Page 64

Story: Wild Instincts

“Then we retrieve it,” he murmured, tucking a stray strand of her hair back behind her ear.

Her eyes darkened with emotion. “You both confuse me.”

“How so?”

She looked over her shoulder at Peterson. “You’re nothing like I thought you would be. I expected?—”

She stopped and shook her head. He caressed her cheek with his thumb. His lips curved into a rueful smile. It wasn’t hard to imagine what she expected after the history between humans and shifters.

“Humans and shifters aren’t too different. We want love, a family, and a place to call our own. Yeah, there are some bad shifters out there, but the good far outweigh the bad ones,” he said.

“I know.”

Her words were spoken softly, so softly that they were almost indiscernible. With a slight lean, he halted right before her lips, almost touching them. Her eyes dropped to them and she leaned towards him, gently pressing her lips to his for a moment before hiding her face against his chest. He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her close to him. It was a quick and hesitant kiss, but it filled him with optimism.

Their foreheads touched, creating an intimate and tender moment. With a gentle gesture, Peterson extended his hand and delicately grazed her shoulder. His friend’s eyes glowed with an unmistakable love.

“I’ll finish packing up while you grab something to eat. There is some trout left. Jayden and I have already eaten,” Peterson murmured, his voice slightly deeper than normal.

Van lifted his head and nodded. “Thanks for letting me sleep in.”

“No worries.”

Jayden kept her head bowed as she pulled away from him. He could already feel the emptiness in his arms. Brushing a hand over his face, he shook his head. He walked over to the log and picked up the trout wrapped in a large leaf and ate.

“Here’s some coffee,” Jayden said, placing a cup on the log.

“Thanks. You know, I think I’m actually going to miss spending time in the forest once we get back home… for a few minutes,” he joked.

She chuckled at his wry comment and looked around. Her eyes softened with emotion. A pensive expression crossed her face as she stared out at the forest.

“I’m scared,” she confessed.

His hand froze in midair at her confession. “What are you afraid of?”

She glanced at him before looking away again. “Losing everything.”

His gaze followed her as she turned away. He could tell she wouldn’t elaborate on her comment. There had been a raw note in her voice that spoke of a deeper pain. There was so much he and Peterson still needed to learn about their mate. Jayden was a woman of many layers. It would take a while to earn her trust, but he was looking forward to peeling back each layer and discovering the remarkable woman beneath.

“Everything’s packed. Are you ready?” Peterson said.

Van nodded, casually flicking the leaf and fish remains away, and cleansed his fingers with a splash of lukewarm coffee, before downing the rest. Peterson held out the pack, and he tucked the collapsible cup into its side pocket. Sliding the pack onto his shoulders, he adjusted the straps snugly.

“Ready. Jayden, you lead the way,” he said.

The moment Eric stepped into their camp, the elite group of soldiers stood at attention, their eyes fixed on him with unwavering focus. Before centering his attention on their leader, Damien Bardo, he nodded in acknowledgement to each shifter. Dressed in military camos that seamlessly blended with the forest, their faces painted to match, they were an intimidating force and the pride of the Dii Bellatore.

Damien matched his pace, and together they walked over to the edge of the cliff, where they were greeted by a breathtaking view of the valley below. In the distance, he could see the exposed ridge, its jagged edges contrasting against the clear blue sky.

“Status report,” he said.

“I’ve sent two trackers ahead. We are keeping radio silence, doing this old school. I thought it best after the information you sent about the retrieval teams since and what happened before. We don’t know what we are up against, and I didn’t want to chance a mole,” Damien replied.

“Whatever it is, it isn’t the government—at least no division I’ve ever heard of,” he said.

“I agree.”

As he looked at Damien, he noticed the slight twitch in his left eye, betraying his disquiet. There was an unsettling aura surrounding the man, and he could sense the apprehension emanating from him. Damien’s gaze constantly shifted, never settling on one spot in the surrounding area.