book 2: ghosts

Gil allows Jael to cling desperately to him. He doesn't mind it. Actually, he enjoys it. His own wife had never clung to him like this before. She wasn't the sort to... need him. Modesty had wanted him, yes, but it was more the other way around. He had needed her and he still did, but the feeling of being needed more than just as a father, it made his insides warm with a feeling he couldn't describe. So as long as Jael needed to get the words out, he would lay there with her, curled up and comforting her.

Though her words are barely heard, he understands. Placing his chin upon her back, he pulls her closer into his fur. "Shhh," he rumbles, letting his nose slide down her back to help calm her down. "You don't need to speak," Gil whispers softly as he lets his tongue move over her fur to smooth it down. "You're safe now," he adds on as he tries to tuck her into him as close as he can manage without smothering her. The safety he can bring her is more than he had imagined. Their connection a whirlwind from the moment he had laid eyes on her on the beach. No longer would she ever be in harms way if he had anything to say about it.

"speech"