Ch. 201..210

Chapter 201

Zev had intended to make her breakfast, but when she looked up at him, her eyes shining, and not just with love, but with heat…

Between the aggravation he'd been battling since he woke, and then all this talk of the others bringing images to mind of her in the forest, facing some of the more aggressive males… it had woken his wolf. He was suddenly glad of the snow barrier to the cave because he suddenly couldn't shake the feeling that Sasha might be torn from his grasp. He was desperate to reach for her, to love her, to take her, but she'd seemed reluctant.

He swallowed as Sasha searched his eyes, then as if she saw the plea in his, her expression becoming shy.

"Maybe… maybe part of just being is… enjoying each other as much as we can?" she asked quietly.

Zev growled and let her go only long enough to take the pan and kettle off the fire and drop them to the stone to cool. Then he was back, sweeping her into his chest and taking her mouth with all the banked passion he'd swallowed when he woke. He was far more hungry for her than the food, feverish with it.

Sasha giggled—then sighed when he started on the buttons of her furs.

His kiss was deep and insistent, and probably overwhelming. But despite a slight gasp when he took her mouth, Sasha returned it in kind. When he descended on her and started stripping her bare, she didn't fight, arching, pressing into his hands when he got the buttons of her jacket undone, sucking on his lip when he was too slow, stroking her hands under his jacket, up and down his chest, then untying the waist of his leathers.

Zev shuddered as he pushed her jacket off her shoulders, then filled his hands with her. Sasha whimpered when he leaned her back, his kiss bruising and insistent.

She struggled with his clothing and he hadn't gotten her leggings off yet, but Zev refused to give her more space, his instincts suddenly jangling, demanding, alarmed—as if another male was close and would try to take her from him again.

Images of Xar, of that sickening moment when the tiger had taken that blade between his teeth and raced for her—Zev growled into her mouth and his fingers dug into her waist as he pulled her closer.

His instincts surged forward, screaming at him to possess her, to make her his and only his, to mark her to her soul so no male would ever challenge their bond. The strength of the urge to lay his teeth to her skin was shocking and made him catch himself, break the kiss and drop his forehead to hers as he tried to catch his breath.

A tiny voice in the back of his head said this was the Solitude—the instinct to solidify the bond, to ensure it was unmistakable to others. He'd have thought they'd already achieved that, but the curling, snarling pressure in his gut said differently.

"What is it, Zev?" she whispered, her breath rushing against his lips. "What's wrong?" She held his face in her hands, stroking his cheeks with her thumbs.

"I need you, Sash," he rasped. "I need you to be mine. Just mine."

"I am, Zev," she whispered breathlessly, curling her fingers into his hair and holding him there. So close. "I'm here. I'm yours."

He groaned and reached up to take her hands, twining their fingers as he took her lips again, open mouthed and panting, his tongue darting and dancing—and nipping her lower lip as they kissed.

Sliding one hand up her spine until he cradled the back of her skull, Zev let a growl of possession putter in his throat.

*****

~ SASHA ~

She could feel Zev trembling and alarms rang in her head. What was wrong?

His grip on her tightened and he croaked her name, sending a jolt of desire through her as she clung to his neck and arched into him.

"Zev, I—"

"Mine," he rasped, fisting the back of her leggings in a tense hand, pulling her against him. "Mine."

"Yes. Only yours," she whispered urgently. "I don't want anyone else."

He pulled his head back just far enough to meet her eyes, his dark and shining in the low light. But his jaw was tense, the muscles twitching as if he ground his teeth.

What was wrong? What had happened?

"Fuck… Sash… the Solitude… it's instinct, I'm… I'm trying to fight—" He growled and clawed at her back, his breath rasping in and out of his throat.

"I'm here. What do you need? I'm here."

"I need you."

"You have me. Anything."

"I need you, Sash. Just you."

She took his face in her hands again and forced him to meet her gaze, his own feverish and flashing.

"Whatever you want, Zev. Whatever you need. I'm here. I'm yours. I trust you."

His head dropped back and he howled, a long, keening cry that raised the hair on her arms. Then he broke off, the howl dissolving into another growl as he took her mouth, desperate.

And far from being afraid, Sasha's heart raced in anticipation, something within her—that small piece of him that she'd felt slip into place the first time they made love—throbbing, pulling for him.

She wanted him, desperately, suddenly. Trembled with it.

But before she could think beyond that, he started walking her backwards, towards the bed, and Sasha's breathing got faster, more shallow, every nerve ending in her body quivering with want, her hands shaking as she reached for him.

"Zev, what's happening?" she gasped, grabbing at him, pulling him closer.

"Mine," he growled into her mouth in the same moment she bumped against the end of the bed and they stopped moving. Zev tore out of the kiss, his shoulders heaving, eyes dark and intense, staring out at her from under his hair.

Their eyes locked. Desire quivered in Sasha's belly. Sucking in a breath, she grabbed for his neck to pull him back down, but after one scorching kiss he fisted his hands in her hair and tugged her head back, baring her throat to him.

"Mine," he rasped, then descended on her.

 

Chapter 202

Desire hummed in Zev's bones.

When Sasha pulled him back into the kiss it was a frantic fight with himself not to tear her leggings off and take her like the beast within him that yearned for release.

He gave in to the temptation to pull her head back, to taste her throat, to graze his teeth along the arch of it, then latch onto her skin and suck until she gasped and clung to his shoulders.

Sasha was bent backwards, fingers digging into his shoulders to press herself against him, her legs hard against the bed. He longed to pick her up and throw her onto the furs, to cover her and take her, to give his wolf's voice to his love and possession.

But something coiled within him that wanted—needed—more than a simple joining. It made his hands tremble, and his breath shallow. It made his skin hum.

Dropping his chin so his lips brushed her ear, he rasped, "Don't be afraid. I won't hurt you."

"I'm not," she gasped. "I'm here, Zev."

Whining in his throat, he opened his mouth on her neck, laving the skin with his tongue until goosebumps rose on her shoulder.

"Turn around," he whispered harshly.

Sasha's breath rushed out of her, but she turned in his arms to face the bed and Zev whined again.

She was still wearing her leggings.

Reaching around her, he took the ends of the laces in both hands and snapped them with a short growl. Sasha sucked in, but Zev was careful to be gentle as he slid his hands down her sides, under the waistband, and pushed them down until they puddled at her ankles.

"Get onto the bed. Don't turn around."

He smelled the spike of her desire—laced with the tiniest touch of unease. Swallowing back the Alpha within him that was snarling for release, he put both hands to the hollow of her waist as she crawled up onto the bed, helping lift her onto the bed that was higher than her hip.

