I hadn’t been the first to see it. There had been others to breathe life into my belief. First my mom, all the years she supported me. Then there was Jax. His sacrifice gave me this chance to not only do what I love but love myself doing it.
Turning to face him, I cradle his sharp cheeks in my palms. “I did it. I got soloist.”
The smile that spreads across his face, the joy that bubbles from him, they’re expressions of raw hope, bottled up and shaken to burst.
“Thank you.” Tears streak my cheeks. I don’t bother to wipe them away. “Thank you for saving me.”
The rims of his eyes shimmer, highlighting the glittering shards of his irises. He’s beautiful, persistent, and eternally mine.
Pressing up to my tiptoes, I kiss him. Slowly. Gently. Then possessively and deep. His hand threads through my hair and he guides me to the bed, nestling between my thighs. We celebrate the future the best way we can: tangled together with our bodies surging as one.
Not long after, Lark knocks on the door. I kiss Jax goodbye for the day, watching him bound through the snow. His wolf runs into the far hills, ones I’ll be heading to today with our excursion. While I miss him already, I know he’ll find me there.
And I’m already anticipating the next time I can have him.
I never knew sex could be like this. Otherworldly. An out-of-body experience. My body heats at the memory. Not just because it’s mind-blowing, which it is, but because as much as I want to unravel him, watch him lose control under my touch, he equally wants that in return. His pleasure doesn’t exist without mine, and I don’t ever want my pleasure to exist without his.
The night replays on a loop in my mind the entire ride to our excursion: A night under the stars full of delicious food, drinks, and relaxing. It’s the closest I’ll ever get to actual camping. While I’ve booked myself an ice dome for one, I fully intend to have company with me all night.
I can’t wait.
Tonight is about much more than the opportunity to see Jax and to spend time with him. There’s something else I want from him before we’re left to say goodbye once again.
When we get to the campsite, our guides point out where our domes are located. I’m across from Lark and Delilah, so we part ways, agreeing to meet back at the bonfire’s central area in twenty minutes. I head to my ice dome, finding a lush bed with blankets and pillows, along with a nightstand. I throw my pack on the ground and rifle through it, making sure I packed the good underwear for later versus the long johns I’m rocking beneath my clothes right now. Thermal underwear is not part of my seduction plan. Not that I think he’ll need much seducing, but I don’t want any hesitating when we talk tonight. Every minute that passes reminds me of the looming months apart once I leave. I hate that we’ll be separated again.
Before I know it, my alarm goes off, and I wander out to the bonfire to meet Lark and Delilah. A few Frosts flit into my field of vision, and I search for Jax, wondering if he’s among them, disappointing myself when he’s not.
“Who’s ready for s’more fun?” Our tour guide Gail chimes over the loudspeaker. We follow the other excursionists into thelarge tented dome. Long tables span its width with different s’more fixings, cheeses, meats, and fruits.
We all load up our plates and exit the tent to gather around the bonfire, sitting along a bench that looks like it’s been dug straight into the snowbank.
“Brr!” Lark says at the same time Delilah curses under her breath. I sit next to them, giving a dramatic shiver, though I’m not really bothered. Yes, my ass is chilly, but the cold isn’t an issue for me anymore. In fact, I sink into the numb, savoring its bite.
“I have news,” I say, voice bubbling over with excitement. “Ballet Potomac is promoting me to soloist.”
“Holy shit, Jojo!” Lark puts her plate down, nearly knocking me over with a hug. “I’m so happy for you. Selfishly sad you won’t be at the Institute with me, but I cannot wait to see you take center stage next season.”
“You know we’ll be in the front row,” Delilah adds, holding her fist out until I bump it.
We grab our hot cocoas and cheer with them before spending the next hour eating and taking turns toasting marshmallows on the fire. Once our bellies are full, we hang out and talk. Picking up the deck of cards, Delilah shuffles and passes them out. We play a few rounds of crazy eights. It’s nice, quiet, and kills time before it’s our turn to have the hot tub.
Lark and I part ways, throwing on our bathing suits and meeting at the tub. The sun sinks beyond the hills, painting the sky in silky shades of pink, purple, and gold.
It’s stunning, and I can’t take my eyes off of it as I climb in.
The warm water engulfs me, and I lean back, continuing to admire the sunset while Lark pours us each some white zinfandel. Cupping the stemless glass in my hands, I take a few sips, enjoying the warmth of the sun on my face. Lark shoots mea grin, and the two of us sit together in perfect silence, enjoying the view.
I’ve been itching to tell her about Jax. Abouteverything. It’s so hard keeping this secret from her. She’s held my hand on the hardest days of my life, is happy to talk through my struggles or sit silently with me like she is now. And I haven’t been able to be honest with her.
Bringing the glass to my lips, I gulp the rest of it down before I pour myself another. That catches Lark’s attention. “What’s going on, Jojo?”
“I have something to tell you, but I don’t want you to freak out.”
“Okay…” Lark’s brows furrow, then she eyes my empty glass before chugging her own, holding it out for me to top her off.
I tip over the bottle and begin to talk, my hand wobbling a bit. “After the accident, I kept remembering these eyes. Sparkling silvers and blues. Not like anything I’d ever seen before. I couldn’t figure out why at first. I figured it was some strange way of coping with the trauma of what happened. Then I saw those very same eyes on a wolf watching me from a window the first day at Ballet Potomac. After that, I started noticing strange things around the apartment. The thermostat being low, messages left for me… I thought it was a ghost.”
“Does this have something to do with the brand-new Ouija board shoved in my closet?”
