Page 63 of Fated to the Feral Wolf

“Yes, everything’s fine. We’re just stopping for fuel, as far as I know.” He stroked my back, smiling softly down at me.

It hit me in that moment, that steady reassurance, his solid calm, the tender touch, and how long I’d been thirsting for thesecuritythat I felt. It wasn’t the least bit logical; we were on the run, in the ODL’s sights, while there was so much still unknown about our future.

They could catch up to us tomorrow, or in five years. But somehow, I felt safe. Grounded.

Loved.

That internal whisper knocked the breath right out of mylungs. Was this what it was like for all fated mates? I didn’t think so. Because something about Dirge called to me, healed me, on a level nothing and no one else ever had. I didn’t need children if I got to keep him. And I would make him understand that in time. We just needed to figure out a solid plan for now until we figured out the mess with the Fetya.

His thumb stroked lazily over my cheek, but still left a trail of fire in its wake. I felt it everywhere, straight down to my bones. He lit me up with even that small contact, and I was pretty damn sure I’d never get enough. Even if I lived forever.

“Penny for your thoughts?” He asked the question a low rumble in his chest meant only for my ears.

Sometimes I hated how bad I was with words. I wished I could tell him everything, how it felt to be in his arms, safe for the first time in my life. How he made me feel like a new person, a better person. How exciting it was to know we had our whole lives ahead of us, to learn and explore each other. It was poetry, and I was no poet.

Those were words I didn’t possess. The reason I composed music.

“I think I love you,” I whispered. But when I tried to duck my face against his chest, hide away from the aftermath of my confession, he caught my chin with his fingertips. Dirge’s touch was gentle even as his grin was wild, half-cocked up on one side, his eyes were crinkled at the corners with joy.

“You think so, huh?” His voice grew husky, the evidence of his arousal making my own blood sing with answering need.

I nodded, suddenly speechless for a different reason.

He kissed me like someone was going to snatch me away from him, hands tangled in my curls so he could angle me to better plunder my lips. After a few moments, I pulled back, but I didn’t let go. If he kept kissing me like he was a drowning man and I was his last hope for salvation, I’d be a puddle of need with no way to do a thing about it. There wasno way we were joining the mile-high club two feet from our pack mates.

The plane had stopped, and people were stirring, so it wasno timeto be getting hot and bothered.

Unfortunately, that ship had sailed. The molten heat at my core demanded I find a quiet spot and do something about it.

Kane stood at the front of the plane. “We’re just making a quick stop here for fuel. If you’d like to get out and stretch, use the restroom, or get a drink, there’s an open hangar right over there.”

He pointed out the window to where a bay door stood open on a very large hangar.

It must have been evidence of how small—or maybe just how broke—the Johnson City pack was, but I had no idea so many wolf packs were out there with private jets and hangars that rivaled small airports.

“Where are we?” Leigh asked groggily.

“Colorado. We have no personal ties here, so it should be relatively safe and give us a chance to touch base with Julius back home, see what the news is on the ODL attack at Ushagat Island.”

“Great,” she murmured, pushing to her feet and heading for the door before anyone else had moved. Leighreallyhated small planes. I wouldn’t be surprised if she was out there kissing the tarmac. Not that I could blame her; if I puked my guts up every time, I’d be making out with the lawn too.

“Shall we? I would love to stretch my legs, maybe take a quick walk in the woods?” Dirge whispered against the rim of my ear, the heat of his breath making me shudder with need pulsing just below the surface. I nodded frantically, my pulse pounding a rhythmic tattoo at my temples as I shoved aside the ridiculous image of Leigh, a blade of grass stuck in her teeth.

Dirge led me off the plane—where Leigh was nowhere to be found, probably already in the hangar—to the breathtakingsight of the Colorado Rockies. The white-capped peaks were stunning, majestic in the distance, even if not quite as large as what we saw heading into Alaska a month ago. Had it only been a month? It felt longer. A large lake next to the runway reflected the peaks. There was no wind, and the surface was crystalline blue glass.

It was pretty enough to be a postcard or a painting, and the fresh, clean air—slightly warmer than Alaska had been too—was a welcome change after we were breathing stale plane air all morning.

Dirge and I both quickly used the restroom, and when I came out, he was holding out an icy bottled water for me. The water was so cold, it hurt my teeth, but I drank it gratefully.

“Go for a walk with me?” The half lift of his handsome lips had me wanting to throw myself at him, but I hesitated.

“Are we clear to go wandering off?”

“Already let Kane know. He’s getting a debrief from Julius right now, but things are quiet. We’ve got some time.”

“Okay. But I had an idea first.”

He cocked an eyebrow in question, but followed me silently as I crossed the hangar to where Brielle sat quietly on a couch, sipping her own water.

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