Ch. 171..180

Chapter 171

It seemed to take forever for Sasha and Zev to make it back to her house where they'd left their bags. They were both almost jogging by the time they reached the tree and he stopped only to lift her to the top of the ladder, hissing as the stretch pulled at his wounds. She cursed at him for hurting himself further, but he just grinned and said it was worth it to get her out of there faster. But even in the dim light she could tell he'd paled.

"Zev—"

"Sash, I'm fine. Let's get changed and get out of here." Then he flashed her a grin and she groaned, pulling him down into a quick kiss, before turning to dart into the house.

Which was when she realized she was going to have to get out of that beautiful dress, and into normal, warm clothes for their trip.

And Zev was there with her.

She'd pulled to a stop in front of the bed where she'd left her clothes out and just stood there for a second, heart pumping, veins pulsing a little with fear, a little with disappointment. Kyelle had given her a beautiful set of furs to wear for the trip, but the truth was, there was no way to make the bulky, boxy furs look like anything but functional clothing. And this dress… this dress had made her feel pretty for the first time in… well, years.

As Zev closed the door into the house, Sasha removed the fur wrap, then stood there, stroking the front of the dress, grieving the dirt and blood that marred it now, but still finding it beautiful.

She sighed and reached up to untie the halter at the back of her neck.

"No, wait," Zev said quietly behind her. "Let me."

She was about to tell him not to worry, when his tall, warm presence arrived at her back, and suddenly everything in Sasha turned into electric jelly.

When his fingers brushed the nape of her neck, her muscles went slack, yet her skin crackled and the pin hairs stood to salute him, goosebumps chasing themselves down the backs of both of her arms.

With his warmth at her back—his solid steel strength that emanated heat and made her stomach simmer with desire—she shivered. Then she felt the bow of the laces loosen and his breath fluttered on her neck. Her skin prickled.

The two sides of the halter fell and the top of the dress sagged. Reflexively, she caught it, but her chest was rising and falling quickly and neither of them moved.

Without thought, she leaned back into Zev, wallowing again in that perfect fit, as if he'd been made to hold her.

His fingers touched her shoulders, so lightly, then drew down, across her shoulders, down her upper arms, raising goosebumps in their wake before he trailed them back up.

"Sash…" His voice was husky and gruff, and lower than usual. She heard him swallow. "I want to do this right," he rasped. "I don't want to rush, and I don't want to risk being interrupted, and—"

"Neither do I," she whispered, but tipped her head back against his chest. "I just…"

"I know. Me too."

They stood that way for a long moment, both of their breaths audible in the chill evening air of the house.

"How long will it take… the hike?" she asked reluctantly.

"A couple hours at least."

Sasha swore.

"But when we get there, we'll be completely alone and… it's beautiful, Sash. I've been waiting to take you there since I was eighteen."

She groaned and screwed her eyes closed. It'll be worth it, she reminded herself. Worth it to wait…

She dropped her head forward again and sighed. "Okay. Two hours. I can wait two hours."

"Maybe three."

"Maybe three," she growled reluctantly. "But that just means that I need to get changed and you need to put more clothes on and… and we need to get moving. The sooner we move, the sooner we get there and we don't have to wait anymore."

Zev made a small whine in his throat, but his fingers dragged down her arms again. "Okay. You're right. But let me help you." Then he dropped down to kneel—slowly, so his chest brushed her back all the way down—and his wonderful fingers moved to the low back of the dress and the buttons there.

"I—what?"

But after a small nudge, she felt the material of the dress loosen at her back.

Swallowing hard, Sasha didn't move as Zev, his breathing getting deeper, heavier, unbuttoned the handful of buttons that lined the sway of her back, all the way to the top of her buttocks.

Then his hands flattened on her back and slid around her sides, pulling the dress with them as he palmed her breasts, feeling the weight of them.

Sasha gasped and let the dress fall, intending to take his hands in hers and hold him there. But as the dress slumped to puddle around her feet, Zev groaned and rested his forehead in the hollow of her back.

They stood that way for a moment, every nerve in Sasha's body tuned like a radar, looking for his touch, his warmth. So when his lips opened against her spine, she whimpered and her hands tightened on his arms.

She heard him swallow again, and his thumbs traced the sides of her breasts, her nipples pressing tightening in anticipation of his touch.

But when he stood, he didn't take her in his arms, turn her around as she expected.

One side of her went cold as Zev leaned over her to reach for the fur jacket on the bed and lift it, shaking it out. She felt his body jerk as he moved to open it, but she forgot about everything else when his nose traced the line from her shoulder, up the side of her neck and he inhaled her.. Yet, just as she was about to sink into him again, the fur settled against her back, and over her shoulders.

 

Chapter 172

Still standing behind her, Zev took one of her hands, and instead of bringing it to her breast and squeezing as he was fantasizing about, he guided it into the sleeve of the jacket—first one, then the other. Then he smoothed the two, double-breasted panels across her stomach and chest, his trembling fingers fitting the buttons in the loops so the high, fur neck cradled her jaw.

His body screamed at him to touch, to taste, to take—his pulse thumping in his ears faster and faster as he imagined it. But he fought. He could have her now, he knew. If he asked, she'd say yes—he could smell her arousal. But… but it would be rushed. Hurried. And he'd been waiting too long for this. He wanted to savor her.

So when he had the buttons secure, he dropped his chin, intending to tell her to put on the leggings, but his breath fluttered in her hair and where it parted over her shoulder, he saw her gooseprickles rise.

He'd given up trying to hide his arousal. He stood so close behind her she could probably feel his own goosebumps stand up, let alone… that.

But instead of pushing her forward and taking her, right there, as he ached to do, he indulged in another tease and, reaching for the fur leggings on the bed in front of her, dropped to kneel behind her again, sliding his body down the back of her soft, soft skin, his long arms circling her legs and holding the first leg open for her.

He felt her tense, imagined that she considered resisting. For a short moment he prayed she would kick the trousers out of his hands and tear the jacket open, turn in the circle of his arms and pull him onto the bed.

But with a soft, disappointed sigh, balancing herself on his thick bicep, Sasha pointed her toe and pushed it into the leg of the trousers—first one, then the other.

