Hand on the hilt of her belted sword, Annella rose and walked around the abandoned campsite where Duncan MacKenzie had held a bird’s eye view of their Matheson warrior encampment with its canvas tents pitched within the grassy clearing edging the loch below this high plateau. Duncan had watched and waited, planned then struck and with the aid of one of the fae no less.

“Alec.” Cherub lifted the flap on one of the bags Kirk had carried. “I have an item of clothing from both Niall and Ronan, procured from their chambers. Hopefully you’ll be able to find their scent on these pieces.”

“Pass the items here.” Alec propped the bags he carried against a wide trunk and accepted Father’s tartan woolen cap and one of Ronan’s great plaids from Cherub. Kirk joined him and the two men sniffed each item.

“I’ve got both scents.” Alec eyed Kirk. “What about you?”

“Their scents are strong, and thankfully we’ve had no rain these past few days. I wish we could have begun a search from this point sooner, although now that we’re here, there’ll be no further delay.” Kirk handed the items back to Cherub. “Keep these somewhere safe. I’ll allow Alec to shift first, ensure all is well when his bear meets Annella for the first time, then shift afterward.”

“Let’s give them as much privacy as we can.” Cherub folded the items back in her bag and tugged Kirk toward the trees. She disappeared within the woods while Kirk waited patiently on guard at the very edge.

“Are you ready?” Alec glanced at her as he kicked off his boots and shoved them in his bag.

“Aye, I look forward to meeting your bear.”

“You shouldn’t.” He stripped off his weapons and slid them into slots on his satchel, removed his leather jerkin and tunic and bagged them, then standing in naught more than his dark green rawhide pants, he nodded. “Last chance to run away and never look back.”

“A warrior never runs. Shift.” Her pulse raced as the wind rushed up the cliff side and whisked over her, bringing with it the heady freshness of the woods and her mate’s delicious outdoorsy scent. She gripped his hips, rubbed her nose against his neck and licked the mark she’d given him. ’Twas important for shifters to ensure their mate held their scent. A bear thing she’d come to understand well from being around Gilleoin and his shifter sons, Kirk and Cherub too.

“The pants have to go. I detest shredding my clothes. Turn around if you need to.” He slid one hand down the long length of her braid.

“I’ve lived amongst warriors who care little for modesty and I’m no’ unaware of what a man looks like.” She wrapped her arms fully around his waist, drew his scent even deeper into her skin and embedded her own into his flesh. That should help calm his bear during their first meeting and now assured she’d done all she could, she stepped back. “Unclothe yourself, Alec.”

“If you feel uneasy at any time then yell out to Kirk. I’ll understand.” He loosened the ties of his dark green rawhide pants, grasped his waistband and shoved the leather to the forest floor.

She gulped as she took in his beautiful body, all hard and sculpted muscle, all man and all hers, that’s if he ever chose to accept their bond and join them together in all ways. Oh, how she wished he would, that just the two of them stood right here and alone in this very place.

“I’m ready,” Kirk called out from the far tree line. “Shift as soon as you’re ready.”

“Don’t take your eyes off me,” Alec called back then stepped away from her and shifted in a sizzling display of crackling energy and searing light. He was gone, in the blink of an eye, silky black fur sprouting where there’d been only golden skin. His big bear prowled toward her, teeth snapping together and claws digging into the pine-needle covered ground.

She stepped back and knocked her back against the wide trunk of the tree she’d been bound within. “Wait.”

Up on his hind legs, he rose then roared and slammed his paws down on the rough bark either side of her head.

She clapped her hands over her ears, his growl thundering all around, his bellow a clear warning, for others to stay far away, that he ruled this forest and no other ever would. “Alec?”

He shoved his muzzle into her neck and sniffed, suddenly rubbed his furry cheek against hers and she grasped the rough bark at her back to hold herself upright.

“I see even your bear likes to be as forceful as you are.” He heaved against her and she lost her grip on the trunk, toppled to the ground and hit her head on a protruding tree root. Black dots danced before her eyes. Nay, she wouldn’t allow a simple fall to make her lose awareness. She shoved the dark away, grasped the back of her head and gave Alec her fiercest frown. “Stop pushing me around.”

