"Will you be safe?" Hesitantly, I reach up and cup his cheek. He presses his face into my palm.
"Even if I were to die, I would resurrect. It's the blessing and the curse of the phoenix. Never-ending life." He uses his knuckle to tilt my head back, and he presses his lips to mine.
I swear my soul ignites.
I paw at him, wanting to climb him like a tree.
"It's about time!" Khal's voice breaks me out of my happy little bubble.
A deep growl breaks free from my lips, and I feel Easton's legs almost buckle under him. As I turn to face Khal, the look of shock on his face breaks me out of my anger. "I'm sorry... I don't know what got into me." Trembling, I press back against Easton's chest and try to hide.
"That's easy, my flame. You channeled the rage of Torben's shift. An alpha female becomes stronger with each mate she takes. That's why old laws dictated Lunas only take one mate. The elders slaughtered everyone other than the first mate before the bonds were formed." His smooth, regal features seem relaxed as he relays parts of the darker history of the wolves.
"That's so barbaric. Why would the elders do that?" I cling to Easton as he walks us down the hall and into our suite.
"Until about three hundred years ago, they slaughtered alpha females. Their Luna powers were proven to be incredibly stronger than their male counterparts." Diaval extends a hand out to me. Easton nods, and I walk over to take hold of Diaval's hand.
"It's why I suspect they hid you with the witches. There hasn't been a recorded true Luna birth in over fifty years." He forces a smile and motions to the room behind us. "I drew you a bath. Go relax and drink the water I left for you. We'll feed you when you emerge." He walks toward the table and starts pulling things out of the bag.
Nodding, I move toward the door and stop, looking back at the guys. Khal sits in the window seat watching the road. Torbenis in the kitchenette preparing a snack for everyone while we wait for dinner. Diaval is at the table spreading out our records, looking at them and the map.
Easton is watching me with hunger in his eyes. "Wish to join me?"
Bold move? Yes. But who knows how much time we have before we need to move again. My question makes all the men in the room stop and look at Easton. With as prim and proper as he is, given his upbringing, they're curious about his response.
"Yes." His terse answer catches me off guard. He removes his suit jacket and lays it over the back of the chair, then motions to the bathroom. "After you, my flame." He smiles and lowers his head slightly.
Stepping inside, the bathroom is much larger than it appeared from the outside. The large tub in the center can easily hold two to three people. Steam rising from the water almost puts me in a trance. The rustling of fabric catches my attention, and I turn around. Easton slides his dress shirt off his arms, and I watch as every inch of his toned chest is exposed. He's lightly built—I suppose that's normal for a flight shifter. My eyes lock on his hands as they go to his belt buckle. A soft laugh escapes his lips, and I blush at being caught.
"If I didn't know better, I'd say my flame likes what she sees." Easton's teasing tone catches me off guard. I didn't think he could be playful.
"I do."
Reaching down, I slip my hands under my t-shirt, grip my leggings, and pull them down. I hazard a glance in his direction, and the fire of his phoenix burns in his eyes. Slowly, I stand andreach for the hem of my shirt. Before I can lift it, Easton's lips crash against mine, and I feel his hands slide under the fabric. His hands span the width of my thighs as they slide up my hips to rest on my ribs. Lifting my arms, he breaks the kiss for a moment to pull the shirt free from my body. My core burns with the need for him, and he knows it. His fingers dig into my flesh as he lifts me with ease. I wrap my thighs around his narrow waist as he walks us to the tub.
Breaking the kiss for a moment, he whispers, "The water is a necessary evil." His lips crash against mine again as we sink into the hot water. He lays back, resting his shoulders against the curved side of the basin. "Phoenixes ignite when they take their mate. Until I plant my feather in your skin, you will burn." His eyes search mine, hoping for understanding.
"Wolves bite..." I run my hand over the muscle between his neck and shoulder and give it a squeeze. Smiling, I bare my canines at him, and my vision shifts as I stare down at him. My wolf prowls so close to the surface. It's difficult to contain her.
Easton nods and points at the charm he gave me resting just above my breasts. "Allow me to implant my feather so I don't hurt you, my flame." He slides up so his chest is out of the water. Reaching over the edge, he grabs the towel and dries his hand before turning his palm up toward me.
I remove the necklace and pendant and drop it into his palm.
His eyes ignite, and there's no going back now.
Chapter 7
Feray
The glassthat contains Easton's feather melts away in his palm, leaving an ornate golden feather in his hand. It reminds me of a peacock feather as I stare at it. He smiles, looking at it, then up at me. "I need to plant it where it's visible. Where would you like it? I suggest your hairline so it's visible in wolf form." A soft smile plays at the corners of his lips as he gazes up at me.
Reaching over, I take the towel and dry my hands, then reach up into my hair. The most logical place to me is my widow's peak, so I point there. "Will here do? It's very visible in both forms."
He smiles broadly and touches it. "In your wolf's form, you've chosen the ajna chakra position. It will increase your wolf's intuition and make visible things not able to be perceived with normal vision. Its placement will also open your mind to information beyond the material world and the five senses."
He reaches up and starts speaking in a language I cannot understand. For a brief moment, there's pressure, then a burning sensation where I feel the feather being pushed into my skin. Gently, his hand moves over where it was placed, and hesoothes the pain away. "You look exquisite with your feather, my flame."
Smiling softly, I lean forward and brush my lips over his. "Why do you call me your flame?" Gripping the tub on either side of him, I rise onto my knees and slide from his lap to over his groin. His thickened member rests against my folds as I rock slightly, waiting for my answer.
