I didn’t miss the golds flickering to black. It was so quick. If I blinked, I would’ve missed it. Onyx closed the distance between our lips, his breathing laboring. Mine did too. To my chagrin, I’ve dreamed and hoped for the day we’d kiss again. My little secret that Kiya didn’t know about.
Centimeters apart, our lips would’ve molded together like two puzzle pieces if he hadn’t pulled away at the last second. His chuckle caressed my ears when he stepped back, rising to laughter when he spotted the disappointment on my face.
*Asshole*.
“I have a better idea.” He spoke. “There is something I want to show you. It’s a bit of a walk, but we’d get there quicker in our true forms.”
“Oh? And where is this place?” And why wasn’t it between my legs?
*Yikes*! *Control yourself, Artemis*.
“You’ll have to see and find out.”
I let out a loud groan. “Fine. You and your damn secrets.”
Onyx’s face rose with his grin, skipping behind a giant tree to strip and shift. I swore I heard a low humming. Keeping my chuckles to myself, I stripped behind a tree and shifted into my wolf form. Onyx and I met at the center, rubbing his nose against a sensitive part of my neck. The part that would bore a mate mark one day. I shuddered, butting his head from me.
*He’s going to be the death of me*.
Onyx took off down a rocky path, and I followed not too far behind him. Whatever he wanted to show me, he was excited for, and I couldn’t wait to see it. After a couple of minutes of hopping over earthy debris, he led me to a massive cliff. Onyx slowed to a stop and gestured with his head for me to look down. Cautiously, I ambled toward the edge and looked down.
And what I saw was absolutely stunning.
A waterfall! The scent of water blended with earth and flora tickled my snout. This world had many hidden gems, and this was one of them. I looked at Onyx, who sat on his rear, waiting for my response.
I growled in approval.
Soon after, Onyx led me down another rocky path that brought me closer to the waterfall. The sounds of rushing water grew louder the closer we got. It was one thing to look at the water from above, but from below? There aren’t enough words in the dictionary to describe the beauty. Grass and flowers crushed beneath our paws, walking closer to the river.
Many sensations rushed through my body. Boundless joy. Childlike curiosity. Excitement. Before I knew it, I shifted back into human form, ignoring the fact I was *stark naked*, and leaped into the cold water. The river swallowed me whole, appearing deeper than I originally thought. A couple of fish zipped past my nose. My feet brushed against rock and lush vegetation, the stems of water lilies sprouting toward the surface, blossoming above. Beauty lies both above and below the surface.
I rose from the water when my lungs burned for air, flipping my hair to my back. The sun peeked behind the clouds, enhancing the glitters embedded in the ripples. “Onyx, this place is beautiful. Thank you for showing-”
Onyx wasn’t at the riverbank. In fact, he wasn’t anywhere. Concerned, I darted my head in all directions in hopes to spot a tuff of black fur but found nothing. The water sloshed around my hips, rushing between my legs without care. I waded toward the riverbank, shaking my head. “I really hope that dumb puppy didn’t leave me here alone…”
*Oh, how wrong I was*.
In seconds, something seized at my ankles and yanked me b backward into the river, my body cutting through the innocent water lilies. I shrieked and flailed my arms around, thinking someone attacked me until the familiar warmth grabbed my wrists. The water obscured my vision, but I saw Onyx’s shit-eating grin as clear as day. Snatching one of my wrists back, I punched him in the arm, his smile turning into a wince.
“Guess I deserved that.”
“You deserved that and more!” I shook my finger in his face. “Don’t scare me like that! I couldn’ t hurt you!”
“You can’t hurt me, angel.” Onyx winked.
Heat rushed to my cheeks. “You don’t want a demonstration, puppy. Not here in the river when we both-!”
My eyes maneuvered from his face to where the water cut off his form just below his waist, revealing the dangerous vee of his thighs that led to… *his forbidden area”. Water droplets rained from his bulging muscles, from his ridiculously long hair, and his sharp chin. Sunlight hit him from behind, haloing his naked form like he was a deity blessed by the king of the gods himself. Many of his scars had faded, but I could still see them if I looked closely.
All words expired on my tongue. My mouth went dry. His hand was secured around my wrist, his thumb now massaging my radial pulse. His lips arched into a smile that shot more thunderbolts to my core, his half-lidded eyes peering into my shivering soul. My heart was racing, and he felt it.
The water was chilly, but the heat between us burned fiercer than molten lava.
I muffled a squeal when his brawny arm wrapped around my waist and yanked me toward his body. The bond went crazy, writhing like a dog in heat and bursting with firecracker-like explosions underneath my skin.Visit J o bn(ib).com to read the complete sentences for free.If you are not reading this novel on Jo b nib.com, some paragraphs are incomplete. Onyx brought my wrist up to his mouth and kissed each digit, his lips lingering on my ring finger. His lips traveled from my fingers to my palm, down to my wrist.
He nipped the thin skin over my pulse with his teeth, my body jolting against his. That movement alone made me aware of his hardened arousal pressing against my lower stomach.
*Oh, sweet Selene*…
“Your scent is driving me crazy.” Onyx’s arm trembled against my flesh, his fingers splayed against hip, digging into the supple flesh. His entire body buckled against mine as he grunted, closing his eyes, and exhaling heavily. My mind’s first thought was that he was hurt, but I knew this reaction. Kiya did it all the time. Onyx was resisting something, holding himself back.” Goddess, I love you so much.”
“Onyx…” I whispered, flexing my fingers. The hand closest to his face cupped his cheek, his eyes flying open. “Is there something wrong?”
He gifted me with a dazzling smile, shaking his head and pressing his lips against my palm again. “Nothing to worry your pretty little head about. It is overwhelming having you this close.”
“You make it sound like a bad thing.”
“It truly isn’t, my sweet.” His eyes bore into mine. Heated. Smoldering. “I much prefer this, if I m being honest.”
“I guess you can say I’m overwhelmed too.” I smiled, exhaling a shaky breath. “This is very intimate and…”
“I won’t do anything unless you explicitly tell me to.” Onyx released my wrist, pushing wet strands of my hair behind my ear. Electricity hummed through me, sweet yet potent. “But you and Kiya need to be onboard if you both chose to accept us or not.”
*If you **both** chose to accept us or not*.
And I don’t know when that’ll be, if ever. I don’t voice my thoughts, but nod in my silence. Wherever Kiya goes, I go, but I don’t know if I would or want to leave Onyx.
But that is another thought for another day. I didn’t want to ruin this moment between us.
“May I request a kiss from you, Onyx?”
His large hands cupped both my cheeks. He leaned down and brushed his nose against mine. “ How can I say no to such a sweet request?”
Our lips met in a sweet unison that made the angels in heaven sing. I felt so warm that it surprised me that the surrounding water didn’t boil. Onyx picked me up and carried me to the riverbank, my arms secure around his neck and my legs locked around his waist. The last kiss we shared was passionate, almost hurried, and sinful. This kiss was gentle with the embers of our flame stoking our strongest desires.
It was all I could take for today.
*And I enjoyed every damn minute of it*.