Page 98 of Wind Rider

He nodded. “This Pack is a family. Bast and I like belonging to it. And, if it’s okay with you, we like belonging to you, too. A lot.”

“It’s okay with me,” she said.

And then they said at the same time:

“I wanted to ask you if—”

“I wanted to ask you if—”

They grinned at each other. “You first,” Antreas said.

“Okay.” Danita cleared her throat, feeling unexpectedly nervous. “I wanted to ask you if I could sleep with you.”

Antreas cocked his head to the side. “Isn’t that what you did last night?”

“No. I sleptnearyou last night. Bast slept between us. Tonight I’d like to sleep beside you—withyou. But I’m not ready to do more than sleep. I mean, I know you want more, and I do like kissing you. I just can’t think about anything more yet without—”

“Hey, ssh. It’s okay.” He touched her face and brushed back her hair. “I would lovenothingmore tonight than for you to sleepwithme,besideme—as close to me as you’d like. And, here’s a little secret.” Antreas make a show of looking around, before lowering his voice to a whisper. “I’m too tired to do more than sleep. Even kissing, as much as I like kissing you, would be better another night. Tonight sleep, with you, is perfect.”

Danita visibly relaxed. “Your turn,” she said. “What did you want to ask me?”

Antreas sat up straighter. He reached into his pocket and took out a long, delicate silver chain. From the center of it hung a smallish, white thing with a pointed end. The top of the object had been beautifully wrapped in silver, so that it glinted, catching the campfire, which was close enough to lend light to their pallet.

“That’s really pretty. What is it?”

“I hope it’s yours,” Antreas said. He met her gaze, and within his eyes Danita saw a new world open before her—one filled with love and understanding and perhaps even restoration and passion. Bast had moved from being curled up at Danita’s feet to sitting beside her as Antreas held the necklace out, offering it to Danita. “Dani, I would like to officially court you. Please accept this gift.” Bast coughed and Antreas added, “Oh, yeah, this is one of Bast’s baby teeth. I’ve kept it all these years—carried it like a talisman. It’s what took me so long in the village today. I had to persuade Father John to let me trade with a jeweler. She made this for you. Bast and I hope you like it and will wear it—for us—for the three of us.”

Danita’s hand trembled as she took the necklace from Antreas. It was warm from his body. She looked closely at it, marveling at the way the jeweler had wrapped the silver around the top of the tooth.

“This is wonderful! I love it so, so much.” Danita threw her arms around Bast, hugging her close. Then she turned to Antreas. “I accept your courting gift.”

His face came alive. “Really? That means I’m officially courting you now?”

“Yes. That’s exactly what I mean. Oh, Antreas, it is the perfect,perfectgift.” She lifted it, putting it over her head so that it hung between her breasts. She touched it gently. “Thank you, Antreas.”

“You’re welcome,” he said. Then he fist-pumped the air. “We did it, Bast! She likes it! And she likes us!”

“Ssssh, silly!” Danita giggled and shifted so that she could snuggle beside him as she studied her necklace. “This is an amazingly big baby tooth. Bast, you have some very sharp teeth.”

“You thinkthat’sbig? Show her, Bast,” Antreas said.

The Lynx complied, baring her teeth in a mock snarl, and Danita pretended fear as she clutched her heart and fell back against Antreas, which had Bast padding to her and rubbing against her while purring manically. Then the feline settled next to Danita, so that she was securely sandwiched between Lynx and Lynx Companion.

Danita sighed happily and put her head on Antreas’s shoulder. “Hey, how did you talk Father John into letting you trade? He was really mad when he basically kicked us out of the village.”

Antreas shrugged. “It was no big thing.”

Danita turned so that she could look up into his face. “But how did you do it?”

Antreas’s gaze slid away from hers, making her sit up and stare at him. “Antreas?”

“I traded the jeweler some more of those jay feathers. You know, like the ones Bast gathered for you. The Saleeshloveanything blue. Hard to believe I got all that silver for a few blue feathers, huh?”

“Antreas. Why are you avoiding my question? How did you persuade Father John to let you trade with the jeweler? You didn’t hurt him, did you?”

Antreas looked shocked. “Of course not!”

“Well then?”