Chapter 26

ANNA

Anna woke up later, lying on her side in the big bed, surrounded by heat.

She could feel the unfamiliar sensation of a hard body pressing against her back, a heavy arm resting on her waist while the other was cushioning her head.

Anna could hear Zach’s deep, even breaths, telling her he must still be asleep.

She had no idea how long they’d been in bed, but once she was fully aware of where she was and ~who~ she was with, she froze, afraid of breaking the moment.

Once they woke up, there would be a lot to face.

Natalie wanted to see Anna and examine her, and she knew that Dominic and Caius were probably around there somewhere, ready to ambush her with family reunions and deep discussions.

That was probably a little unfair, but Anna didn’t want to face any of it right then. Instead, she snuggled deeper into the bed and against Zach’s body, sighing contentedly.

It sounded like a much better plan to stay there in bed with him and pretend the rest of the world didn’t exist.

It made her wonder about their mating, about whether it was something that had truly been decided for her.

Anna had wanted to fight it so badly at the beginning, but the more time she spent with Zach, the more he seemed to seep into her skin, filling the deepest, darkest parts of herself.

It had only been weeks, but now, Anna wasn’t sure how she would be able to exist without him. Were they her true feelings, though?

Or was it all some forced attraction since their compatibility was decided by destiny?

Anna shifted so that she could trace her fingers over the hot skin of his arm.

It felt so freeing to be able to touch him like that, and she knew that she needed to let go of all the fears and insecurities that had held her back for so long.

She didn’t know what the future had in store for them or what the mating actually meant for her feelings, or his, but she did know it was time to stop fighting.

Grey Wing had tried so hard to beat any shred of self-esteem out of her, but if she turned her back on Zach now, knowing that they were true mates and that his sanity—his life—depended on her, her old pack would have won, and they would have destroyed much more than her.

The ripple effects of denying the mating would be devastating to Silver River, and even if Anna could run from Zach, she could never live with herself for hurting him or the pack that she had quickly come to love.

Everyone had already been through so much, all of them. Anna knew they had never really come back from Phillip’s death and the aftermath, and Anna felt like she had a purpose now.

She could help them heal. She was strong enough to do that, even without her wolf or immortal genetics. Anna was strong enough to fight the past and bring life back into the den.

Zach believed in her, so she could believe in herself too.

“You’re thinking too hard,” his voice, deep with sleep, rumbled from behind her. Zach moved his arm, burrowing it under the covers so that he could tickle her ribs.

“Even if I had been asleep, all that intense thinking would have woken me.”

Anna laughed, her body wriggling as she tried to get away from his fingers, but in one smooth movement, he rolled their bodies so that she was on her back and his weight was settled on top of her.

Zach grinned mischievously, his hair mussed up and the stubble on his jaw a dark shadow.

He paused, watching her intently before slowly leaning down and brushing his lips across hers. It was gentle, soft, and so brief that Anna almost wondered if she’d imagined the sensation.

She blinked up at him, knowing that she desperately wanted him to do it again. Her stomach fluttered and heat unfurled in her core.

Feeling brave, she slid her arms up and around his neck until she could cup the back of it, her fingers tangling in his hair.

As he watched her, his eyes glinting hot enough to melt ice, Anna tugged his head back down.

Immediately, he took over, slanting his mouth over hers and nipping at her lower lip, causing Anna to gasp.

The moment her lips parted, he took advantage and slid his tongue in against hers, exploring every inch that he could reach.

His hands slid down her body and into the opening of the robe. He cupped her hip, his fingers hot as they clenched her skin.

She felt a hint of his claws pricking at her skin, not enough to hurt her but enough to let her know how close his wolf was.

Anna shivered against him and lifted her body so that they were completely pressed together. She wished she weren’t wearing the robe so that she could truly feel all of him.

She could feel his heart pounding in his chest, the rhythm matching her own. Anna smoothed one hand down his back, loving the feel of his skin, while the other moved farther into his hair, tugging softly.

He returned the favor, sliding his free hand into her hair and holding her head still so he could continue to ravish her mouth.

After a long moment, Zach slowly pulled away, his eyes heavy-lidded with desire. They were both breathing heavily as he gently rested his forehead against hers, a soft, affectionate smile curling his lips.

“Now that was worth the wait.”

Anna smiled, her lips feeling swollen, and she was unable to stop the blush from heating her cheeks.

She tried to duck her head, but Zach reached up to gently hold her chin, not letting her shy away from his gaze.

His expression turned serious, his eyes moving over every inch of Anna’s face as if he were memorizing her at that moment.

“No more thoughts of running.” It was an order, but he softened it with another swift peck to her lips. “Okay?”

“Okay.”

***

Zach left to go find her some clothes to wear only after she protested that she couldn’t go out wearing his.

Not only would any pants be useless on her but Anna also wasn’t ready to be ~that~ public yet, even though she already knew that the entire pack had known they were mates before she had.

Zach had told her that it wouldn’t matter what she was wearing; her scent was already starting to intermingle with his, at which point Anna had shooed him out of the room.

She used the time alone to freshen up in his bathroom, trying to pat her hair down until it resembled something other than a bird’s nest.

As she looked at her reflection, she was a bit amazed at the person staring back at her, barely able to recognize herself.

Her cheeks were flushed, her lips swollen, and the skin on her cheeks was red from where his stubble had rubbed against her.

Her eyes were heavy and the darkest green she had ever seen them, while her heart continued to race. She briefly wondered what he would think if she dragged him back into bed when he returned.

Hearing the door to the room open, Anna quickly splashed some cool water on her face, trying to bring her temperature back down. One kiss and she was completely deranged.

