She shivers in my arms.
“You’re lucky,” I murmur against her skin. “Rest up. Because tomorrow…” I let my lips graze the shell of her ear, “I get to Taste.”
A deeper quiver racks through her, and something primal inside me howls in satisfaction.
But I pull back. I have to. Because if I stay another second,I’ll take her right here against the temple doors while the priest watches.
I force my hands to drop away from her skin, steel myself from her warmth, and walk around her. With each step, I tell myself I’ll see her again. This time, I guarantee she’ll be waiting for me.
Chapter 14
EMBER
The castle is quiet save for the soft hum of snoring wolves reverberating off the stones. It’s a nice change of pace from the busy nights that I’ve become accustomed to. It’s just what I was counting on to slip into the baths unnoticed before anyone wakes. The stone steps are cold against my soles as I trek down three flights of stairs.
I find the large oak door by the entranceway steps, right where Roman said it would be a few nights ago. It creaks open, echoing in the quiet hall, before I’m met with another set of stairs.Ugh. Luckily, these stairs also descend. At the end, there’s a set of glass double doors. They open outward and a wave of steam hits me in the face. Humidity is thick in the air as I trek deeper. I can barely see in front of my face. But the stone tile grows warmer on my feet with each step and I’m desperate to sink into its heat.
Stone columns rise from the steam to a curved robin’s-egg-blue tiled ceiling. Before me is a long rectangular bath stretching from column to column with sea foam waters that smell like eucalyptus with a hint of lemon. The bath is so long I can’t even see where it ends at the other side.
I hum to myself as I slip into the warm waters. There’s a ledge under the water that’s knee height that I sink onto. It feels great on my sore leg muscles, compliments of all those damn stairs. I sigh, allowing my shoulders to lean on the edge of the bath as I continue humming my song. Now this is a luxury I can get used to. Back home, all we have is a small river, and it’s brisk in the winter months. Most times, I wade in my wolf form. But this warm bath is heavenly and smells delicious.
“What song is that?” a voice cuts through the mist.
Caught off guard, I jump, my foot slips, and I fall underneath the water.
Super sexy, Ember.
“Ah!” I choke as I come back up for air. “I didn’t realize anyone else was here.”
I squint, shifting into wolf eyes to see through the mist. The shape of a man leaning against the far pool materializes. His muscular arms are spread wide across the edge of the bath. Blue eyes glowing back at me until the steam shifts.
Before me sits Thorn.
“I didn’t mean to startle you. I just wondered what that song was.”
“Uh, I’m not sure. My mother used to sing it sometimes.”
“It sounded familiar.”
Silence fills the bath. Again, I’m painfully aware that I’m naked and alone in a large bath with another male. An Alpha male. Not to mention, I came here to do girly things like shave my legs.
“Well, I didn’t mean to interrupt your bath. I thought I would be alone at this time. I’ll leave you?—”
“No, I’ll leave. I was almost done anyway.”
As he rises, my wolf eyes watch the droplets of water that bead and cascade down the ridges of his abdomen. It slowly drips down every single ab muscle, making them glisten. Iunconsciously lick my lips. Thorn’s eyes catch the movement, then he sinks back into the water.
“I…uh,” he clears his throat. “This is nonsense; the pool is big enough for the both of us.”
“I guess it is.” I lean back against the pool’s edge again, trying to relax. It’s a lot harder knowing the turn my thoughts have taken. I meet one scented mate, and my hormones are going crazy.
Get it together, Ember, you can’t be lusting over an Alpha, let alone one who lives in fucking Alaska. Okay, focus. I came here to do something, and I’m not going to let one stupid Alpha male stop me from it.Climbing up onto the lip of the water’s edge. I slip the shell from my hair, prop my leg up, and slide the sharp side that’s been filed down along the inside of my calf and proceed to shave my legs. When I switch legs, my eyes lock with Thorn’s. His knuckles are white against the pool. Wetting the shell, I continue shaving my other leg. The shell slides slowly up my leg. I eye him out of the corner of my eye before twisting and slowly shaving the other side.
Thorn stands and takes a step forward. Water gliding past his powerful thighs.Gods, what else can those thighs do?I meet his gaze. It’s determined. Possessive and raw. My breath catches in my throat. He’s beautiful. Big, broad shoulders — muscles literally everywhere — long snowy, wet hair dripping water down those ripped abs.
“Look at you two early risers,” a voice states behind me. I didn’t even hear the doors open. All this humidity and lemon scent is making it hard to smell too.
I turn to see a tall, lean man with steel gray eyes. His hair is slicked back, and his smile seems warm, but it doesn’t reach his eyes. Long legs slip into the water to my left.