Once she had her knees on the furs, she started to turn, but he caught her. "No, stay there," he croaked.

Sasha, on all fours, looked over her shoulder at him, her eyes wide—but dancing.

Humming his approval, Zev tore off his own jacket and followed her up onto the bed, touching, stroking from her hip, up her stomach to cup her breast as he crawled over her, his chest against her back.

Combing her hair aside with his fingers so he could find her neck, he latched onto that spot under her ear again, the one that made her shiver. His hands never stopped moving, never stopped seeking her, stroking. And her skin pebbled under his touch as her desire for him rose. Then he kissed his way down the center of her back, slowly, following that soft hollow, his lips soft and open, his tongue finding the grooves of her spine.

Sasha seemed to be trying to speak his name, but no words came through the rush of her breath.

Conversely, Zev's breath thundered through the room, tearing in and out of his throat, though he'd barely touched her yet. But his guts twisted, tingling with desire, his body yearning, every inch of his skin burning.

Then, as he reached the tiny hollow of her back, just above her buttocks, Sasha sighed and leaned back into him, and Zev moaned her name as her soft ass—and even softer skin—rubbed the length of him.

He shuddered and straightened, gripping her hips and pulling her hard against him as he leaned back and gave voice to his heart's song. Then he relaxed and Sasha dropped her head, before pressing back towards him again, seeking him.

Groaning, pleading, Zev stroked her back and shoulders, painting her contours with his hands as they rocked together, letting his body play over hers until she was slick and twitching with each pass, her hands fisted in the furs.

He shuddered again when she said his name in a tiny, high voice, her head tipped back as she leaned back on her hands and knees, seeking him. "Zev. Please!"

"Oh god, Sash."

They rocked again, but he couldn't wait and, gripping her shoulder in one hand, and guiding himself with the other, he took her in a single, hard thrust.

There was a sharp intake of breath and Sasha cried out. "Zev! That's… holy shit."

But he was shaking with the fight for control, his senses heightened until he was overwhelmed with the soft smoothness of her skin, the rasping cries in her throat, the waft of her scent when she flipped her hair over one shoulder, and the intoxicating sensations of the joining that he could feel to the soles of his feet.

He fought a war within himself—part of him yearning to plow and plunder, to take her as quickly and hard as she could enjoy, to burn this desire out of his guts with sheer heat. The other part seeking and soft, aching to show her, to cover her, to draw her into himself and keep her apart from the harsh world.

As he drew almost all the way out of her, then thrust back in, she clenched around him, calling his name, and he felt his body crackle for the shift, but he snarled it back.

He had mated countless women in his wolf—using the instinctive form to separate his heart from every single one of them. He would not devalue Sasha that way. She was his mate. His love. His heart's song. She would have all of him, every time their bodies met.

She would have the real Zev.

Aching with love, thrumming with desire, he leaned forward, sliding the flat of his palm up her spine as he plunged into her. Then his fingers found her hair and twisted into the soft waves.

With a groan of pleasure, he slowly twisted his hand into her hair, curling the mahogany strands around his wrist and palm until she felt the tug and dropped her head back with a moan.

Then, still thrusting into her, his breath jagged and demanding, he leaned over her, curling around to find her lips, their breaths mingling as he plundered her mouth.

 

Chapter 203

Zev's body was an invasion of pleasure. She'd never had him behind her before and the new position brought with it unique and exciting sensations that rippled through her in waves with every thrust, tearing cries from her mouth—when she could breathe.

He'd taken her by surprise with the change at first, but as he found his rhythm and she writhed against him, discovering this new kind of bliss, he made that call that echoed through the cave, and Sasha found herself less and less aware of anything but him.

Something was happening within him. She could feel it building. She'd felt his tension from the moment she'd woken, but he'd seemed determined to push it aside, and she'd wanted to help him do that if it was what he needed. But when their eyes had locked and once he'd started touching her… it was as if the heat within them both flooded to the surface, and he was consumed. And consuming her in turn.

She wanted to be consumed by Zev. But she worried about what might have been the catalyst for it. At first uncertain about his apparently urgency, now she only wondered if she would survive the onslaught without actually losing her mind.

Zev's urgency translated to her own and she was beginning to shake as he squeezed pleasure from every stroke and thrust, every touch, every kiss.

She tried to say his name, but it came out on a rush of breath, hoarse and broken. Goosebumps rose in a wave down Sasha's back as Zev leaned over her and his chest brushed her with every thrust, his breath rasping as he took her, over and over.

And just when she thought she couldn't imagine a better feeling than this , he slid his palm up her stomach to find her breast, pinching and rolling her nipple between his thumb and forefinger in time with his thrusts.

Sasha's voice broke on the cry he pulled from her throat.

She gasped and shook under the barrage of his love, feeling him over her, within her, his lips on her shoulder, his breath in her hair.

Then, with a gasped, "Oh god, Sash!" he braced, his fingers entwining with hers, fisting the soft furs under them.

He thrust again and Sasha shuddered, her entire body vibrating with need.

"So beautiful… my mate. My only… holy… Sash…. Sasha!"

Zev cried her beauty and his love as he used his other hand to comb her hair forward, off her neck. Then he sang into her skin, kissing her there, the flat of his tongue laving the pebbled nape of her neck. Sasha arched, pressing back into him with every thrust, sobbing his name, her body quaking, unable to contain the sensations he wrung from her.

"Yes, Zev! I love you…"

At the sound of her voice, croaking and broken, his fingers tightened, his teeth grazed the back of her neck and he leaned into her, his breath hot and frantic in her hair.

"Sash… please…" he rasped.

"Anything," she choked. "I'm here, Zev."

"I want… I need… I need to mark you mine." The words descended into a growl. Then he thrust again, harder this time, his breath hissing between his teeth, and Sasha cried out.

"Yes!"

"I'm ardent, Sash. You're my forever!"

"Yes! Yes, me too!" She trembled, her arms threatening to give. But then Zev groaned and opened his mouth on the back of her neck, latched on, and sucked.

Hard.

Harder than he ever had. As if he truly did wish to devour her. Sucking, groaning against her skin, and still taking her with his body, over and over. Harder and harder.

He was going to leave a mark on her neck, but she didn't care. She couldn't care. Her initial flash of fear was immediately overwhelmed. Something was happening. Something incredible. Something beautiful. She welcomed it. Surrendered to it.

