Page 31 of In Her Own Rite

“Perfect. We’re here,” Maren says. She pulls over at the harbor on the north shore. I can see the ferry in the dock, the folding ramp down, with just one or two people standing on the deck.

She turns to Emerson. “Do you feel okay about this, for real? If not, I’ll take his ass back to thefikarig.”

I growl in protest, and Maren gives me a look.

“Seems like your knees are pretty jammed in tight back there,” she says. “For once, I think I can take you.”

Em glances at me, chewing her lip.

“Yeah,” she says finally. “I think it’ll be okay.”

12

EMERSON

We get to Halluk just past five. It’s already dark outside, and I’m exhausted from fighting my body on the whole ferry ride over. Kieran looks uncomfortable in Seb’s clothes—the sweater clearly too tight, the pants too short—but he still looksgood, and my body can’t help but notice. The shape of his muscles, the cut of his waist.

“You look tired,” he says as we step onto the dock.

“Thanks.”

“No, I mean—you look good, you always look good. You just… I don’t know.”

I smile to myself. “It’s fine. Iamtired. It’s been a long few days and I didn’t—”

Get much sleep last night, is what I wanted to say, but I stop myself in time. I can tell from his face, though, that it registers.

“Um. Right. Yeah. We should… we should get you back to the house. I can shift, we’ll get there faster.”

“That’s okay. I think it’s best if you don’t.”

I can’t handle the feeling of his beast under me right now, between my legs. He must catch on to the reason behind my answer, because I feel the tension in the air grow thicker. I laugh uncomfortably.

“Come on, Kier. We said it wouldn’t be different.”

“It’s not different.”

Everything’s different. I know what he feels like now. I know what the sound he makes as he loses himself in my body.Kiyyuni, he said.

Agaayu. Shut up, brain.

I sling my duffle bag over my shoulder and grab the little purple suitcase, but he takes it from my hand before I can take a step. Wordlessly, we walk to the exit of the docks, turning left on the path along the shore that takes us towards the house. It’s cold, and I tighten my coat around me.

“You must be freezing in those clothes. I sound like my mom, but I'm cold just looking at you.”

“Nah, I run hot.”

I laugh. “Gotta keep that ego in check,” I joke, and as I do, I remember his words just before he entered me:I can back it up, I promise.Warmth pools in me at the memory, and I immediately bring myself back to the moment.Agaayuni. My heat is bad this year.

“No, really,” he says, keeping his voice light. “No jokes this time. It’s just shifter biology.”

He’s right—I always forget this, since it’s been years since I let myself shift. Our wolf side stays warm easily, even in the snow. The more you let yourself take the shape of the wolf, the closer to the surface it is and the more of its qualities you have access to—even in your human form. Kieran shifts more than most people, and rarely needs more winter clothes than a light jacket.

“These clothes aren’t really my style, though,” he says as we turn right and near the base of the hill.

“Yeah, I don’t think I’ve ever seen you wear this much black. It doesn’t suit you.”

It’s not just that. I realize I don’t like the scent of these clothes on him: the way his skin blends with Seb’s and Maren’s scents with them on. I don’t think I realized until today that he doesn’t just smell like wood and leather and amber, but also a little bit like me.

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