Page 217 of Beasts of Mine

Bird calls came from both banks. Some were familiar immediately, while several animals farther inside the trees were close enough for me to understand bits of conversation among the ordinary forest noise. A capuchin somewhere deeper in the vegetation was loudly insisting that another monkey had stolen his fruit. Two birds were arguing about a branch. Something small near the water kept warning anything willing to listen about a snake beneath the leaves.

I smiled and kept listening.

The first time I'd traveled this river, I'd been watching for subjects, access points, routes, and anything that could affect six weeks of work. Now I knew which section of trail held water after heavy rain and where the kingfisher usually worked the slower edge of the stream. I knew a loud scarlet macaw would probably discover my return before I made it halfway to the temple.

More importantly, I knew who was beyond the station.

My stomach tightened as the landing came into view. I'd spent three months thinking about what I intended to ask Malek, Tavian, and Luca, so the nerves weren't uncertainty. Permanent was simply a large decision even when I was sure about it.

Mara stood near the landing while one of the workers secured the boat line. She looked almost exactly the same as she had when I'd left, down to the battered boots and brown hair already escaping her bun in the humidity.

“You came back voluntarily.” Mara called to me as I stepped onto the landing, amusement spreading across her face while I adjusted my personal bag and tested my legs after sitting in the boat.

“Against my better judgment.” I told Mara as I reached for the smaller camera case, grimacing when the humid air made the back of my shirt cling to my skin.

“You've been here thirty seconds and you're already sweating.” Mara observed as she glanced at my damp hair and stepped aside so the next case could be unloaded.

“Patagonia was cold enough that I forgot this was possible.” I told Mara as I put the case down long enough to lift my hair away from the back of my neck.

“You'll remember.” Mara assured me as she stepped forward and hugged me briefly, the familiar smells of insect repellent and station soap clinging to her field clothes.

“You look annoyingly pleased with yourself.” Mara added as she pulled back and studied my face, apparently noticing the mood before I said anything.

“I got the puma shot.” I told Mara as my smile returned immediately, unable to pretend I wasn't proud of it.

“Of course you did. I expect to see it later.” Mara replied as satisfaction replaced the teasing in her expression, and she squeezed my shoulder once before stepping away.

“You will.” I promised Mara as I picked up the camera case, already knowing I'd make her sit through more than one photograph once I'd recovered from traveling. Mara glanced toward the luggage being moved behind us and then at the bag I hadn't handed over.

“You can leave the rest here. I'm guessing you're not planning to spend the afternoon catching me up.” Mara told me as she opened the station door, her eyes briefly shifting toward the western trail.

“Not immediately.” I admitted to Mara as I carried my equipment inside and set down the things I didn't need.

“That's what I figured.” Mara replied as she adjusted the clipboard beneath one arm, giving me a knowing smile before turning back toward the cases being unloaded. I took my personal bag and the smaller camera case. The western trail felt shorter than I remembered, probably because I was walking faster than my usual field pace. Humidity coated my skin, insects found me almost immediately, and wet leaves brushed my forearms whenever I cut too close to the edge of the path.

Red feathers flashed overhead. I slowed as the scarlet macaw dropped onto a branch above the trail and cocked its head until one dark eye pointed directly at me.

You came back, the macaw said as its claws shifted around the wet branch.

“I told you I would.” I answered the macaw as my fingers tightened around the case handle, hearing its familiar voice again doing more to me than I wanted to admit. The bird clicked its beak once, then threw its head back and screamed loudly enough to announce my location to everything within an entirely unnecessary distance.

“Oh, that's helpful.” I told the macaw as it launched toward the sanctuary, its red feathers disappearing between the leaves ahead of me. I increased my pace as the first weathered stones appeared through the vegetation, followed by the outer wall and courtyard. I barely had time to lower the camera case and shrug my personal bag from my shoulder beside it before Tavian came around the far side of the ruins at a run.

“Evie.” Tavian said my name as he reached me, relief clear in his voice before his arms closed around my waist and lifted me completely off the ground.

“Tavian.” I laughed his name as I wrapped both arms around his neck and buried my face against him the second sun-warmed wood, citrus leaves, and spice filled my nose after months without the real thing. His purr started hard enough that I felt the vibration through my chest. Tavian held me off the ground for several seconds before setting my feet back on the stone, but he didn't release me. Both arms stayed around my waist while he pressed his face against the side of my neck and drew in another breath.

“You're really here.” Tavian told me as his palm traveled across my back, his voice quieter now that the first rush had passed.

“I am.” I answered Tavian as honey and jasmine strengthened beneath my blockers, my fingers curling into his shirt while my Omega reacted enthusiastically to having him close again.

“You smell different.” Tavian told me as he lifted his head and nosed through my hair, examining me with enough concentration that I nearly laughed.

“I've been traveling for almost two days. I'm probably not at my best.” I reminded Tavian as I ran my palms over his face, taking in familiar amber eyes, warm skin, and hair that had grown slightly longer since I'd left.

“You smell like you. There's just a lot of other stuff on top of it.” Tavian replied as his hands returned to my waist, his nose wrinkling when he caught another unfamiliar travel smell.

“That was almost a compliment.” I told Tavian as I cupped his jaw, relief loosening my shoulders when touching him felt just as natural as it had before I left. He kissed me before I could say anything else. There was nothing cautious about it. His mouth covered mine, one hand went into my hair, and I kissed him until everything outside the two feet around us became considerably less interesting.