“I don’t know,” Gage murmured, lips grazing her racing pulse. “I think you like the idea of being seduced, and at my mercy, no matter how fiercely that spirit of yours protests. Your scent doesn’t lie, Mate.”

  Katy shivered even as she glared at him half-heartedly. “That’s playing dirty, and you know it. I can’t just take a sniff and know what you’re feeling.”

  The desire in his eyes increased. “You’re wrong on two counts. First, you can smell me if you just connect with the animal that now lives inside you. And second, you don’t need to smell me to know what I desire. I think I’m making it very clear.”

  Her hands came up, intending to push him back. Instead, her fingers tangled in his ink-dark hair to keep him close. Gage’s deep chuckle vibrated against her skin as he continued trailing kisses down the column of her throat.

  Katy knew she should stop this before they forgot themselves. But her treacherous body arched closer, chasing more of his intoxicating touch. All of her nerves felt exposed and raw under his intense attention, and Katy wanted to give him all of her and hide at the same time. The intimacy of the moment was overwhelming. She’d never experienced anything like it.

  “I need to stop.” Gage’s voice was breathless and his entire body taut as if restraining himself. With visible effort, Gage drew back, eyes glowing wolf bright. His voice was rough with banked desire. “I should let you rest.”

  Neither of them moved for several heartbeats, the room crackling with longing. Then Gage rolled to the side with a resigned sigh, pulling her against his chest.

  “I’ve rested enough,” Katy growled, her agitation at the situation clear in her voice as she settled her head over his heart, clinging to his steady strength. She wanted nothing more than to give in fully, to seal this bond between them in body and soul. “I shouldn’t feel as if I haven’t slept in days.” After a few minutes of tense silence, Gage’s warm hand caressing her arm settled around her.

  Katy sighed contentedly as she nuzzled against Gage’s bare chest, letting his warmth and strength envelop her. She was so weak, the mysterious curse sapping her energy despite Gage’s tireless care.

  His large hand moved to stroke down her back. “I’ve been reading up on Dire Wolf lore. There are legends that claim our kind can heal each other through blood.”

  Katy lifted her head to meet his solemn gaze. “Like some kind of vampiry-thing?”

  Gage frowned. “Well, I guess it’s kind of similar, but I don’t think vampires are real. And if they were, I don’t think they’d go around biting people to heal them. No, I’ve read that blood sharing can enhance the mate bond, possibly amplify our natural healing ability.” His eyes grew uncertain. “I thought perhaps it may help restore some of your strength. Not permanently, because as long as your life is tied to those females, they will continue to drain you. But this might be a way to give you some relief from the exhaustion. I’ll only do it if you trust me enough to try.”

  Considering only a moment, Katy nodded. “I trust you.” She laid a hand over his heart. “Do what you think will help.”

  Relief broke out across his striking face. Gage leaned in slowly until his breath washed warmly over her throat. Katy shivered in anticipation, tilting her head back.

  When Gage’s teeth first grazed the tender skin of her throat, Katy couldn’t help but tense, a shard of fear piercing through the haze of anticipation. Then he bit down, firm yet gentle, and sharp pleasure speared through her entire body.

  Katy’s eyes drifted closed on a gasp as she sagged against him, overwhelmed by the intimacy of his mouth latched onto her neck. She had expected pain, but this was exhilarating, primal in its intensity. Every pull as he drank sent liquid heat pulsing through her veins.

  Gage’s arm locked around her waist, supporting her as her body went molten under the onslaught of sensation. His warm, solid chest was an anchor keeping her from sliding out of his arms. Katy clutched at his broad shoulders, certain she would come undone from this alone.

  She felt the rhythmic draw as he swallowed, an erotic give and take. When his tongue stroked over the bite, Katy actually whimpered, arching closer. She had never imagined being bitten could be so intoxicating. Biting was supposed to hurt. But if the Dire Wolf’s bite was like that, then bite away.

  Far too soon, he left the shelter of her neck and bit into his own wrist. The rich, coppery scent flooded her senses, amplifying the haze of need clouding her mind.

