Dressed in his office clothes, with a slightly loose tie, crinkled suit and pants and disheveled hair, he stood on the doorway with a sensuous grin. "How is my pretty little hag doing today?" he said in a sexy voice that sent blood between her thighs.

"Daryn!" Forgetting that she was still standing on a slippery floor, she sprang for him and in the process tripped over and her towel opened. Daryn lunged towards her and his quick reflexes saved her from tripping over. Dawn looked up at him with a grin. "Well, there goes my plan to welcome you home with dignity and élan," she said with a chuckle holding on to her towel.

Daryn's mouth curled in a naughty smile as his eyes shone with a glint of wickedness. Ever since he had come from Ixoviya, he had a brooding demeanor and remembrances of the torture he had met with over there at the hands of Emma and other sorcerers until he conceded to their demands. His arms, which were shackled by iron chains and magical lights because he was resisting them initially, still carried the marks. Those marks should have healed, but Ileus had said that it would take some time before they would heal completely. Even though the physical marks would heal with time, the emotional ones…?

So she really had to help him get out of it and vice versa.

Daryn traced his long fingers along the edge of her curves of her breasts and said, "I like this plan better than anything else." Slowly he brought his finger right between her breasts and cradled it in her cleavage. "Did my hag miss me today?" His fangs sharpened a little and he grazed her alabaster skin where the neck met the shoulder.

"Umm… I did a little… not much," she said in a teasing tone leaning into his chest and savoring the tingling sensation. The brute strength he possessed beneath those clothes, the muscles rippled as he licked his mark. She tried to hug him, but frowned when he stepped away from her. He held her hand.

"I am dirty, wife and have to take a bath before I touch that skin of yours." His voice dropped an octave lower and he added, "I believe that you were in the garden all day but right now you smell good enough for me to eat you raw." He made a low guttural sound and clucked his teeth.

Dawn tilted her head and looked at his fangs. "I have heard that werewolves are pretty savage people, and I am not even mentioning about the sexy grin that you have on your face, I think I should run to the mountains when you say that you would eat me raw or should I feel that you have a thing for me?"

Daryn remembered when before marriage she was in his cottage in the mountain and he had pounced on her after he had asked her to close the doors and not open, but she allowed him to come nonetheless. It was a full moon night and his mating senses were going crazy. He wanted to claim her.

Dawn's stomach growled with hunger and Daryn's wolf wanted to feed her immediately. She tugged her hand away and walked past him. "I think…" she shook her head, "No… I am certain that I taste like salt less turnip right now."

Daryn communicated with his cook mentally to bring food for his wife immediately. "In that case you are safe from me my dear hag."

Dawn laughed softly and wrapped her towel tightly.

As he removed his tie, the servant came with a tray of food. He placed it on the table and left. Dawn strode towards the food as its enticing scents called her. She popped a piece of garlic bread followed by broccoli stir-fry in her mouth and chewed with pleasure.

An ever escalating heat pooled in his stomach and then in his shaft. The way his wife was eating, she looked so seductive. Who knew that merely eating food could seduce an alpha like him?

She looked at him with a smile and asked, "How was your office today?"

"Ah! Too much work," he said as he removed his suit and raked his fingers through his hair.

For the first time ever since his arrival, she noticed dark circles under his eyes. Office must have been too demanding for him since now both Gayle and Caleb weren't there. She stopped eating and she gazed at him with concern. The crinkles on his suit spoke volumes about his hours and hours of sitting in the meetings. She wondered what he must have told about his absence.

After so many months of his marriage with her, Daryn had come to recognize his wife's expressions. He said, "I am fine, wife. I am just too tired and frankly too starved." His wicked smile returned.

"I am really worried about you, love," she replied. "I just hope that things come back to normal. I do want to join you at the office, but at the same time I want to take a lot of rest. Honestly, I am fed up and want to stay at home, pregnant, bare-foot and as a domesticated wife."

Daryn couldn't help it but his wolf loved when his wife showed so much submission. His heart filled with satisfaction. But he had to tease her. "I thought that you dreamt of me erotically, but all you do is worry about me?"

She walked up to the closet and pulled one of his polo to wear it. She didn't turn to look at him when she dropped the towel on the floor and supported her one leg over the other's ankle. She smiled at the gasp she heard on her back, but acted casual. "The thing is that you are available to me whenever I need sex, so why think erotically. Why not just experience it? However, right now after eating, I will sleep and then have erotic dreams about you."

Obviously when Dawn pulled his polo over her, it flooded her. The collar was past her shoulder, which was now bare.

Daryn's voice became guttural. "Don't even think of sleeping Dawn. There would be no sleeping for both of us for a few hours now," he threatened.

Although her body shivered with all the anticipation, she turned to look at him and then said nonchalantly, "Then why aren't you going and taking a bath? Why are you standing there in dirty clothes and not letting me have my dinner?"

He narrowed his eyes. Did she just feel disappointed?

Another knock on the door diverted their attention. The servants had come with more food. "Ah! It seems my wife has ordered food for me," he said with a smile.

"Of course dear," she replied and walked to him. There was disappointment on her face when she tried to circle his waist and he dodged her.

"I need a bath, my darling," he said. He wanted to build her anticipation and craving. He removed all his clothes and walked to the bathroom with Dawn following him. He knew that she was throbbing body and soul to touch him and feel him—a need to know that he was doing well physically and emotionally.

Daryn walked to the tub and filled it with hot steaming water. He poured cool lavender fragrant gel, the scent of which now lifted off the surface in wispy tendrils.