that he would protect her.
Because they were truemates.
Chapter 10
Crimson didn’t expect to find anyone at the hot springs. Most of the warriors used the springs after training to soothe overused muscles, and training for the day had ended several hours earlier. Some of his fellow warriors were mated, however, and it wasn’t uncommon for males to bring their females to the springs to bathe from time to time.
The springs came into view, and Lindy’s appreciative gasp was music to his ears. Steam rose from the surface of the water. Smooth, multi-colored stones edged the pool, and thick grass surrounded it. The bottom of the pool was made of fine, black sand.
He put the towels and bar of honeysuckle soap down on one of the stones and stepped from his shoes. Tugging his shirt over his head, he folded it and set it on the grass then turned her to face him. His beast practically pranced as her eyes dropped immediately to his bare chest and darkened with pleasure.
“The springs have been here for millennia. The water has healing properties. When I first trained with the military, some of the old soldiers said that water nymphs used to come here at night and dance naked on the surface.”
She glanced at the water and then back to him with a smile. “Was that so the young recruits would spend the night hiding, hoping to see naked nymphs?”
He chuckled. “How did you know?”
She smiled. “When I first shifted, my grandfather and some of his friends took me and some of my cousins out to teach us to hunt. He said we were going to hunt ‘snipe’, which he assured us was a tasty, easy-to-catch bird. The three of us stood there in our wolf forms, waiting for the adults to chase the birds out of the shrubs, but instead they came racing out banging wooden spoons on metal pots, yelling that the snipe were getting away. My cousins and I raced around trying to find these elusive birds, but no matter how many times the adults told us where they were, we never saw them. Eventually we heard the adults laughing and realized that the ‘snipe hunt’ was just for fun. Apparently snipe aren’t real.”
He liked hearing about her past even though he could tell that she was ashamed of something. He didn’t think she was a virgin, so he assumed she’d had many partners and thought he would be put off by that. He wasn’t, because he was no innocent either. As long as she understood they were each other’s only from now on, her past — and his as well — was going to remain exactly that. In the past.
He reached for the hem of her top, and she made a startled sound and stepped back. “What are you doing?”
He jerked his head toward the water. “Taking care of you.”
She bit her lower lip with her top teeth. His wolf growled at the sight. “I, uh, you’re going to see me naked?”
Aw, his mate was shy.
“I’ve already seen you naked,” he pointed out. “When you shifted, I saw your beautiful, creamy white skin and the soft curves that make my hands ache with the need to touch.” He played his fingers along her neck, and she shivered. “I can see you naked anytime I want.”
Her eyes narrowed. “Excuse me?”
“Sure. In my head, see?” He closed his eyes. “Oh yeah, there you are. Naked. Naked and all mine.”
She slapped him playfully on the arm and laughed. “Crimson!”
He opened his eyes and captured her face between his hands. Lowering his mouth, he brushed his lips against hers and felt like crowing to the sky when her lips parted on a sigh and she leaned against him. He slipped his tongue into her mouth and touched hers, deepening the kiss. He dropped one hand from her face to her waist, pulling her closer as their tongues slid together in an erotic dance. The scent of her arousal pulsed in the air around them, and he wanted to strip her bare and make love to her right there on the bank of the hot
Because they were truemates.
Chapter 10
Crimson didn’t expect to find anyone at the hot springs. Most of the warriors used the springs after training to soothe overused muscles, and training for the day had ended several hours earlier. Some of his fellow warriors were mated, however, and it wasn’t uncommon for males to bring their females to the springs to bathe from time to time.
The springs came into view, and Lindy’s appreciative gasp was music to his ears. Steam rose from the surface of the water. Smooth, multi-colored stones edged the pool, and thick grass surrounded it. The bottom of the pool was made of fine, black sand.
He put the towels and bar of honeysuckle soap down on one of the stones and stepped from his shoes. Tugging his shirt over his head, he folded it and set it on the grass then turned her to face him. His beast practically pranced as her eyes dropped immediately to his bare chest and darkened with pleasure.
“The springs have been here for millennia. The water has healing properties. When I first trained with the military, some of the old soldiers said that water nymphs used to come here at night and dance naked on the surface.”
She glanced at the water and then back to him with a smile. “Was that so the young recruits would spend the night hiding, hoping to see naked nymphs?”
He chuckled. “How did you know?”
She smiled. “When I first shifted, my grandfather and some of his friends took me and some of my cousins out to teach us to hunt. He said we were going to hunt ‘snipe’, which he assured us was a tasty, easy-to-catch bird. The three of us stood there in our wolf forms, waiting for the adults to chase the birds out of the shrubs, but instead they came racing out banging wooden spoons on metal pots, yelling that the snipe were getting away. My cousins and I raced around trying to find these elusive birds, but no matter how many times the adults told us where they were, we never saw them. Eventually we heard the adults laughing and realized that the ‘snipe hunt’ was just for fun. Apparently snipe aren’t real.”
He liked hearing about her past even though he could tell that she was ashamed of something. He didn’t think she was a virgin, so he assumed she’d had many partners and thought he would be put off by that. He wasn’t, because he was no innocent either. As long as she understood they were each other’s only from now on, her past — and his as well — was going to remain exactly that. In the past.
He reached for the hem of her top, and she made a startled sound and stepped back. “What are you doing?”
He jerked his head toward the water. “Taking care of you.”
She bit her lower lip with her top teeth. His wolf growled at the sight. “I, uh, you’re going to see me naked?”
Aw, his mate was shy.
“I’ve already seen you naked,” he pointed out. “When you shifted, I saw your beautiful, creamy white skin and the soft curves that make my hands ache with the need to touch.” He played his fingers along her neck, and she shivered. “I can see you naked anytime I want.”
Her eyes narrowed. “Excuse me?”
“Sure. In my head, see?” He closed his eyes. “Oh yeah, there you are. Naked. Naked and all mine.”
She slapped him playfully on the arm and laughed. “Crimson!”
He opened his eyes and captured her face between his hands. Lowering his mouth, he brushed his lips against hers and felt like crowing to the sky when her lips parted on a sigh and she leaned against him. He slipped his tongue into her mouth and touched hers, deepening the kiss. He dropped one hand from her face to her waist, pulling her closer as their tongues slid together in an erotic dance. The scent of her arousal pulsed in the air around them, and he wanted to strip her bare and make love to her right there on the bank of the hot
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