Then, with a tantalizing slide of his chest that began on her thighs and followed her entire form up, he pulled the leggings up until they settled over her hips and he reached around to tie the laces at the waist, tugging them into a tight bow.

Both of them were breathing heavily as he straightened the bottom of the jacket over the leggings, then didn't move for a time.

Then, Zev dropped his chin and rested his cheek against her temple, swallowing hard. "Sash?"

"Yeah?"

"That was the hottest thing I've ever done, and I didn't even taste you."

She nodded frantically. "Same."

"I vote that we leave. Right now."

She swallowed audibly then, without turning, she huffed a breathless laugh. "I am, apparently, Alpha now. And I'll go you one better and demand it, Zev."

She did turn then, craning her head back to meet his eyes—her own sparkling with heat and delight. "Let's get out of here. Right now."

It was an offense to resist an Alpha's command, but he prayed she'd forgive him the few seconds it took to cradle her face and take her mouth—hot and desperate, showing her with his tongue what he longed to do with his body—then he broke away from her, panting.

"Let's go."

*****

He became a male on a mission, eyes fixed on the trail ahead, ignoring the pain in his body, his hunger because he hadn't been able to focus properly on the meal, and even the threat of a storm as the pressure in the air rose through the Thana night. He'd carried Sasha for long stretches, but the pressure of her against the wounds on his back and side weren't just painful, they threatened to open them again and he wanted nothing to stand in the way of this night.

So, where they walked in the valley, or the trail was wide, he reluctantly slowed the pace and let Sasha walk, taking her bag for her instead.

They'd been hiking for well over two hours when they finally rounded the mountain and the valley below them disappeared as the trail snaked back to a ravine between two mountains, the tall, sheer sides climbing dozens of feet over their heads, and the last of the evening light disappearing into the shadows of it.

Sasha's breath stopped, but he took her hand and tugged her forward, his wolf-eyes having no trouble making out the trail.

They were close. So close.

"Where are we going?" she asked quietly, her voice echoing, bouncing between the rock walls on either side of them.

"A cave," he said. "But one that has been prepared."

"Prepared by who?" she asked.

"Me," he said simply, smiling, hoping she was going to enjoy as much as he thought she could.

Sasha blew out a breath. "You came all the way out here to get it ready?"

"Three times," he said. "Dunken helped. And we came in our beast forms, so it didn't take nearly as long."

"What were you doing?"

He looked down at her and even though she looked up, he wasn't sure she could actually see him.

"I wanted this to be comfortable for you. And I didn't want to have to hunt," he said. "I want us to have these days entirely for ourselves."

Her eyes closed briefly and she smiled. "That sounds wonderful, Zev. Are we… I mean, we're mates now, right? There's no… we aren't going to have some weird tradition turn up out of nowhere and a herd of elk are going to suddenly appear and demand me as a bride price, or something?"

Zev chuckled. "No. You belong to me. And after tonight…. After tonight, no Chimeran male would ever dare touch you." He squeezed her hand. "I know it's been a long road, Sash, but we're here. Don't worry. It's just us now. For real."

She hugged his arm, kissing his bicep through the fur he'd hurriedly donned back at the house.

"Thank, God," she whispered. And it sounded more like a prayer than a curse.

He didn't think God had any time for him and his pleasure, but then they reached the other side of the ravine and the trail curved up, doubling back again to climb the final hill face to the mouth of the cave where they would be staying for the next few days.

Zev's heart beat faster, and he picked up the pace.

They were finally there. This was finally happening.

Thank God, indeed.

 

Chapter 173

Zev led her up a thin trail, barely visible to her eyes beyond an area where the rocks and grasses seemed to get sparser. It doubled back on the ravine they'd just followed, the first few feet so steep she'd almost had to climb them. But then it evened out and slanted up the foothill of a mountain. At first, when she began to puff and sweat from the climb, she wanted to curse. If they were almost at their destination, she didn't want to arrive stinking and sweaty.

But as she watched Zev, his eyes dancing, and she realized that not only was he not even breathing hard, but he'd slowed his pace to match hers, then she just got embarrassed.

He was carrying both bags—neither of them light. He was wounded, and his eyes pinched sometimes. Yet he was carefully waiting for her?

"I'm going to have to… get fitter…" she panted as the trail climbed.

Zev shrugged. "It will happen just by living here. Your world is flatter and you move less. Here it's unavoidable that you have to move your body. Don't worry, Sash. You're fierce. You'll get there."

She shook her head, but was running out of air to speak.

A few minutes later the trail leveled out to an only mild uphill, and Sasha took a deep breath of relief.

They climbed a rocky mountainside, the earth rising steeply to their right, and falling away to that ravine on their left and below. At a spot where a flat area jutted out and a lone tree—twisted branches bare of leaves—grew, overlooking the view, Sasha stopped, just for a moment, to catch her breath and to look out at the breathtaking landscape that spread below and ahead of them.

"I call this tree the Sentry," Zev said quietly. "It watches the whole valley, and you can always use it to find your way back."

Sasha nodded, her eyes still on the land. The two mountains, with tall, jagged tops like teeth, were blanketed in the white and ice-blue of snow, but here and there, black and purple rocks poked through. They made a V, plunging from their peaks down to the ravine, framing the valley she and Zev had followed to get here. There were browns and greens in the valley, evergreen trees and patches of grass and dirt where the snow had melted. Then, rising on its other side, another massive peak punctured the night sky, it's form black, but outline glowing as the last of the day's sun disappeared behind it.

With no other sources of light this deep in the forest, the sky overhead was indigo and scattered with so many stars it looked like God had smeared the sky, splattered it with bright spots of paint on a purple-black canvas.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" Zev asked quietly.

Sasha nodded. Whenever she stopped to take it in, she was awed by the sheer magnitude of Thana. "I can see why you missed it."

"You have no idea," Zev muttered, then cleared his throat. "But I missed you more, Sash."

Blinking away from the stars, she turned to find Zev, ahead of her on the trail, watching her, tall and dark against the dark sky, his form swathed in the thick furs, but his eyes near-glowing with intensity.

"I missed you more too," she whispered dumbly. More than what?

More than anything.

Zev stepped up to her toes, hiking the bag straps up his shoulders so he could reach for her with his hands, cupping her face, his breath making a cloud in the chill night air.

