Page 39 of Can't Get No Satyrfaction

She couldn’t help but feel a little disappointed when she felt his knot begin to soften. She loved being locked together with him—it felt so intimate, so perfect, as if they were truly one. Unfortunately, they couldn’t stay like that forever—although she intended to make sure they did as often as possible.

Eventually, he slipped free, and they both let out a sigh. He pressed a kiss to her forehead, then sat up, pulling a clean cloth from his travel pouch. He helped her clean up, then pulled her back into his arms, her head pillowed on his chest.

She stared dreamily out at the forest, then suddenly sat up. The trees were full of flowering vines and the ground around them was equally thick with flowers.

“What happened?”

He grinned at her, more relaxed than she’d ever seen him.

“The Elderwood approves of our mating.”

“Thank you,” she whispered, stroking the petals of the nearest flower, then turned back to him. “And now what?”

He met her gaze, a smile still curving his lips. “Now we start our life together.”

CHAPTER 20

Thorn finally rose and pulled Sylvie to her feet. He helped her dress, although he spent more time caressing her naked skin than he did covering it.

“Since I’m staying I’m going to have to arrange to get more of my clothes,” she teased. “These have been through a lot.”

“You don’t need clothes,” he grumbled.

“Yes, I do,” she said firmly then gave him a hesitant look.

“What is it?”

“There are other things I’ll need to take care of—the lease on my apartment, some of the jobs we already have booked…”

“I’ll help you,” he said immediately, but she gave him a doubtful look.

“Are you sure? It will mean going into town, and then into the city.”

He didn’t relish the idea, but he wasn’t going to let his little mate go alone and unprotected.

“I’m sure.”

Her delighted smile was worth the inevitable unpleasantness.

Before they returned to the cabin, he had another place he wanted to show her. He took her to the stream that fed the waterfall, the gentle burble of water a familiar comfort. She settled beside him on a sun-warmed rock, her shoulder brushing his arm. The contact sent an unexpected jolt through him.

“Watch,” he murmured, cupping his hands. The whistle came naturally—a sweet, trilling sound that echoed across the water. Her eyes lit up as a finch darted closer, its wings catching the light.

“Show me?” she asked eagerly.

His hands engulfed hers as he positioned them correctly, loving how delicate her fingers felt against his rough palms. “Like this.” He guided her through the motion, his breath catching when she managed a wavering note.

The finch hopped closer, head tilted in curiosity. Her smile blazed brighter than the sun-dappled water, and a pain deep inside him suddenly eased.

“My sister loved doing this.” The words slipped out before he could catch them, raw and honest. “I spent hours teaching her when she was small. She’d get so excited every time a bird answered.”

The memory ached, but for the first time in years, it wasn’t sharp-edged with pain. Sylvie’s presence somehow made it easier to remember the good parts—his sister’s laugh, the way her eyes would light up just like Sylvie’s did now.

She twisted her hand, still enveloped in his, so she could slip her fingers between his.

“Thank you for telling me. I won’t push you, but if you want to tell me more about her, I’d love to hear it.”

He found himself nodding, then focused on the present. He led her down the narrow trail leading back towards the cabin, one he’d walked countless times alone, but the familiar path felt different with her beside him. Her presence made him notice things anew and he found himself pointing out details he’d never thought to share with anyone.

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