Still fisting the furs with her with one hand, Zev explored every curve of her body with the other, the pace of his thrusts increasing until Sasha could only hold on and press back into him, to find him, seeking, wringing every ounce of pleasure he gave, her own cries increasing, rising to echo in the cave alongside his.

Her body shook, her neck ached where he sucked, but soon he growled and let go, hissing his love and possession.

"Mine," he rasped. "No one else, ever, Sash. No male but me."

"No one!" she gasped. "Only you."

The desperation in his voice should have frightened her, but it only ratcheted up her pleasure, half of her wishing he'd flip her over so she could touch him, the other half pleading for more, only more.

His fingers tightened on hers almost to the point of pain, his knuckles standing white and his groans became rhythmic cries. Sasha sobbed, lights flashing on the edge of her vision as the entire world began to suck in and disappear, until she was aware of nothing but him, nothing but their joining, nothing but his touch and his voice.

Then, without warning, Zev sat back, pulling her with him, gasping in shock as the angle changed and suddenly her back was at his chest, and she straddled his thighs, riding him, his strong hands cupping her breasts, but taking her weight as if she were a toy.

"Please, Sash…. Oh god, please."

"I'm here, Zev!"

He growled, a near snarl, and pulled her into his chest, her name on his lips like a prayer. Then, splaying one hand at her sternum to take her weight, he slid the other down, between her legs, to touch her where they joined.

Sasha gasped as an entirely new chorus of sensations joined the choir. She clenched and her body shuddered.

"Oh Zev! I love you! I love you! Don't stop! Please!"

With a tortured snarl, he latched onto her neck again and as her body climbed that final wave, as she was consumed by the trembling heat coiling in her belly and fizzing through her veins, she felt the sharp pierce of his teeth on her skin, right where he'd marked her.

 

Chapter 204

He couldn't let go. The taste of Sasha on his tongue sent his blood up in flames—and the fire roared straight to that spot, that piece in his heart where the bond had taken, flipping and whirling, spinning like a top and expanding, reaching for the piece of Sasha that had been replaced by him.

It was as if their souls turned—recognized, greeted, and welcomed each other. As if their hearts danced, holding each other, turning together, twisting and whirling within them, faster and faster. But together. Always together.

Howls and calls broke from his throat with such abandon, he couldn't make words. But his mouth was full of her anyway. And Sasha, incoherent with pleasure, sobbed, crying out, keening, their voices curling around each other in the air around them, just as their hearts were within them.

Faster. Faster.

Unable to remove his mouth from her, Zev spoke into her head.

Will you take me, Sasha? To your soul? Even to eternity?

"Yes!" she gasped, bringing her hands up to claw into his hair and hold him to her. "Yes!"

I'm ardent, Sasha. Yours. Utterly yours.

"Please, Zev! Please!"

Their hearts twisted, whirled, whirred within them, and Zev wanted to weep with joy as she came alive in his head.

Surrender to me, Sash. Give me everything.

I am! You have me!

They writhed together, unaware of anything but where they joined, the pleasure lighting in their veins, the love in their cries.

His teeth still piercing her skin, he could feel her within him—the dance continuing. And something more… something that beckoned.

Zev groaned as Sasha rode him, frantic, calling for him, giving herself. He pleaded again for her surrender, and again she released her grip on herself, begging for him with abandon.

Grasping her hips, her neck in his teeth, Zev thrust, harder and harder.

Sasha could only keen—her voice broken and rasping with pleasure. Then he reached down to find her, right where they were joined and she twitched, gasping, when he stroked her there.

The moments that followed were the most profound of his life, as if he was within her, around her, and she within him.

As if words were no longer needed.

As he played her body for pleasure, and she held him close, their hearts and souls spinning together so quickly they blurred. He stroked her again and Sasha clenched around him, then came apart, screaming his name.

He howled hers into her skin and the pieces of them turned, flipped, so quickly they began to meld into one.

As Sasha finally crested the wave of her climax and shuddered in his arms, Zev's orgasm slammed through his body and he finally opened his mouth, dropping his head back, overwhelmed with awe as his mate came alive in his head.

Their bodies writhed, stiffened, arched, as one—Sasha's heartbeat echoing within his.

And then, as quickly as it happened, they both slumped, their bodies wrung out like wet rags.

Sasha's breath wheezed in and out of her throat, her body slack and trembling, a ragdoll in his arms. He held her there, one hand splayed on her chest, kissing the reddened skin on her neck to soothe it, but not yet ready to let her go.

Not yet ready to open his eyes and return to the real world when he could be here, alone, alive with her.

His breath thundered, tearing out of him, fluttering in her hair, against her skin.

Sasha sucked in, but left her weight in his hand, boneless and breathless.

He nuzzled the back of her neck, leaning his forehead into her hair and holding her tightly to him, trembling.

What was that?

Zev's every sense tingled. Had she just…?

I don't know, he said in her head.

I can feel you, Zev. I can feel you… inside me.

He shifted his weight and chuckled, still panting, but Sasha didn't laugh.

That's not what I mean. Her voice was awed. She took one, weak, shaking hand and put it to her chest, right over his.

Their heartbeats thundered in time, echoing each other.

You're in here, she whispered in his head, awed and shocked.

Zev blinked, stunned. She was speaking to him. In his head? How was that even possible…?

"Ardent…" he breathed, wide eyed.

But we already vowed, she murmured in his head.

No, it's the bond. We're linked now… Sasha… I can hear you. I can hear you in my head.

What?!

Softly, gently, with shaking limbs, they extricated themselves and Zev laid her down on the furs, laying on her side, then lay down to face her, stroking her hair back from her face and marveling at her beautiful eyes—latched on his and wide with shock.

You can hear me?

He nodded.

How is that possible?

We're ardent, he said and if it had been out loud, it would have been barely more than a breath. We're in this together. For real. I'm sorry, Sash, I didn't warn you because I didn't know. It was instinct… I thought… I don't know what I thought.

What happened?

Zev swallowed and held her gaze. I think… I think our souls aren't just connected anymore… they're entwined.

That's beautiful.

That's terrifying, he corrected her, his breath heavy with fear.

What, why?

Because if… it means that if… if I die, you die. If you die, I die.

Sasha blinked. But isn't that how it is with the Chimera?

"No, Sash," Zev said, floored and trying to ground himself. "I mean… I mean if I were die right now, you would too. Immediately. We're… one. You come with me, no matter what."

Sasha blinked in shock, her eyes searching his. "But… that's beautiful, Zev."

"Beautiful?!"

"I never want to live without you. You're telling me I won't have to. Right?"