"The rest of our life starts now, Sash. Are you ready? No matter what, we face it together."

"Do you promise?" she blurted, her deepest fear hovering, right there, on the edge of her joy.

Zev nodded, his jaw going tight. "I vow on my own life. I'll never leave you again, Sash. They'll have to drag me away, fighting. Or kill me."

"Don't say that!" she hissed.

But Zev just cradled her face, smoothing her cheeks with his thumbs. "Don't be afraid, please, Sash. I never wanted to leave you to begin with, and now that I have you. Now you're mine—truly mine—I'll never do it again. I can't."

She wanted to wallow in the love in his eyes, to just sink it and surrender to it. But her damned head wouldn't let her.

"There's an entire village of men down there that had their women torn from them. You can't promise, Zev."

"I can't promise no one will ever defeat me, Sash. But I can promise—and mean it—that no one will ever convince me to leave you again."

They stared at each other for a long moment, as Sasha's fear battled with her joy.

"Okay," she said after a minute. "I believe you."

"Truly?"

"Truly." She didn't have any choice. That was what had occurred to her while they stood there. She could let this fear overwhelm her, make her question every step, every moment, every little piece of love he offered and eventually she'd kill him, doing that. She knew it. Had seen it in the way her parents slowly killed each other until they couldn't stand the sight of each other anymore.

She didn't want to do that to him.

So her choices were to believe him and risk being hurt again—even worse this time. Or stay in fear, and kill what they had while he was in front of her.

She didn't want to do that. She couldn't do that. She couldn't reach the end of whatever road they were embarking on and realize that it had been her fault if they lost.

She had to take the risk. And as long as she was doing that, she was going to enjoy him.

"I love you, Zev. I'm not saying I'll never feel insecure, but I'm not going to let myself live in that place. I'm going to put my heart in your hands again.. Please… be careful with it."

 

Chapter 174

Sasha stared at Zev, silently pleading.

"I will," he whispered, his expression earnest and delighted. "I will, Sash. You have my heart, too. It's yours. It always has been."

She pushed away the protests that wanted to rise. "Then, I guess we're even," she said, finally smiling.

Zev beamed and took her mouth in a gentle, soft kiss, but he nipped her lower lip before straightening, his eyes flashing with wicked delight.

"Are you ready for the rest of our lives?" he rumbled.

Sasha bit her lip and nodded.

"Good." Then he took one of her hands and pulled her around the corner of the trail to a place where it disappeared into what, from this angle, looked like a crack in the snow.

Sasha frowned as Zev beelined for it, but as they approached the space widened and the crack became a crevasse.

Ice and snow tumbled over the tables of rocks that climbed the sides, icicles that reached from feet over her head, almost to the base of the trail itself, making it appear they were melting away from the rest of the mountain.

Zev had to turn his broad shoulders to pass between them on both sides, but he didn't let go of her hand as they passed into the darker depths of the cave until Sasha couldn't see at all and her steps became hesitant. She clung to Zev's back as the space around them opened and she had sudden vertigo, her body convinced that she walked a narrow path that fell away on each side so she would tumble to her death.

Oh, and there were probably spiders. Lots of spiders. Or bats.

She was just about to freeze when Zev stopped walking and turned to face her. "Stay here," he said quietly, brushing her cheek with the backs of his fingers. "I'm going to light a lantern."

"But—"

She froze as he disappeared. Then she cursed his ability to move silently, because it was as if she were suddenly, utterly alone.

Fear roared in her chest and had her head screaming, run!

But just as she turned to look for the tiniest glow of light that indicated the tunnel they'd walked through to get here, there was a snap and a flare of warm light behind her.

Sasha whipped back around to find Zev lighting a lantern, just as he'd said. But around him…

Her mouth dropped open.

The light, so warm it was almost orange, made the entire cavern glow. And what a space it was—not rocks and dirt like she'd expected, but stone under her feet and… ice. Sasha's eyes widened as she looked up… and up! The light revealed a ceiling so tall she was reminded of a cathedral. And far from the bats she'd feared, where it peaked overhead, it shone like glass except where thick icicles had formed on one side, glistening like beautiful, ice-blue fangs.

"Do you like it?" Zev asked quietly, his voice echoing slightly. And slightly nervous if she didn't miss her guess.

"Oh, Zev…" she breathed. "This is… perfect."

And it was. He straightened from placing the lantern he'd lit on a massive chest of drawers off to her right, but Sasha couldn't take her eyes off the incredible space.

Far from a narrow pathway over a cavernous sinkhole, she stood just inside a wide, nearly-round room, with that ceiling arching overhead. To her left, there was a hollowed space in the wall and a fire had been set, ready to light within it, a thick fur rug of a type she couldn't recognize laid on the floor in front of it, one side bracketed by a thick, metal box, the other, a thick, neat stack of wood and kindling that climbed the wall almost a high as Sasha's chest. It seemed like it would last for weeks.

To her right, Zev stood next to those drawers, watching her, the lantern flickering behind him. But in front of her…

A few feet ahead of where she stood, a massive fur rug, inches thick, beckoned to her cold feet. It had to be at least ten or twelve feet wide. She couldn't imagine what animal had made it. But on its other side the largest bed Sasha had ever seen was set in a plain, but glossy wooden box. It dwarfed the rug and was easily large enough for three men the size of Zev. It was piled with thick, welcoming furs and plump pillows and it called to Sasha in a way she couldn't quite explain.

Somewhere nearby she could hear running water, but she couldn't see it. She wasn't sure if it was the ice melting or something else, but the sound of water trickling gave the entire cave a soft, faraway feel that was so beautiful, she almost wanted to cry.

"You prepared this?" Sasha squeaked, finally tearing her eyes away from the incredible room.

Zev chuckled. "No, this is Yhet's house. He just… doesn't spend a lot of time here now that his mate is gone. He says it's too painful. He has other caves all over Thana. He offered. He said his mate always liked it. He thought you might, too."

No wonder the furniture was so big.

"I do like it. I love it! Zev, this is beautiful."

He blew out a breath and smiled that dazzling smile that she'd loved since she was seventeen. "Good."

Then their eyes locked and Sasha's stomach trilled.

