Page 26 of A Queen and Her Knight

“Is this Nathaniel’s?” Cleo nuzzled at the worn fabric in a way practically guaranteed to make Zoe miss a step. She came down hard on her right foot but didn’t lose her balance, thankfully. She would never forgive herself if she dropped her bundle of beloved human.

Cleo was curled around her, piggyback-style, and had been since about halfway up the trail.

“I don’t remember hiking being this exhausting,” she’d grumbled after collapsing on a log to rest. Zoe had stood there, a touch guilty about the strength that allowed her to keep going without the breaks that humans needed. So she’d made the offer and bent down, and flushed at the delighted laughter from her mate at being carried.

Zoe was, to be honest, finally starting to feel tired, but she wasn’t going to put Cleo down. Not for anything.

Cleo kissed her shoulder. “Zoe? Is this shirt Nathaniel’s?”

“So?” Zoe answered after a while. She was wearing his old plaid shirt. He’d never worn it more than once, and it was comfortable, even if she had to roll up the sleeves.

“I like you in it.” Cleo apparently accurately interpreted how defensive Zoe was about it, because she kissed Zoe’s shoulder again. “Of course, you’re one of those redheads who can wear red.” Her fingertips traced circles at Zoe’s nape, making Zoe shiver. “But did you ever think of buying your own clothes?” She pressed closer when Zoe stiffened. “Buy all the flannel you want,” she whispered soothingly. “Be my comfortable werewolf lumberjack fantasy.” Her kisses felt like smiles. “I just worried, I guess, that you don’t seem to think of those things for yourself.”

She touched on subjects Zoe had never talked about with anyone else. But she wasn’t anyone else. She was Cleopatra Jones Goodwin, and in two days, Zoe was going to meet her mother.

Zoe frowned at the rough ground of the trail. “I’m not good at those things. Shopping for clothes. That stuff. Whatever fits is fine. Unless you think…”

“I like you.” Cleo kissed her ear. “And I like how you have no idea how well you fill out your clothing, even your hand-me-downs.” She was making it hard for Zoe to think. “But if you want me to help you ever, for anything, just ask, okay?”

“Okay,” Zoe agreed with a small breath of relief and surprise, and continued up higher. The trail was steep, but she held tight to Cleo’s legs.

Cleo squirmed a bit and took one hand from Zoe’s shoulders. Zoe heard the zipper of Cleo’s small backpack and then crinkling foil. A moment later a piece of a granola bar was held out for her. Zoe bent her head to take it from her mate’s fingers and eat it, although she was not a dog and it was not a treat. When she swallowed, Cleo offered her more, as if she’d noticed Zoe’s energy was finally flagging.

She put her face to Zoe’s neck. “You could always put me down,” she pointed out, her tone soft and sweet.

Zoe stubbornly shook her head, which earned her a laugh and another piece of granola. Now her mouth was dry. As if she knew that too, Cleo held out the water bottle next. Zoe had to stop to take a drink, but then she was right back at it a minute later. The summit was in sight.

“You know,” Cleo mused, so much contentment in her tone Zoe didn’t need to smell it. “You’re carrying me up a mountain. I think that says all that needs to be said.”

Zoe considered that. Maybe it was all the hiking, or the growing crispness in the air, but she didn’t follow. “What do you mean?”

Cleo tugged the flannel shirt away again, this time pressing a long, lingering kiss to Zoe’s nape that made Zoe gasp. Her mate had to be testing her. Why else would she do this when Zoe was trying to hold her up?

Zoe growled, not amused, but she must have been wrong about Cleo’s motives, because Cleo kissed her again. Zoe was going to smell like her lip balm for the rest of the day.

“Zoe,” Cleo spoke slowly, with fondness. “I’m telling you I’m very happy you’re my mate.”

My mate. Hearing the words aloud for the first time made Zoe stop dead in her tracks.

She swallowed. “Yeah?”

Cleo nodded against her skin, although for a moment her hold on Zoe was alarmingly tight, as if she was more nervous than she seemed.

She’d acknowledged the bond. Of course she was nervous. There was no going back now. This was them, forever.

“I’m happy too,” Zoe told her. She was quiet, which was strange when the rest of her wanted to howl to share her joy.

Cleo released a pleased sigh. “Then wanna step off the trail and go make out in the woods for a while? Your display of strength is doing things to my ability to think rationally.” Her kisses had Zoe shivering. “Come on, Zoe. It’s my turn to take care of you.”

“I, uh….” Zoe couldn’t think anymore either. “The summit is right there.” She did not care about the summit. Yet she heard herself saying that, of all the dumb things.

Cleo nibbled at her ear. “It will still be there when we’re done,” she pointed out. And she was right. Zoe’s mate was very smart.

Zoe took them off the trail without another word.

Cleo hummed happily in approval.

The End

---