"I'm telling you you won't be able to live without me," he growled. What the fuck had he been thinking? He hadn't been. He hadn't known. He'd heard of this, but he'd never imagined…

Thank God, Zev, she said in his head, her voice a breathless echo of his own awe.. Thank God.

 

Chapter 205

Zev didn't stop trembling, and Sasha couldn't breathe—in the most beautiful way.

They lay together, watching each other, barely speaking for the longest time. As their breathing slowly returned to normal and heartrates eased, as the sheen of sweat dried on his forehead, they stared.

Sasha stroked his chest, but her hand kept returning to the center, pressed flat, feeling his great heart thump against her palm—in perfect time with her own. As if he was an echo of her. As if their very bloodstream was linked.

She swallowed, so many questions bubbling to the surface, but she was reluctant to break the perfect silence.

Then she blinked.

You can hear me? she asked tentatively in her head.

He nodded.

Sasha had to bite back tears of joy. What does this mean? For us, I mean? What will this do to us?

I don't know, he replied honestly. Except that it means—I hope it means—I'll never lose you again.

There was real pain, real torment in his tone at those words and Sasha cupped his stubbled cheek.

I hope it means that, too.

At some point they dozed, and when Sasha woke first, it was a joy to just watch him—fully relaxed, though his strength still evident even in sleep. The way his shoulders rounded with muscle, and the cord in his neck…

She had expected that incredible time together to sate her appetite for him, but looking at his naked torso, following the lines of his beautiful body, desire began to pool within her again.

Then Zev blinked awake to find her watching and offered a slow, lazy smile. "Somebody's hungry," he rasped, reaching out for her.

Sasha snuggled into his warm chest and sighed with happiness. She could feel him still, in her mind, in her heart. As if something between them had been removed and there were no more barriers. Holy shit.

She wasn't particularly hungry—not for food, anyway—and she hoped his body wouldn't drive him out of the furs too quickly. She just wanted to be close to him.

Thankfully, Zev seemed more than content to lay with his chin on her head, one hand stroking her back and hair.

Eventually Sasha sighed again. "I wish I could always be like this," she murmured into his chest, kissing it at the center where his heart thumped. Then turning her head so her ear was against it when he spoke and she could listen to his deep voice rumble under his ribs.

"So do I," he said earnestly.

"What will it be like, Zev? I mean, now that there's no, like, fighting or whatever. What's it like to live here? How will it work."

Zev sighed and rolled onto his back, one hand under his head. Sasha followed, laying her head on his shoulder and stroking his chest as he spoke.

"Alpha's always busy, but there's a lot of perks to it, too. You'll have a lot of meetings and sometimes be called to judge conflicts between the clans, or occasionally individuals if their Alphas couldn't sort it out. And anytime there's a Rite, or—"

"No, Zev. I mean… I do want to hear that. But… first… what's it like for us? Where will we live? In the tree house?"

It took him a beat to answer, and she felt him tense under her hand, but he cleared his throat and nodded. "Yeah, probably. That's probably the wisest choice," he said, his voice a little distracted as if he were deep in thought. "You need to be close so they can reach you in an emergency. And I think for you being in one of the treehouses will probably be the most comfortable. Until we move to the City—which I'd recommend you do as soon as we know the hierarchy's settled."

"Just to be further away from the humans?" she asked.

"Mostly. But also… we need space to bring the females back to. And… I don't know how Xar convinced them all to move out, but even though the City will be a little big for the numbers we have now, it's also a lot better set up. And that will help with keeping everyone comfortable and in line…"

They continued chatting for a long time, Zev describing a life Sasha could barely fathom—being up with the sun, making decisions, gathering for every meal, meeting with Alphas and groups who needed help or would want her approval.

"That's the thing," she said finally. "I won't have a clue, Zev. It just doesn't seem right for me to be making decisions for these people! Why can't I just give Alpha to you?"

Zev ran his hand through his hair. "You can eventually. But I don't know, Sash. I can't kick the feeling that there's a reason for this. I know it's scary for you, but I'll be there. I'll be your second, and your advisor. Skhal will help. Probably Lhars too. And I think you can count on Kyelle to support you—she's always said we need more female Alphas so we can move past the alpha male peacocking and into sanity. At least, that's how she says it. I'm not sure I agree," Zev said dryly.

Sasha giggled. "I kinda liked the peacocking," she said, pushing up on an elbow to lean over him.

Zev met her eyes and smiled lazily. "Oh? Do tell. Let me make sure and offer my Alpha any peacocking she might want or need," he said, pulling her down over him for a kiss.

Sasha hummed into his mouth, but kept the kiss soft. He was tired, she could tell. And it seemed like he was finally hitting vacation mode. She'd always found whenever she took a break it took a day or two for her to really unwind. Zev's slower, lazier pace today struck her as someone who was finally taking a rest after a stressful time and she didn't want to snap him out of it.

So while she might have buried her fingers in his hair and teased him with her tongue, she didn't push for more, but slowed the kiss, then broke it to pull back far enough to meet his eyes.

"I'll make you a deal," she said softly.

"What's that?" Zev traced a strand of hair behind her ear with one finger.

"I won't whine about being Alpha if you promise not to leave my side. And we do this together. There's things I won't understand and might get wrong. I can't learn all that in couple days, Zev. And I don't want to screw these people up. I want to help you get the females back, and kick the humans out. But I don't think I have to be Alpha to do that."

"We'll see," he dismissed her easily. When she frowned and opened her mouth to protest, he shook his head and rushed in to speak. "No, Sash, I'm not saying you're not right. I'm saying, we'll see. We haven't had a minute to breathe since we arrived—and neither has anyone else. There's so much to this picture even I don't know yet. I'm not making any more big changes until we're certain we know how we're heading into this. So just… relax, okay? You have to just be you. Be certain of what you're aiming for, and why. The rest we can figure out as we go. And I'll help you. I promise. I won't leave your side. We'll do it together."

Sasha smiled down at him. "As long as you promise. Beside me. Always."

"There's nowhere else I want to be," he rumbled, then pulled her down into another kiss.

 

Chapter 206

At some point he'd gotten up to cook them an early lunch, but somehow they gravitated back to the furs as soon as they'd finished eating.

The rest of the day passed uneventfully. Zev was surprised how happy he was to simply lay in the furs with her. Sasha even commented about how nice it was to watch him rest, that he was usually always moving.

"I hadn't really thought about it," he said, frowning at the ceiling. "But life is pretty hectic. It's nice to just be with you. I guess I'm feeling lazy. And more than a little hungry," he said, raising one eyebrow suggestively.

