Visena pulled back breathlessly when a horrifying thought pierced her mind. She shifted her gaze behind Gideon, sighing with relief when she couldn't see anyone. "Where's your brother?"

Gideon's eyes phased from green to gold. "I sent him back to his room." His voice reached unimaginable depth. It almost seemed as if his vocal cords had fused with his wolf.

Insanely sexy.

Visena couldn't resist his unfiltered look, but she felt the urge to play. A glance to her left showed an inviting forest.

Hide and seek, perhaps?

She unfurled herself and stood, smoothing her clothes with her hands while Gideon remained sitting, staring up at her with a quizzical brow. Visena had to suppress a devious smile as she turned tail and sprinted towards the looming trees. A growl erupted from behind as she pumped her legs, tall grass crunching underfoot. A pang of guilt flowed through her as she trampled the flower hedge before the forest. Sorry!

She realised quickly, as lithe footsteps closed in, that she would be no match for Gideon in human form and stripped off her clothes, ducking into the evergreens. The footsteps behind her quieted as Gideon searched for his mate.

Visena imagined him creeping around in the darkness as she shifted into her wolf form. Her colouring made it impossible to camouflage, so she hoped her agility and speed would keep her from being caught. Sniffing the air, the pearl coated wolf nearly yelped when she smelled how close her seeker was. She darted out from behind her safety and further into the blackness. A familiar guttural growl rumbled right behind her.

Gideon had shifted too. This was going to be fun.

Visena didn't dare peer over her shoulder, instead twisting and weaving through the brush. Her sensitive ears heard the scratching and crushing of leaves alongside her as Gideon tried to get ahead. She veered right and slipped right into a deep pond. Her swimming skills proved helpful as she dived beneath the surface and paddled to the other side. It took a bit of effort to drag herself over the bank and resulted in her belly getting caked in sludge. She hoped the added coating would hide her scent as she took off again.

The game was thrilling. More like cat and mouse than hide and seek, but she was exhilarated. Her wolf vision was sharp as she weaved between ancient Fae trees. She had a sense of familiarity but could not remember their names. They were nothing like the earth realm nor the Veil. A bioluminescent glow marked her path when her fur brushed against the bark, becoming another obstacle she had to avoid in the chase.

Gideon's wolf had gone silent. He gained on her again to her right, yet the only evidence of this was the blue-green fluorescence. His obsidian wolf became the night.

It felt like Visena had been running for hours when she stumbled upon another body of water. This one was much larger and spanned beyond the horizon. The lake's surface was as smooth as glass. Exceptionally still. Tranquil. The sky was twinkling above her head, but it looked more like fairy lights than stars. She would have giggled at the irony if she were in human form.

A sudden shiver ran down her spine as she stood in the open. Without turning back, she knew golden eyes were watching her from the treeline.

Gideon was silent, but their aching bond cried out to her. It took everything not to roll over in wolf form and let him take her. The pull to be one, finally becoming mates truly and completely, was potent—a blessing from Hina. The thoughts had Visena panting.

No more waiting.

With a burst of Fae-wolf courage, Visena strutted with as much sultriness as she could muster. Once the water was up to her hackles, she shifted back into human form. The lake was warm against her bare flesh, and she sighed, dipping her head back to wet her hair. She wadded in further until the water was above her breasts and kept her eyes on the horizon. The soft swish of water from behind was the only tell that she wasn't alone. Hot breath fanned across her shoulder as Gideon finally caught his mate.

"Mine," he whispered as his lips found a home along her neck. Visena tilted her head as his mouth trailed to her jaw. His arms wrapped tentatively around her belly as she leaned into his frame. A delicious rumble vibrated from his chest, inviting a moan from the woman in his embrace. She placed her hands over his and moved them in opposite directions.

Gideon tensed as his hands brushed her breast and hips. "Visena." His voice held a warning, but she was ready. She wanted him.

"Touch me," she demanded, words coming out in a breathy rasp.

Gideon didn't need another prompt, letting his masterful fingers swirl around her pelvis and press against her swollen centre. His other hand grasped her breast and stimulated her with thumb and forefinger. The circular rhythm below her waist had Visena's eyes fluttering shut while his sudden tugging on her breasts lit a fire in her core. Her spine arched towards Gideon, and she felt all of him against her lower back. His groan only spurred their desire further. The water bubbled around them as Visena's climax reached its peak. She tensed in anticipation while Gideon remained steady. He knew exactly how to touch her. He was made for her.

Her orgasm had her body trembling in Gideon's arms. Her moans had him holding her tighter until she finally collapsed against him; their bodies melded as one. The lake stilled, bathing them in its tepid depths.

"You are so fucking beautiful." Gideon groaned into his mate's hair. He had never felt so close to another person in all his life.

He wanted her for all his life.

She turned in his arms, her palms pressed against his chest. Their eyes met, and Visena's were swimming with tears.

Fear raced through Gideon as he bent down to her level. "What's wrong?"

His genuine concern made Visena smile shyly. She shook her head as the droplets spilt down her cheeks. "I don't even know how to explain it, Gideon."

His hands clasped hers as he kissed her forehead. "Tell me."

Crickets and frogs serenaded the pair as they stood bare in the water. Visena could hear a solitary mockingbird singing its heart out from the Fae forest. At least one of them could speak, she thought wryly as her voice lodged in her throat.

"Visena?"

Gideon's olive eyes were earnest. The way he could say everything with one little word astounded her. Every time he spoke her name, she melted. But it wasn't just the name; it was everything else: the promise, the question, the love.

Gideon's beautiful mate was gripped tightly in his arms, in a lake, in the Fae realm, and he couldn't be happier. He was insanely, madly and truly in love with her.

"Gideon, I love you."

~~~

A/N

Need I say more?