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We could hear people in camp moving around and murmuring to each other. Some were exchanging stories, and their laughter would’ve relaxed me if I hadn’t been missing the other half of my soul.
But she wasn’t with me.
And damn, I hated that.
It only brought back the sharp loneliness that had been my constant companion since I lost her. Being away from her made it difficult to believe she was truly mine at all, and I despised that feeling.
Though I assumed she was either getting ready for bed or already asleep, given the distance between us, I knew she wouldn’t reach out to me first. She was worried I would get hurt if she distracted me, and wasn’t willing to risk it.
“Finally stopped for the night,”I said quietly into her mind, closing my eyes and relishing the comfort of feeling that connection between us.
“I just climbed into bed too,”she replied, her voice tired but happy.
“How was training with the other mated women?”
Naomi laughed softly, and my lips curved upward, my body relaxing at the sound.“Rough. Mare and North made me their project to focus on while their mates are gone, and Ervo and Priel have been training them, so they’re brutal. They invited me to crash in this little cave they’re sharing until their guys get back. Neither of them wanted to sleep alone.”
“You’re there now?”
“Nah. I wanted to sleep in your cave. Our cave. I’m hoping it starts to feel like mine, soon. It’s been so long since I’ve felt like I had a home.”
I hated that for her.“I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be. Our place is already more comfortable for me than anywhere I’ve stayed in the past two decades, so you’re winning.”
My small smile returned.
“How are you doing?”she checked.“Hanging out with the bros?”
I snorted.“Hardly. My brothers are still pissed that their females forced them to come along on the journey. It’s been… strange.”
“Strange how?”
It was probably ridiculous, but I loved the way she pushed me. The way she wouldn’t just accept a half-answer and always asked me to share more. I did want to share with her; my fears and anxieties simply made me hesitant to do so.
“Being away from you so soon after mating makes our connection feel less real to me, I guess. Or maybe…”I trailed off, my lips pressing together as I tried to put it to words.“It makes me question whether I’ve imagined everything that’s happened between us.”
“I understand. After so much yearning, it’s hard for me to wrap my head around us really being together, too.”
“Exactly. I want us to feel settled, but it’ll take time.”
“Luckily for us, we have all the time in the world.”Nai’s voice was soft, and heart-achingly sweet.
“Damn, I love the sound of it.”
“Me too.”She grew quiet.
I itched to feel her emotions wrap around me. To feelherwrapped around me, like I had in our cave.“How tired are you?”
“Depends why you’re asking.”
My lips curved upward again.“Want to try peeling away at the bond?”
“Ooh. Yeah, let’s do it. You work on your side, I’ll work on mine. I asked the girls more about it today, and they told me that you can take your own wall down at any time to feel your mate more completely. North said she did it a dozen times throughout the day, because she was worried about Priel.”
“I’ll probably do it every ten minutes if I can figure it out,”I admitted.
She laughed again.“Shh, Ter. Let me focus.”
