CHAPTER 28
K aelyn’s pulse pounded in her ears, her senses on high alert. She tugged the edge of the curtain just enough to peer outside. The trees, lit by the morning sun, stood like sentries. How she wished that were true. The forest was still. There wasn’t even a slight breeze to rustle the leaves. A knot formed in her gut. Had they been discovered?
She turned to face Saar.
He clenched his fist around the hilt of his sword. Even in the dull light filtering through the curtain’s material, the blade glinted. The muscles in his well-defined chest were tight, and the tic in his jaw pulsed in a steady rhythm. “What do you see?”
“Nothing. But that doesn’t mean anything.” She stepped away from the curtain, grabbed her mace from its resting spot against the wall, and headed into the other room.
As she passed Saar, he gripped her arm. “Where are you going?”
She bristled under his tone and tore her arm from his grasp. “To have a look.”
“No.”
She clamped her jaw so tightly, pain reverberated up the side of her face. “One of us needs to. I can go in the sun. You can’t. Easy decision.”
A slow growl eased from between his lips, and she could’ve sworn the hair on his arm lengthened for a moment. “I don’t like the idea of you going out there, alone.”
Deep inside, she understood he wanted to protect her. She’d had enough of males trying to do that and dying in the process, first her brother then her uncle. “Neither do I, but there’s no other choice and no time to debate this.”
She turned to go, but he stopped her once again. He wrapped his arm around her waist, and he brought her to him. Her hands landed on his bare chest, her fingers tingling from the contact.
The warm scent of pepper and lime wrapped around her, cocooning her in his heady scent.
“Come back to me.” His voice was deep and gravelly with a promise of something more.
“The sooner you let me go, the faster I’ll return.” She glared at him, but her gaze slid to his mouth. The sudden urge to kiss him, to feel the passion burn inside her once again, tingled her lips.
He released her, and her heart skipped a beat. By letting her go, he’d given her his trust, treated her like an equal. Respect for him bloomed in her chest.
With a slow twist, she opened the door a crack then scooted onto the small porch.
A search of the area revealed a wolf who had taken down a deer. The poor creature had almost run when he’d spotted her, recognizing her as the alpha predator.
She’d backed away, letting him know she wasn’t interested in his kill. Then, quickly, she’d returned to the cabin as promised.
She slid inside and found Saar positioned near the door, sword raised ready for battle. He lowered his weapon, sheathing it with one swift motion.
“It was a wolf. We’re alone. There’s no one out—”
He drew her into his embrace. “Thank the gods you’re all right.” The muscles in his arms shook.
She placed her head on his chest, basking in his warmth.
He brushed his fingers down her long braid, the sensation prickling her scalp, relaxing her. His heart beat a steady rhythm beneath her ear.
She wanted to stay here in his arms, in this small sanctuary, forever, but that was impossible. They only had today. She’d make the most of every minute.
With a new sense of urgency, she stepped back, gripped his hand and tugged him toward their makeshift bedroom. “Let’s go back to the fire.”
A sexy smile formed on his lips, and warmth pooled at the juncture between her legs. She urged him forward, her steps rushed.
Alone at the fire once again, she threw a log onto the dying flames, a sudden shyness overcoming her. It had been several years since she’d last been with a male.
As if sensing her discomfort, he slid his arm around her waist, but didn’t pressure her.
“Tell me about this.” He brushed his fingers over the bear’s head whistle nestled in the slight “V” at her chest.
Her fingers rose to her favorite piece, the memories flooding her mind. “Noden…my brother. We each carved one, a matching set to honor the bears, our sacred symbol here on Earth. He taught me how to blow through the holes, use the different sounds as a code.”
“Will you show me?” His voice was low, reverent.
She glanced into his eyes. Soft pools of blue, they swam with compassion and encouragement. A lump formed in her gut, fastening into a knot.
