Suddenly, Zio was on top of Devan.Again. Unwilling to lose control this time, Devan braced himself. “You don’t make me feel bad either.”
“Don’t I? You don’t smile as much around me as you do everyone else.”
Devan’s lips twitched. “I wasn’t aware that I’d smiled much at all since I got here. No offence, but your way of life is kind of intense.”
“True that, but youaredifferent with the others. I’ve seen you with Michael, and Bomber when he was still here. You’re relaxed with them... a brother. With me it’s like you’re waiting for a grenade to go off.”
Devan turned it over in his mind and realised Zio was right. In many ways, being with Zio in any capacity was so right he couldn’t imagine it feeling wrong, but the reality of fighting a bond was markedly different. It was hard to smile when his instincts were taking such a battering. “I don’t mean to be miserable.”
“That’s not what I said.”
“All the same, I am sorry. I like being with you. Youdomake me smile.”
“Show me.”
“What?”
“Showme,” Zio repeated. “I have to go in a minute, and I don’t want to leave again knowing you feel like shit.”
“I don’t feel like shit.”
“Prove it.”
In spite of himself, Devan smiled, and for a fleeting moment, his world narrowed to the grin he got from Zio in return. War, packs, clans, they faded to black. They were alone with the addictive warmth they shared, and its origins didn’t matter.
Devan cupped Zio’s face in his hands and tugged him down for a gentle kiss. His body thrummed with desire, but he ignored it—ignored everything save the sensation of lips that were made for his. Zio melted against him, his sharp edges a distant memory. The kiss went on and on and on. Fresh magic sparked, and Zio’s contented wolf called to Devan’s shifter soul.
Mine.
Ours.
Too soon, though, Zio pulled back. “I’m not sorry I jumped on you.”
“I don’t want you to be.”
“Good, cos I’m not, and I can’t promise it won’t happen again before this operation is over.”
“And what about after? Our orders are to deflect the bond until thewaris over. That could be years.”
Zio shrugged. “The bond will have faded by then, and we can be friends... maybe even friends who fuck. Seriously, man. I think we should stop worrying about it. Neither of us is going to disobey our alphas.”
“You think the bond is going to fade?” Devan’s stomach dropped through the ground, leaving a crater in its wake. “Even though we’re both stuck here... together?”
“Of course. You have to fuck to complete it, right? And bite each other. We’re not going to do that.”
The glow Devan had absorbed from their kiss evaporated. There’d been moments when he’d been grateful for the fact that Zio had learned little about the shifter world in his short, tumultuous life, but inthismoment, Devan wanted to scream.How can he be that naive?
But Devan already knew the answer—because he didn’t know any better. “Zio, we—”
For the second time that day, they were interrupted. Danielo ducked into the tent. “Sorry to barge in.” He looked anything but. “Drones are in, Z. Movement to the south. I think it’s human, but we should check it out.”
In an instant, Zio became the soldier Devan had been ordered to protect. He rolled off Devan and scrambled to his feet. “I’m coming.”
“You might want to zip your jeans up first, mate. We don’t all want to see your dick.”
“Liar.”
Danielo smirked.