“I don’t know. I’ll have to ask Kai…” Fox trails off, shaking his head. “I don’t know why I care.”
“Because they’re your friends?” I suggest.
Fox doesn’t answer. His jaw tightens and his gaze drifts away from mine, a muscle working in his cheek. Fortunately, I don’t have long to stew on it because barely a minute later the trees thin out, and I can see brighter light up ahead.
I speed up, practically skipping as I race through the last row of trees, bursting out into the middle of a large rocky clearing.
A grin spreads across my face as I take in the cluster of small pools, separated by smooth gray boulders. The largest pool sits in a natural depression in the ground, its edges worn smoothby what looks like years of use. Steam rises from the opaque surface of water, spiraling into the air and leaving droplets of condensation clinging to the needles of the surrounding pines.
I let out an excited giggle. “This is perfect.”
Fox makes a rough sound in the back of his throat. “It’s usually more crowded.”
“Oh, really?” I glance around at the open area, considering that. “I suppose if you’re taking your clothes off to shift into wolves all the time, it wouldn’t be such a big deal.”
He clears his throat. “Right.”
Neither of us says anything for a long second, and when I glance back at Fox I find him purposefully avoiding my gaze.
“I’ll stay over here,” he grunts, gesturing vaguely to the left bank of the largest pool. “You take the other side. I won’t look.”
“Oh. Right. Sure. Thank you.”
I duck my head, letting my hair fall in front of my face like a curtain. I’m painfully aware that there’s no point in him bothering not to look at me. It’s not like he hasn’t had his eyes all over me before. And his hands. And tongue. And?—
I shake my head violently. I need to stop thinking about it.
“Here,” Fox says, voice half strangled as he shoves one of the two drying cloths at me. He looks down at the single bar of goat milk soap in his hand and frowns, then tries to hand that to me too.
I push his hand and the soap back toward him. “No, go ahead. Just give it to me when you’re done.”
“You can have it first.”
“You’re the one covered in blood, it’s fine. I’ll wait.”
He looks caught between wanting to argue with me and wanting to end this conversation, but finally nods and turns to walk toward the opposite end of the rocky bank.
I move stiffly over to my side. I haven’t even taken my clothes off yet, but already I’m shivering as nervous goosebumps appear on my skin.
I hear Fox moving to the far side of the spring, and then the familiar clink of buckles and rustle of leather as he removes his armor piece by piece and places it on the rocks. I know it takes far longer to get that armor off than to undo a few buttons, so I should probably try to undress quickly and get in the water before he’s finished.
I don’t give myself time to think—just peel away my blouse and leggings and step into the spring. The water rises to my thighs, then my hips, and suddenly nothing matters but the delicious heat seeping into my skin. My shoulders drop, my spine uncurls, and a moan slips past my lips as the knots in my muscles loosen for the first time in days.
A sudden clatter of metal on stone splits the quiet behind me. I stiffen. “Are you alright?”
“Dropped my wrist guard,” he mutters, voice like gravel.
Every nerve in my body urges me to turn around, especially when I hear the water ripple and splash behind me, and my skin prickles with awareness as Fox enters the pool. I wrap my arms in front of me, gripping both elbows with the opposite hands as I fight the magnetic pull urging me to look back at him.
I honestly think this might be less uncomfortable if there were more people around. I’m not exactly used to bathing in front of an audience, but there might at least be less tension if it weren’t just the two of us alone.
Trying to focus on nothing but getting clean, I sink into the water until only my mouth and nose are above the surface and float there while I wait for my turn with the soap.
Unfortunately, my mind keeps drifting to the other side of the pool and against my will, a dull throbbing begins between my legs as heat curls through me like steam rising from the water.I shift slightly, trying to ignore it, but the silence between us only amplifies my awareness. Every splash he makes behind me sends ripples across my skin. I can’t focus on anything but my quickening breath.
Desperate for a distraction, I cast around for something to say. “Why are there more monsters up here in Thermia than in other parts of the continent?”
“Don’t know.” Fox says roughly. “Might be all the unsettled land. Or maybe it’s the mountains.”