Zev had dropped their bags to the floor next to those drawers, and as they stared at each other, his body tensed, as if he might suddenly rush her. She could see the light in his eyes growing and she smiled, butterflies a swarm in her stomach.

This was happening. This was finally happening.

"Zev?" she whispered.

His throat bobbed. "Are you hungry, Sash?"

"Only for you."

Both of them froze, poised on the knife-edge of desire.

Her eyes dared him. But he shook his head, grinning. "We have to get clean first," he said hoarsely. "I'm not taking you to bed dirty."

"Why not?"

"Because once we're in there, I'm not letting you out for days."

Her eyes widened slightly, her pupils dilating.

"Well," she said breathlessly. "A bath it is. Show me."

Zev's breathing went shallow. "First we have to get naked."

Sasha flashed a wicked grin. "I think I'm going to need help."

He knew she was playing, but he already walked the edge. When she shot him a look of pure heat, a growl puttered in his throat. Instinct drove him across the space towards her, pulling her into his chest and taking her mouth, one fist in her hair, the other at her back.

She giggled as he lifted her to her toes, but it soon turned to breathless sighs as Zev's kiss deepened and the low groan of desire rolled in this throat.

 

Chapter 175

Zev had intended to make a speech. He'd planned to tell her how much this meant to him, to check in and make sure she wasn't nervous. To set the stage so she could relax.

But when she'd said she was hungry—for him!—and looked at him like that, light and heat and joy written on every feature… he'd forgotten all his plans. He had to have his hands on her. Had to be close.

He'd swooped in, pulling her into him and she'd come willingly, laughing and holding his face in her little hands, sending jagged bolts of thrill through his entire body.

He'd made himself ask, made himself check that she was ready, and for an answer she'd pulled him in tighter, her tongue tangling with his.

"Oh, god, Sash…" he rasped, his chest heaving like a bellows as he set her down on her feet so that his hands were free to begin undressing her.

His hands shook as he reached for loops on the furs, his thick fingers fumbling on the little buttons until he almost gave up in frustration and tore them off. But he forced himself to calm, to focus on the featherlight trail of her lips on his, the shock of her hands pushing under his furs to find his skin, on the way she arched into him and sucked in a breath when he finally popped the first button.

His mind was a jumble—screaming at him to take her, to own her, to make her his in a way the others could never deny, and yet cautioning, urging for calm, reminding him to savor her, to make this special, because it was the beginning of the rest of her lives.

The two sides of him fought—man against beast, heart against heat—until he shuddered with stifled desire.

Finally popping the last button on her fur jacket, Zev forced himself to slow. The double-breasted front sagged now, both sides dragged towards the floor by the weight of the fur, making a V that revealed the dark shadow between her breasts.

Zev growled and dropped his chin to kiss his way down her jaw, down the column of her neck.

Sasha sighed and arched back, pressing up and into him, the jacket's sides falling further apart, but there was too much fur, too little space between them. It gaped, revealing the inner sides of her breasts, but leaving the peaks tantalizingly hidden.

Somehow she'd already gotten the buttons of his jacket open. He rasped her name again, his entire body shuddering as she ran her hands up from his abdomen, to his chest, then over his shoulders, pushing the jacket back and off, her hands squeezing pressing, exploring as she went.

Zev reluctantly let her go to drop his arms and let the jacket slide to the floor behind him, but he brought them back immediately, one hand at her lower back, holding her close even as he arched her backwards, the other beginning to unwrap her like a Christmas present.

He was kissing her neck when he slid his fingers into the gap between the furs, his hand finding her stomach first, but sliding up.

She sucked in and her head dropped back when he found her breast, cupping it, rolling her nipple between his thumb and forefinger, and every nerve in his body jolted to life at the sheer heat that shot through his veins to be finally touching her.

Sasha groaned his name and clawed her fingers into his hair, pulling him harder into the kiss, her breath racing and frantic.

She was, as she had always been, the light to his fire. He'd forgotten how overwhelming it felt to touch her skin, to inhale her scent. And now, finally, for the first time, there was nothing between them. No parents or guardians to fear. No clans to thwart. No enemies to fight.

Finally, finally, they were alone and safe and Zev wanted to howl with the pure joy of it when she let her head fall back and bared her throat to him.

Taking her weight, letting her lean into his hands, the temptation was there to simply tear off her leggings and plunge into her, hold her to him and own her. But he couldn't. There would be a day for that—a day very soon, he hoped. But this was not that day, this was not that night.

This was the night to cement the bond and show her what he'd yearned to show her for the past five years.

Forcing himself to control, he tore his lips from hers and straightened, pulling her up with him, but staring down at her when her eyes opened in surprise, letting her see the heat in his eyes, making promises with his gaze.

She smiled as he began walking her backwards, towards the bed. Her hands played over his chest and shoulders and she bit her lower lip again.

"I thought you wanted to get clean?" she said, her voice hoarse.

Dammit. She was right. She thought he was joking, but he wasn't. He was covered in oil and paint and blood. As was she. He wanted nothing to mar this night. Nothing to jar them out of what they would share. So he growled—with less pleasure this time—and turned her away from the bed and towards the fire.

Yhet's ice cavern had been a home for years. It was comfortable and relatively warm, considering its location. But it would take time to heat water.

"So, we have two choices," he muttered between kisses as he kept walking her, his hands exploring her sides and back, running his fingers under the waistband of her leggings.

"What are they?" she said breathlessly.

"I can make the fire and warm the water and we can have a real bath—Yhet's bath is big enough for both of us." Her eyes widened and Zev had to force himself to swallow. "Or we can use cold water, then warm up together in bed."

Sasha's breath caught. "How cold is the cold water?"

Zev grinned.

 

Chapter 176

It took Zev seconds to get the fire lit, and she stood right over him, unwilling to break contact, her breathing still rapid, but calming—until he had the flames roaring. He dragged a massive, metal bath from the wall in the corner to the spot in front of the fire, then he stood, kissing her again, just long enough to get her heart racing, then he groaned and pulled away, grabbing a massive, black cast iron pot from next to the wall and walking it back towards the entrance of the cave.

"Where are you g—" she cut off when he plonked it up against the wall of the cave, where it curved away from the opening, and suddenly the sounds in the cave changed as water began to rush into the massive pot.

