Page 123 of His Mark

Morning came too soon.

I woke to the feeling of Silas’s arms around me, and I groaned. My body ached—not just from exhaustion, but from the deep soreness of muscles pushed past their limits and cracked bones. Every step I had taken inside that wretched cave, every fight, every injury, had settled into me like a permanent reminder.

I was alive, and Silas was still beside me. That was what mattered more than anything.

His warmth cocooned me, his slow, steady breathing puffed against my hair as his arm remained draped around my waist. It should have been too much, the weight of him, the sheer size of him pressed so close, but instead, it felt perfect. Like I belonged right there.

For a few more moments, I let myself stay, drinking in the feel of him, the way his fingers unconsciously curled against my hip as he stirred.

Then reality set in; we had miles to cover today.

I sighed, pressing my face against his chest before murmuring, “Time to move, Alpha.”

Silas groaned, tightening his grip for a brief second before exhaling sharply. “I don’t want to get up yet, Wildcat.”

I smirked. “You can keep sleeping if you want. I’ll just go tell Varek and Rowan that their fearless leader needs a little more beauty rest.”

Silas huffed, cracking one golden eye open to glare at me. “You wouldn’t.”

“I would,” I teased. I grinned and slipped out of his arms before he could pull me back down, stretching as I stepped outside. A few minutes later, he emerged from the tent.

We got moving a short time later and we traveled for hours, putting as much distance between us and the Nyktos hive as possible.

The terrain gradually changed as we moved—less rocky, denser with trees, the scent of water becoming stronger as we followed the flow of a small stream cutting through the wilderness. We drank deeply when we came upon it. It was colder here, the icy chill cutting through our clothing, but no water ever tasted sweeter.

We kept going until we found what appeared to be a hot spring hidden away in the mountains.

Varek was the first to realize the signs: a mist in the trees, the sound bubbling through the woods, the smell of minerals in the air. Peering through the thick foliage, he grinned and tilted his head toward his target. “Now that is something I could use.”

Rowan grunted, rubbing his shoulder where one of the Nyktos had clawed him. “Agreed.”

We pushed through the trees and found ourselves standing on the edge of a natural hot spring, steam rising into the air above the water. The pool was nestled against a rock formation, the minerals staining the stone in rust-colored streaks, the scent of sulfur faint enough to ignore.

I blew out a huge sigh of relief.

For the first time in days, I became aware of the sweat, the grime, the blood—all of it—clinging to my skin, settling into my hair, reminding me of everything we had just survived.

Silas glanced down at me, an actual smile on his handsome face. “We could clean up.”

I grinned back at him and nodded eagerly.

Varek raised a brow, crossing his arms. “I assume that’s my cue to leave?”

Rowan sighed, already turning back toward the trees. “We’ll keep watch.”

Silas nodded in appreciation. “Stay close.”

Varek smirked. “Oh, don’t worry, Alpha. I wouldn’t dare let anything interrupt your romantic bath.”

I shot him a glare, but it didn’t have much heat behind it—mostly because I was too damn tired. Still, he deserved it. He just chuckled, throwing me a look over his shoulder before disappearing into the forest with Rowan.

Just as they turned away, Varek slowed for half a step. His gaze flicked back to me, just for a heartbeat, his expression grateful. “You did good in there, Lia.”

Rowan turned and nodded. “Better than good. You saved our asses.”

The words were simple, but they landed like a blow to the chest.

I swallowed the lump in my throat and managed a small nod. “Thanks.”

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