He howled, dropped down onto all fours and prodded her with one beefy paw. His strength was immense and he rolled her over onto her belly then sniffed the back of her head.

A trickle of blood oozed between her fingers and he growled again, a low and deadly rumble that had her rolling back over and facing him. She fisted her hands in his silky pelt and gave him a shake. “You didnae hurt me, no’ intentionally, you frustrating man.”

Nose to the air, he howled again and overwhelmed with a need to reassure him, she pulled him down beside her, only he thumped one heavy foreleg over her waist, shoved his upper body over hers and took a terrifyingly protective position, barely allowing her enough room to draw a decent breath from underneath him.

“Are you all right, Annella?” A yell from Kirk.

“I’m fine. Dinnae come any closer.” If Kirk tried to take one step toward Alec and her, her mate might very well attack him. “He’s protecting me, ensuring no other can harm me.” That she knew to the depths of her soul.

She curled onto her side so she could still breathe under the heavy weight of his body, closed her eyes, calmed her mind and allowed her thoughts to settle. The dark encroached and she glided toward the dream realm, her spiritual body separating from her physical body as she soared free, her physical body underneath Alec’s slumping and her heartbeat slowing. With her ethereal form free, she wisped away on the breeze then swept through the canopy and back down and around Alec’s bear and her trapped body. She needed him to know she trusted him, fully and completely, that she would never be afraid of either him or his bear. With her spiritual body solidified, she knelt next to him and touched his back before sinking her fingers into his furry pelt. “I’m right here, Alec.”

He turned and snapped his teeth at her, his golden shifter gaze narrowing.

“Let me pet you.” She stroked him, from his neck to his rump then leaned closer, rubbed her cheek against his cheek and scratched between his ears. “Your bear is big and beautiful and all mine, Alec, just as the man is.”

He bumped his muzzle into her belly.

“You wish for another pat?” Heart lifting, her need the same as his, she rubbed his sides, her very soul’s desire to be this close to his bear, the same as her desire to be this close to her man as well. They were one and the same, both him and his bear, and hers to care for. She wished to embrace their bond and ensure he never left her, although if she ever wished to make that happen, she’d first need to convince him his beast was never a threat to her, that they would be strongest together rather than they’d ever be apart.

She sat down, crossed her legs and caught his head in her hands and urged him to settle his cheek in her lap. He grizzled but allowed her to tuck him closer then he rolled over and exposed his belly, her physical body no longer cocooned and trapped underneath his. With his paws up, he offered her an expectant look. Aye, he too wanted this moment, to know his bear could be calmed by her, that he’d never harm her as he feared so greatly he would.

“Do you remember the first time I visited you in your dreams?” She caressed his belly, her fingers sliding through his decadently soft fur. With one hearty stretch, he purred, actually purred and she couldn’t halt her smile. She spread her hand over his heart, its steady and powerful beat a rhythm she wished to never cease hearing. “We were both completely shocked. Me, because I’d never visited anyone who wasnae direct kin, and you, because no one had ever snuck up on you, even in your sleep. You tried to heave me away from you that very first night, only you couldn’t send me away when ’twas I who controlled my very own presence within your mind.”

One deeply satisfied rumble vibrated from his chest, the heavenly sound of his content bringing tears to her eyes.

“We are mated, and whether your bear is aggressive or no’, I wouldnae wish to be anywhere else than right here with you. Dinnae send me away again. Accept me and all that I am, just as I wish to accept you.”

Lights shimmered in a bright blaze and she toppled onto her back, shoulder to shoulder with her physical body as Alec loomed over both her and her prone form, all man and hard and hot flesh.

“You’re my mate, the only woman I’ve ever been called to protect, the only woman my very soul hungers for.” He touched his fingers to the blood at the back of her true body’s head. “You bleed right now because of me. How many times should I allow that? Once, twice, three times, or a hundred and three times?”

