ELRETH

Packing bedrolls and fire starters reminded Elreth of the camping trips they'd taken with their friends when they were younger. She found herself smiling and nostalgic—and looking for reasons to touch Aaryn and pull him in for kisses. They laughed about the stupid things that had happened when they'd been younger—including the first time Elreth got drunk, though she seemed to find that one a lot funnier than Aaryn.

They kept distracting each other, hands drifting along bodies, gazes lingering when they watched the other across the room. Both of them smiling.

They were suddenly the kind of couple she'd always made gagging noises about. And she loved it.

She stood up from her bag and stared at him, reaching into his own bag and transferring things out that he'd brought over the day before that he wouldn't need for the trip. He was still naked and she admired the long lines of muscles in his legs, the ladders up his sides and stomach, the broad, flat chest and rippled shoulders as he tugged things out of the bag. Then he stood, turning to the closet that had always been her fathers, and hanging some items in there.

With his back to her, she got to watch the way his muscles twitched and rippled when he moved his arms, his thick shoulder blades rounding and falling, that line down his spine deepening when his arms came back. And then she remembered the night before—clutching onto him, feeling those muscles rigid and hard under her hands with his restraint and effort.

Her mouth went dry.

She had to keep reminding herself that this was real. This was her life now. She could have him every day. Multiple times a day, if last night was any measure. Aaryn was never leaving. He was her mate.

He belonged to her.

The thought took her breath away.

He turned from the closet and caught her watching and his lips curled up on one side. He raised his eyebrows, and when she didn't speak, he stalked over to her, dropping to wrap his arms around her waist and lift her off her feet.

She laughed and clung to his neck, returning the silly, sloppy kiss he planted on her. "Put me down!" she gasped a moment later. "We need to get this stuff done so we can get out of here and be alone!"

"Well, technically we're alone right now…" he growled, nibbling at her neck.

She let her head fall to the side to give him better access, and sighed as the goosebumps prickled up her arm again.

He barely needed to touch her before her body was alight.

But she wanted to take her time, to explore him, to ask questions and discover more between them. And she couldn't relax into that as long as she knew she had responsibilities.

So she kissed him one more time, then whispered. "Put me down and let's pick this back up later when we're really alone."

He groaned, but did as she asked, letting her slide down his body and feel his arousal, then taking her face in his hands and kissing her one more time. "I can't wait, El. I love you."

"I love you, too," she breathed.

Then she stepped away from him while she still had the strength to do it.

*****

After dropping their bags at the intersection of trails where they'd leave town, they met several families on the way to the City—all calling their congratulations and celebrating the mating bond. One of the males they saw was a wolf, and he howled for Aaryn—who laughed, but howled back. Then more howls rose across the city again.

Elreth had hidden her face, half-laughing, half-mortified. In her head the words kept repeating: He knows! They all know! And they are picturing it!

But the male just clasped Aaryn's hand and slapped his shoulder and then moved on. And Elreth's heart was full.

The wolf wasn't disformed. Yet he seemed truly pleased for Aaryn. She prayed more and more of the people would show that they saw him that way.

She'd realized that they spent so much time focusing on the portion of the people who were unhappy about the disformed, that they often forgot the greater portion didn't hold prejudice. She planned to celebrate that, right alongside shutting down the bigots.

The market was bustling when they arrived, and Elreth was already blushing. But it got worse after Aaryn took her hand as they walked into the market, and squeezed it, looking back over his shoulder as he led her into the crowd that were still finding their seats.

Applause began near them and spread. People cheering and laughing, some calling their congratulations, others just smiling.

Elreth nodded to everyone close by who bowed or spoke to her as they passed. She rubbed Aaryn's steel-strong arm with her free hand, finding comfort from his steady presence. But in her head, the drumbeat continued.

They know. They all know. They can picture it.

Her cheeks flamed.

How she wished she had her father's shameless attitude about these things—that she could just grin and nod and celebrate right alongside them.

She'd seen her mother—who was never as embarrassed as Elreth was—roll her eyes, and her cheeks flush at times. But neither of them had ever stifled the Anima spirit, which was to acknowledge and celebrate Mates and the Mate bond. If that meant acknowledging sex—well, her father in particular was more than happy to do so. Loudly and with gusto.

Aaryn didn't seem disturbed by it either. And most of her friends—even when they mated with someone and it didn't go well, everyone seemed to just shrug it off.

Why couldn't she do the same? Why did she want to hide her face in Aaryn's shoulder when they made it to the stage and people had stayed on their seats, stamping and calling?

The people were celebrating them! Her True Mate was disformed and a wolf, and yet the majority of the Market this morning called and cried their approval! She should be overjoyed!

She muttered to herself to get a grip, and tried to make eye-contact with people, motioning for them to sit and eat, to relax. But her tension must have shown. Because when the people finally did sit and she and Aaryn were able to take their seats, he leaned into her ear, one hand on her thigh, and whispered, "Don't look now, but they're all jealous of me, El. I am the most blessed male in Anima… and they know it."

She turned, smiling and held his face while she kissed him.

The market stood up and cheered.

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