  “Drink,” he commanded gruffly, his voice rough with his own barely leashed hunger. He held the wound insistently to her parted lips. “Take what I freely give, Katy.”

  Compelled by instinct and the smoldering desire in his eyes, Katy obeyed. She wrapped her lips around the gash, suckling eagerly at the ambrosia welling forth. With the first taste, raw, primal power rushed through her. Gage’s wildness, his ancient Dire Wolf spirit, flooded her cells, binding them inexorably together.

  She was only vaguely aware of Gage’s groan of pleasure or the way his body moved against hers. Her entire being focused solely on the blood link between them, giving her strength with each frantic swallow.

  When she finally wrenched her lips away with a gasp, Gage’s eyes glowed wolf bright with desire and triumph. They had done it. She was stronger. Katy knew the feeling was probably only temporary, but it was amazing. She touched her unblemished throat in awe, then threw her arms around him. “It worked! I feel like myself again instead of some puny waif.”

  Gage cupped her face as though she were infinitely precious. “It won’t last forever,” he warned her. “You’ll have to drink from me when you begin to weaken again.”

  Her brow went up. “And you’re saying that like it’s a bad thing because…” Then a thought hit her. “Was it not good for you?” Her skin flushed. “Because it was amazing to me. Granted, it’s not like I have any experience in the physical sense when it comes to being with a man intimately. So I would totally understand if you weren’t into it. I mean, we don’t have to do it again.”

  Suddenly, he growled at her, cupping her face in his large hands. He claimed her mouth fiercely then. Moments later, when he surfaced for air, he met her stare. “You are mine now, bound forevermore. And I am absolutely yours. And what just happened between us is the most incredible thing I have ever felt. If it were up to me, we’d never leave this bed. We’d exchange blood like a couple of horny vampires and live only off each other.”

  Katy burst into laughter at his description. “Horny vampires? Does anyone else see this side of you, or am I the only lucky one?”

  “I’ll deny ever saying that.” Gage pressed his lips to first her right cheek and then her left. “No one would believe you anyway.”

  He wasn’t wrong. Even though she’d only known Gage a short time, it was very clear that the only version of him the rest of the world saw was the serious, broody, grumpy-pants Gage.

  “So now what?” Katy sat up and reached her arms over her head, stretching, feeling every vertebra in her spine popping. Her muscles seemed to awaken after a long slumber, and it was nice to feel whole, instead of like a shadow of herself.

  “Now we get some much-needed sleep.” He stroked her hair, and she practically purred under his attention. The last thing she wanted to do was sleep. But Katy also knew she wasn’t quite ready to go further in their relationship, no matter how hot her mate was. So sleep it was.

  Gage chuckled. “We have a lifetime for that, Little Wolf,” he told her, having picked up on her amorous emotions.

  “I’m going to have to get that shit under control because that is embarrassing,” Katy muttered as she laid her head on his chest and soaked in his warmth. “Night, GPG.”

  “GPG?”

  She yawned. “Grumpy-pants Gage.”

  This brought another laugh, and Katy wanted to be the cause of his laughter and smiles. She hoped she alone would always be the one who put a spark of joy in his eyes.

  Gage knew he was dreaming. He stood beneath a towering oak, its branches spreading wide to shade the still glade. He recognized this place, though he hadn’t been here in half a decade. At one time, he had wandered here often over the long, lonely centuries. Now, a sense of peace wrapped around him like the forest’s gentle silence.

  “Welcome, my son.”

  The rich voice resonated through Gage’s very soul. He turned slowly, reverence rising within him.

  A being of light stood amidst the trees, rays of dawn radiating from his form. Gage kept his eyes lowered, unworthy of looking directly upon infinite grace.

  “Visata.” He breathed out, dropping to one knee. “I await your guidance.”

  A warm touch on his shoulder bid him rise. As Gage stood, the Creator spoke again in an enveloping tone.

  “You have done well, following the whisperings of your spirit. But your mate’s trial is not yet passed.” Compassion filled Visata’s voice. “Her generous heart still cries out for those in need.”