“You are being unreasonable.” She hooked her legs around his waist and unable to keep her gaze from lowering, almost lost her breath as she took in the smattering of dark hair on his chest, which thinned into a teasing line as it trailed down between his defined abs before thickening into dark curls at the apex of his groin. Nestled within those curls his manhood rose thick and strong.

“Cease looking at me like that.” He lowered his body down on top of hers, his shaft brushing against her belly, his gaze on hers as he sniffed the air. “Kirk’s joined Cherub deeper in the forest. He left when I shifted.”

“Even Kirk knows you’d never harm me. So does Cherub. Want me, Alec, the same way that I desperately want you.” She stroked down his muscled arms and over his trim hips, lifted up a little and pressed her nose into his neck. His warm and fresh pine scent intoxicated her, sent her senses swirling with desire. Denying the completion of their mated bond was akin to cutting off a piece of herself. “I want the merged link of the mind your shifter kind form with your chosen one when you join together in all ways. I want to be able to speak to you at will, to always be in your thoughts and you in mine.”

“You’ve met my bear.” His claws sliced out and back in.

“Aye, and he’s a stroppy beast, just as you are. All pushy and determined to get his way, except I’m no’ a biddable lass. My father raised me to be a strong woman, to fight alongside him and Ronan without any issue. So too I wish to fight right alongside you, that is if you’ll but allow it.”

“I understand what you’re asking, but you’re also bleeding right now and that’s my fault.” He glanced at her physical body lying next to her, his need to tend to her flaring strongly in his gaze. “Return, immediately. That’s an order.”

“Aye, Captain.” She dissolved her form, took a deep breath and settled herself back inside her body. Her heartbeat thumped and she gasped, pushed up until she sat, her fingertips tingling and her head aching where she’d hit it.

Alec crouched in behind her, separated her hair at the back of her head and gently touched the area. “The bleeding has stopped and there’s only a small puncture wound. It’s fairly shallow and doesn’t need stitches, but there’ll be a bruise.”

“Mayhap you could kiss the bruise better for me?” She pulled her braid to one side and offered her neck to him. “Your bite would be even more soothing. I’m sure that will ease any lingering pain that bothers me.”

“I can scent Cherub and Kirk again. They’re back.” In a burst of bright lights, he shifted once more, his big bear standing guard at her back then he growled, nudged her with his muzzle and pushed harder into her back when she didn’t move.

“All right, all right.” She shoved to her feet, dusted her hands against her tan breeches and flicked his ear with one finger. “I’m moving, you big oaf.”

Cherub emerged from the thick tree line with a large, black-pelted bear plodding around the bushes beside her. The two joined them, Cherub’s gaze on her. “Is all well?”

“As well as things can be.” She flicked Alec’s ear again and he snapped his teeth at her. “It appears I like tussling with a bear, intend to forever aggravate and annoy my chosen one.”

“There is naught wrong with a little annoyance.” Cherub giggled as she folded Kirk’s plaid, white tunic, and fur-lined jacket into his bag. “’Tis time to find Niall and Ronan. Are we all ready?”

“I’m more than ready.” She scooped up Alec’s discarded pants and stuffed them inside his satchel. “What of you, my mighty bear?”

He grunted, padded to his bag, snatched it between his front paws and with an intriguing flip of it over his back that he’d clearly mastered at some point in time, hooked his bag into place with absolute precision via the magnetized straps he’d spoken of earlier.

Kirk did the same with his bag then the two of them sniffed around the small clearing until Alec snarled and shook his head like a dog when it tussled with a rabbit after it caught it. He lumbered into the forest, sniffing and growling as he led the way and Kirk plodded in beside him.

She grabbed her bag and followed as each of them tracked along one side of the thin trail weaving deeper into the forest and the wilds of MacKenzie land.

Along the leaf-strewn trail edged with low brush, she negotiated trailing tree roots and thick ivy vines draping low over the branches. She moved ahead when needed and slashed at thick foliage with her sword when it clogged the pathway, while all around her the small critters of the forest scurried though the undergrowth as they sensed the presence of the predators within.

