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The sound of the roaring falls filtered through the trees. Nova’s ears perked up, and she went ahead at a trot. I glanced at Dannika from my periphery, gauging her response to the beauty all around us as we exited the forest and came to the clearing.
Her eyes widened. A smile crept up her face, and she took in a deep breath, closing her eyes while she soaked in the late afternoon sun peeking through the clouds. It shimmered on the water, and the cool mist from the falls’ spray filled the air.
When she opened her eyes, she turned to me. “What?” she asked, a hint of pink tinging her cheeks.
“Nothing. Just admiring the scenery.” I tilted my head toward the body of water before us. “Are you hungry?”
Her brows furrowed, and she looked in the direction I was signaling to. She spotted the setup waiting on the shore. A large blanket was sprawled out, held down by larger rocks so the wind wouldn’t pick up the corners. An indistinct backpack sat on top.
Walking toward it, I moved to sit, waving for her to come over. Speechless, she did, dropping her hiking satchel beside her. After a moment of taking it all in, she finally spoke. “What is all this?”
“Lunch.” Grabbing the bag, I opened up, taking out different items for her to choose from. “I thought it would be nice for us to have a date. Alone. Away from the estate.”
“I don’t know what to say,” she whispered. “A date seems . . .”
“Like something two mates would be expected to do?” I finished for her, raising my eyebrows.
I pulled a raw steak from the backpack and unwrapped it. Holding it out, I offered it to Nova. “You’re welcome to hunt these woods. There’s excellent prey, especially being close to a water source. But if you’d rather not, I did bring something for you too.”
Nova got up, sniffed the meat and then wrapped her jaws around it. She walked over by the water, lying down and devouring her snack. Dannika watched the exchange, and her eyes glazed over for the briefest of moments before they cleared.
“I just didn’t expect it. That’s all,” she said, finally.
“Relax,” I said, turning my attention to her. “It’s just food. Nothing terrible. No ulterior motive, for the most part. This doesn’t have to be awkward.”
She barked a laugh, and Nova turned her head in the other direction, finding the trees suddenly fascinating as she ignored us.
“Clearly, you don’t know me very well. Everything I do is awkward.” She reached for a sandwich, unwrapping it and taking a bite.
“You’ve deliberately avoided me for the last week,” I pointed out. “That makes it rather difficult to get to know you very well. What’s a guy got to do to get your attention, Danni?”
She coughed, hitting her chest with her hand. Around a mouthful of food, she said, “Guys don’t generally want my attention. I’ve never considered it.”
I shook my head. “I find that hard to believe.”
She huffed a laugh, but it wasn’t genuine. “I was the social pariah in Fire and Fluorite. It’s okay. I’m not trashing myself here. Trust me when I say that I am not wanted in most situations.” Nova exhaled loudly through her snout, seemingly annoyed by the truth of that statement. She stood up, shaking her body before heading into the woods. Dannika turned, watching her exit.
“I want you,” I said. She jerked her head in my direction. Clearing my throat, I added, “Here. I want you here.”
She tried to suppress a smile. “Now that you have me here, what else do you want?”
“Now that is a loaded question,” I said, taking a flask out of a side pocket. Untwisting the cap, I wrapped my lips around the opening and tilted my head back, taking a swig. I considered describing in detail what I wanted to do with her, but it wouldn’t have the effect I’d imagined.
She hummed in response, taking a sip of water from the canteen. “Well, seeing as you’ve trapped me in the forest, and as you said, no one will hear us . . .” She left her statement open-ended. The thoughts running through my head went wild. I wanted to fuck her raw. Lick the sweet juices that would coat her thighs after I’d make her scream over and over . . .
“Finish your thought,” I commanded lightly, clearing my throat of the dry spot that had developed in it and completely bypassing the fact that she was flirting with me in return. I’d let her decide how far we would push this.
“Why do you think I’ve been avoiding you?” she asked, the question falling from hesitant lips.
“I assumed it had something to do with dinner last week. If I said something that offended you?—”
“You didn’t. Dinner was lovely,” she said, interrupting. “I meant it when I said I enjoy that time with you.”
“You haven’t been yourself since then. Unless something happened with Markus . . .”
She leaned back on her elbows, legs stretched out in front of her, crossing her ankles. She was the picture of ease, if not for how her jaw tightened. “What do you think happened with Markus?”
“Did something?” My voice had gone flat. The forest stilled, as if it sensed the edge I stood on. Had things changed? Did she want to be his mate now? Was Ysabeau right that she could cave, accepting the bond given enough time with him?
