Page 35 of Savage Giant

“Are you all right?” Despite his obvious excitement, his expression was gentle, his eyes soft with concern. “I sense your lingering… well, it’s not quite sadness that I felt from you, but…worry, perhaps?”

“I’m fine. Better.” I exhaled slowly. “I was thinking about leaving human civilization behind, about never living among my own people again, and I started to feel nervous. Because once I leave, once I mate with you, there will be no going back. And one thought led to another, and I also found myself worrying that I might not fit in or that I’d have difficulty adjusting to the Montikaan way of life.” I firmed my grip on his arm. “But when I touched you, those worries faded away. Your warmth and affection flowed into me and filled me with a sense of home.”

He placed a hand over mine and his expression softened further. He leaned down to nuzzle my nose, and I melted at the gesture and soaked up the affection he was showing me. His grip on my arms tightened, and I glanced down to find his shaft was still hugely erect.

I marveled that he could be so sweet to me when I needed comforting even as his desires pulsed white hot. Icould practically feel the feral need surging through him, the animalistic urge to claim me.

Yet he continued nuzzling my nose with a gentleness that caused my heart to swell a thousandfold.

The heart-bond. Is that what I was experiencing?

Was I falling in love with him?

Yes. I was. I’d never been in love before, but I thought it must be love that was ripping up my insides and mending them back together. Should we ever find ourselves separated, whether by death or a tragic event beyond our control, those stitches would rip apart and gut me to the bone.

The heart-bond. Eternal love.

I hadn’t expected it to be as painful as it was warm and calming. I hadn’t expected love to feel like a blind madness, a raging sickness for which I would refuse all antidotes. And yet it was equal parts pain and pleasure, sorrow and joy. It was endlessly deep and wide, both terrifying and exciting.

Gorran cupped my face and stared at me, his pale blue eyes glowing brighter than I’d ever seen before, and the affection flowing between us surged like a rising flood.

I found myself placing my hand over his heart, and after a moment, he did the same to me, spreading his hand over my rapidly beating organ. His eyes beamed with reverence andknowing.

I didn’t need to say it aloud. Didn’t need to tell him I loved him. He could sense my emotions clearly, and though I didn’t possess his powers of the mind, I knew he shared in our heart-bond.

As the snowstorm swelled outside, the wind howling as the old cabin creaked and groaned, he leaned his forehead to mine and surrounded me with his loving warmth.

Chapter 25

GORRAN

I surveyedthe white landscape with a frown, wishing I possessed Vasoon’s ability to sense the weather. Wishing I knew how much longer we would be forced to remain at the cabin. Not that I didn’t enjoy spending time alone with my sweet human female, but the urge to claim her frequently left me shaking with need.

Thecallingwas becoming more intense by the day.

Cari felt it too. She remained drenched and achy between her thighs from the moment she awoke to the moment she fell asleep. Even in sleep, neither of us found true relief from our lustful urges, for we shared graphic dreams all through the night.

Was the Great Spirit testing me?

I was starting to wonder if we would ever reach the cavern, though I knew the snow wouldn’t remain on the ground forever. Eventually, we would be blessed with a few warm days and clear skies. I envisioned us making haste for the cavern and barrelingpast my people without even pausing to greet my brothers as we hurried for my alcove, so eager we would be to join our bodies as one.

Our hearts were already joined. Apparently, itwaspossible to share a heart-bond before becoming lifemates, a surprising but not unwelcome turn of events.

I spun around at the sound of Cari’s footsteps. She was wearing traveling clothes—her warmest thermal pants and shirt, as well as her boots, hat, and gloves. The same outfit she’d worn as she’d tried to hike down the mountain on the day I’d first revealed myself to her.

“What are you doing?” I looked her up and down. “You’re not going outside. The sky is still dark on the horizon. We very well might get more snow soon.”

“I want to leave,” she said, crossing her arms. “I want us to go to your cavern. It’s seven in the morning. If we hustle, I bet we can make it to your cavern before midnight. I dressed very warm. I’m actually wearing two sets of thermals,” she said as she pulled at the fabric of her pants.

I shook my head and gave her a stern look. “No. I will not risk your safety.”

“It’s not even that cold out. I checked the thermometer out back. Exactly thirty-one Fahrenheit. One whole degree below freezing. I’ll be fine.”

“Not when the wind blows, you won’t. You would end up losing a few toes or fingers, and that’s if you’re lucky and don’t get hypothermia. I’ve found many humans frozen solid in the mountains over the years. Hunters who thought they could withstand the temperatures but couldn’t.”

She snorted. “Yeah, well, they probably got lost and ended up freezing. I won’t get lost. You know your way to the cavern, even in the snow, I’m assuming.”

“Of course I know my way.” I crossed my arms over my own chest, mimicking her stance, though it felt so awkward, I let my arms fall to my sides an instant later. “We are staying in the cabin, Cari, and my decision is final.”

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