I Wed the Ruthless Alpha, and Now His Wolf Kneels to Me novel · Chapter 9 of 24

Chapter 9: The Whisk

Petroc lay on the lower bench of the lake sauna with his cheek on his folded arm.

I stood over him with a bundle of birch twigs in my hand.

The leaves had soaked in the bucket since noon.

They were limp and green, and they smelled of June in the middle of December, with snow on the roof.

"Mummu calls it the vihta," I said. "Every Finn in the county has one hanging in the rafters. You don't use it on a man until he asks."

"I'm asking."

"I want to hear you say why."

He turned his head and looked at me.

The stove glowed red behind him, and sweat shone on his shoulders and on the long white scar down his forearm.

"Because you want to," he said. "And I want whatever you want."

"That isn't the same as wanting it."

"It is tonight."

I smiled and dipped the whisk in the hot water and shook it.

"Three Cornish wives came to the bakery counter this morning," I said. "They bought four loaves of pulla and never said a word about Finns."

"Good."

"I want something tonight, too. For me. Not for Toivola, and not for the road."

I laid the wet leaves across his back, and he groaned.

"Say it," he said.

"I want to be the one who asks you for things, and have you say yes because it pleases you. Not because you owe me."

His whole body went still under the birch.

I felt him understand it, and I felt it go through him.

"You think I'd be here for the debt," he said.

"You said I was paying."

"I said that in a rage," he said.

"I know. I want to hear the other thing."

He raised himself on his elbows and looked at me over his shoulder.

His eyes were serious and very clear.

"You are the only thing in my life I've ever wanted," Petroc said. "I'd want you if you'd never lit that lamp. I'd want you if you took your name off my Board tonight."

My breath caught.

"Now use the whisk," he said.

I did.

I began at his shoulders and drew the leaves slowly down his back.

The heat of the water came off them in a sweet green steam.

Then I lifted the bundle and brought it down with a soft, wet slap.

He groaned.

← Chapter 8 · All chapters · Chapter 10 →

Want to keep talking to characters like these? Chat with AI romance characters: AI Boyfriend · AI Girlfriend · Dark Romance · Fantasy Romance · BL (Boys’ Love) · Billionaire Boyfriend · Mafia Boyfriend · Possessive Boyfriend · Hockey Boyfriend · Older Boyfriend · K-Drama Boyfriend · Anime Boyfriend · Vampire Boyfriend · Werewolf Boyfriend · Demon Boyfriend · Fae Romance · GL (Girls’ Love) · Anime Girlfriend · Goth & Alt Girlfriend · Gamer Girlfriend · Tsundere Girlfriend · Fantasy Girlfriend