Alec prowled and sniffed, the hours slowly passing and the sun crossing from one horizon to the other. The light began to lesson through the thick canopy overhead as evening approached. A whole day of tracking had nearly passed and she’d yet to rest for even a few minutes to see if she could find Father and Ronan within the dream realm. Hopefully, they’d stop soon and she’d have the chance to—

With a menacing growl, Alec halted then veered off the trail and Kirk followed in fast pursuit. She dashed after them, Cherub right beside her.

“What have they found?” she asked Cherub.

“Let me check along my link.” Cherub went quiet as she spoke mind to mind with Kirk, then nodded at her. “The scents in this area just doubled. No’ only can they make out your father and brother’s scents, but now also another party of MacKenzie warriors have joined theirs.”

“We must continue on, no matter how many enemy warriors we might encounter.”

“I agree.”

They picked up their pace as they weaved in and around the scraggly undergrowth until the trees gave way to a small clearing dotted with tiny white flowers and lavender bushes. A wide stream wound through the meadow, water flowing fast past wide gray boulders and sweeping around the bend before disappearing.

Alec plodded along the riverbank, dunked one paw into the water then splashed through the shallows to the other side. Nose buried to the ground, he trod in and around thick clumps of grasses and bushes.

Kirk scoured their side of the river then rose up and slapped his paws down on a large boulder protruding from the river’s edge near a set of stepping stones leading from one side to the other. He grunted, over and over and Alec lifted his head, eyed Kirk and grunted in the same manner right back.

“Are they talking to each other?” She grasped Cherub’s arm as they waited for their men’s next move.

“Aye, bear talk, which I’ve yet to learn and understand.” Cherub went quiet as she conversed mind to mind with Kirk then said, “Niall’s scent continues along the bank on our side of the stream here, while Ronan’s scent remains strong on the other side. It appears your kin were separated at this point of their journey, both having been taken in different directions.”

“Why would Duncan separate them?”

“Kirk and Alec have no idea, although since it’ll be dark soon, they’d rather rest here for the night then choose which path we should take in the morning. In the dark, they could so easily miss something of vital importance. We’re to make camp here.”

“Mayhap I’ll be able to find them in the dream realm this eve.” Making camp here suited her too. Duncan couldn’t keep her loved ones from their sleep forever, and she needed time to search for them. “Did the MacKenzies rest here for the night as well?”

“Nay, they passed straight through, their tracks leading directly on. Kirk and Alec both feel secure in making this the place where we stop for the night.”

With a series of grunts, Kirk spoke to Alec again then pushed off the boulder and lumbered into the woods while across the other side of the stream, Alec ambled beyond the tree line. A burst of lights blazed in both directions then both of them reemerged, once again dressed and their satchels looped over their shoulders.

Alec, with his black tunic hanging loose over his dark green pants, his sword belted at his side, halted on the stream bank and nodded at Kirk. “I’ll go and set a trap while you start a fire.”

“Will do, and by the way, I’m hungry. Bring back plenty of meat.” Kirk crossed to Cherub in his belted kilt and fur jacket, pulled her into his arms and kissed her soundly. Against her lips, he murmured, “I’ll go fetch us some wood. If you need to wander off, then don’t go too far. Stay within calling distance of both Alec and I.”

“Be quick and dinnae get lost.” Cherub tapped his nose. “I’ve missed you today, even though we’ve been together.”

“Me too, although I think it’s impossible for me to get lost.” He pinched her bottom then with a chuckle, disappeared into the brush.

’Twas so wonderful to see the Fae Angel of Love now mated. For over a thousand years she’d tended to her duty, caring for her fae-blooded kind who walked this Earth and now she’d finally found her soul bound mate, even spelled Kirk’s very essence to hers so he too had become an immortal as she was. The two would stand at each other’s sides for the rest of their lives. ’Twas such a gift to be given a mate and she wished too for what Cherub and Kirk had, a bond so deep that she’d never consider being anywhere but right at her chosen one’s side, that he too would desire the same with her.