That was where the sound of running water came from, she realized. There was a stream of water trickling down the wall from the ceiling, disappearing into some kind of hole at the floor.

As the pot began to fill, Zev hurried back to her, pulling her against his stomach, and combing her hair back from her temples. She'd let it down loose when they got changed back at the house, and now she shivered with the sheer deliciousness of his fingers sliding through it.

"How cold is it?" she asked again, her eyes closed so she could more fully focus on the sensations of his touch.

Chuckling, Zev laid one of his hands on her neck and she shrieked and almost slapped him away. It felt like a block of ice on her skin.

"Okay, okay, we're definitely having that warm bath!" she said, clutching the fur jacket back up to her chin. "Damn that's cold!"

Zev's eyebrows rose suggestively and he prowled towards her, his hands in front of him as if he would grab her.

"Zev, too cold!" she warned.

"Sometimes cold is good!"

"That's too cold though!" she giggled, struggling as his arms snaked around her back—outside the fur jacket, thankfully.

"Ah, but my mouth is warm," he rasped, then kissed her.

Sasha's stomach dipped and she forgot about his cold hands, or the water behind him or… anything, except the warm, firm pressure of his lips on hers, the slide of his tongue, and the thunder of his breath.

She lifted her hands to cling to his neck, pulling him in, heedless of her jacket falling open and baring her skin, just frantic to be close to him.

Zev's growl puttered in his throat and his kiss became more desperate. The jacket fell open on her side, baring her right breast completely, but she just pressed into his chest, rubbing it on the leather of his furs and sighing with pleasure.

"Oh, god, Sash," Zev croaked.

He lifted his head and stared down at her, his eyes going near-black as his pupils dilated.

He had one hand at her lower back, holding her to him as she laid back over his arm, and the other….

With a groan of desire, he raised a trembling hand—a freezing hand—and touched a single finger to the peak of her breast, circling it, his chest vibrating with the sound of his need.

Sasha gasped, but the cold only peaked her nipple so it stood, hard and tall.

Then he lowered his head, opening his mouth on it and Sasha gasped, her hand clapping to the back of his neck, holding him close as he sucked, sending electric jolts of pure pleasure, jagged and sharp, straight to her belly.

"Zev… oh fuck… Zev…"

He growled, both hands at her back now, his mouth wide over her breast and Sasha twitching with the pleasure of it—then he flicked her nipple with his tongue and she actually shuddered.

He played that way for a full minute, Sasha giving herself over to it, forgetting anything but being close to him, until suddenly he swore and pulled her upright, only making sure she had her feet before he disappeared, leaving her in the center of the room, blinking.

"Zev? What—"

"I need to get the water on the fire," he growled, grabbing the handle of that massive pot and hauling it up, wincing when the effort of the weight obviously hurt his side.

"Don't hurt yourself!" she gasped. But he just stalked across the room, hauling the pot and setting it on a frame in the fireplace obviously made for the task.

When he had it settled and had added more wood to the now merrily crackling fire, he turned again, raking a hand through his hair and his eyes locked on hers.

Something in his gaze was feral and for a moment, her stomach clenched in fear—remembering the wolf inside him, the wolf she'd seen. The death he could bring.

The death she brought, too, she realized. If in a different way.

"Sash?" Zev asked, suddenly uncertain. "What's wrong?"

She blinked and realized she'd broken eye contact. But when she saw him there, his face earnest and open, looking so much like he had five years ago—heavier, thicker, stronger than those days, but still… still the same Zev. Still the patient, giving man she'd always been in love with, Sasha smiled brilliantly.

She was letting go of fear, she decided. Letting go of questions and problems. She was walking into this experience with Zev as open and giving as he was.

She was going to meet him in his own heart, and wallow in it.

As she started across the floor towards him, her smile grew and she shook her head. "Nothing's wrong, Zev. Absolutely nothing. I am just head over heels in love with you and… I can't wait," she whispered as she reached him.

The flames in Zev's eyes flared, crackling just like the fire behind him.

"What are you saying, Sash?"

"I'm saying you're mine, Zev. All of you. And I'm yours."

He nodded. She put her hands to his stomach, letting her thumbs trail over the rise and fall of his abs, following the lines there and shaking her head. "You're pure beauty, Zev. Pure heat. I don't know what I did to deserve you, but I'm never letting go of you, ever again."

"The feeling's mutual," he croaked.

"Then show me where the wash rags are, because I'm not waiting for that fucking massive pot of water to boil. I need you, Zev.. I need you."

 

Chapter 177

The air in the cavern changed, zinging with tension, as Zev reached for the little shelf next to the fire and the stack of dry, clean cloths there, and a cake of soap.

She was right, the pot would take forever to boil. But it wouldn't take long to warm a little. He knew he was more accustomed than her to the pure winter cold of Thana. So he offered her the cloth on an open palm and raised an eyebrow. "I volunteer to use the cold water—if you'll help."

Sasha's mouth tipped up on one side, and without another word she plucked the cloth out of his hand and stepped around him to the pot over the fire, dropping it in to soak, then turning to scan him from head to toe. "You're going to have to take your clothes off."

He didn't need to be asked twice, untying his furs and shucking them off, then stepping into the wide bath and standing there, hands at his sides.

Sasha's eyes went wide and she scanned him from head to toe, her eyes raking every plane and ripple of his muscles, following every line.

Her throat bobbed and his cock twitched.

Then, without another word she turned back to the pot over the fire. She was reaching into it for the cloth when she froze, and for a second Zev worried she'd changed her mind, but then with an audible swallow, she pushed the jacket off her shoulders and let it slide down her arms, baring her from the waist up.

Holy. Fucking. Shit.

Her leggings had sagged down to her hips, the waistline dropping just far enough to bare just a hint of the crease at the top of her buttocks. He wanted to put his hand there, to fill his palm with the soft curve of her, but then she looked at him over her shoulder, and he followed the gorgeous line of her up—her waist nipped in over those hips, the dip that followed her spine, the softer lines of muscle and bone in her back…

She was tiny and breakable, and strong and beautiful and he groaned with wanting her.

Then she took a deep breath, grabbed the cloth out of the water and turned to face him where he stood in the bath.

