She snorted. “Tried to. My equilibrium isn’t designed to keep me balanced for most physical activities, but I liked it all the same. Sadie and I used to go with our boyfriends back in the day.” The mention of her with someone else made my muscles tense, but I hid the reaction. I didn’t want her to stop sharing with me. “One trip ended with me twisting my ankle and falling off a ledge. Sadie laughed so hard she nearly peed herself.”
“You fell off a ledge and she laughed?”
“It wasn’t a big ledge. It was just enough to bruise my ass and my ego.” She smiled to herself, reliving the memory I wish I could have shared with her. “You better believe I acted like it was nothing, but internally, I felt every step of the way home.”
“Sounds like you.” I chuckled, the sound only slightly less strained than I felt. I could recognize what she was doing; telling me about herself and her past as a way of getting to know her and distracting us from our bleak reality.
“I may have two left feet, but I like being outside. And exploring nature. It’s quiet. Peaceful. Away from everyone.” Herfingers traced circles on the surface of the pool. “I didn’t realize how much I missed it until now.”
She didn’t have to say it, but I heard the longing in her voice. For Sadie. For normalcy. For a time before hell realms and complicated feelings.
Uncrossing her left foot, she peeled off her boots and socks, hissing softly as she dipped her sore feet into the water. “That feels divine,” she said, her eyes meeting mine. “I’m getting in.”
“Are you ...” My words died off as Meera reached for her sweat-soaked shirt and lifted it over her head. My mouth went dry.
Meera raised a brow. “We’re in a glowing magic lagoon, that looks like a picture from a fairytale I might add, in the middle of a cursed forest. One, if we don’t take the opportunity to soak in the magical spring, I feel like the universe will be personally offended.” She pointed to herself. “It’s me. I’m the universe.” My tension from earlier lessened, watching her so at ease. “Two, we don’t know when the next bath will be, or if it will be warm.”
She pulled her feet out of the water and laid back on the forest ground. Meera ran a hand down her abdomen gently. I tracked the movement in slow motion as she reached for the button on her pants.
“Vareck?” She unclasped them and drew down her zipper.
I swallowed, moving my gaze back to her face. She lifted her hips and pushed the fabric down. “Yes?”
“Get in the water with me.”
I unfastened the straps on my boots, not able to tear my eyes away from the vixen in front of me. Meera removed her jeans without issue, then moved to her bra. This one had a front clasp. With a twist of her fingers the cups fell sideways, revealing my mate’s rosy nipples, pebbled despite the warm air.
She sat up, letting the rest of the garment slide from her arms. Light from the twin moons caught her skin and turnedevery pale inch of her silver. Freckles dotted her shoulders and collarbone, and I felt every last ounce of resolve burn away as she slid into the pool.
She didn’t look back. Didn’t tease or flirt or ask me to join her again.
She simply sank into the glowing warmth with a soft sigh and rested her arms along the edge. Her breasts were wet and wanting. She tilted her head back to expose the long curve of her neck.
And fuck me, I followed.
The harness on my chest took but a second to undo. The dual swords at my back hit the ground with a light thud. Next came my shift, then the rest. The damp air clung to my skin as I entered the water, the warmth wrapping around me with a familiarity that should be unsettling.
I forced the thought from my mind to focus on the woman in front of me.
Meera opened one eye, her lips curling into the barest smirk. “Took you long enough.”
I stopped just shy of reaching her. “You’ve been pulling away all day. I didn’t want to cross a line.”
Her expression softened, the smirk fading into something quieter. “If I didn’t want you here, I wouldn’t have asked.”
I moved closer, slow and careful, until our legs brushed beneath the water. “You don’t have to pretend with me, Meera. Not here. Not now.”
She looked away, her throat working as she swallowed. “It’s not pretending,” she said, voice quieter now. “It’s protecting. I’ve spent most of my life building walls. It’s not easy to let someone past them. Even you.”
I reached out, letting my fingers skim her shoulder. She didn’t flinch, just breathed in a little deeper.
“That’s not going to work for me,” I said, and her eyes snapped back to mine.
“What?”
“I won’t be just another person who gets the watered-down version of you. The edited one. I want all of you, Meera. The sharp edges, the stubborn pride, the fear, the fire. I won’t take pieces.”
“That’s a lot to ask.”