“Are you all right, Annella?” On the other side of the stream, Alec still stood, hands on his hips and his gaze on her. His beautiful golden shifter eyes blazed with a multitude of emotions. Need. Want. Desire. Untold frustration. ’Twas all there, as if he couldn’t get enough of looking at her yet also wished he could look away. The wind tossed his silky black locks about, plastered his tunic to his heavily muscled chest and his rawhide pants to his legs. Her mate would always stand by his clansmen and never allow them to falter. He was a tracker of huge ability and a warrior of immense strength. He’d always be here for her too if she needed him, unable to turn away from her even if he wished to, only she wanted him to want her the same way she wanted him, with all his heart, body, and soul. She wanted far more than he was yet willing to offer, but she’d never halt her drive to secure all she desired.

“Choose me,” she murmured under her breath, not nearly loud enough for anyone to hear, yet he straightened as if he’d caught her impassioned plea. She itched to cross the stream and go to him, to burrow her nose in his neck and rest her cheek against the heavy thumping beat of his heart, to know he was hers, for now and for all time.

“Stay close while I go and hunt. Kirk’s request of Cherub applies to you as well. We’re on the enemy’s land, and even as beautiful and serene as it currently is, MacKenzies could still be lurking anywhere.”

“That I’ll never forget.” Mayhap he needed a reminder that she too could hold her own in the wilds of Scotland. “Go hunt. I’ll do the same and see if I can beat you with my catch.”

“You’re challenging me in a hunt for game?” He grinned, his lips lifting so sinfully.

“Aye, I am and this is a game I know well. First to return with food for the evening meal, wins the game, the winner being permitted to choose their prize.”

“A prize within reason.” A touch of worry flittered within his tone, which only made her smile sinfully back at him.

“Are you worried I’ll win and claim a prize beyond what you can concede to?”

“Hell, yes.” He turned and marched back toward the trees, glanced over his shoulder at Cherub. “Stay with her.”

“Of course. I’ll watch over her, Alec. Never fear that I willnae.” Cherub hooked her arm through hers and tugged her into the woods. “Sheesh, men. Our mates can get quite fanatical over our safety at times. Just warning you.”

“I appreciate the warning, but I wish for him to get fanatical over me.” She gestured toward a tree just off the trail. “I’ll tend to my needs first. I’ll be but a minute or two.”

“Take as long as you need.” Off in the other direction, Cherub bounced then snuck behind a thick copse and called out, “I cannae wait to see who wins this challenge.”

Neither could she. She rose from behind the bushes then set to work. From a tall pine tree, she collected a ropy length of ivy hanging from one of the lower branches then chose the perfect sapling within the underbrush that would whip up nice and fast when attached to a noose snare. Father and Ronan had taught her how to catch a small creature in various ways, and all with naught but what the forest provided. When out camping, the three of them always competed to see who could catch their dinner the fastest. She smiled, the memory one that lifted her heart even as it brought a tear to her eye. “I’m coming for you both,” she whispered to her kin, her promise one given from the depths of her heart. “My life willnae be worth living without you in it.”

A sound fact.

She continued setting the trap, hammered twigs into the ground then fashioned the noose and draped it over the top before tossing a smattering of dry leaves as a finishing touch to camouflage it.

“Oh, that’s perfect.” Cherub rubbed her hands together as she joined her. “I’ve never been able to set a snare. They’re tricky little things.”

“It needs one more adornment.” She searched within the bushes and grinned as she found exactly what she was after. She plucked a ripe berry from the scrub then set it carefully on top of the trap as bait. “We must leave this now and wait to see if a critter triggers it.” She pulled Cherub into a hug. “Thank you for bringing me here, for ensuring this search began.”

“You’re the one who convinced Alec to join us. Come.” Arm hooked through hers, Cherub wandered with her back along the trail toward the stream.

At the edge of the woods, Kirk knelt within the lush grass partially protected by the umbrella of the canopy high above. He dug a small pit, set some river rocks around it then pulled the stringy bark off a log. He struck flint with his dirk and coaxed the sparks to life then as the fire crackled, he added twigs and wood until it blazed.

Cherub plopped down onto the grass next to him, pulled her skin from her bag and sipped.

