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"We should return," he says quietly, gathering my torn clothing as I struggle to stand on unsteady legs. "The afternoon patrols will begin soon."

I nod, not trusting my voice as I feel his seed leaking down my inner thighs, marking me with his scent in ways that go deeper than the claiming bites on my throat. As he helps me dress in the remnants of my shirt, his touch is gentle, careful not to aggravate the marks his claws left on my hips.

The flight back to the den passes in contemplative silence, my body still humming with satisfaction as we soar between peaks that no longer seem quite so threatening. Wrapped in his arms with his feathered wings shielding me from the wind, I feel protected in ways that have nothing to do with physical safety.

Whatever this thing between us is becoming, it's no longer simple captivity. The knowledge terrifies and thrills me in equal measure, a dangerous emotion I'm not ready to name but can no longer deny.

As the familiar cave entrance comes into view, I steel myself for another day of pretending this is nothing more than forced breeding, nothing more than territorial claim enforcement.

But deep in my core, where his seed still marks me as his, I know the truth is far more complicated than either of us is ready to admit.

CHAPTER 14

SURVIVAL TRAINING

Amelia's POV

I move through the dense undergrowth like a predator myself now, placing each foot with deliberate care. The soft earth cushions my steps as I navigate around dried leaves and brittle twigs that would betray my position. Twenty yards ahead, a mountain hare sits frozen against the rocky terrain, its gray-brown coat nearly invisible in the dappled shadows.

My heart pounds as I slowly raise the small crossbow Vex provided. The weapon wasn't designed for human shoulders—the draw weight pushes my muscles to their limits. But weeks of training have changed my body in ways I never expected. My arms are leaner now, stronger. My reflexes sharper.

I brace, aim, and release in one fluid motion.

The bolt flies true, catching the hare just behind its front leg. A clean kill.

"Good," Vex's deep voice rumbles from somewhere behind me. I didn't hear him approach—I never do—but his silent arrivals no longer make me jump. "You're learning to move like a hunter instead of prey."

The praise sends unwanted warmth through my chest. "The wind was in my favor," I mutter, not looking at him as I approach my kill.

"The wind was irrelevant. Your stance was perfect." His massive presence looms closer as I kneel beside the hare. "You're finally starting to understand your own capability."

Heat creeps up my neck at the approval in his voice. I focus on retrieving the animal, my hands working with the methodical precision that once made me the head nurse of a human settlement. The small knife he gave me separates hide from muscle with practiced efficiency.

"The liver should be consumed first," I explain as I carefully remove the dark organ. "Highest concentration of nutrients. In survival situations, organ meat can mean the difference between thriving and merely surviving."

Vex settles onto his haunches beside me, close enough that his wild scent fills my nostrils. Close enough that I can feel the heat radiating from his scaled skin. "Medical training serves you well beyond human anatomy."

I shrug, continuing my work while trying to ignore how his proximity makes my pulse quicken. "Physiology is physiology. Blood flows, organs function, life ends when essential systems fail." I pause, glancing up to find those yellow eyes fixed on me with predatory intensity. "Whether you're treating injuries or preparing food."

"And which am I?" he asks quietly, head tilting in that way that makes him look more predator than person. "Injury or sustenance?"

The question hangs between us, loaded with implications I'm not ready to examine. My hands still on the hare as heat floods my core. "I don't know what you mean."

His rumbling laugh vibrates through the ground where we're both kneeling. "Your body knows, even when your mind lies."

Before I can respond, he stands in one fluid motion, wings spreading slightly to catch the afternoon sun. "Finish your work. We have more ground to cover."

I return to field dressing the hare with hands that tremble slightly, all too aware of how he watches my every movement. The way his gaze follows the curve of my spine as I bend over my task. How his nostrils flare when the wind shifts, carrying my scent to him.

When I'm done, we continue climbing. The mountainside offers changing terrain that Vex uses as a living classroom. Pine and spruce forests give way to alpine meadows dotted with rocky outcrops. At each stop, he tests knowledge he's been systematically building in my head.

"This one," he says, indicating a silver-leafed plant growing in a protected crevice. But instead of stepping back to give me space, he moves behind me, his massive frame caging me against the rock face. "Tell me."

"Mountain Silverleaf," I manage, my voice breathier than it should be. "Anti-inflammatory properties. Good for infected wounds or fever."

"How would you prepare it?" His breath stirs the hair at my nape, making me shiver.

"Boiled into tea or ground into a poultice." I press back against the stone, trying to put distance between us, but there's nowhere to go. "Depending on the application."