Sasha giggled and kissed him, but drew back before it got heated. They napped again. Later he heated the water properly and bathed her again, then made love to her—slowly, savoring her this time.

And as he drifted to sleep—easily, despite the nap he'd had just a few hours earlier—it was with a smile on his face because his mind was full of visions of his beautiful mate, her head thrown back in ecstasy, and her body rolling with his. And because he could hear her, in his head, telling him that she loved him, her voice fading into nothing as she drifted off to sleep.

*****

~ SASHA ~

Sasha woke to a strange sound. Reaching out for Zev she found the furs warm, but cooling, and no steel body, or hard warmth where he should be.

She sat up quickly, bleary-eyed, her hair falling over her face so she was forced to push it back. But all she found was the fire, glowing, but not yet crackling into flames, no lanterns lit, and some dishes on the side table that neither of them had washed the night before.

"Zev?"

The strange noise—a scraping, punctuated by swearing—was coming from the tunnel. But it stopped when she spoke.

"I'm down here."

Sasha pushed out of the furs and dressed quickly—the cave was always colder in the morning because the fire was low. But it seemed like it was even colder this morning than it had been the day before. A chill breeze curled around her ankles as she hurried up the tunnel, dodging the icicles, until she rounded the corner to find Zev, working the snow, face flushed and forehead sheened in sweat as he physically worked to make a way through the snow that he was using his bare hands to shovel through and spread along the sides of the tunnel as he worked his way through the massive bank.

"You're going to hurt yourself!" she said as he reached high on the bank, dug his hands into the snow and pulled down with his entire body.

"It's fine," he said, panting. "I wanted to get it done so we're free to go out today if you want to, or there's less to do in the morning if we have to clear it out again. We'll have to go early."

Sasha froze, her stomach sinking like a stone. She'd known it was coming, but it seemed far too fast. "We have to go already?"

"Tomorrow," Zev said, wiping his brow with the back of his hand. His hands were beet red—as was his face, though with heat, instead of cold.

"Zev, are you okay?" Sasha asked. He hadn't met her eyes properly.

He nodded and turned back to the snowbank. "Yeah, I got a lot of sleep yesterday, so I woke up early. Sorry I woke you."

"It's fine…" she trailed off as he went back to working on the snowbank. "Are you okay, though, I mean, even apart from sleeping?"

"Yes, why?" he turned, seeming surprised and finally looked at her.

Sasha took a deep breath. "You didn't say good morning. Or smile. Are you…. feeling bad?"

"No! No, I'm fine. Sorry. Just distracted." He rushed forward to take her in his arms, cupping her face with one of his hands.

Sasha shrieked and slapped it away, while Zev chuckled.

"Your hands are like blocks of ice!" she gasped.

Zev shrugged and turned back to the snowbank. "I don't mind. They'll warm up as soon as I'm done."

"But—"

"Seriously, Sash. Go get comfortable. Make some breakfast, or warm some water. I'll be done in half an hour and we can figure out what we're going to do for our last day." He turned his head to look at her over his shoulder, his eyes flashing with promise.

Sasha grinned. "Well, I suppose I can come up with some ideas," she said, waggling her eyebrows at him.

Zev laughed again and Sasha did as he'd suggested and walked back into the cave, shaking off her uneasiness. Zev was just focused on a task, that was all. Nothing to worry about. And he still wanted her. And they still had today.

But she couldn't quite stop the echo in her mind that wanted to bounce around over and over again…

Just one more day.

Just one more day.

*****

By lunchtime Sasha wasn't smiling anymore. Something was definitely up with Zev. He kept drifting off in his thoughts, frowning. And because of that, it was taking him far longer than usual to eat.

Zev was many things, but a careful eater wasn't one of them. As long as she'd known him, he never seemed more male than when he ate—which he usually did with as much gusto as he did everything else. But here he was, sitting, his jerky and fruit barely touched, staring at the cave wall, his forehead pinched into lines.

"Zev," she said carefully. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," he said by rote, looking down at his plate and blinking as if he was coming alive again. "I was just thinking about tomorrow. We'll get up early. I think I should take you to the City on the way back home. So you can get a feel for it, and see how far it is from the gateway. You'll have to be the one to decide when we move back there. If we do."

"If you think it's a good idea, I'm going to aim for that," she said, still watching him. But Zev was chewing, and moving the rest of the food around on his plate. "But I think you'll know better than me when it's the right time."

Zev nodded, but she wasn't sure he'd actually heard her. Nerves spun in her stomach.

Had he woken this morning upset about being ardent? About the bond they'd formed the day before? Did he regret it? Was that what was bothering him?

She looked at the massive bed, covered in furs, behind him and to his right. She'd thought the day before was incredible. Mind-blowing. And she was so glad he could hear her now.

Couldn't he?

Had they lost it?

Zev? She asked in her head, nervously.

He blinked and turned to look at her again, his mouth pulling up on one side to leave those gorgeous creases in his cheeks.

Fuck, I love that you can do that now, he replied, then took another bite of his lunch.

Me too, she replied, grateful that he seemed more alert, and she could still speak to him this way.

It wasn't until their eyes locked that her nerves returned.

There was a shadow in his gaze. Something was definitely bothering him.. And she was going to find out what it was.

 

 

Chapter 207

Zev had woken restless and feeling caged. It shocked him. He didn't normally have those feelings in a natural cave—only in buildings that felt human-made, with straight lines and low ceilings. He hadn't understood it, but he'd known he had to do something about it so he didn't ruin their last day.

The air wasn't stale, but it was close, unmoving. The snow must have blocked the opening to the cave completely overnight. Sure enough, after he'd slipped silently out of bed to dress, leaving Sasha sleeping, rolling his shoulders to relieve the residual tension and soreness in them, he'd trotted down the tunnel to find it completely blocked by snow. He'd intended not to make too much noise until Sasha was awake. But the sight of that wall had lit panic in his chest, and he'd had no choice. He had to clear it—make a way through. Find the fresh air.

He'd tried to be quiet, but he couldn't make the snow silent. When she showed up, he'd just broken through a small space at the top of the bank where air could get through, and he was a little less tense. But he needed to get through this. He needed to have an escape, free and clear, from the cave. He'd been so grateful when she didn't ask him to stop.

But even though he'd felt better once he'd cleared a route through the snow, the itching tension at the back of his neck didn't dissipate completely.

He'd done his best to be cute and sweet as they talked through the morning. He'd waited patiently for the lunch that she insisted on preparing. But the tension was coiling within him like a snake, ready to strike. He needed to get outside.

