We reach the cave system as dawn breaks. Neutral territory. No pack claims these mountains. Kieran stumbles, catching himself against the rock face. Blood soaks through his shirt, dark and spreading.
"How much farther?" I ask, supporting his weight.
"Here. This one." He gestures to an opening barely visible behind scrub brush.
Inside, the cave opens into a larger chamber. Dry. Protected. Cold stone under my feet. I lower Kieran carefully, and he hisses through his teeth.
"Let me see." I peel back his shirt. The wound is deep, angry, still bleeding. "You're leaving a trail."
"I know." His voice comes tight with pain. "We need to move again soon."
"Not until I stop this bleeding." I tear strips from my dress, the fabric ripping loud in the enclosed space. "Hold still."
I pack the wound with cloth, pressing hard. He groans, head falling back against stone.
"Don't die." My hands shake as I work. "Don't you dare die on me."
He catches my wrist, pulling me down closer. "They could have killed you. When I saw—"
I kiss him to stop the words. His lips are cold, but he responds immediately, one hand tangling in my hair. The kiss deepens despite everything. Despite the blood. Despite the danger still chasing us.
He groans into my mouth, then pulls back. "I'm hurt. We shouldn't—"
"I need to feel you alive." I straddle him carefully, avoiding his wounded side. "I need to know you're real."
"Ardena." His hands grip my hips, torn between pulling me closer and pushing me away. "I can barely move."
"Then don't move." I lean down, kissing him again. Softer this time. "Let me."
His eyes darken. "You'll hurt me."
"I'll be careful." My hands work at the laces of what's left of my dress. "Trust me."
"I do." His voice breaks on the words. "I trust you with everything."
I strip slowly, aware of his eyes tracking every movement. The cave is cold, but heat builds between us, undeniable. When I'm bare, I return to him, carefully straddling his hips.
"If it's too much—" I start.
"It won't be." His hands slide up my thighs, trembling slightly. "I've wanted this. Wanted you. Not rushed. Not desperate."
"We're always desperate." I reach between us, freeing him from his pants. He's already hard despite the pain, despite everything. "That's what they've made us."
"Then let's take it back." His fingers dig into my skin. "Make it ours."
I position myself over him, sinking down slowly. The stretch, the fullness—it never gets easier to bear. He fills every space inside me, physical and otherwise. His breath catches, eyes closing.
"Look at me," I whisper.
His eyes open. Golden. Burning. Alive.
I move carefully, mindful of his injury. Slow rolls of my hips. Nothing rushed. Nothing frantic. Just us, here, together. The bond hums between us, growing stronger with every movement. I feel it spreading through my chest like roots, anchoring deep.
"Ardena." My name sounds like prayer on his lips.
"I'm here." I lean forward, bracing my hands on either side of his head. "I'm not going anywhere."
"Promise me." His hands slide up to cup my face. "Promise you won't leave me."
"I promise." I kiss him as I move. "You're stuck with me now."
He groans, hips lifting slightly despite the pain. "Careful."
"I am being careful." But I pick up the pace slightly, chasing the building pleasure. "Tell me if I need to stop."
"Don't stop." His grip tightens. "Don't ever stop."
The bond deepens with every thrust, every gasp, every whispered word. I feel him in every cell of my body. Feel his pain. His pleasure. His desperate love mixed with fear of losing me.
"I love you," I breathe against his mouth.
His eyes widen. "Say it again."
"I love you, Kieran." The words come easier the second time. "I love you."
"Goddess help me." He pulls me down into a brutal kiss. "I love you too. So much it terrifies me."
I move faster now, forgetting to be careful. He doesn't complain. His hands guide my hips, helping despite his injury. The pleasure builds, coiling tight in my core.
"I'm close," I gasp.
"Let go." His voice is strained. "I want to feel you."
The climax crashes through me like a wave. I cry out, clenching around him. The bond flares white-hot, and I feel the exact moment he follows me over the edge. His release pulses inside me, warm and endless. I squeeze him, milking every drop, taking everything he has to give.
When it finally subsides, I collapse carefully onto his uninjured side. Our breathing fills the cave, harsh and uneven.
"That was stupid," he says after a long moment.
"Probably." I trace patterns on his chest. "Worth it though."
"Definitely worth it." He kisses the top of my head. "Even if I'm bleeding again."
I sit up quickly. "Are you?"
He checks the bandage. "No. You did good work."
"Don't scare me like that." I settle back against him.
"Says the woman who just—"
"Shut up." But I'm smiling.
He wraps his arm around me, holding me close. "We can't stay here long."
"I know." I close my eyes. "Just a few hours. You need rest."
"We both do." His fingers trace my spine. "Then we move again."
"Where?"
"North. There's another Nightshade camp. Deeper in the mountains. Rhys won't follow us there."
"He'll follow us anywhere." I press closer to his warmth. "You know he will."
"Then we'll keep running." His voice hardens. "Until we don't have to anymore."
"When will that be?"
"When he's dead." Simple. Final. "When they're all dead."
I should protest. Should argue for mercy. But I don't. Because he's right. This only ends one way.
"Rest now," he murmurs. "I'll keep watch."
"You're injured. I'll keep watch."
"Stubborn woman."
"Stubborn man." I kiss his chest. "We'll take turns."
"Deal." His breathing starts to even out despite his words. "Ardena?"
"Yes?"
"Thank you. For choosing me."
"There was never another choice." I tilt my head up to meet his eyes. "You're my mate. My home. Everything else was just noise."
He kisses me softly. "Sleep. I'll wake you in an hour."
I close my eyes, listening to his heartbeat. Strong. Steady. Alive.
We're alive.
For now, that's enough.