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“That’s amazing,” Meira says. “If you go back, I want to join you and meet your relatives. I’ve always wanted to travel and visit other countries.”
Bardhyl chuckles before saying, “If I do go, you’re all coming with me. But let’s see how things turn out.”
“You haven’t returned since leaving?” Meira asks.
“No.” Bardhyl swallows loudly because what he went through when he lost control of his wolf is a hard burden for anyone to carry. Even for a huge bear like him. I shake my head. I fucking love him as a brother and this is fantastic news.
Dušan doesn’t say anything, but what we all need now is rest after everything we’ve gone through. And thankfully, I stock up on supplies in this room regularly.
Rounding a corner deep in the tunnels where it smells heavily of earth, I reach out and my fingers graze a wooden door, just as I expected. Lowering my hand to the metal handle, I swing open the door.
A sliver of light comes from thin cracks in the ceiling.
I scope out the small room, taking it in one sweep of the empty space. It’s safe.
The place is just as I left it. Two medium beds against the back wall, a table near the slits of light coming in, and a cupboard in the far corner. I plastered the walls with wooden panels long ago, and now they’ve faded to a pale brown. Simple, but what else is needed?
“Whoa. This is so cozy.” Meira steps inside, as do the other two, and I shut the door, locking it behind them. Just in case anyone tries to sneak in.
Meira darts around the room, inspecting the beds, and the pantry cupboard filled with food.
Her smile brightens any day.
The feeling never gets old. Floating on her joy is a thing of amazement and it helps me deal with the shitty situation we’ve found ourselves in.
“We stay here for the night, rest, and then take the next steps,” I suggest as Bardhyl moves over to the cupboard. He grabs blankets, while I take the bottle of water and metal containers I’ve filled with dried food. Then I begin to make a small feast on the table.
Whispers draw my attention to Meira and Dušan making themselves comfortable on the bed, her curled in his arms. Bardhyl gives them space and sits at the table helping himself to dried meats, lost in his own thoughts. I unwrap a large piece of cheese and cut it into chunks with the knife. Down here, the temperature remains cool enough that food doesn’t spoil quickly.
Before I know it, I’m joining Bardhyl, slumped in my seat, both of us still naked, eating cheese and meats on crackers. “Didn’t realize how starved I was,” I murmur.
“I could eat everything here and still be hungry.” He smiles lopsidedly, and his gaze sails over to the pair on the bed. They need some alone time after everything.
“So, thoughts on how we destroy Mad?” I ask.
Bardhyl stuffs a big slice of cheese into his mouth before reaching for more crackers. When he swallows his food, he says, “Element of surprise. We need something he isn’t expecting to give us time to reach him.”
I scratch my head. “Great idea. We just don’thavethe element of surprise. Mad’s surely expecting us.”
His lips thin. “That’s the part I haven’t worked out yet.”
Meira
Dušan wipes away the loose tear threading from the corner of my eye. “No more crying, gorgeous. We made it out alive and now we’re the ones Mad should be scared of.”
The determination in his voice, the belief he holds, is reason enough that I straighten my back and chase away the fear of what could have happened. I’ve always been one to put the past behind me and move forward. But with my growing feelings for these three Ash Wolves, something within me has shifted. A trepidation, a gut feeling weighing me down that I may lose them.
“You’re right,” I say. I wipe my cheeks clean as I pull a leg under me and twist to face Dušan on the bed. “I’m holding on to fear, and that’s stupid.”
He cradles the sides of my face with his large palms, and I beam under his gaze. He always makes me feel like nothing can touch me. “You are the strongest person I know. We are going to defeat Mad, and then the four of us can be together how we were meant to.”
I try to ignore the shiver gripping my spine and avoid asking the obvious question of how in the world we’re going to achieve that. This isn’t the time for those thoughts. After being battered and deflated, this is a time to recharge.
“I’m ready to destroy Mad.”
He laughs softly, and the way he looks at me, I almost expect him to say I’m not going to be facing Mad. But instead, his mouth suddenly grazes mine, gentle at first, then he kisses me intensely. It’s scorching hot, thunderous. I melt against him. After everything, this is exactly what I desire. To have him against me, to hear the hunger in his growls, to feel his desperate arousal.
Whatever we have going is so much more than animal and physical attraction. This is a deep passion that sweeps through me like an inferno, and I stand no chance of driving it aside.
