Nearing the front of a rustic cabin with a bright red door, Ruger reached into his pocket and removed an ornate key. “I don’t think your wings will fit through the door.”
Luka nodded and rolled his shoulders back, gritting his teeth against the ache as he retracted his wings. It had never been a comfortable process, but they had been unsheathed for so long, this time, it was truly painful.
“You must be hungry.”
Honestly, the thought of food hadn’t crossed his mind at all, but he wanted to make his mate happy. “Do you have bread?”
“I’ll order us some.” Unlocking the door of the cabin, Ruger pushed it open and motioned him inside. “It might be a while. Do you want to take a shower while we wait?” At Luka’s frown, he chuckled and shook his head. “Sorry, I keep forgetting how new this must be for you.”
New, yes, but he didn’t consider it bad. Just confusing.
“Do you want to bathe while we wait?” Ruger clarified.
Ah, now he understood. Not ideal at that time of year, but at least the lake water wouldn’t be bitingly cold. Besides, he had endured worse.
Still standing on the covered portico, he started to turn but stopped when Ruger grabbed him by the wrist.
“Where are you going?”
His brow creased as he glanced between the lake and the shifter. “To bathe.”
Though the hint of a smile still played on his lips, Ruger sighed and pulled him across the threshold into a spacious sitting room with lavish furnishings. “Come with me.”
Ruger led him past a padded settee upholstered in dark, plush fabric and an artfully carved table with a glass top. Instead of candles and lanterns, the room was lit with glowing orbs that hovered near the ceiling, and on the far wall, a strange black mirror reflected their movements.
He had never seen magic like it before, and frankly, it made him a little uneasy.
They passed through a bed chamber with gleaming floors and a four-poster bed covered in thick blankets fit for a king. Ruger might not have the arrogance or pomp of nobility, but he clearly came from a wealthy family to be able to afford such luxurious lodgings.
The last room they entered looked like nothing he had ever seen before.
A ceramic chair with a hole in the center. A glass cage. A recessed basin built into a wooden cabinet.
He didn’t recognize any of it, nor could he begin to guess their purposes. Still, he trusted Ruger. The male had said he didn’t mean him harm, and he believed that promise.
“This is a bathroom,” Ruger explained as he opened a door on the glass box and reached inside. “It’s where we take care of ourhygiene needs.This—” He pulled a metal lever, causing water to spray from a pipe extending from the tiled wall. “—is a shower.”
Luka stared in stunned silence for a long time, studying the way steam spiraled off the water, despite no obvious heat source. “What kind of magic is this?”
“Not magic.” Returning to his side, Ruger took both of his hands and pulled him toward theshower. “Just clever engineering.” With deft fingers, he untied the coat from Luka’s waist, letting it fall to the floor. “Come on. I promise you’ll like it.”
He pulled back and shook his head. Yes, he trusted Ruger, but it was all just too much. “I will bathe in the lake.”
Silence stretched between them, but it didn’t feel tense or combative. They simply existed in the same space, Ruger meeting him where he was without argument or demands.
Then, without a word, Ruger toed off his shoes and began to undress, peeling away layers of clothing to reveal a toned, muscled body.
A quiet, possessive growl rumbled in Luka’s chest and echoed around the room as he drank in the view. Apart from a nest of dark curls at his groin, he appeared completely hairless, creating a smooth, unmarked canvas of sun-kissed skin.
Gods, he was stunning, the most glorious sight Luka had ever seen. Heat flooded his veins, and his prick swelled, jutting from between his thighs where it throbbed to the frantic beat of his pulse.
When Ruger stepped inside the enclosure beneath the spray of water and held his hand out, Luka hesitated for only a moment before following after him.
The rush of warm water felt amazing, but it couldn’t compare to the feel of Ruger’s hard body pressed against his. Overcome both physically and emotionally, he wrapped his arms aroundthe shifter and dragged him close, bending to bury his face against the side of his neck.
Trembling with the effort of restraint, he breathed deeply, hoping Ruger’s scent would calm him, ground him. Instead, it only stoked the need that burned inside him.
But Ruger didn’t pull away.
