Rein walked through the door, his backpack dangling from one shoulder and a rifle slung over the other. She acknowledged him with a simple nod as she latched the box. She stood and placed the last footlocker next to the door.
“These are ready to go,” she said.
He dropped his bag and balanced his gun on top. “Ellyssa, I know you’re angry with me.”
“I’m not angry,” she denied. Anger wasn’t the correct description. Hurt and afraid. Afraid for him.
Refusing to look at him, Ellyssa went to the locker and grabbed the last two boxes of dressings and a roll of tape. She shoved them into the deep pockets of her camo pants.
Rein approached from behind and wrapped his arms around her waist. “I’ll be leaving soon. I don’t want to leave things like this.” He kissed her earlobe softly.
She relaxed into him; she couldn’t help it. It was like his touch evaporated all of her self-control. She cherished the feel of him, afraid this would be the last time. A premonition almost, a deep foreboding.
“I should be going with you.”
“Why?”
She wheeled around. “You have no idea what you are up against.”
“Our whole existence is avoiding society. We’ve survived this long.”
“You haven’t had any of the police sniffing this close before.”
Rein’s lips pursed. “Maybe not, but I did have the benefit of learning from Jordan. We know what to do.”
“You don’t understand. The people closing in have had the benefit of The Center’s training programs.”
“Are they like you?”
“No, but…”
Rein pulled her against him, stroking her hair. “We really need you here. If something happens, you can protect the community. You can keep it going.”
Ellyssa started to protest, but he stopped the words with a kiss. Like the times before, at his touch a fire consumed her. She hungrily parted her lips, inviting him to explore, while she tasted him. Her hands ran across his back, examining the contours of his muscles. She moved up to his hair and tangled her fingers in the strands, trying to pull him closer, desperate to never let him go.
Rein’s mouth parted from hers, and soft traces of his kisses and tongue traveled down her jawline to the hollow of her neck. Her breath hitched, a strong current flowing through her body. Adrenaline and hormones flooded. Everything forgotten, lost to the moment.
As desire engulfed her, Ellyssa lost control. She pushed herself against Rein, wanting him closer, finding his mouth. She released his hair and dropped her hand to his chest. She could feel his heart slam like hers. Her fingers trailed down over the hardness of his stomach to his beltline. She froze, as reality slapped her in the face.
Ellyssa knew all about the mating process, but the books she’d read had all been technical and cold, nothing like Rein’s warmth and inviting touch. The texts had never described the fire, or the shivers, or the intensity of the emotional sensations blooming in her heart. Frustrated at her ignorance, she looped her arm around the small of his back.
“Ellyssa,” he whispered into her ear, his soft breath sending chills through her body, fanning the flames. “I love you.”
“I love you,” she replied, her breath short.
Rein took her hand in his and led her to a cot. Not knowing what to do, she let him ease her onto the canvas and settled above her, his dark hair messed into a new arrangement, his body hard against hers. In an instant, her misgivings evaporated. New instincts charged forward.
Ellyssa pulled him down where she could nibble at his throat and the curve of his collarbone. Soft moans escaping, Rein lowered his head and met her lips. Eagerly, her mouth moved with his, her tongue exploring, her hips pressing into his.
Rein ran his fingers between the contours of her breasts, down her stomach, stroking the inside of her thigh. Heart thudding uncontrollably, heat rose in her midsection and traveled down. Warmth blossomed. She reveled in the sensation, and feared it at the same time.
Suddenly aware of the primal need coursing through her body, Ellyssa faltered. She wanted him, but the thought both excited and terrified her. Confusion mounted, but before she could overanalyze everything, he settled off her, his breaths ragged.
“Do you want to be with me?” he asked, kissing the tip of her nose. Her chest heaving, she nodded. “Yes.”
“Forever?”
She reached up and ran her fingers behind his ear. “Yes.”
“Are you sure?”
Ellyssa frowned. “Of course.”
Rein smoothed away the lines with the tip of his finger, then leaned over to kiss her again, his tongue darting playfully. He pulled back. “I want to be with you, too. What I feel for you is as foreign to me as it is to you.” He gazed at her, his green eyes boring into her blue. “I love you, Ellyssa. I will always love you. I just want you to be sure it is me that you love. I know you’ve never…” He hesitated, picking his words. “You’ve never loved.”
Bewildered, Ellyssa studied Rein. Then she understood. Like her, he had misgivings, fear of putting himself out there. Trust was hard.
“It’s true, I have never loved,” she said. “With what limited emotions I have felt, I have nothing to compare the feeling to. But in the emotionless prison I grew up in, how did I know joy when I felt it, or pride? How did I know the feeling I had at Jordan’s death was loss?
“My sheltered life allowed complete oblivion against the wonderful things life has to offer: family and friends, a sense of truly belonging. I felt these reactions, and my body naturally responded. I’ve laughed. I’ve cried.” She brushed her lips against his. “Because of you, I love.”
Rein smiled, a beautiful smile that lit his face and reached his eyes.
The adrenaline, the hormones, the raging emotions slapping together like waves during a hurricane—she’d never felt so vulnerable. It was beyond petrifying, but she wanted to be with him.
Rein dropped his head and kissed her, his tongue teasing her lips, before darting into her mouth, rekindling the embers that responded in an instant blaze. Ellyssa dug her hands into his hair, pulling him closer.
Gasping, Rein pulled back. Shifting to his side, he lay next to her, their foreheads touching. “I want to stay,” he said, while playing with a strand of her hair. “Woody will come looking for me soon.”
“I know.”
“Are you still angry? You know…with the council and everything?”
Ellyssa caressed the side of his face, memorizing every detail. “I was never angry. I think I felt hurt. I’m also very worried.”
Rein kissed the tip of her nose. “Please don’t. Next time, we’ll stay together. No matter what. I promise.”
“I’m going to hold you to that,” Ellyssa said.
Rein pushed off the cot and grabbed her by the wrist, pulling her up with him. He hugged her and kissed the top of her head, the bottom of her earlobe, and each corner of her mouth before lingering on her lips.
Holding him tight as he kissed her, enjoying the feel of his body against hers, Ellyssa didn’t want to let him go, but the soft sound of footsteps—always the echo of footsteps—caused her to drop her arms and step away.
Mathew paused for a moment, his eyes darting between the two of them, a knowing smile playing across his face. “No longer angry?”
Ellyssa shook her head.
“Good.” Mathew looked lost for a moment, as if struggling to decide what to do. Finally, he said, “Um…Woody.”
“Yeah, I know. It’s getting late.”
Rein leaned over and gave her a quick peck on the mouth. She wished his lips would linger.
“Take care of her for me, Doc.”
“Of course. Plenty to keep us busy.”
“I’ll be back as soon as possible.” Rein said, as he gave her hand a gentle squeeze.
Mathew draped his arm over Ellyssa’s shoulders as she watched Rein disappear out the entryway. Her heart fluttered as love swept through her, taking the place of everything essential for life, like air or food. She held on to the feeling, ignoring the foreboding that nibbled at her.