Page 36 of Pack to the Wall

"Marty," she finished for him. The comparison made her heart swell with gratitude for Zev's understanding. "Thank you."

An hour later, dressed in denim cutoffs that showcased her toned legs and a light blue tank top, Chrissy trekked alongside Zev through a dense section of jungle. The humidity wrapped around them, but the canopy provided merciful shade from the tropical sun.

"How have I been here almost a week and not seen this part of the island?" she marveled, watching a colorful bird dart between the trees.

Zev's hand found her back, steadying her as they navigated a particularly steep section of the path. "Because I was saving the best for when you were ready," he answered with a wolfish grin that made her stomach flip.

When they finally emerged from the trees, Chrissy gasped. Before them stood ancient stone ruins partially reclaimed by nature—crumbling pillars wrapped in vines, weathered steps leading to platforms that might once have been temples or gathering places.

"What is this place?" she whispered, almost afraid to speak too loudly.

"The locals believe it was built by the first shifters who came to this island centuries ago," Zev explained, guiding her forward with his hand still protectively at her back. "They built it toalign with the full moon, when their transformations would be strongest."

As they explored the sunken courtyard at the center of the ruins, something stirred within Chrissy. A melody began to form in her mind, insistent and clear. Without thinking, she began to hum, the notes rising and falling with the gentle breeze that swept through the ancient stones.

Words followed naturally, falling into place as if they'd been waiting for this moment, this place, and this man.

"When the moon finds the stones, and your eyes find mine... Time stands still in this sanctuary we've defined..."

She was aware of Zev watching her, his blue eyes intense with admiration and something deeper. Far from making her self-conscious, his presence seemed to anchor her, giving her the freedom to fully inhabit the creative fugue that enveloped her.

"The world outside fades away, just you and me remain... In this paradise where wild hearts can run untamed..."

As the melody grew stronger and more defined, Chrissy pulled out her phone and captured several pictures of the ruins, the sunlight filtering through the ancient stones, creating patterns on the moss-covered ground. She turned the camera toward Zev, who stood framed between two columns, powerful and proud, his eyes never leaving her face.

"That's the most beautiful thing I've ever heard," he said, his voice filled with emotion.

She lowered her phone, suddenly shy. "It's still forming. But I'm excited that I'm finally feeling music flow through me like this again."

Zev nodded toward another section of the ruins. "There's more I want to show you over this way."

He moved ahead, picking his way carefully through a section where the stones had collapsed into a natural archway. Chrissylingered a moment, taking a final look at the courtyard, the melody still vibrating through her.

With Zev a little distance ahead, she pulled out her phone again and hit record, singing the full verse that had come to her plus a new chorus that emerged spontaneously:

"Found myself when I found you, under skies so endless blue

Never knew what freedom meant until your arms surrounded me..."

She saved the recording to her songwriting app, a mixture of excitement and contentment washing through her. This was why she'd fallen in love with music in the first place—this organic connection between emotion and expression.

Tucking her phone away, she hurried to catch up with Zev, taking his outstretched hand when she reached him.

"That song is really great," he said, squeezing her hand. "You're incredibly talented, you know that? And I'm glad to hear something so happy coming from you. Makes me think my island's doing its job."

"It's not just the island," Chrissy admitted, looking up into his face. "It's you."

Zev's eyes darkened with possessive pride. "Good," he growled, pulling her closer. "Because you're mine now, and I intend to keep that smile on your face for a very long time."

The raw declaration sent a delicious shiver through Chrissy's body. With anyone else, such possessiveness would have set off alarm bells. With Zev, it felt like coming home. A home she always longed for and believed she would never find.

FOURTEEN

ZEV

As they moved through the ancient stone pathways of the ruins, Zev couldn't tear his eyes away from Chrissy. The song she'd created—seemingly out of thin air—had stunned him into reverent silence as they walked hand-in-hand. That song wasn't just a fragment or rough idea. It had poured from her fully formed, as though the island itself had whispered the melody into her ear.

"It's like you're connected to this place," he said, watching her trace her fingers along the weathered stone. "The way you sang about it... about us."

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