RETH

Reth had known being in this place would be a challenge for Elia, and when she first realized where they were and the fear clanged into her scent, he wondered if he'd made the wrong choice using this place today.

But before that day this had always been one of his favorite spots to be in the quiet and away from others. He wanted to share that experience with her.

As they held each other and looked out over the view he could feel her beginning to relax. Then he cupped her face, stroking her cheeks with his thumbs and looked deep into her eyes.

"Elia, Love, I know this is a difficult place to be. But I wanted to come here and give it a new memory. I feel like we're finally at peace and… I want us to be able to enjoy—

"

"Reth?

" she whispered.

"Yes?

"

"Shut up and kiss me. Please. I don't need convincing. I want to take our lives back too.

"

He smiled down at her and her beautiful mouth pulled up at the sides. Then her little pink tongue darted out to wet her lips and he growled and took her mouth. He was supposed to be showing her what he'd set up here yesterday, but first he just needed to taste her…

He tried to start slowly, gently, sipping at her lips and combing her hair with his fingers. But Elia grabbed his neck and pulled him down, tilting her head to deepen the kiss immediately, clinging to him, her fingers clawed, until he was growling with need and fisting her hair.

Sucking in a deep breath, he broke the kiss and straightened.

"Elia, there's something I need to show you before—

"

"I said, shut up and kiss me, Reth,

" she said breathlessly, pressing into his chest.

He thought she was coming closer to hold him, but suddenly she'd hooked his ankle and used a move he'd shown her in training to drop him on his ass on the cold grass.

Reth tumbled backwards, his laughter echoing out over the WildWood as she growled and pounced on him. He was sitting, propped up on one hand when she landed in his lap.

"Now, where were we?

" she gasped.

His laughter faded quickly as she buried her fingers in his hair and kissed him fiercely.

Heart pounding and breath heavy immediately, he sat up, one hand dragging up to splay at the nape of her neck and hold her there while he plundered her mouth.

Then, unable to resist, he leaned her back, arching her over his hand at the small of her back and bringing that hand from her hair down her neck to the buttons down the front of her thick furs.

Whimpering, she arched against his hand and he growled, tasting her jaw, her neck, her throat as his fingers danced down the thick buttons.

When he felt the last one give, he sat up to look down at her, huffing the mating call as the furs fell open to reveal her breasts and stomach, swathed in that soft, sheer fabric he'd forgotten she was wearing.

The skin that was revealed immediately prickled in the cold, her nipples standing tall and pressing in peaks against the soft fabric. But she didn't seem to feel the cold, holding on to his neck and arching, letting her head fall back so far that her hair brushed his thighs and she fully revealed her throat.

Breath shuddering with desire for her, he took her chin in his fingers.

"Creator's Light, you're beautiful, Elia,

" he growled, clawing his fingers from the point of her chin, down her throat, to the space between her breasts, then palming them through the soft cotton.

"I want you, Reth,

" she gasped.

"Please.

" She pulled herself up so they were cheek to cheek and watched as, with shaking hands, he popped the buttons on her leathers. But then they had a challenge.

Both of them were panting, their breaths rasping in each others ears.

Reth lifted his head and looked at her, one eyebrow up. How did she want to do this?

She smiled and kissed him, biting his lower lip in a move inspired by her beast, he was sure, but it sent a jolt straight to his cock that was already straining painfully against his leathers.

Grasping his shoulders, she pushed herself up to stand and stepped off of him, thumbs in the waistband of her leathers, about to push them down and off and he knew, he knew if he let her they'd never make it and they needed to, so he leaped up after her, catching her and swinging her around, off her feet, so she shrieked again and clung to him, laughing and flinching when he nipped her neck.

"Hold that thought,

" he said cheekily.

"I have to show you something, then… then we'll do this.

"

"But Reth!

"

"Just a few seconds, Elia. That's all I need.

"

Leaning down to his get arm behind her knees, he lifted her properly and carried her back, towards the trees across the clearing, to the little, dim hollow made by a tree with heavy branches that sagged over the grass. He'd raced up here the day before and set this up. Now he prayed the wildlife hadn't stolen anything.

In the shadows under its boughs he'd spread a thick fur. Folded up next to it were a couple of thick blankets and a small barrel he'd prayed would keep any of the WildWood's inhabitants out.

He carried her to the fur, sighing with relief that the barrel had been tipped over, but didn't appear to have been opened, then set her gently on her feet on the furs and smiled when she looked at him in shock.

"You already came here?

"

"Yesterday.

"

"When?!

"

"When you thought I was meeting with the council,

" he said, grinning.

"Reth! That's so sweet!

"

He waggled his eyebrows.

"Well, I did assume I'd get something out of it,

" he growled.

She slapped his chest, then pulled him into another kiss, her hands dancing all over his chest and in his hair.

The mating call rolled out of his throat, and she responded, her call higher but just as resonant and suddenly both of them were frantic.