"Do you want to go for a walk?" he asked her suddenly, when he caught her staring at him, worry in her eyes, during their meal. "It's not snowing right now, and we can stay close enough to get back quickly if it starts."

"Sure," she said uncertainly. "If you're feeling like it."

He nodded. "I think it would be good."

So they did. But, inevitably, her thoughts and questions turned back to their lives once they returned to the Village. And Zev found himself having to bite back curses. He didn't want to think about being surrounded by males, all watching his mate. He didn't want to think about having to tell the twins she'd killed their father. He didn't want to think about the danger they were walking into when the humans returned and found Xar dead.

The fact that no one had come to get them was good. It meant the humans hadn't returned yet. But that just made it even more likely they'd show up soon after he and Sasha got back. They had to make a plan. But his head hurt, and his body was tired, and all he wanted to do was touch Sasha and be with her.

He squeezed her hand as they walked—slowly by his standards—along the trail at the bottom of the ravine. The shadows over their heads seemed deeper and more ominous than usual because the sky was still a solid gray,

As the ravine opened in front of them and the valley was revealed, Zev sucked in a long, deep breath. And it helped. Some of the tightness in his chest that had stayed even after he stepped into the open air, eased. They stopped walking and scanned the meadow—little more than a massive, white blanket now, with trees and some of the taller bushes poking out to smatter the perfect glistening white with black or brown.

Blemishes on an otherwise perfect landscape.

Something about that thought made Zev's skin itch.

"Zev?"

He realized that Sasha had been talking, and he cursed himself for his distraction. "I'm sorry, Sash. I'm just distracted, what did you say?"

She stepped in front of him, frowning and put her arms around his waist. "What's going on? What are you upset about?"

"Nothing!" It was true. He couldn't think of anything that he was upset about. Nothing that would make him feel this tense. Circling her in his arms he forced himself to smile. "I'm sorry, I know I keep drifting off. I'm just thinking. I wish we didn't have to go back tomorrow, that's all."

She nodded. "Me too. Do we have to?"

"Unfortunately, yes. Dunken and Lhars will keep the others busy and distracted, but a new Alpha doesn't usually disappear like that. It was necessary," he said as she opened her mouth, no doubt to say that they should go back early. "But it also means that we can't just… stay out here. Even as much as I wish we could."

He leaned down and kissed her then. She hugged him close, careful to keep her arms at his waist, though it still made the wound on his ribs zing with pain. At least there'd been no more bleeding. He would have to get her to change the dressing again tonight before they travelled tomorrow.

"Zev, are you worried about not being Alpha? I mean, about ranking second? To me?"

"What? No!" he said, shoving away a niggling voice that wanted him to take a closer look at that question. "I don't trust anyone's judgment as much as I trust yours, Sash. You know that."

She frowned. "But… for the Chimera? I mean, if we were in my world, maybe. But here? Seriously, it's not worth it to me, Zev. I want you to have it. I can follow—"

"Sash, listen to me really carefully," he said firmly, stroking her cheeks with his thumbs. "I meant it when I said that another change right now will only throw everything into chaos. We'll get you through this. Stop worrying."

"But they're going to ask me one question and I'm not going to know what to do, and then they're not going to respect me—that will be worse than having a bad Alpha, right? If they don't have some kind of respect for me? That could end up… that could end really bad."

And her eyes were wide, pleading with him, fear spearing through her. After all… if it went badly for one of them, it would go badly for both.

 

Chapter 208

"You underestimate us, Sash," Zev said quietly. "We Chimera are very physical, yes, and we fight a lot. At least, to get a hierarchy established. But most of being Alpha has nothing to do with fighting—look at Kyelle. You think she's held that position as a female because she packs a punch? No, it's because she's smart and resourceful, and the Chimera respect her. For her mind, and her heart. And when they see you, they'll be even more impressed, I promise."

Sasha snorted. "I think you're a little biased."

He shrugged. "Even if I am, the thing you need to realize is that the males aren't immediately going to try and beat you up. They're going to respect you for the position you hold, for freeing them from Xar, and for being my mate. They'll respect you for being a female, and for the strength of character you've shown already. And perhaps the most important thing is, when the humans show up—because they will, soon—the Chimera will respect you because the humans will see you."

Sasha blinked. "See me? What do you mean? I'm not going to hide anymore?"

Zev shook his head. "No, more than that. Of course you're not hiding anymore. You're Alpha, and you'll have to negotiate everything with them. But that isn't what I mean. You're human, Sasha. You're one of them. You're not a creation they made—or bred. They don't have that perspective on you, of a… a tool. Whether they like that you're here or not, they'll see you, they'll listen to you, they'll know that you're a real person, because you're one of them."

"But… all they need to do is bring a gun and I'm powerless, just like you would be."

"Not with all the Chimera on your side," Zev said with a sly smile.

"Wait, what?"

"I told you, you'll be protected. If you're an Alpha that denies the humans access to Thana, the Chimera will follow you to protect our land, and stand as a barrier to you so the humans can't get to you."

"But… but the Chimera have been here for decades, you said. And in bigger numbers than you are now. They could have stood up to the humans any time they wanted, and they didn't. Why would they do that for me?"

"Because you're Alpha, and you aren't going to be manipulated by the humans," he said. "All the Alphas so far have come from the lab. We arrive already aligned with the humans. Even I was at the beginning—and they still removed me. Xar was blackmailed, and they used him up.

"We've all been manipulated and deceived from the beginning, I can see it now. But I couldn't back then. So I worked with the humans to keep them coming with their medicines, and their extra resources when it was a tough season.

"Of course, I can see now that it wasn't worth it. And I think I would have figured that out pretty soon if they'd left me alone. Maybe they knew that. Maybe that's why they moved when they did. The point is, I never called for rebellion—and Xar rolled onto his back so they could scratch his tummy…" he trailed off, his mind racing. He'd been about to say she would be the first Alpha to instruct her people to resist… but he was seeing something.

"Zev? What's wrong?"

"Nothing," he breathed. "I'm just… I just got a glimpse…" he brought his eyes back down to meet hers. "I can see what we need, I think."

"What?"

"You're human, Sasha. You're one of them. And they're accountable to that. So, you need to set some boundaries, but keep lines of communication open with them until we can figure out how to get the females out. You can go into their world and move freely. You have a support network entirely separate from the team… that's an asset I can't even… Sasha, that's huge. Once we figure out how to get the females out, we find a way to block the gateway to stop the team ever coming back. And then we can just… live." He took a deep breath. "Can you see it?"

