you're my mate. I want to pick you up out of this bed, put you against the wall, and show you how beautiful I think you are. And soon, I will.”
She beamed into the darkness and shivered a little. Maybe she'd found a good one after all. “Okay, I'm going to hold you to that.”
“Deal.” He drew back for a moment, and then kissed her hair at the top of her head.
“Deal,” she agreed, snuggling into his chest again.
When she went back to sleep, she didn't have nightmares. Instead, she dreamed of walking through the forest and picking flowers to stuff them into her backpack and pockets. She sang the songs her mother taught her when she was a little girl. She knew she was being followed. Eyes trailed her through the forest and she sometimes heard a canine bark or whine. Still, she didn't feel uneasy or nervous. She knew the wolf was watching out for her in the forest. She was safe.
Anna woke up cradled in Joshua's arms. She had twisted in her sleep to face him. Her head was resting against his shoulder and his breathing blew her hair into her face.
She moved her head away with a smile. The movement must have disturbed him; he mumbled and shifted to tangle his legs with hers.
Even closer to his body, she noticed something else. He was definitely, well, excited to be there.
Probably just morning wood. Still, she decided to tease him about it when he woke up. She remembered what he'd said last night with a flush, and wondered whether he would really follow through on that promise.
Did she want him to? Or should she get up in the morning, give him one of her spare backpacks and supplies, and bid him goodbye? There was danger. That danger might be made worse if he stayed and attached her permanently to his world.
She could never just abandon someone in that kind of danger, could she? Or was she just making excuses because she wanted him ?
Did she want the permanence of that decision?
She searched herself and found that all doubt had gone in the night, while she slept in his arms. She wanted him, and she wanted him to stay. He was perfect, and in the little ways she'd wondered about too. Here was a man who was attracted to her instead of looking past her body, a man who loved her cooking, a man who liked the same books as her. She hoped he would even get along with her little brother.
She didn't want to reject him for his past. She wouldn't have pushed away her family members for the things they'd seen and done. He was family already, her mate. As good as a spouse.
“Anna?” Joshua asked, snuggling closer into her.
“Hey.” She turned back to look at him. “Morning.”
“Morning.” His eyes fluttered open and he smiled back lazily. The gold in his eyes flashed and reflected the sunlight. “What are you thinking?”
“I'm thinking that I want you to stay,” Anna said.
His hand came up and cupped her hip, stroking her skin. She settled her own on top of it. She felt the fine bones of his hand, and as she tangled her fingers in his, the calluses on his skin.
“Good,” he said firmly. “Because I want to stay.”
Then he kissed her.
She closed her eyes and pressed deeply into his body as she opened her mouth to him. He swept into her passionately. His hand tight on her hip made a steady counterpoint to the kiss.
They separated finally. Anna was breathing hard.
Joshua grinned. “So do I have your answer?” he asked.
“I think so. Why am I so sure? I feel like you're already family, like I already know you'll be here forever.”
“The bond.” Joshua propped himself up on his elbows and frowned. “I think it might be starting to connect already.”
“That fast?” Anna asked, wide eyed.
Joshua shook his head. “I really don't know much about this. I've heard it usually takes longer. I guess Stephen might have wanted us to think it was impossible to mate before he noticed us together.”
“So they're already going to know, if they see me?” Anna
She beamed into the darkness and shivered a little. Maybe she'd found a good one after all. “Okay, I'm going to hold you to that.”
“Deal.” He drew back for a moment, and then kissed her hair at the top of her head.
“Deal,” she agreed, snuggling into his chest again.
When she went back to sleep, she didn't have nightmares. Instead, she dreamed of walking through the forest and picking flowers to stuff them into her backpack and pockets. She sang the songs her mother taught her when she was a little girl. She knew she was being followed. Eyes trailed her through the forest and she sometimes heard a canine bark or whine. Still, she didn't feel uneasy or nervous. She knew the wolf was watching out for her in the forest. She was safe.
Anna woke up cradled in Joshua's arms. She had twisted in her sleep to face him. Her head was resting against his shoulder and his breathing blew her hair into her face.
She moved her head away with a smile. The movement must have disturbed him; he mumbled and shifted to tangle his legs with hers.
Even closer to his body, she noticed something else. He was definitely, well, excited to be there.
Probably just morning wood. Still, she decided to tease him about it when he woke up. She remembered what he'd said last night with a flush, and wondered whether he would really follow through on that promise.
Did she want him to? Or should she get up in the morning, give him one of her spare backpacks and supplies, and bid him goodbye? There was danger. That danger might be made worse if he stayed and attached her permanently to his world.
She could never just abandon someone in that kind of danger, could she? Or was she just making excuses because she wanted him ?
Did she want the permanence of that decision?
She searched herself and found that all doubt had gone in the night, while she slept in his arms. She wanted him, and she wanted him to stay. He was perfect, and in the little ways she'd wondered about too. Here was a man who was attracted to her instead of looking past her body, a man who loved her cooking, a man who liked the same books as her. She hoped he would even get along with her little brother.
She didn't want to reject him for his past. She wouldn't have pushed away her family members for the things they'd seen and done. He was family already, her mate. As good as a spouse.
“Anna?” Joshua asked, snuggling closer into her.
“Hey.” She turned back to look at him. “Morning.”
“Morning.” His eyes fluttered open and he smiled back lazily. The gold in his eyes flashed and reflected the sunlight. “What are you thinking?”
“I'm thinking that I want you to stay,” Anna said.
His hand came up and cupped her hip, stroking her skin. She settled her own on top of it. She felt the fine bones of his hand, and as she tangled her fingers in his, the calluses on his skin.
“Good,” he said firmly. “Because I want to stay.”
Then he kissed her.
She closed her eyes and pressed deeply into his body as she opened her mouth to him. He swept into her passionately. His hand tight on her hip made a steady counterpoint to the kiss.
They separated finally. Anna was breathing hard.
Joshua grinned. “So do I have your answer?” he asked.
“I think so. Why am I so sure? I feel like you're already family, like I already know you'll be here forever.”
“The bond.” Joshua propped himself up on his elbows and frowned. “I think it might be starting to connect already.”
“That fast?” Anna asked, wide eyed.
Joshua shook his head. “I really don't know much about this. I've heard it usually takes longer. I guess Stephen might have wanted us to think it was impossible to mate before he noticed us together.”
“So they're already going to know, if they see me?” Anna
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