Chapter 173: The Solitude - Part 1

~ SASHA ~

Sasha stared at Zev, silently pleading.

"I will," he whispered, his expression earnest and delighted. "I will, Sash. You have my heart, too. It's yours. It always has been."

She pushed away the protests that wanted to rise. "Then, I guess we're even," she said, finally smiling.

Zev beamed and took her mouth in a gentle, soft kiss, but he nipped her lower lip before straightening, his eyes flashing with wicked delight.

"Are you ready for the rest of our lives?" he rumbled.

Sasha bit her lip and nodded.

"Good." Then he took one of her hands and pulled her around the corner of the trail to a place where it disappeared into what, from this angle, looked like a crack in the snow.

Sasha frowned as Zev beelined for it, but as they approached the space widened and the crack became a crevasse.

Ice and snow tumbled over the tables of rocks that climbed the sides, icicles that reached from feet over her head, almost to the base of the trail itself, making it appear they were melting away from the rest of the mountain.

Zev had to turn his broad shoulders to pass between them on both sides, but he didn't let go of her hand as they passed into the darker depths of the cave until Sasha couldn't see at all and her steps became hesitant. She clung to Zev's back as the space around them opened and she had sudden vertigo, her body convinced that she walked a narrow path that fell away on each side so she would tumble to her death.

Oh, and there were probably spiders. Lots of spiders. Or bats.

She was just about to freeze when Zev stopped walking and turned to face her. "Stay here," he said quietly, brushing her cheek with the backs of his fingers. "I'm going to light a lantern."

"But—"

She froze as he disappeared. Then she cursed his ability to move silently, because it was as if she were suddenly, utterly alone.

Fear roared in her chest and had her head screaming, run!

But just as she turned to look for the tiniest glow of light that indicated the tunnel they'd walked through to get here, there was a snap and a flare of warm light behind her.

Sasha whipped back around to find Zev lighting a lantern, just as he'd said. But around him…

Her mouth dropped open.

The light, so warm it was almost orange, made the entire cavern glow. And what a space it was—not rocks and dirt like she'd expected, but stone under her feet and… ice. Sasha's eyes widened as she looked up… and up! The light revealed a ceiling so tall she was reminded of a cathedral. And far from the bats she'd feared, where it peaked overhead, it shone like glass except where thick icicles had formed on one side, glistening like beautiful, ice-blue fangs.

"Do you like it?" Zev asked quietly, his voice echoing slightly. And slightly nervous if she didn't miss her guess.

"Oh, Zev…" she breathed. "This is… perfect."

And it was. He straightened from placing the lantern he'd lit on a massive chest of drawers off to her right, but Sasha couldn't take her eyes off the incredible space.

Far from a narrow pathway over a cavernous sinkhole, she stood just inside a wide, nearly-round room, with that ceiling arching overhead. To her left, there was a hollowed space in the wall and a fire had been set, ready to light within it, a thick fur rug of a type she couldn't recognize laid on the floor in front of it, one side bracketed by a thick, metal box, the other, a thick, neat stack of wood and kindling that climbed the wall almost a high as Sasha's chest. It seemed like it would last for weeks.

  To her right, Zev stood next to those drawers, watching her, the lantern flickering behind him. But in front of her…

A few feet ahead of where she stood, a massive fur rug, inches thick, beckoned to her cold feet. It had to be at least ten or twelve feet wide. She couldn't imagine what animal had made it. But on its other side the largest bed Sasha had ever seen was set in a plain, but glossy wooden box. It dwarfed the rug and was easily large enough for three men the size of Zev. It was piled with thick, welcoming furs and plump pillows and it called to Sasha in a way she couldn't quite explain.

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Somewhere nearby she could hear running water, but she couldn't see it. She wasn't sure if it was the ice melting or something else, but the sound of water trickling gave the entire cave a soft, faraway feel that was so beautiful, she almost wanted to cry.

"You prepared this?" Sasha squeaked, finally tearing her eyes away from the incredible room.

Zev chuckled. "No, this is Yhet's house. He just… doesn't spend a lot of time here now that his mate is gone. He says it's too painful. He has other caves all over Thana. He offered. He said his mate always liked it. He thought you might, too."

No wonder the furniture was so big.

"I do like it. I love it! Zev, this is beautiful."

He blew out a breath and smiled that dazzling smile that she'd loved since she was seventeen. "Good."

Then their eyes locked and Sasha's stomach trilled.

Zev had dropped their bags to the floor next to those drawers, and as they stared at each other, his body tensed, as if he might suddenly rush her. She could see the light in his eyes growing and she smiled, butterflies a swarm in her stomach.

This was happening. This was finally happening.

"Zev?" she whispered.

His throat bobbed. "Are you hungry, Sash?"

"Only for you."

Both of them froze, poised on the knife-edge of desire.

Her eyes dared him. But he shook his head, grinning. "We have to get clean first," he said hoarsely. "I'm not taking you to bed dirty."

"Why not?"

"Because once we're in there, I'm not letting you out for days."

Her eyes widened slightly, her pupils dilating.

"Well," she said breathlessly. "A bath it is. Show me."

Zev's breathing went shallow. "First we have to get naked."

Sasha flashed a wicked grin. "I think I'm going to need help."

He knew she was playing, but he already walked the edge. When she shot him a look of pure heat, a growl puttered in his throat. Instinct drove him across the space towards her, pulling her into his chest and taking her mouth, one fist in her hair, the other at her back.

She giggled as he lifted her to her toes, but it soon turned to breathless sighs as Zev's kiss deepened and the low groan of desire rolled in this throat.

*****

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