Her cheeks were hot, and she didn't quite meet his eyes as she slapped the cloth to his shoulder and squeezed it against his skin, watching the water trickled down his chest and abdomen, her eyes widening as she followed the line of it past his hip and—

Clearing her throat, she turned to get the cloth wet again, then brought it back, slapping it to the other shoulder and squeezing it out, watching again as the water followed the lines of his body and trickled all the way to his toes. Moving around him, she was careful to avoid his side where ethe dressing had been stuck to his skin with sap and honey, but patted gently around it, hissing when he flinched.

Then, she was in front of him again and she dunked the cloth into the water, then turned back to him, licking her lips as she reached for the soap in his hand. They both watched her lather the cloth, and begin to scrub.

The paint all over his skin had been smeared in the fight, but it was still difficult to get it off, with the oil and the time it had had to dye his skin. So Zev was treated to several minutes of her breasts bobbing as, holding his hip in one hand and using the cloth with the other, she scrubbed at his shoulders, chest, and abdomen.

His breathing got heavier, as did hers. He prayed she wasn't just panting from the exertion.

The longer she worked, the warmer the water got, and the longer her eyes would linger on his between tasks, until his fingers were twitching towards her with the urge to take her and pull her in.

She dropped the soap into the bath, then turned back to the pot, wetting it again and wringing it out over his shoulder on his good side.

Zev just watched her, his eyes lasers, piercing, examining every move, his body twitching with every bob and jiggle of her breasts. His heart thundering against his sore ribs and he didn't even care.

Cloth by cloth, she returned to the pot and brought it out, dripping to squeeze it over his skin until all of the suds and dirt were gone.

Then she stepped back and scanned him again, biting that lip until he wanted to put a hand up to tease it out from under her teeth.

But she grinned. "You're clean."

Zev dropped his chin and stared at her, his chest rising and falling far too fast. "Must be your turn then."

She licked her lips again and Zev almost howled. Then she handed him the cloth and reached for her leggings, pulling the bow he'd tied in them back at the house with quick, sharp tugs, letting them slap on the leather as she pulled them completely loose, then putting her thumbs under the waist band, and her eyes lifting to meet his again.

Zev's mouth went dry when she pushed them down so they slid down her legs, wiggling her hips to get them to drop all the way to her feet, then she stepped delicately out of them and finally, finally he could see her again, all of her.

Her hair, mussed by the wind and his hands, fell in loose, messy waves around her shoulders. She'd crossed her arms against the cold, but that only pressed her breasts up, as if she offered them. And when her eyes slid up to find his, her cheeks reddened.

"You're so fucking beautiful, Sash," he croaked.

Reaching for her, he held her arms as she stepped into the big bath next to him, then pulled her against him to warm her—but his skin was cold from the water and she giggled, goosebumps peppering her skin all over.

Reaching for the towels on the shelf, Zev quickly, roughly, toweled himself dry, then pulled her into him again, taking her mouth and groaning when she opened to him, arching back to keep them pressed together.

"I'm going to make this very, very quick," he croaked. "Then we're getting in that bed, and we aren't getting out."

Sasha smiled, took his face in her hands, and kissed him, long and slow.. "I would love that."

 

Chapter 178

Being bathed by Zev was the most erotic thing she'd ever experienced. Her chest was heaving and her hands trembling as much from desire as cold.

His massive, burnished body gleamed in the low light of the lantern as he stepped out of the bath to plunge a fresh cloth into it, then cupped her jaw in one hand and kissed her even as he stroked her body with the cloth. Again, and again, and again, until she'd lost track of anything but his lips on hers, his tongue tracing the line of her lips, his warmth pressing against her.

Then with a low growl, he dropped the cloth and picked up the soap, lathering his hands.

Their eyes caught for a moment as he knelt to start at her legs and a jolt of pure pleasure shot from Sasha's belly, right to the places on her skin where his hands were stroking, massaging, the pads of his thumbs following the lines around her knee, his fingers trailing up the backs of her thighs as his palms slicked soap over her skin.

Unable to be completely free of the embarrassment when he was kneeling in front of her like that, Sasha closed her eyes and focused instead of the feeling of his touch, the slick warmth of his hands, the delicious flutter of the water—warmer now—when he gave up on the cloth and grabbed a small bowl from the shelf and used it to pour water from her chest, down her body.

He was shaking too, she realized, as he explored every inch of her, his trembling fingers following the lines of her muscles, the dip in at her waist, tracing her nipples—and his eyes got bigger and darker every time she chanced a look.

Within minutes Sasha was little more than a puddle herself, panting shallow breaths and holding onto his shoulders as he first toweled her dry, then threw it aside to kiss her and trailed fingers up the inside of her thigh.

She shuddered when he found her and a groaning huff escaped his throat.

"So ready for me," he whispered.

Sasha nodded. "So ready, Zev. I've waited. It's been too long. Please!"

She felt him jolt, felt his fingers close on her, heard his breath catch, and she thought that was it. He was going to finally, finally give in. She clung to his neck, opening her eyes to hold his gaze as he straightened to loom over her. But rather than tearing her out of the bath, he reached up to comb back her hair from her face, his eyes searching hers until he lowered his head and kissed her, featherlight, his lips barely tracing hers. But he didn't pull away either.

"No more interruptions. No more danger. This is it, Sash," he whispered against her mouth. "Are you ready?"

For an answer, she took his mouth again. And a moment later, with a snarl of pleasure, Zev snapped his leash.

He lifted her bodily, one arm behind her shoulders, the other under her knees as he swung her out of the bath. She had her arms around him and her lips on his neck as he carried her to the bed, shivering when he rasped her name. He set her on her feet next to the bed, then reached to throw the furs back and lifted her again, sliding her between their warm softness, groaning as he followed her up onto the bed, crawling after her even as she pulled him closer, grabbed his shoulders and pulled him down.

Then finally, for the first time in five years, Zev lay between her thighs, whispering her name, his lips on her neck, his hands exploring her skin, and Sasha almost cried with pure relief.

But there was no time for tears. She was too busy shuddering under his touch, groaning his name, exploring his back, following the lines of muscle and that gorgeous dip down his spine, reveling in the warmth of him, pleading with God to make sure they were never interrupted.