Annella collected her own pouch, now empty since she’d drunken from it throughout the day. She crouched at the water’s edge, filled it up with fresh water and took a swig as the setting sun’s golden-red rays glimmered across the sparkling waters before her. There was naught more beautiful than a sunset or sunrise and she adored how the sky flickered with a multitude of colors, from pink to apricot to dusky blue before going completely black. She and Father and Ronan had watched countless days come to an end, as well as new days dawning. Rarely had they spent one apart. Her heart heaved as the pain of her loss intensified. Each day that now passed was another in which they’d been taken even farther from her, another day she couldn’t claim back.

Aye, she wished only for a lifetime of sunrises and sunsets with them, a lifetime of laughing, training, and hunting, of never being without her loved ones.

A soft snap dinged from the direction of her snare and she dropped her pouch on top of her bag and strolled along the trail toward it. Dinner was caught and the small moment of joy lightened her heart a touch. She removed the rabbit, returned to the water’s edge and skinned and cleaned it, rose and halted as another snap dinged from somewhere deeper within the woods across the other side of stream. Alec too must have caught his prey, although far too late to win their bet.

“It appears we’ll eat well this eve.” Sitting cross-legged on the grass, Cherub fluffed the navy skirts of her riding habit and raised her hands to the flames, while Kirk continued to build their fire higher.

Smoke wafted all about and the stars high above came out to play, one twinkling bright, then another and another until the sweeping blackness of the night sky glittered with an array of sparkling diamonds. “Even though we’re on the enemy’s soil, I still cannae halt my love of this land.”

“Neither can I.” Cherub leaned back, her hands propped on the grass behind her as she tipped her gaze toward the heavens above. “Even though I’ve traveled far and wide over the centuries, visited almost every land on this Earth, I’ve still never been able to stay far away from my homeland for long.”

“Scotland is in your blood.” Kirk sank one hand into Cherub’s long golden locks, palmed the back of her head and dropped a kiss on her forehead. “This is the home of our ancestors, land we’ve spilt blood over, land we’ve fought for and slaved over.”

“And this is the land we were born on, no matter what century that might have been within.” She joined Cherub and Kirk, chose some of the sturdy sticks Kirk had set to one side and created a spit for the rabbit, threaded the meat into place and set it to cook over the fire. “This is the land I intend to die on as well. Never will I be taken beyond Scotland’s shores.”

“Here, here,” Kirk murmured with a nod. “As said like a true Matheson.”

A cackle of noise sounded from farther downstream then Alec rounded the corner. He splashed through the shallows swinging a goose by its hind legs in one hand, a rabbit in his other. Barefoot and with his pants rolled up to his knees, his boots dangling by their laces over his shoulder, he sat on the bank and cleaned the goose and rabbit, his observant gaze moving from his catch to hers cooking over the fire. Aye, in the depths of the wild, her mate was clearly in his element, just as she was in hers. She loved being out here with him, even though their mission was one that squeezed at her very heart and soul.

She wandered away from Cherub and Kirk, plopped down onto the grassy bank next to him, rubbed a hand along his forearm where he’d rolled the cuffs of his black tunic to his elbows and rested her head against his shoulder.

“How are you feeling? Is your head still sore?”

“You mean from that tiny fall I had this morn?”

“Aye, from when my bear pushed you over.”

“Well…” She spread one hand over his leg, gave his upper thigh a gentle squeeze. “You wouldnae even need to ask me that question if we had the merged link of the mind.”

“For that we’d need to complete the bond.” A gruff answer.

“I’m willing to do so if you are, and my head is fine, any ache I felt at the time now well and truly gone.” Reveling in touching him so freely, she tickled her fingers up and down his leg. “I also won the challenge.”

He glanced at Cherub and Kirk over his shoulder, their heads close together as they quietly talked, then he eyed the cooking meat again. “I noticed, but I returned with double the catch. Does that make a difference?”

“None whatsoever, and the prize I claim is an easy one for me to choose.” She touched a finger to his chin, turned his gaze fully toward hers. “After our mission here is done, I want you to take a day all to yourself and do whatever you most desire, whether that be hiking, fishing, sleeping in a pool of sunshine near your favorite stream, or climbing a mountain. Promise me that you’ll do so. I wish for you to relax and set your worries aside, even if only for a short time.”

