Raikar nodded. "I'll be back shortly."
As he disappeared into the storm, Jade set to work coaxing flames from damp wood and the fire starter in her pack. The routine of survival tasks centered her, pushing away the lingering guilt over her tactical error. They'd adapted. They'd survived their first test.
And we did it together.
The fire caught just as Raikar returned with an armload of broad leaves and soft moss, his hair plastered to his skull and water streaming down his face. He worked with efficient movements to create a barrier between them and the stone floor, his hands sure and capable.
"Get out of those wet clothes," he commanded once their makeshift bed was complete.
Jade peeled off her soaked shirt and pants, wringing them out before hanging them in the driest corner of their shelter. Soon, the spare clothes from her pack felt like luxury against her damp skin.
When she turned back, Raikar had stripped completely, his wet clothes joining hers to dry. But instead of reaching for his spare outfit, he remained gloriously naked, firelight playing across the scars and muscle of his torso.
"Are you staying naked?" Her question came out more breathless than she'd intended.
His eyes met hers, dark with intensity. "It's easier if I need to shift quickly. Clothes just get in the way."
Seven days. Seven days with this man naked while trying to focus on not dying.
Their partial bond spiked with shared desire, his want bleeding into her own until she couldn't tell where her arousal ended and his began. Outside, the rainstorm raged on, but inside their small shelter, a different kind of storm was building.
This is going to be the longest week of my life.
SIXTEEN
RAIKAR
The twin suns blazed bright overhead as Raikar watched Jade's determined stride eat up the jungle floor ahead of him. Five days into the Trial of Shadow, and she moved like a woman possessed—shoulders squared, jaw set, every step calculated to devour distance. Thirteen miles behind them, seven more to go. The numbers burned in her mind like a fever, and through their partial mate bond, he felt the relentless drive that pushed her forward even when exhaustion should have claimed her hours ago.
She's going to kill herself trying to break that record.
"We should be further along." Her voice carried that familiar edge of frustration that had become the soundtrack to their journey. "At this pace, we'll barely make it to Lover's Rock by the deadline, let alone break your great-grandparents' time."
Raikar adjusted his grip on the bow slung across his naked torso, his muscles rippling as he navigated around a fallen log. The constant nudity had been practical—shifting between forms required it—but he'd caught her staring more times than she'd probably admit. Her desire bled through the bond in waves, making his own hunger spike at the worst possible moments.
"It's not a competition, Jade."
She whirled to face him, her dark eyes blazing with that competitive fire that made his panther purr with satisfaction. "Everything's a competition. That's how you get better, how you push past your limits."
"And that's also how you get injured or exhausted to the point where you can't complete the journey at all." He kept his voice level. Over the past four days, he'd had to rein in her reckless ambition more times than he could count. "We've made good time despite the weather. The storms alone?—"
"The storms are done." She gestured at the clear sky above them, frustration radiating from every line of her body. "Perfect conditions today, and you want to waste them by going slow."
Magnificent, stubborn woman.
Admiration warred with exasperation in his chest. Her grit and determination were exactly what had drawn him to her from the beginning, but watching her push herself to the breaking point triggered every protective instinct he possessed.
"Five more miles today," she continued, her tone brooking no argument. "That puts us within striking distance of finishing tomorrow night instead of barely making the deadline."
Raikar studied her face, reading the deeper need beneath the surface ambition. This wasn't just about breaking records—it was about proving something to herself, to him, to everyone who'd ever doubted that a human could stand beside a General and match his strength.
"Fine. Five more miles." He nodded slowly, watching relief flicker across her features. "But we stop before sunset to build proper shelter. No more negotiations."
"Deal." Her smile transformed her face, making something warm and possessive unfurl in his chest.
They resumed their trek through the purple-tinged jungle, Raikar's bare feet finding purchase on the challenging terrain. The landscape had grown more vertical as they'd pushed deeperinto the wilderness, trading the relatively flat jungle floor for rocky inclines and treacherous descents that tested every muscle in their bodies.
She's proven herself countless times already.