Zev was braced, his elbows either side of her head, his hands cupped over her hair, his lips exploring hers, his tongue making promises she begged him to keep. And his body… his body sought hers.

When she stroked up his abs, they tightened and he dropped his hips, sliding against her, his hips already beginning to roll, though he hadn't even taken her yet. And when he passed over her most sensitive skin, Sasha cried out, her senses assaulted with both the pleasure he was building, making her ache, and the memory of when he'd done this before.

Her whole world tunneled to the warm darkness of the furs, the sound and flutter of his breath on her cheek, and the zinging pleasure he shot through her veins every time he ground against her.

"Oh, shit, Sash," he gasped when she grabbed his buttocks and pulled in against her, seeking him.

"Please, Zev. We've waited… we've waited so long."

"God, I love you, Sash."

"I love you too. I need you, Zev. I need to be with you."

A tormented groan shuddered out of him, and she felt the vibrations of his deep voice in his chest. Careful to avoid his sore side, she reached for his shoulder on that side, and his waist on the other, pulling him closer, lifting her hips, so when he passed over her, he almost took her.

He cursed, and dropped his head to that spot where her shoulder met her neck, but he did it again, and again, until he was there, poised and ready, and they both froze.

Her fingers were clawed into his hair, and his lips were against her neck when they both went still. Sasha held her breath, pleading with him not to delay again.

He swore again, his voice shaking. But he nuzzled the corner of her jaw, and lifted his head only far enough to whisper in her ear, "Mine."

Then he plunged into her in one, long, slow slide that washed her entire body in a wave of pleasure that began right at her core and rushed out to every corner of her skin.

 

Chapter 179

"Mine," he whispered, then gritted his teeth as he took her in one, long thrust. Sasha's head dropped back and she gasped his name, her fingers digging into his shoulders as her body tensed with the onslaught and she clenched around him so hard he was afraid he would come on the spot and this would all be over.

He cursed as he pulled almost all the way out, fisting both hands in her hair and holding her head back so he could suck at her throat as he plunged all the way back into her warm heat, every nerve in his body jangling with pleasure.

Sasha gave a gorgeous, broken cry of pleasure and rocked to meet him.

Watching her skin flush, her mouth open and loose, her eyelids flutter, Zev struggled to believe they were really there, that this was really happening. His body screamed for release already, but he refused it, snarling his wolf back and forcing himself to what gentleness he was capable of.

He shuddered. He groaned. He gasped her name. As they rolled together, it came rushing back—the perfect way she fit him. The sense of completion he found within her. The unwavering rightness of it all.

There was nothing of the darkness in this. When he was with Sasha, there was only light. She was where he was meant to be, and he'd forgotten the perfect joy of that.

He let go of her hair when she tried to lift her head, then groaned again, his eyes going wide as he fought not to climax when she laid thick, warm lips on his neck and sucked, her tongue tracing the cord of his neck. Her breath fluttering against his skin.

The minutes that followed were the most stunning of his life as their bodies first recognized, then remembered each other. Zev was overwhelmed, washed in pleasure and love so stark, it brought tears to his eyes.

Sasha whimpered and her hands dove into his hair, her elbows on his shoulders as she pulled herself closer, higher, wrapped her legs around his waist and met him stroke for stroke.

He could barely think beyond the need to find more and more of her, to pull her in and keep her close, to cover her and put himself between her and this brutal world that wanted to steal her from him.

As they slowly rocked together, again and again, Zev marveled at the way more than his body responded to her. It was as if she had unlocked his soul.

While his skin prickled and tingled, seeking her, and his heart thumped, racing for her, while the song of his heart broke from his throat, and his hands explored every soft curve, within him a fire was building.

Right alongside his rising pleasure, something solid, tangible, yet elusive was growing. A piece of the part of him that couldn't be touched, a corner of his soul, opening and waking.

He took Sasha's mouth again, but was too overcome to kiss. So he hovered, his lips brushing hers, her tongue darting to trace his, and with every thrust and roll, every new joining, this piece of him set fire, heat coursing in his veins right alongside the rush of… something he'd never felt before.

He clung to her, pleading with God to never take her from him as that thing in his veins pulled in on itself as if it gathered breath. Then he cried out, promising to always protect her, to never leave her, to give his life for hers, and that piece exploded, pouring into his veins and rushing through his body, seeking Sasha, finding her, then rushing to return as if his existence had shattered into a thousand tiny pieces that all sucked back in and re-made him.

*****

~ SASHA ~

He'd literally stolen her breath. The moment he took her, the world disappeared, tunneling down to nothing except the places where they touched, where he moved within her, where he touched her to her core.

She'd yearned for him, ached with the memory of having him, been unable to find desire for any other man. But this was more than that.

He was a piece of her. And taking him into her body felt like coming home—as if something had been missing, and now was back. As if she hadn't been complete for the past five years.

"Zev!" she gasped when he thrust into her again. Her eyes flew open and she clawed her hands into his hair, gripping him, unwilling to lose even his eyes.

"Sash, I—"

He groaned, and she took his mouth again, knowing the feeling he couldn't express, because she felt it too.

It was overwhelming this desperation, but driven not by fear. Her fear was gone, her nerves forgotten. She ached, and yearned, and sought—but instead of recoiling in fear of pain, she gave herself, wanted, offered.

Surrendered.

Her body no longer belonged to her, it was overwhelmed, little more than a receptor to absorb him, to wallow in what he gave, and to shudder at the pleasure he played on her skin.

He was everything—the only thing—she needed, and the hole that remained in her gut was only the lack of him. A piece shaped just like him.

Then he rocked into her again, the tendons in his neck standing proud as he fought the wave of pleasure she welcomed. He cried her name and she echoed him, calling him to her, pleading for him as her pleasure built and something sparkled, glittering on the edge of her awareness.

Zev stroked a hand down her body, squeezing, relishing, and she pressed into his grip, tiny cries breaking in her throat. But she couldn't care. She needed. Only him.

As her body climbed that wave of pleasure, she found it was only in reflection of something else. Something deeper.

Because something within him was calling her. The cries, the wolf-song he sang to her only spoke of it. It passed below hearing, below sight. Something powerful and strong in him meeting something nurturing and wise in her.