“You make it sound as if I’m the one who just won that challenge.”

“Nay, I won, because during that day you do as you please, you must take me with you.”

“I see.” He leaned in, touched his nose to hers, and murmured, “I vote for lazing in the sunshine.”

“I vote for climbing a mountain.” Giggling, she rose to her feet, motioned toward the fire. “Come and set your meat to cooking. I’m starving, and I also need my rest. I have much to do this night while everyone else seeks their sleep.”

“I’ll watch over your body while you’re gone.” He stood with his skinned catch in one hand and gestured for her to move ahead of him.

“Thank you. I’d like naught more than to have you guarding my body.” She returned to the blazing fire, sparks shooting into the air and sizzling bright. Across from Cherub and Kirk, she sat, tucked herself in close to Alec as he skewered his meat onto sturdy sticks and propped them over a metal rack he pulled out of his satchel and set over the flames. He turned her roasting meat over, ensuring the meat cooked evenly on all sides.

As the skies darkened even further overhead and the coolness of the night descended, she pulled her plaid from her sack and wrapped it around her. She always felt the cold far more than her fellow kinsmen ever did, no doubt because of her smaller size.

Alec fastened the ties of his black leather jerkin together, eased in behind her, his legs either side of hers as he pressed the breadth of his chest to her back and wrapped his arms around her. His heat pulsed through and she gladly leaned back against him, allowed his presence to comfort and soothe her. Being near him, particularly after his bear had been around most of the day and he had not, warmed her deep inside.

“Sometimes, one can be alone even though surrounded by others.” She looked at him over her shoulder. “Do you ever feel that way?”

“More often than I should.” He tugged the blue silk ribbon from the end of her braid and pocketed it, unraveled her hair then with his hands fisted in her tresses, tipped her head to one side and nuzzled her neck. “We’ll always have each other.”

“Aye, but in what way exactly?” She stretched her neck, giving him greater access and hoping beyond hope he’d take the bait.

“The only way that counts. I will ensure you remain safe from my beast, and you won’t sway me otherwise.” He nipped her ear then licked over the mark he’d given her. “Are you hungry?”

“I’m famished and I wouldnae mind some of your chocolate since the meat isnae yet cooked, that’s if you’re willing to share.”

“Sure. Help yourself.”

“Thank you.” She snagged his satchel from beside him, foraged for the chocolate and grinned as she grasped her prize. Carefully, she broke one square off and held it against his lips. “For you, my mighty bear.”

“I can see right through your ploy, Annella.” He plucked the square from her hand and slid it between her own lips. “Your form of temptation isn’t going to sway me this time, only my bear’s submission to my needs, will.”

“His submission to my needs would be even better.” She sucked on the chocolate and moaned as its creamy decadence danced on her tongue and slid down her throat. She shuffled around so she sat sideways on his lap, hooked one arm around his neck and burrowed her face deeper into his hair, his silky black locks brushing her nose and cheeks and his deliciously warm and fresh pine scent wrapping around her. Not only did she wish to carry his mark, but also his intoxicating scent deep within her. Aye, mated they were, the man she’d been gifted with the only one she’d ever desire.

“I love holding you close.” Alec twirled a lock of her curly hair around one finger then watched it bounce as he released it. “Your hair is so beautiful, so pale it shines like liquid gold in the firelight. I want to see your hair lying across my pillow every night. I need you to know that.”

“You truly do?”

“Aye, even if that means I have to sleep on the settee while you’re lying between my sheets.” He leaned forward, set the sticks of cooked meat to one side to cool. “Not that I just issued an invitation. I simply needed you to know I’ll always be here for you.”

She sighed, while across from them, Kirk picked up one of the cooled skewers and fed Cherub, the two of them cuddling and chatting with Kirk’s plaid wrapped snuggly around them.

The succulent meaty aroma of their dinner wafted all around and Alec selected one of the sticks of cooled meat, tore off a chunk and slipped the morsel between her lips. “When you visit me, I want you to agree to that arrangement.”