  Gage’s shoulders bowed beneath the remembered helplessness. “She believes her life must be forfeit to save two strangers. I cannot dissuade her from that righteous path.” Anguish roughened his words.

  “You speak truth. Her compassion would drive her even to sacrifice for strangers.” A gentle hand cupped Gage’s jaw, guiding his eyes up to meet the Creator’s radiant form. “But she walks alone no longer.”

  Gage shuddered out a breath. “I will give all that I am to protect her. But how can I stand against her conscience?”

  “By helping redeem another’s.” Visata’s touch filled Gage with courage. “The time has come. The snake queen lingers in darkness, her hope smothered by cruelty. Seek her out and offer mercy without judgment.” His piercing eyes held Gage transfixed. “Show her that light still dwells within her heart despite the shadows.”

  Staggering beneath this revelation, Gage grasped the Creator’s words like a lifeline. “We will find the queen and help her walk in your ways again.” He hesitated. “But the Council…” Gage didn’t need to say that he wasn’t sure if he should trust all the shaman, not when they still weren’t sure which kingdoms were in league with Azure.

  “Trust in me over any other voice.” Visata’s gaze bore into him. “Keep your task hidden for now. Seek only truth.”

  The vision faded even as Gage cried out, desperate for more time, for more clarity. But the Creator’s parting words echoed through his soul.

  “Lead my lost daughter home from the chaos she’s found herself in, Gage. For only one well acquainted with darkness can show her the way back to light.”

  Gage woke with a gasp, his heart racing. Certainty filled him along with hope. They would seek out Zeena as Visata bid, and, perhaps through her, find the path that would spare Katy.

  He looked down at his mate nestled against him, peaceful in sleep. Gage silently renewed his vow. He would walk through fire and blood to see her bright spirit protected and, Visata willing, even help rekindle another’s inner flame grown dim. Gage watched Katy sleep, her body curled trustingly against his. Color had returned to her pale cheeks, the dark circles under her eyes fading. His brave mate looked peaceful at last after endless days of torment. It seemed a miracle that their mingled blood had worked to strengthen their fledgling bond and restore her vitality. Gage knew it was no mere chance, but a gift from the One who had ordained them for each other.

  Two nights had passed since Visata had first come to Gage in a dream, promising there were still paths to freedom if Gage continued to walk in faith and wisdom. He had not understood the Creator’s cryptic words then. Now, with his Creator’s second visit, clarity dawned along with the rising sun.

  Katy stirred, blinking up at him drowsily. Gage’s heart swelled, and he brushed a tendril of rich brown hair back from her face. “Good morning, Little Wolf.”

  Her smile never failed to make his ancient spirit feel young again. “Hey, you.”

  His hand lifted to curl around the back of her neck, his thumb idly stroking over his bite mark from the night before. It had already faded, but the memory still spiked his pulse. Surely Visata would not gift them with such a profound bond only to allow it to be torn asunder now. They would find an answer without sacrifice or sorrow. Gage had to hold on to hope.

  Propping herself up on one elbow, Katy regarded him curiously. “You look very serious this morning. Everything okay?”

  He took her hand, pressing a kiss to her wrist where he could feel her heartbeat. “Just thinking about you. About us.”

  She cocked her head. “What about us? You better not be getting cold paws,” she warned, pointing a finger at him. “If you have some sort of commitment issues, we’re going to have problems.”

  “You couldn’t chase me away even if you tried,” he told her, and then Gage hesitated, unsure how she would take Visata’s direct revelation to him. But he could not keep secrets from his mate.

  “Do you remember the vision I told you of, where Visata said you have a generous heart?” At her nod, he went on. “The Creator came to me again in a dream last night.”

  Katy’s eyes widened, and her hand tightened on his. “What did He say? Does He have a way to break the spell? I mean, He’s the Creator of the Damarians. A god. Can’t He just snap His fingers and make it all right?”

