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Ivaylo let out a long breath and finally released his hold on me. “I’ll check on you in a bit.”
“We’ll come find you when we’re done chatting,” Bevvi countered, tugging me away from Ivaylo’s side before he could change his mind.
“You may never get her back,” the Peaks alpha rumbled behind us, humor in his voice. “They’ve been dying for new blood, and they know they’ll only have her for a day or two.” His voice grew more distant as Bevvi led me further up the mountain.
twenty
EZRA
I spentthe entire day with a huge group of the pack’s women. There were so many of them—and they were all thrilled to meet me. Some of them had sons in Ivaylo’s pack, and those women’s eyes brimmed with tears when they saw me. I was evidence that the guys had a real chance at surviving immis, which was a relief for all of them.
Though Ivaylo checked in on me multiple times, he was satisfied that I was safe, so he left me alone with them.
They explained everything about the mating process to me as if I was brand new to it, and I was grateful to get a summary that aligned with what I’d experienced. I didn’t think I had any concern about Ivaylo’s truthfulness when it came to the mating thing, but the more they said, the more at ease I felt with my mate.
He had told me the complete truth, and now, I knew that with certainty. It solidified my trust in him, and made me feel more sure that I was making the right choice.
We traded stories about our worlds, and they sewed methree dozensets of clothing in the style they always wore. It was similar to what I was already wearing, but with a bodysuit underneath the large shirt as underwear.
According to the female shifters, my clothes would vanish every time I shifted forms if I didn’t strip them off first. The clothes would be lost to a magical void, so the women all wore as little as they could without triggering their mates’ possessiveness.
There was no way around losing far too many pieces of clothing, hence the many, many options.
After dinner that night, I walked around the pack’s land with Ivaylo and his parents. He held me securely to his side as we moved, and I relaxed against him. Though myfurstill itched, I was ridiculously content.
We walked and talked for ages, tasting food when we passed homes and were offered it. They were all so friendly and generous, it made my heart warm.
The pack hada few empty dens for the males from Ivaylo’s pack to stay in while they visited, so his parents left us outside one of them after a last round of hugs (except Rell and I; he still didn’t touch me, though he did give me a grin).
Ivaylo held my hand and stepped in first, exactly like I expected him to. He tugged me in after him, and my gaze scanned the space slowly. It was smaller than I’d come to realize I preferred—the small dens made me itch almost as much as the huge ones. It was ridiculous, but there was no way around it I supposed.
“How are you feeling?” Ivaylo asked me, leading me to the bathroom for a shower. I was sure I smelled like a bunch of other women, and knew without asking that it would bother him to have my scent so mixed up.
His sensitivity to my scent would relax after our bond was sealed and we settled into our life together, according to the other women. But, it couldn’t be avoided for the time being.
“Itchy,” I admitted. “But happy.”
“I suppose it could be worse,” he grumbled, bending down.
My eyebrows shot upward when I saw a bathtub.
A massive, comfortable-looking bathtub that was built into the ground.
“Ohh. We’re taking a bath? I didn’t know we even had bathtubs in Evare.”
“We do. Our baths are usually in bathing pools, like this one.” He gestured to the massive tub.
Err, pool.
He turned the water on. There was no point in arguing when I could just drag him in with me, and there was more than enough space in there for both of us.
“The warm water will soothe your itch,” he said, adding a few drops of something to the tub. “The oil will help you sleep.”
I wouldn’t protest to help with sleeping when I already knew I’d struggle in the small room, but that wouldn’t solve the problem. “I don’t think the itch will get any better until I bite you, Vay.”
He growled at me. “Don’t say that.”
“I’m not being negative. It’s just the truth.”