“On one condition.” She plucked a piece of meat from the skewer for him and popped it between his own lips then licked the smear of juice from her fingers.

“What’s the condition?”

“You feed me chocolate each night afore I fall asleep in your bed.”

“That would be dangerous.” He slid another cube of meat into her mouth, then one into his own and they continued to eat until her belly was full and she shook her head when he offered her more.

“I’m done. You eat the rest. I need to rest and see if I can find Father and Ronan within the dream realm.” Yawning, she slipped off his lap, wished Cherub and Kirk a good night then curled up in her plaid, the warmth of the blazing fire washing over her.

“I’ll take first watch.” Kirk clapped Alec on the back then tipped Cherub onto her side and tucked his plaid around her.

Cherub cupped Kirk’s cheek, ran her fingers back and forth over his stubbly jaw then yawned and closed her eyes. “I’m exhausted and far more than usual. Good night, all.”

“Wake me when you want to swap out.” Alec nodded at Kirk then shuffled in behind Annella, his chest to her back as he wrapped his plaid around them both. He doubled her layer of warmth then gently, he slid her hair over her shoulder and dropped a soft kiss on her neck. “Don’t travel too far from me this night, my annoying sprite.”

“I never will. Sweet dreams, Alec.” Hopefully hers would be sweet too.

* * * *

Alec waited as Annella’s breathing slowed, the night sky above blazing with a myriad of stars while across the fire, Cherub lay bundled within Kirk’s plaid and Kirk sat next to her, his nose to the air and gaze alert as he scanned their surroundings. Alec would be able to scent any possible intruders too, even as he slept. His bear prowled right under his skin, his fierce need to protect Annella and ensure none of them came under any surprise attack, strong.

No one would harm his chosen one and survive it if they ever tried to touch her.

He rolled her over so she faced him, tightened the plaid wrapped around them both and kissed the tip of her nose and both cheeks in the near dark. She murmured in her relaxed state and wriggled closer, her tiny hand sneaking in under his tunic and fanning out over his chest. Even though she’d made her position clear, that she wanted to complete the bond and for them to join together in all ways, he couldn’t, not unless he was assured of her safety around his aggressive bear.

Her eyelids fluttered and her body went suddenly limp, her hand slumping within his tunic. Tendrils of wispy-white swirled around him, glided over his lips then dissolved into nothingness. She was gone, now far from him within the dream realm and he sensed her leaving to the depths of his soul.

Holding perfectly still, he waited as her breath blew softly over his neck, her heartbeat slowing under his palm pressed between her breasts. Gently, he stroked her leather-clad backside, tucked one of her legs in between both of his and fully aligned their bodies until not one inch of them remained apart. They touched from head to toe and nothing had ever soothed his bear more than being able to hold her this close.

With his nose buried against the soft skin of her neck, he licked the mark he’d given her, one that had already begun to fade. How he longed to bite her again, to stamp his mark on her flesh and ensure she held his brand. Both he and his bear wanted her, needed her, longed for her. She was everything they’d ever desired, ever hoped to have but never imagined would be possible.

“Annella.” He murmured her name in her ear even though there wasn’t a chance she’d hear him. “Never think that I don’t want you, because I do. I want to bury myself so deeply within your body that neither of us will know where I end and you begin. I wish I had the courage that you do, the trust, faith and belief that joining together is the right thing, only there is nothing that would pain me more than if I ever hurt you.”

For a month she’d been visiting him in his dreams and he’d come to know her well during that time, had shared his thoughts and who he was even though he’d grumped and grizzled as well. She’d done the same with him in little ways, not that he’d ever believed she was real. Now, being with her this day, had brought such comfort and joy to his very soul. What if he took that next step, which she clearly wished him to do and gave himself over to their bond and all that it entailed? She’d chosen him, told him very bluntly that she had. His bear might have knocked her to the ground this morning but he’d quickly taken a strong position and maintained his guard over her. Then she’d left her physical body and come to him, forgiven his bear and brought him such hope by her actions. His bear had rolled over onto his back and pleaded for her touch. None of that he could deny.

If only he could trust himself as greatly as she trusted him.

If only…