Then Zev's hand slid under the arch of her back and as he thrust, he lifted her hips. Pleasure exploded within her and she screamed his name, her body shuddering and twitching—yet, something else was happening.

As her body tipped over the cliff and her mind was consumed with the fall, something within her spun out to meet him, find him, and pull him back within her.

A coil of light and heat, a piece of her soul that fit, just right, slotted into his heart… and piece of his returned to slide into hers.

And when they slumped together, gasping, bodies still jolting with pleasure, Sasha clung to him, whimpering. Because there was a tender, beautiful new piece of him now living inside her.. And she'd do anything to protect it.

 

Chapter 180

Zev slumped over Sasha, trembling to his toes, breath tearing in and out of his throat.

What was that? What the fuck was that? Holy shit…

He shifted his weight and braced on his elbows, trying to take his weight off of her, but his head was spinning and he couldn't catch his breath. His side ached where he'd been cut open by that stupid cat but he didn't really care.

Then Sasha blew out a breath and he blinked and lifted his head, stroking her hair off her face. "Are you okay? Sash?"

"I'm fine… I'm better than fine… Holy shit!" She blinked and spluttered a laugh. "That was…"

"I know."

They both stared at each other, panting. Zev stroked her temple with his thumb, shaking his head.

"Damn, you're beautiful, Sash. I just… damn."

She smiled. "I know it sounds stupid, but I was about to say the same to you." She put her hand to his face and shook her head. "I can't believe we made it."

He couldn't believe it either, and he kissed her deeply, slowly, because he didn't know what to say.

When he finally pulled back, she was still smiling, but softer now.

"Seriously, Zev, what was that? Did you feel that?"

He nodded. "It had to be the mating bond. I mean, I've heard brothers talk about it, but I never imagined…"

"It was like… it felt like I got a piece of you."

"I know. Me too."

"Like you're inside me now."

"Well, I mean—" he chuckled, but she slapped his shoulder.

"I'm being serious, Zev. I had no idea. I thought you said we were already bonded. I thought that's why we couldn't let each other go, even after so long."

"I thought so too," he said softly, his breathing finally starting to come back to him. "But I'm not complaining."

"Me either."

She pulled him down and he buried his face in her neck, still holding some of his weight so he wouldn't crush her, but wallowing in the warmth between them. He stroked her hair and listened to her breath and just… rested.

He wasn't sure how long they lay there like that—couldn't remember the last time he'd just been still and felt at peace. He didn't want the moment to end.

But soon Sasha was shifting under his weight, and he realized the trickle on his back was likely one of his wounds reopening, so he rolled off of her and hurried back to the fire to check the water that was finally almost boiling.

Sasha, still in the furs, leaned up on her elbow to watch him, grinning, her hair mussed and rumpled, her cheeks pink. She looked so delectable, he wanted to run back to the furs and jump back in with her and start again. But he couldn't let her see his wound bleeding. So he told her to rest while he prepared the bath, then took a cloth with him when he carried the dirty water out to pour it down the mountainside, and cleaned himself up a little, praying that the bleeding had stopped.

He was still a little shaky when he got the big bath back in front of the fire, but given what they'd just done… there was no surprise.

Sasha must have dozed off, because her head popped up suddenly, eyes bleary, when he dropped the bath to the stone floor.

He shushed her before she spoke and murmured that he'd let her know when the water was ready, then set about filling the bath with enough water to keep them both warm, but not so much that the wounds on his back would get wet.

The water was a little too hot for her sensitive skin, which was good. He took a few minutes to grab some dried beef and fruits and put them on a stool next to the bath, then went back to the bed, pulling back the furs to reveal her face, so peaceful in sleep—and still smiling.

When she blinked awake, her soft smile became a beam.

"Hi," he said quietly, his heart squeezing with love for her.

"Hi."

"How about a real bath now?"

She pulled him down for a quick kiss first, then pushed the furs back to get up.

Zev's entire body tightened watching her get up, naked, and walk across the room. He could tell she was a little uncomfortable, but when she looked back over her shoulder to make sure he was following her, she grinned.

"Test the water first, it's pretty hot," he warned.

"Like someone else I know," she giggled.

Zev grinned and hurried after her.

It took a minute or two of gasping and Wowing before she was sinking into the water at one end of the long tub—large enough for a Yhet, meant big enough for both of them.

Then Zev lowered himself carefully into the other end, careful to sit upright so his ribs remained out of the water.

Sasha giggled as his long legs slid along hers. She'd pulled her knees up in front of her, hiding her body, but when he sat forward and reached for her, pulling her towards him, she came willingly. When he slid her up between his legs, she let her knees fall open to rest on his thighs.

Then they were sitting there, naked, staring at each other.

He lifted one hand to push her hair behind her shoulder, and water dripped from his fingers to patter onto the top of her breast and trail down, his eyes following it until it joined the rest of the water in the bath.

He swallowed, hard.

"Hi," she murmured again.

"Hi," he rasped, then cleared his throat. "Are you hungry?" He tipped his head towards the stool next to the bath with the tin plate of meat and fruit.

"No, not yet," she said with a grin. "But you help yourself."

He picked up a strip of the dried beef and tore off a strip, chewing as he stared at her. She stared back, searching his eyes.

"Isn't this weird?" she whispered eventually.

"What? Taking a bath together?"

"No. Being able to stare like this and not feel… like… exposed."

Zev frowned and put the rest of the beef down to lean forward until they were almost nose to nose. He held her at the waist, his thumbs stroking her sides under the water.

"I want to be exposed to you, Sasha. Maybe that's the weird part. Because I can promise you, Dunken and I aren't sitting there making goo goo eyes at each other for an hour."

She snorted at the idea, but brought a hand up to his chest. "That must be it," she said softly. "I want to be exposed to you, too, Zev."

He nodded. "That's the way it should be."

Then she lay the flat of her palm at the center of his chest and finally tore her eyes away to look at the spot where she touched her, the faintest frown beginning between her brows.

He waited, but when she didn't speak, he stroked her arm. "Hey, what's wrong?"

"Absolutely nothing," she whispered and leaned in to kiss him. "Nothing at all. And it's weirding me out."

Zev snorted, but let himself be distracted by her kisses.