.
It took a while for them to walk to the main cavern, Darcon insisting that she hold his arm the whole way. Autumn had to lean on him more than she wanted to admit, but the pride that filled her when she took her seat beside Iris made up for it.
Larok had gone to Siloah in Verik’s stead once Autumn had been found and he was sure she was okay. He visited her the day after she’d finally awoken to say his goodbyes. She missed him, but she knew he’d be coming back in the spring when Verik and Iris returned to her home village.
Rayne hadn’t planned to stay in Andtay, only coming for Autumn, but she’d decided to stay instead of going back to Siloah with Larok. She’d become friends with Aesir and Kull, telling Autumn about the things they got up to whenever she came to visit.
Autumn had let both Aesir and Kull know she chose Darcon the next time she’d seen them. Kull had smiled at her, saying, “I know,” while Aesir pretended to pout.
“You realize the damage this does to my ego, right? I may never recover.”
Even Darcon had chuckled, trying to hide a smile behind his hand. While he still got irritated with the other man, Autumn had a feeling Aesir had grown on him and Darcon didn’t hate him as much as he acted like he did.
Having dinner with everyone was fun, and Autumn made it her goal to make it to the cavern on her own by the end of the week. She still spent most of her day in bed working on the mending Freida brought her, but the daily walk helped her gain more of her strength back.
By the time a month had passed since she awoke and the days were beginning to warm, Autumn could move around the village on her own. She was a bit slow and still got tired easily, but she’d put back on some of the weight she’d lost so she didn’t look like she was wasting away.
She knew her heat was coming, and she was eating five meals a day to make sure she was prepared for it when it happened. Darcon watched her like a hawk, refusing to go on longer hunts that took him from the caverns for more than half a day.
Verik and Iris left for Siloah with the people who wanted to learn to farm, so the main cavern felt a bit empty in the evenings. There were still plenty of people there, but she’d become so used to the crush that having more space felt strange.
Chapter Twenty-Six
Autumn
Autumn was lying in bed with Darcon a few nights later when he asked her if she was ready to go. Her brows drew together as she tried to find his eyes in the dark.
“Go where?”
He stroked her hair as he let out a huff.
“The caves aren’t the best place for an omega in heat. The warriors would destroy each other trying to get to her. We have cabins in the forest that we use when the time comes.”
She was surprised, but it made sense. With no doors and everyone living so close together, she’d wondered how the alphas didn’t go crazy from the pheromones.
“I guess so, if you think it’s time. I don’t feel any different yet.”
“It’s better to go early than wait too long. The cabins are a full day’s ride away.”
She nodded against him, starting to go through what she would need to take with them. She’d come to Andtay with nothing, but she’d slowly collected clothing and furs as well as a couple of woven blankets and pillows.
“I’m sure you’ll be able to hunt still, and I can weave anywhere. Hopefully we won’t be out there too long.”
Darcon ran his fingers through her hair before tugging on it to tip her head back. She could barely make out the gleam of his pale eyes from the glow of the fire.
“Are you sure you want to do this?”
“I’m fine, Darcon. And we still have at least a week or two, which gives me more time to prepare.”
Autumn couldn’t stop the edge of exasperation from entering her voice. She knew he wanted to claim her, but he was worried her body wasn’t ready yet. He thought going into heat would be too hard on her, and he’d tried to convince her to skip it.
There were certain herbs that, when taken together, could prevent an omega from cycling. They were hard to find and there were side effects to them, which is why it was rare for them to be used, but Darcon had checked with the healer and been assured he had the proper supplies.
Autumn didn’t like the idea of using something to change her natural cycle. She believed if her body truly wasn’t able to sustain a heat, she wouldn’t have one, but she wasn’t going to purposefully prevent it.
“I don’t want to wait. We’ve already waited so long.”
Darcon chuckled as he pulled her closer and nuzzled against her neck, nipping along her collarbone. Despite Autumn being well enough to return to normal activities, he’d kept their nocturnal activities limited to nothing more than kisses and cuddles. No matter how much she assured him she was ready, he insisted they wait.
“So impatient. I thought you were sweet and innocent.”
Autumn snorted, leaning her head to the side to give him more room as he licked along her shoulder.
“I am sweet, and innocence is overrated. I want my mate.”
He groaned against her throat before pulling away from her. Pouting, she tried to pull him back, but he resisted.
“Behave, naughty omega. The time will come soon enough. If you go into heat, I’ll give you what you want.”
It took them almost a week to get everything together and leave for the cabin. Two were already in use by other pairs, so they had to go to one of the farther ones. Darcon grumbled, but Autumn didn’t mind.
They settled in and quickly fell into a routine. Darcon would rise early and go out to hunt. Autumn would get up a little later once the sun rose. She’d work on her weaving until Darcon returned, then they would prepare their meal together.