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They had stayed with the raptors for three days and nights by now. They were treated with distant politeness and respect, provided all the meals they required, and given spacious and private accommodations in sectioned caves within the hollowed mountain.
Strangely, unlike the felines, despite having a Hunter (albeit a retired one) in their midst, they were not openly antagonistic towards Zai.
Sin was relieved to note this. He had been prepared to defend Zai if needed, not that the male would ever admit to needing or wanting any kind of defense from anyone else. And in truth, perhaps he didn’t need any help. He was clearly self-sufficient and was a formidable warrior in his own right. Sin’s equal in every way.
But what Zai didn’t realize was that Sinneededandwantedto protect and defend him. That was still an ongoing education Sin was surreptitiously trying to convey to Zai. To have the Dark One recognize their Bond even if he wouldn’t admit to it.
Eventually, Sin would get Zai there. That was the plan. He wasn’t a particularly patient male, but for Zai, he would make an exception.
For Zai, he would make all the exceptions.
Without having to be told, the raptors showed Sin and Zai to one cave for sharing and Ben to a smaller one. Sin took this as a sign that everyone who saw them together could see that he and Zai were Mates, and he took every opportunity to remind the stubborn male of the fact.
Zai simply grunted or ignored him, refusing to acknowledge what was right in front of his eyes, plain as day for everyone to see.
But at least he didn’t argue. Sin took that as progress.
For the most part, the two of them stayed to themselves, often in companionable silence, spending a good deal of time sitting or standing together to look out across the range from their own private rock terrace.
Sin liked the silence. He never felt the need to fill it, unless it was to tease the stoic, taciturn, ever-serious Hunter.
Sin’s Beast side purred with pleasure every time he got a rise out of Zai, even if it was exasperation and annoyance. He lived for the rare moments when he got the male to smile, a little reluctant curl of his lips, usually hidden as he turned away. As if he was shy and didn’t want Sin to see.
What a confounding, fascinating, magnificent male! Sin was head-over-tail absolutelymadabout Zai.
To remind the Dark One of their physical connection, he took blood from the Zai’s vein, and Zai did the same with him. Beyond that, Sin had not pushed. It was a minor miracle he hadn’t pushed.
He wanted to.
Really, fucking wanted to!
But he promised himself that the next time they came together would be more than a passionate, mutually satisfying rutting. He wanted Zai to fully own it.
The blood drinking was both good and bad. It gave him the intimate connection he craved on the one hand, but left him sorely wanting on the other. Because he wanted,needed, to be so much closer—
To crawl inside the male, live beneath his skin, fuse in every way with his body. And that was only the beginning of what Sin needed.
When they communicated, it was always telepathically. This, too, was by preference but also by purpose for Sin.
He wanted to remind Zai, however subtly, that they shared a unique connection, which only Mates shared when they were not the same Kind, unless one or the other had the Gift of telepathy. And even when an Immortal or even human possessed such a Gift, the connection was never as deep as the one between Mates.
Like the one Sin and Zai shared.
As if they were separate and unique individuals who shared one mind, one heart and one soul. They could think and act for themselves, argue and fight, yet still be in perfect harmony in the grand scheme of things, the necessary balance for each other. So that together, they would always be stronger andmorethan they were separately, or even with different partners.
Because Sin had Anya in his life before, however briefly, he knew the difference. He loved Anya and would have stayed Mated to her for the rest of their lives. They’d been partners, and they complemented each other. She made him better.
But there was a difference.
He couldn’t put it into words if pressed, but hefeltandknewthere was a difference.
He didn’t know what he would have done if he’d still been Mated when he encountered Zai. He’d like to think he would have brushed any such encounter off at best, react with only hatred and violence toward a Hunter at worst.
But he would have remembered.
This much he knew to the depths of his soul.
He would have felt and retained the impact of meeting Zai, and even more so if he’d ever gotten to know Zai. And even if he would have stayed with Anya and been happy, he would always have felt a certain indescribable loss.
