Chapter 43
CHAPTER FORTY-THREE
FOX
They waited until nightfall to leave, the dark peaks below them and the stars above them as they flew.
Fox remembered a time he’d thought the world was ugly beyond the wall.
He’d thought the stone streets and carved eaves of Suvi were the most beautiful things in all of Wueco.
But the snowy peaks, dust trees, and gushing waterfalls with their frozen edges rivaled anything he’d seen before.
He had to remind himself how deadly this icy landscape could be.
Sofia sat in front of him, nestled between his thighs, the warmth of her body permeating the thick fabric of his pants. She had furs wrapped over her shoulders to stop the wind from breaking through her clothes, though he could still feel her occasional shivers.
“It’s magnificent here,” he said, pulling her back into his chest so he could speak into her ear. The night was filled with the sound of the wind.
“It is,” she said, letting her head rest on his chest. “I could do without the wind and snow.”
“I like the snow. It makes everything look so clean and perfect.”
“Perhaps, but the snow just hides the ragged stones beneath.”
“We’ll have to wait to see it during the rainy season, when the snow melts.”
Fox felt his chest tighten as the words slipped out. He’d been thinking of the future—their future.
Only now did he realize he’d started down this path with the assumption that he’d die before it all ended.
He’d never assumed they’d have a future together.
But for a moment, as he looked at the black sky speckled with stars, he imagined flying through the mountains blinks from now with Sofia in his arms. The future bloomed in his chest, and just for now, he didn’t tamp it down or fight it.
Sofia didn’t say anything, but she didn’t pull away from him either.
They’d been worried about not being able to find the Dereyan camp in the mountains, but it only took a few hours for Chalia to pick up the scent of the large group of humans.
She noted with a growl that vibrated her body underneath them that there were wolfshifters in the camp, enough of them that their scent was obvious among the humans.
The army was camped a few miles from the first pass, just where the foothills met the mountains.
It was a few hours’ flight for the dragons who would sweep over peaks and valleys with ease, but they were a couple of days’ hike from the nesting grounds on foot.
Fox imagined they were too afraid to make camp in the unforgiving mountain pass.
Chalia dipped down beneath the tree line, slowing her flight and continuing as best she could until they were a few miles from the camp. They were too afraid to get any closer with the wolfshifters and dragons there to smell them.
There was the barest dusting of snow on the ground, and the air was still cold, but the forest felt almost warm compared to the slopes they’d been traversing lately.
They found a cave-like rocky outcrop nearby that provided safety from the wind that would allow them to build a fire without the light filtering too far into the forest. Even if their plan went perfectly, they’d be here for a couple of days.
Hopefully only a couple, so they could meet Aurelia’s deadline.
“I should leave now,” Sofia said. “I can get a layout of the camp before sunrise.”
Fox wanted to argue, but they’d already walked through the plan during their flight, and he’d agreed to it. Sofia knew how to hunt and move through the forest better than he ever could. But he hated the part of the plan where he simply sat around and waited for her to return.
“You’re sure Chalia will stay connected with you the entire time?”
“I’m sure. It’s only a mile or so away. If I lose contact, I’ll turn around and come back.”
She wasn’t looking at him, eyes already focused on the forest between them and the camp. The ground sloped, and there were small drifts of snow where the sun couldn’t reach, but it was the same rainforest they’d spent weeks in already.
“Okay,” he said, but before she could take a step, he reached out and grabbed her arm, unable to stop himself. He turned her toward him. Her eyes were nearly black in the shadowed night, but he swore he saw the stars reflected in them.
They were wide as they looked up at him. “Fox?” she said, her breath warm against his face. They were so close.
“Yes?” he asked.
“I can’t leave if you’re holding me.”
“I know.” He didn’t let go. His eyes swept over her face, as if he might memorize every freckle, every fine line, every flicker of expression.
Her hand came up to rest against his cheek. Her fingers were cold, but they still burned like a brand against his skin. And he saw her eyes flicker down toward his lips. He dipped his head, pressing his lips to hers before his mind could catch up.
A part of him knew he had no right to kiss her—he wasn’t good enough for her.
But she was kissing him back, and it made him think perhaps he was wrong, maybe he could earn her.
He could earn a future with her. And if not, perhaps there was a small moment in the here and now where he was allowed to have her. And he wanted to take it.
His fingers tangled in her curls as he surged forward, pressing their bodies together, feeling every curve against his body. She let out a soft whimper at the tug in her hair, and it only made his hunger wild. His teeth nipped at her lips, and she opened to him.
She stumbled back, and he followed until she was pressed against the rocky outcrop.
She moved against him, and he let out a groan into her mouth.
His hands desperately grabbed at her hips, fingers reaching beneath clothing to touch her heated skin, her own hands roaming over his chest, clenching at his tunic.
In the distance, a wolf howled, the present crashing over Fox like ice.
He hated himself as he gently gripped her arms and pushed her away. She was flushed red and breathing heavily, but she only nodded, as if reading his mind. They didn’t have time for this. Not now.
“Okay,” she said. “I’ll be back in a couple of hours. I’ll keep Chalia informed as I go.”
Fox nodded, not quite ready to speak. He was urging his cock to soften and his breath to steady.
But gods, one of these days they wouldn’t be in the middle of the forest or in the middle of a war.
One of these days, he’d have her laid out on a bed, naked and begging for him, when they had all the time in the world.
Sofia gave him one last look, her own gaze heated, before she finally turned away and slipped into the shadowy forest.
Fox waited.