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Tension crept into my muscles as it finally occurred to me that this was one of the reasons Ash knew something had happened when I was held captive. How I’d reacted when he said he knew Kolis had hurt me. That was how he’d known what Kyn and Kolis told him while he was imprisoned couldn’t all be lies. My chest twisted as I looked up. The softness and teasing were completely gone from Ash’s features as he watched me.

Shit.

I needed to pull it together, and not thinking about all of that would be the first and most important step in doing so.

Forcing my thoughts elsewhere, I thought of my lake. And Ash, watching over me. “Can I ask you something else?”

“Of course.”

I smiled. “Why didn’t you tell me you could shift into a wolf?”

Thick lashes lowered, shielding his gaze. “I didn’t know if it would…disturb you.”

“Why would you think that?”

He shrugged one shoulder and cleared his throat. When his lashes lifted, the vulnerability in his expression struck me. “Most would be at least unsettled by another’s ability to change into a beast.”

“Some would probably be a little freaked out by it, but I’m not most people.”

“No,” he murmured. “You are not.”

“And a wolf is not a beast. A dakkai? Yes. That’s a beast to me.” I traced the line of his collarbone. “A wolf is beautiful.” My gaze met his. “You are beautiful in that form.”

“Thank you.”

I tapped my fingers on his skin. “I find all your forms beautiful. This one. The wolf. When you go full Primal.”

“Full Primal?”

I nodded, dragging my lower lip between my teeth. “When your skin resembles shadowstone, and you do that smoky, shadow thing.”

Eather intensified, churning wildly in his eyes. “I think I know exactly which part of the full Primal form you find so…beautiful.”

My cheeks flushed as my mind immediately flashed to the night Ash had been drawn to me as I pleasured myself. Those smoky tendrils of shadow energy he controlled were definitely beautiful. And wicked. And highly arousing. My stomach clenched in the most delicious way, just remembering that night.

Gods, I really couldn’t think of that right now, even if I was still so damn relieved and thrilled that I could. That I could feel desire. But other things needed to be handled. Important things that did not involve those scandalous wisps of eather or any of our body parts.

I squared my shoulders. “We probably need to get going.”

“Yeah.” He tipped his head back. “But you’ll need clothing to do so.”

Glancing around the cavern, I raised a brow. “I think we’re out of luck when it comes to that.”

“I’ll retrieve some for you,” he said, reminding me that he was so much younger than the other Primals and couldn’t manifest clothing like Attes could. “It’ll take a few minutes, if that. Enjoy a little more time here.”

That meant he would shadowstep. He was going to leave. My stomach pitched, and gods, I couldn’t stop the burst of panic. “I can put the gown back on.”

“I don’t ever want to see you in that again.” The eather whipped across his eyes. “And it has nothing to do with the blood all over it. That is the only part of the gown I like.”

“Because it’s Kolis’s blood?” I guessed.

He nodded.

“Savage,” I murmured, my fingers pressing into his chest. “What if something happens to you? What if you don’t come back, and I’m stuck here? Don’t get me wrong, it’s beautiful, but I don’t think I can eat lilacs or—”

“Nothing will happen to me. Nor will you need to eat the lilacs—and please don’t attempt that.” A hint of amusement crept into his tone. “Nothing will happen. You are safe here, Sera. I promise.”

I knew I was. No one even knew about this cavern. “It’s not me I’m worried about.”