"Kamari!"
My heart stuttered as Zak called my name. I blamed it on the icy water chilling my body.
A loud splash rung out in the narrow passage. It wasn't long before a black wolf caught up with me. "What the hell are you doing?" he demanded.
"Leaving."
"You're going to freeze to death," Zak countered. "Get on my back."
"No."
"You're being stupid right now, you know that?"
"I don't care."
Zak growled and put on a burst of speed, cutting me off. I stopped short before I crashed into his snarling maw full of teeth.
"Yes, you do," Zak insisted. He didn't sound as angry as I expected. "Iknowyou care, Kamari. This isn't like you. You're smarter than this."
Why was he complimenting me instead of berating me? I didn't understand.
"Please," Zak said gently. "Let's just get out of here and talk. Okay?"
My teeth chattered. The cold was seeping into my core. I knew I couldn't swim on my own any longer.
"Kamari," Zak said again. "Please."
His gaze mesmerized me. I wish it didn't.
"Fine," I said, giving up.
Zak wordlessly arranged himself to carry me, then swam to the temple entrance, where we both shifted to human form. Once I stood on my own two feet, I regretted the departure of his body warmth but I'd never admit it.
"I'll make a fire," Zak said.
I nodded, then proceeded to stand around uselessly while Zak gathered materials and kindled a flame in a small clearing between the temple and the forest. The late afternoon sky was a moody shade of purple. By the time the fire crackled, it was dark. There was no moon, but stars exploded across the black sky.
"So, are we going to talk or just sit here like nothing happened?" Zak began.
My hot anger had dissipated into lukewarm hopelessness. "What is there to say? Nautilus is under attack by some malicious spirit and there's no way to save him."
"That's not what Mistral said," Zak said, a growl inching into his voice.
"Right. How could I forget? He wants us to use magic to revive him."
Zak glared at me. "You think the concept of fated mates is a joke, don't you? That's why you always avoided the topic when I brought it up before."
"Yes," I stated. "Happy now?"
Zak looked anything but happy. But instead of snapping at me like I thought he would, he gazed sullenly into the fire. "I wish you could meet my family. They would change your mind."
I deflated, then felt a strange twinge of emotion. The idea of meeting his family was almost intimate. But I knew he didn't mean it that way.
"They're so happy, Kamari," Zak murmured. "My parents. My cousins' parents. You take one look at them and you know that's what real happiness is. Having someone who loves you that deeply. It's all I've ever wanted. It's what I've been trying to find my whole life."
My shoulders sagged. This vulnerable side of Zak took me off guard. I didn't know what to say so I remained silent.
But my mind strayed back to our kiss inside the temple. The one that was simply a transaction.