  “That’s not how it works, Katy,” Gage said gently. “Is He powerful enough to do just that? Yes. But, if He did, then what have we learned? How have we grown or evolved in our character and integrity?” The words poured from his heart as he felt his animal spirit rise at the rightness of his convictions. Yet, how many times had he felt just as Katy did? How many times had he wanted to shake his fist at Visata and ask why? Why didn’t you spare them? Over the decades and centuries, Gage had ached inside, wondering why the Creator allowed such things to happen. Now, his heart was open, and his mind was willing to learn.

  “Growing is overrated,” Katy grumbled, looking too cute for her own good.

  Gage chuckled. “Sometimes it feels that way, but while Visata might not be snapping his fingers to fix all our problems, He is helping us. He said there is one who can aid us, if we can find her.” Gage’s jaw tightened. “Azure’s mate.”

  Katy recoiled slightly. “The snake queen? Why would she ever help us? Because the vibe I got from her was more like, ‘Turn your back on me at your own peril.’”

  Gage smoothed his knuckles along her cheek. “According to Visata, she is not as loyal to Azure as it seems. But her heart has been closed off by centuries of cruelty.” His gaze grew thoughtful, fingers still trailing gently over her face. “Sometimes the light in a person can grow so dim they forget it was ever there.”

  When he focused on Katy again, her eyes were luminous with understanding. She turned her head to press a kiss to his caressing hand. “You would know better than anyone,” she said softly.

  Gage’s throat tightened. In his long, dark years, exiled alone, only his faith had kept his own inner light from being snuffed out completely. And even that had been weak at times. Everything changed when Katy reignited the torch anew simply by being who she was.

  Clearing his throat, he said gruffly, “Perhaps Zeena also walks in shadows not entirely of her own making.” He curled a lock of Katy’s hair around his finger. “We cannot know her heart. But we should try to find her. Visata mentioned chaos, which leads me to believe we will find her in the Kingdom of Chaos.”

  Katy chewed her bottom lip, glancing down at their entwined hands. “I want to believe she could be an ally,” she said slowly. “But if we’re wrong…”

  “I will let no harm come to you.” Gage tilted her chin up, seeing both hope and trepidation in her eyes. “But this may be our only recourse. If you do not wish it, I will think no less of you.”

  Her lips twisted wryly. “Pretty sure Visata’s vision was meant for you, oh great Dire Wolf. Not really my place to refuse.” She searched his face. “You trust your Creator to lead us down the right path?”

  “With my life,” he vowed. “With our future.”

  Katy took a deep breath and then nodded firmly. “Okay then. We’ll seek out the snake queen and hope she chooses mercy over malice.” A teasing light entered her eyes. “Maybe I can convince her you’re not so bad once she gets to know you.”

  Gage nipped her neck in retribution, satisfied when she squealed. “Perhaps it is you who will sway her sympathies.” His voice dropped lower. “Few can resist you for long. You even won over Otto. He’s even grumpier than I am.”

  Katy flushed beautifully as she rolled her eyes. “Yeah, I’m kind of like a fungus. I grow on you.” Her smile faded. “So where is this Kingdom of Chaos located?”

  “That’s going to be the hard part. They aren’t necessarily all gathered in one territory like the rest of us.” Gage considered the several locations that the kingdom’s members inhabited. “They tend to prefer places where they won’t stand out. The Kingdom of Chaos members aren’t fully human looking. They can use glamour, but when someone like you sees through it, they can’t hide any of their animal nature. And they don’t look like just one animal. Most of the time, they have two or more different species.”

  “Hence the term chaos?”

  “Exactly,” Gage nodded. “Places like Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Washington DC, essentially places that are very crowded and where oddities are ignored or celebrated.”

  At Katy’s worried look, he squeezed her hand. “We will find her. We can do this. Visata wouldn’t put us on a hopeless mission.”

  Though she still appeared anxious at the thought of willingly seeking out the cobra’s mate, resolve shone in Katy’s eyes. “Well, guess I’d better pack for this reconciliation road trip with Mrs. Snake King.”

  She stretched up to brush a light kiss over his lips before slipping from the bed. Gage watched her fondly as she gathered a few belongings for the journey ahead. His brave mate never ceased to amaze him. She would walk into the lion’s maw if it meant saving innocent lives. And he would be at her side, come what may.