I don’t have time to process it, all I feel is need.
Claim. Mate. Mine.
The rut slams into me like a physical blow, overwhelming and feral.
I need her.
I need to take her to the mating circle so the bond can snap into place.
She’s still boneless in my arms, drifting in that space between waking and dreaming, unaware that I’m changing. That my fur is black and glowing, and my control is gone.
I can’t do this here.
I scoop her up in one motion, cradling her against my chest. Her head lolls against my shoulder, her fingers curling weakly in my fur.
Andrik?Her voice in my mind is sleepy.What’s happening?
I’m taking you somewhere, I rasp through the bond. Somewhere, we can finish this.
Okay, she whispers.I trust you.
Those three little words nearly break me. I grab the furs she was lying on, throw them over my shoulder, and run.
Lumi-
Movement. That’s the first thing I register. Fast, jarring movements that make my body bounce with each impact.
Wind whips at my face. Cold air floods my lungs. My eyes snap open, and the forest blurs past in blurry streaks.
Andrik’s carrying me, his strong arms locked around me like iron.
“Andrik?”
I try to reach through that strange connection we had, that voice-in-my-head thing, but it’s fading, slipping through my fingers like water. I tilt my head up and freeze.
His fur... it’s black and glowing, like moonlight caught in ink, flickering with every heartbeat.
“Andrik?” My voice comes out breathless, confused. “What—your fur?—?”
He doesn’t answer. Doesn’t even look down at me. Just keeps running.
His breath is ragged and desperate.
He smells different. It’s so good, I can’t get enough. It’s heavier than before. Something overwhelmingly male that makes my thighs clench involuntarily.
Ice spreads through me. Whatever was building in the cabin, whatever I was dreaming about, is nothing compared to this.
My body aches. Everything in me is screaming for him.
“Andrik,” I gasp. “Where are we going?”
A growl rumbles through his chest.
“Kaemorin,” he finally rasps. “Velûn. Saelûn.”
Mine. Circle. Soulmate.
I’ve heard enoughVraksûnby now to recognize the words. His voice is slurred and rough, like he’s drunk.