Anna looked up at the knock on the bathroom door just as Zach opened it, carrying clothes that he had collected from her quarters.

She gave him a grateful smile as she took them, standing on her tiptoes to press a kiss to his cheek.

“Thanks,” she murmured as she turned away, ready to get dressed.

For a long moment, he didn’t leave. Anna looked at him over her shoulder and saw his eyes smolder as they moved from the top of her head to her bare feet poking out from under the robe.

His gaze slowly moved back up to meet hers.

“We could just stay here.” His voice was rough and deep. Anna swallowed hard before shaking her head desperately.

“You know we can’t.”

He gave a huge sigh, looking defeated even as he threw her a quick wink.

“I had to try.” Zach backed out of the bathroom, shutting the door quietly behind him.

Anna shed the robe, dressing quickly even as she realized that Zach must have gone through her underwear drawer to retrieve the blue cotton bra and matching panties.

She wondered what he must think of her choices, knowing they weren’t the most risqué garments out.

Maybe she should organize another shopping trip with Piper and find something a little more daring.

The thought of Zach’s possible reaction to whatever she chose to wear for him did not help her heart calm down.

After she finished dressing, Anna looked in the mirror and realized Zach had picked out a green blouse that matched her eyes, and she smiled, feeling affection fill her.

It didn’t matter that everything between them had started only because they were fated to be mates.

Anna knew that the feelings growing were real, and if she looked at the link between them, it definitely wasn’t one-sided.

Zach was waiting for her when she left the bathroom. He had exchanged his sweatpants for jeans and was wearing a black T-shirt that clung to his skin.

Anna felt slightly disappointed at the loss of the sexy sweatpants and the bare chest.

He grinned at her as if he could hear her thoughts, and Anna coughed, looking away, knowing that was most likely true.

“Ready for this?” he asked, leading the way to the door.

“As I’ll ever be.” Anna looked longingly at the bed as they passed it. Zach opened the door and indicated she exit first, giving a gentle swat on her backside as she passed him.

Anna gave him a look over her shoulder, but he only returned an innocent smile.

Zach snatched up her hand in his, and they started walking in silence, each pondering their own thoughts.

Anna’s were centered around his hand, how small hers was in his hold but how it just felt right.

The closer they got to the infirmary, the more nervous Anna became. She clenched his hand tighter, ensuring he wouldn’t be able to let go, even if he wanted to.

“Will you stay with me in there?” she asked quietly.

Immediately, reassurance poured over her through their connection. She felt as if he had wrapped her in an invisible hug even though, physically, he’d only glanced at her out of the corner of his eye.

“Of course. No matter what the immortals have to say, I’ll be by your side.”

As they entered the room Anna had become quite familiar with over the last few weeks, she saw Natalie waiting for them. Clearly, Zach had told her that they were on their way.

Relief filled her as she realized the immortals weren’t there.

Anna’s eyes quickly found the one occupied bed, and she saw Jamie lying asleep under the covers with one leg laying over the blanket with a bandage wrapped around it from ankle to mid-thigh.

Eloise was lying on the bed next to him, her body curled around him protectively. Her hand was gently stroking Jamie’s hair, and Anna could hear a soft humming.

Before either Zach or Anna could ask, Natalie jumped in to reassure them.

“He’s fine. The break was clean, thankfully, and I’ve already mended it. Jamie will be sore for a few days; he’s just sleeping it off.”

Sighing with relief, Anna sent a small smile to Eloise, who returned it before Anna followed Natalie’s directions to one of the other beds.

“Right, let’s see what’s going on with you.” Natalie gave her a reassuring smile, her hands starting to skim gently over Anna’s body, searching for injuries as she questioned Anna about the fight.

“Um, he threw me at one point, and I remember it was really hard to walk on my leg after that. I couldn’t tell if it was because he’d burned me there. He hit me in the head quite a few—” she broke off as a loud rumbling filled the room.

Anna looked over at Zach, whose eyes were glowing bright blue. Anna could feel his rage bubbling in her chest, and she rolled her eyes.

“Calm down, Zach! It’s over; he’s dead,” she snipped, ignoring the small giggle Natalie let out.

“I would dearly love to bring him back from the dead so I could rip him to pieces myself,” Zach muttered before moving to sit in a chair beside the bed.

Natalie ignored him, focusing completely on Anna.

“Can you shimmy out of your jeans? I want to see this burn.”

Anna did as she asked, her confusion clear on her face. “Sure, but I think it’s okay. I only really just noticed, but nothing actually hurts.”

They all stared at the expanse of flesh on her left thigh that was red but definitely no longer burned. Natalie gently touched it and looked up at Anna questioningly, but Anna just shook her head.

“It’s tender, but it doesn’t hurt.”

“Well,” Natalie said, standing up straight and tapping a finger against her chin. “My educated guess is that the shift back healed you, as did your rest, but shifters don’t heal this fast.”

She indicated Jamie as an example with a wave of her hand.

“I have to assume that it’s something to do with your other genetics. I won’t know more until I speak with either of the immortals. I’ll give you a salve for your leg anyway, just to help with the redness, but you’re perfectly healthy, Anna. Couldn’t even tell you’d been in a fight.”

Anna looked at Zach. Seeing his frown, she knew he felt the same way as her. There was too much that they didn’t know about immortals and what it actually meant for Anna or them as true mates.

Could she be a shifter as well as an immortal? Would the pack accept her once they knew what she was, what she could do?

She sighed softly, knowing that it was time to have a long discussion with Dominic and Caius.