Sasha's eyes were wide, but she nodded. "You're right. I can… So... I'll deal with the humans, you deal with the Chimera. Between us we can make this happen."

"Once we figure out how to get the females back," he reminded her.

She nodded. "I know. I know. That's… I don't even know where to start with that. But yeah… I see it, Zev. It'll be a whole new world here. But… how will we do it?"

"I don't know," he said honestly. "But I know you're here and I trust you and… the rest we'll figure out. It's what Alphas do."

Sasha, whose heart had begun to race—making Zev's follow quickly, an interesting side-effect of their bond—rolled her eyes. "The thing you're forgetting is that I'm not actually an Alpha," she groaned, dropping her forehead against his chest. "You're the Alpha here, Zev. I'm just a… a hanger on."

"No, Sash," he said, tipping her chin up. "I'm not Alpha anymore. I'm second. A very, very submissive second," he said and flashed her a smile.

She caught his mood and grinned. "Submissive? You?"

He tilted his head. "What's the saying from the fairytales? Your wish is my command?"

"Oh, really? You're granting wishes now?"

"Definitely," he growled, sidling closer and pulling her tighter against him so she could feel how his body responded even to the little flirty smile she was beaming at him. "What wish can I help you with now?"

Starting at her temples, he clawed his fingers into her scalp and followed her hair down the back of her neck. Sasha shivered, and he almost took her mouth.

The tension he'd been feeling was quickly easing to be replaced with an entirely different kind of bubbling tension. One that wanted—no, needed—to be fed.

Alpha indeed.

No longer distracted, no longer drifting, Zev stared down at her, his hands fisted in her hair. "What's your wish?" he asked her, his voice low and throaty.

"You, Zev," she murmured. "It's always you."

Then she reached up to his neck, pulling him down into a kiss that blew away the last of the haze from his mind. And as he sank into her kiss, the warmth of her body against his, and the happy sigh she gave when he leaned down to kiss her neck… Zev thanked whatever Creator was responsible for this moment.. Because no matter what else was happening, he knew the day would never dawn that he didn't want her.

 

Chapter 209

The sudden intensity in Zev's gaze was a shock—and a thrill. He'd been so distracted and distant, she'd begun to question him. Stupidly. She knew Zev loved her. But five years of insecurity were hard to escape and when he'd been so vague…

But he wasn't vague now.

They stood in the valley, the snow only a smattering over the ground here because they were in the lee of the ravine. Not far away, the glistening white banked and piled feet deep on every side. But they were also twenty minutes walk from the cave. More if they walked as slowly as they had coming down.

She was about to open her mouth to suggest they hurry back when Zev's hand slid to cup her ear, his fingers curling over the tender spot at the back of her neck where he'd sucked and bitten her the night before and that incredible bond had deepened.

She'd been so consumed by the new connections between them, she'd almost forgotten the wound. But when he stroked it lightly with the tips of his fingers her entire skin shivered as if there were more nerve endings there than anywhere else in her body.

The hair on her arms stood up, her mouth dropped open, and flames burst to life, low in her belly.

"W-what is that?!" she gasped.

"My mark," Zev growled, his eyes shining. Before she could respond, he took her mouth in a soul-searing kiss.

Sasha struggled to find her breath as tingling desire bloomed in her gut and she reached for him instinctively, pressed into his kiss, tangled her tongue with his.

But then her mind went to war with her body. They were outside. In broad daylight—though it was a deeply overcast afternoon, more like twilight than the mid-afternoon sun. But still… and snow covered everything.

Her head said they needed to go back to the cave, but her body was having none of it—and neither was Zev's.

He had both his hands in her hair, tugging her head back and his lips on her throat, a growl puttering in his own. Sasha gripped his shoulders, trying to force back the haze of lust that was washing over her while she considered the practicalities of this.

"Zev," she gasped as his lips dragged down her neck and he nuzzled into her collarbones, deep in the collar of her jacket. His fingers were already feverishly working at her buttons, and even as she arched, aching to be in his hands, she feared that this could all go desperately wrong in this cold.

What if they froze something off?

"Zev," she repeated, grabbing his face and forcing him to look at her, both of their chests already heaving. What the hell was wrong with her? "How are we going to do this out here?" she panted. "The snow—"

Zev flashed a grin. "I'll show you."

Then he looked around and, spying a small crevice in the rock to their right, tugged her toward it. She followed, stumbling, as he stepped into the shadow of it, turning to place his back to the rockface and turning back to stare at her, grinning wickedly.

"But—"

"Trust me." There was a breathless pause between them as he held out his hand, beckoning her forward, and it was such a perfect echo of every time he'd asked her to trust, of his heart so pure and true for her, she almost wept.

But swallowing back the tears, she put her hand in his. "I do," she whispered.

And with a whine of sheer pleasure, he pulled her into his chest, taking her lips again, his tongue tracing along hers, then under her lip as he trailed his fingers over that spot on the back of her neck again.

Sasha shivered deliciously and let her head drop back and for the next minute she forgot about everything but Zev's mouth, his breath, the way his body reached for hers.

He had her jacket buttons undone and had whined his approval, before he started on his own. Sasha wasn't sure how this was going to work, but she could barely wait to get her hands on his chest—until he finished unbuttoning it and yanked it off his arms completely, then tossed it to the snowy ground and, sliding his back down the rockface, sat on it, pulling her with him.

"Zev!" she squawked as she landed in his lap.

"I said, trust me," he rasped.

"But you can't be naked in this! You're going to freeze! You'll get sick, or—"

"I can handle a lot colder temperatures than you," he reassured her. "Especially for only twenty minutes."

"Twenty?!"

"Well, I can probably swing half an hour, but I'm worried about you getting cold too—"

"Zev! I meant that twenty minutes is too long!"

"No, Sash," his voice was rasping, throaty, and his eyes feverish on hers. "Please. I need you."

That pool of heat in her belly did somersaults at the sheer lust in his eyes. And her body responded.

No more protests. She didn't know how this was going to go, but she didn't want to wait. So she let Zev open her buttons, untie her leggings, and she groaned his name, gripping his neck and shoulders when he dropped his head, nuzzling the jacket aside to take the peak of her breast in his mouth.

He sucked, and Sasha arched, hissing, pulling him against her, whimpering. Suddenly frantic to get her leggings off and take him.

But Zev wasn't rushing, flattening his hand against her belly and sliding down into her leggings, teasing her with touches as he tasted first one breast, then the others. And under her hands that had been out in the cold, his skin that had been beneath the furs was hot to the touch. She feared her fingers would feel frozen by comparison. But he didn't yelp when she stroked his chest and gripped the back of his neck.

