that too if they gave her trouble. I doubted they would, mind you. It was clear from how we hovered around her that we were all whipped, and none of us gave much of a shit about that.
I sighed, appreciating the constant warmth that felt good on my bones, and the twilit sky that was comfortable on the eye. We were sensitive to light as a species, so this was perfect for us.
It fit.
This was our paradise, I supposed.
The Mother had built it for us, hadn’t she?
Was it somewhere like this where shifters came after they died?
I wasn’t sure I appreciated that thought process as much—
“We have too much living to do before we think about the end,” Sabina murmured.
My eyes popped open at that, but before I could reply, she straightened on the branch next to me. I watched her, cautiously wondering what was wrong. Her back was stiff with tension, and she reeked of worry. Considering she normally smelled beautiful, that instant change had me tensing and sitting up. Peering around, I tried to figure out what she’d seen, but even as I tried, I couldn’t see shit, so I asked, “What is it? What’s wrong?”
“Something’s here.”
Her words were low, measured, but I knew her focus was elsewhere.
I frowned at her, then gritted my teeth when she dropped down to the ground, sinking nine feet as though they meant nothing.
Considering I’d had to help her get that beautiful ass up here, that she could drop down so quickly and with no fear stunned the shit out of me.
I acted seconds after she did, dropping down behind her, but as I approached her, I heard her whisper, “I need a bow and arrows.”
When she was armed with them, I watched her stack them on her body, setting up like she was a pro.
All the while, I just stood there, gaping at her, because what the actual fuck was happening here?
My mouth dropped open, and I had no choice but to stare at her, gawk in fact, as I wondered what the hell she was doing.
Then, of course, I scented it.
A fox.
And the rabbits here were defenseless. Two parent rabbits, four little tiny…hell, whatever they called baby rabbits.
Innocent.
Defenseless.
And the rabbits were unaware of our presence, never mind the fox’s, so they were, in a word, screwed.
My mouth tensed, but I didn’t say anything, because to be honest, I was curious. So curious as to whether or not she could actually use that bow and arrow.
The sight of her standing like that, legs planted, her arms positioned in a way that looked like she knew what she was doing—when I decidedly didn’t—had me rocking a boner, I wouldn’t lie.
Jesus, with no clothes on and like some kind of Amazonian? Her hair fluttering in the soft breeze, but otherwise completely still so nothing could scent her out?
A man’s wet dream, and she belonged to me.
I watched as she pulled her right arm back, then carefully, with a measure that told me this wasn’t the first time she’d used a bow, released the string. The shaft sailed through the air, and the fox shrieked, which prompted the rabbits to hop away as fast as they could with their little legs.
My wolf twitched at the sight of dinner disappearing, but I wasn’t about to chide Sabina, was I? Not when she’d gone all Lara Croft on me to save the rabbits from the fox.
It was quite clear to me that my mate was going to have severe issues with predators preying on…you guessed it…prey. Even if it was a facepalm moment, I wasn’t about to try to educate her as to the ways of the natural world and the rhythm of ecosystems. Dumbass, I most certainly wasn’t.
Even though I was impressed because she’d speared the fox straight through the belly, I asked, “Where did you learn to shoot like that?”
She sniffed. “I worked in carnivals for over twelve years, Ethan. You pick up a lot of random stuff.” Her tone was absentminded as her head tipped this way and that, cocking to the side like she was waiting to hear something.
It was quite a freaky sight, but again, a turn-on.
Just call me a pervert.
I’d accept it.
Everything she did was sexy.
Of course, that was when I knew my hormones were acting for me, and I needed to wake the fuck up.
“Wolves,” I rumbled, my head whipping to the side to catch her glance as she nodded at me, a calm about her that surprised me.
I