She brought the whistle to her lips, placing her fingers over the holes in the bear’s ears and nose, and with experience honed through time, she blew lightly through the opening. A soft melody emitted from the bear’s mouth, and as she uncovered the hole over one of the ears, the tone softened. “That is the sound for ‘come to me.’ ”
“Very beautiful. Is there more?” His interest in her small instrument took her breath away.
No one had paid this much attention to the small bauble since…not since Noden. A painful, familiar ache burned in her chest. She brought the carved symbol of their kind to her lips and blew three times. The short staccato notes, equal in rhythm and pitch, reverberated off the walls.
As he smiled, the scar pulled tight across his face. She’d never seen anything so beautiful as the pure joy reflected there.
When he spoke, his words were low, reverent. “What does that signify?”
“That is the sign for ‘danger.’ ” Sharing the sacred calls seemed like the most natural thing in the world, as if he were part of them, as if he belonged.
“You mentioned your brother gave you this.” He brushed his fingers over the yellow scarf in her braid. “Tell me more about him.”
She exhaled, unsure about how much she wanted to say. “He’s dead.”
“I’m sure you miss him, very much.” His words stroked the sore spot in her soul and tears formed in her eyes.
“I do. Every day. He taught me everything, looked out for me, cared for me.” Her voice choked, and she couldn’t continue. A tear slipped onto her cheek, then another.
“You were lucky to have him. I’m sorry for your loss.” He cupped her chin in his palm and wiped away the moisture with his calloused thumb. The roughness of his skin teased her cheek, and she leaned into him, seeking his comfort.
He pressed his lips against her forehead, the kiss tender and loving. With deliberate slowness, he brushed his lips over each eyelid, then down the bridge of her nose. At last, his lips met hers. His kisses were gentle at first, but soon became more intense, and she gripped his shoulders, pulling him close.
When he released her, he ran his fingers down her braid until he came to the knot at the end. “May I undo this?”
The memory of him asking her to unbraid her hair in the Keep’s cell resurfaced full force. The reason then…to release her from her physical cell. The reason now…to release her from her mental one. They’d come a long way since then, and without a doubt, she’d fallen for him. “Yes. I’d like that, very much.”
With a reverence and tenderness she’d fast grown to love, he untied the knot and slipped his fingers through her braid, unraveling each twist with slow, deliberate strokes, as if prolonging the task as long as possible, relishing in it. Tears threatened to fall again. She blinked them away, not wanting to blur her vision and miss this special moment.
He toyed with the hair at her nape, and her long strands hung down to her waist.
She’d always had thick, full hair, and the braid was the only way to contain the unruly tresses. Even now, several hours after their arrival, her hair was still damp from their swim in the river.
He trailed his fingers through her locks once more, then placed her scarf in her palm, closing her hand around the material.
His tender gesture broke through her walls. She couldn’t contain the tears any longer. They spilled from her eyes, and she wiped them away with the cloth.
He stroked her arms, his warm, strong hands, giving her the comfort and support she’d so desperately wanted all her life.
She inhaled, forcing herself to calm, her grip tightening around her treasured braiding cloth. She placed her hand on the back of Saar’s, encouraging him to turn it over. When he did, she tugged at his fingers, opening them for her, and she placed her scarf in his palm.
His eyes widened. “What are you doing?”
“I want you to have this.” Her words came out rough, breathy, but she couldn’t help it.
He shook his head and pushed the cloth toward her. “I can’t take your scarf from you. This—”
“—is my gift to you. Would you refuse me?”
He swallowed, the knot at his throat rising and falling. “I…I…don’t know what to say.”
She wrapped the long strand around his wrist and created a short knot on the end. “ ‘Thank you’ seems appropriate.”
A soft, chuckle, deep and masculine, rose from him. “Thank you, little bear, but I have another, more personal, way I’d like to express my gratitude.”
She closed the gap between them and ran her fingers over his shoulder. “Well then, by all means, thank me.”