He moaned her name and began to push her leggings down.

"I can… take you from behind again… or you can take them off and kneel… over me," he rasped.

"I want to touch you. I want to see you," she whispered—a statement that would have made her blush usually, but the twist at her core was sparking, frantic for him. And she didn't have to wait, because the words sparked Zev too, who growled his approval, then lifted her, whipping her boots and leggings off with lightening quick tugs, then turning her, guiding her leg so she straddled him and they were pressed together.

She gasped at the contact, but Zev took a moment to pull the sides of his jacket up, over her feet and calves so they wouldn't get cold, then took her face in his hands and kissed her as if she were about to leave him.

Sasha whimpered again, arching, rubbing herself against him, marveling at her own desperation. Where had this endless pool of want come from? Why was she naked in a winter valley? But all thoughts were blown away by the wind of his searing kiss.

Zev leaned forward, arching her back, his mouth open over hers, his tongue probing and insistent, and Sasha pulled him in, leaning back.

Then his hands dragged down her scalp to that spot at the back of her neck, his fingers tracing over it in a way that sent butterflies fluttering, cascading deliciously down her back and sides. The combined sensation of the friction between them, along with that incredible sensitivity almost sent her over the edge into her climax.

Stunned and shuddering, she gasped his name. "Please, Zev!"

With another growl, he took her hips in his hand, tilted them, and entered her in a single thrust that had Sasha crying out, and Zev groaning, his face buried in her neck.

 

Chapter 210

The feeling of her shuddered through him, as if every inch of his skin had become a Sasha receptor. His senses were saturated in her—her touch, her scent, her voice. He literally shook with wanting her, his breath hitching and catching as they moved together. He clung to her mercilessly, unable to be close enough, overwhelmed.

What was happening to him?

He leaned into her kiss, rolling his hips, breath hot, skin hot, hands full of her and all he could do was yearn for more.

And she was the same—frantic for him, her kiss deep and urgent, open mouthed and teeth clashing, writhing to meet him.

Eyes open to devour the sight of her, Zev groaned as she let her head fall back and the light of the day painted her neck, chest and stomach for him in a soft glow, the soft, cloudy afternoon silhouetting her between the rocks so she seemed to glow.

Then her fingers fisted in his hair and she pulled him down and he went, gladly, into her arms, their bodies rolling in time.

For long minutes, Zev was lost in her, his body climbing, always climbing, his heart slamming against his ribs—and hers echoing.

The cold didn't touch him, his blood racing in his veins, hot and crackling for her.

Then, careful with his wound, he pulled her up, shifted his seat so he had more room, and leaning back so just his shoulders rested against the rocks, he took her hips in his hands and began to move her, lifting her, then pulling her down into his thrust until his call was breaking in his throat.

Sasha's eyes flew wide and she stopped breathing, her heartrate skyrocketing—taking his with it.

He'd left her jacket on so she wouldn't get cold, but it was unbuttoned, the two sides loose and flapping.

Shifting one hand back to cup her ass and keep her close, he slide the other up her side, under the jacket, brushing the fur aside and cupping her breast, then tweaking her nipple.

Sasha made a tiny, high keen in her throat and ground into him.

Shuddering with joy, Zev drank her in—her mouth open, jaw slack, her throat exposed, her breast bouncing in his hand. Then he let himself watch where they joined, where they were made one and a guttural groan roared out of him as he almost came.

Seeing her so abandoned, watching her ride him, everything within him came alight, driving him deeper, closer. His heart ran, thudding in time with hers, slamming against his ribs so quickly his skin thrummed. Eyes wide he watched as, for every jolt of desire that coursed through him, Sasha responded with her own her body clenching, bearing down on him, her voice growing higher, more strangled.

And as her desire grew, it fed his

This bond… this incredible bond… he hadn't known. He felt as if his skin would explode, unable to contain everything he was feeling—heat, shivering desire, love, fear… it was an overwhelming wave of emotion that carried with it the glittering, physical sensations that threatened to…

Fuck.

He realized then, the way they were connected. His heart echoed hers, and hers answered. His body sought hers, and hers absorbed him, then fed her desire back.

As if they fueled each other.

His mate, his beautiful mate… her want for him made his greater, and the volcanic heat he held inside for her was overflowing in her own body.

In this endless, upward spiral of desire, his desperation only climbed. He wasn't going to last much longer. Zev realized.

"Sash," he groaned.

"Oh, Zev," she gasped, tipping her head back again. When he pulled her up, her eyes were wide, as if she were in shock—but they glazed as she took his mouth, sucking his tongue and whimpering.

With a growl, he returned her kiss, and she was there—open, abandoned, completely surrendered to him.

His chest swelled as his heart expanded, driving him forward with need.

"Sash, I'm… fuck… this is going to be fast," he groaned.

"I don't care! Please just… don't stop, Zev!"

Shuddering, he pulled her over him into his kiss, both of them barely able to keep contact as they struggled to breathe.

But Zev's control was shredded. One hand at her back, the other cupping her neck, he pressed back against the rock until his hips began to arch off the ground with every thrust. And Sasha, crying his name, rode him, gasping.

"I'm coming, Zev. Oh god… I'm…" Her voice was high and faint and Zev fisted her jacket, driving into her as was caught up in the relentless drive of her climax and together they both fell over the cliff in an avalanche of brilliant light and heat that left Zev speechless and gasping.

Blinking, panting, stunned, still twitching, Zev's body relaxed and he clutched her to his chest, unable to catch his breath.

"What the hell?" Sasha panted. "What the hell?"

It took him several heaving breaths to be able to speak. "It's the bond," he wheezed. "We're… our bodies are feeling each other… I could feel what you were feeling… could you?"

Sasha blinked, then nodded, pulling back to meet his eyes. "That wanting…" she breathed. "That's what it's like for you all the time?"

He snorted. "Only at the beginning. That was… that was next level."

"It was like something within me was growing and… bursting out!"

He nodded. "Me too." He slid his hand into her hair, overcome with the need to be close to her. "God, you're so beautiful, Sash. So fucking hot. I'm just… I can't believe you're mine."

She shook her head, her eyes wide. "I feel the same way."

Zev was suddenly swallowing a lump in his throat, his eyes stinging. Overwhelmed, he pulled her into another kiss and held her so tightly he worried he might cut off her air. But she only clung back, whispering his name against his lips and pressing into his chest.

Desperation didn't even cover it.