POV: Alaric
With confusion etched across her beautiful face, she lifted her weight off my body.
I sat up, shifting to the edge of the bed. My fingers found the hem of my white shirt, and without a word, I peeled it over my head, exposing my bare back to her.
Silence.
Then a gasp... A sharp, breathless sound, like the air had been stolen from her lungs.
I didn't speak or turn. I just let her take it all in.
Her trembling fingers found me first. She was hesitant and almost afraid.
Slowly, so slowly, her hands traced down the detailed lines, following the curves of the massive wolf that sprawled across my entire back.
And then she found herself nestled right in the center of the tattoo, among the swirling darkness of the wolf's fur.
A choked sound escaped her lips.
I felt the bed shift again, and then—her forehead pressed against my spine. Her body shook as she exhaled, and something wet hit my skin.
Tears.
