14. Rehn

FOURTEEN

REHN

" T his isn't exactly the ride I had expected," Leila said with a laugh as Rehn continued taking them up the side of the rocky mountain. "But I'm certainly not complaining."

Rehn smiled to himself, delighting in his mate's joy. The sky was bright blue and the air crisp; a perfect day for a hike. She'd been hesitant at first, clunky and unsteady riding on his back. But soon she found her confidence, and the grip her thighs had against his sides had loosened somewhat.

"Oh, how lovely," she sighed as they came across a rushing river. It served as a landmark telling him he was on the right track. Rehn planned to show Leila the most gorgeous view possible from his mountain, and that meant maneuvering some terrain that would be difficult or downright impossible in human form.

But a bear? He could trudge through the ripping currents with ease. That bear part of him did feel a tug of longing seeing the juicy, fresh fish swim by. It had been a long time since he last allowed his bear to go wild and catch his own dinner. But wooing his mate was a bigger priority, and his bear agreed wholeheartedly.

He trudged carefully through the cold water, trying not to get the woman riding on his back too wet. Though when she did encounter a splash or two, she met it with a giggle that made Rehn's heart sing. He wanted to hear that giggle more often, every day if he could manage it.

Safe on the other side, he gave Leila a moment on solid ground so he could shake the excess moisture from his fur. He'd dry out easily enough but preferred not to get too muddy in front of a lady.

Once he felt dry enough, he turned his gaze to Leila who was looking wide-eyed at a small creature bouncing through the grass.

"A rabbit," she said quietly. "I've always loved them, but I've never seen one in the wild." She kneeled, staying small and quiet so as not to scare the small mammal. Rehn was anxious to continue, but allowed her to have this moment of wonder. The sparkle in her eyes was too beautiful to bring to an end.

Eventually the rabbit caught sight of Rehn in his large predator form and scurried out of sight. Leila sighed but stood and turned to him.

"Are we still going?" she asked. Rehn answered with a low but quiet grumble, lowering himself to the ground so she could jump back on. She did with much more confidence than the first time, steadying herself with ease. She gave him a pat on the back to let him know she was ready, and he continued on.

He took her farther up the mountain, along unbeaten paths, over large fallen trees, and massive boulders. A few times she hunkered down against his fur, and he could feel her heart hammering against him. It set him on fire and made him want to push the thrills even more so.

But he held back slightly, not wanting to scare her too much. Even if he thought she was more than capable of handling it.

He paused for her to gaze at a doe and her fawn, staying incredibly still so the deer wouldn't notice a giant bear in their vicinity. But soon the doe's ears perked, and she saw the two of them and ran off. In their place stood a magnificent view of the valley below. It looked like a children's toy-set, it was so perfect.

"This is amazing," Leila sighed against him. "But shouldn't we be turning around soon? It's past lunchtime…" Her stomach punctuated the observation with a rumble.

Rehn replied with another grunt and continued to move forward. They were almost at the final destination, and he couldn't wait to get there.

After a few more minutes of hiking, they arrived at a beautiful outlook unspoiled by civilization. With the exception of the luncheon his staff had set up for them before they'd arrived.

"Oh my…" Leila slid off his back and walked to the blanket, gazing out at the view of a waterfall trickling down the side of the mountain. The sound was soothing as it had always been for him.

As she did, Rehn turned back into his human form. He grabbed the set of clothing his staff left for him and quickly dressed before joining Leila on the blanket.

"I'd ask how all of this got here before us, but…" Leila trailed off.

"My staff have their ways," Rehn replied with a wink. "Wine?" He uncorked the light red and poured her a sizable glass. While she sipped and took in the view, he unpacked the cheese, meat, olive, and baguette spread.

He placed everything in small dishes around them, ready to be eaten in small bites. The olives were marinated in garlic and oil and the meats dried and well spiced. The cheeses were a variety of both soft and hard, both easily cut into. The bread had been baked fresh that morning and sliced perfectly to eat in one bite. Finally, fresh fruits and pieces of chocolate were set aside for dessert.

"Rehn," Leila said after swallowing a bite of cheese and bread. "This place is…beautiful doesn't do it justice. Gorgeous? Breathtaking? I adore it."

"I'm glad you like it." Rehn paused, feeling like a stone wall was standing in front of him. It felt so difficult to say the next part, and he still couldn't quite fathom why. But he knew if he wanted Leila to know him, he had to go on.

"I wanted to show you because this is one of my favorite places in the entire world. I came here often as a boy after my parents died."

Rehn paused as Leila reached over and put a hand on his. It was comforting, spurring him to continue sharing a deep part of himself he'd hidden from anyone else in his life.

"I shifted and ran up the mountain, trying to escape my grief. This is where I spent many days all alone. Back then, I thought I was better off in my solitude, even as it deeply hurt. Still, I dreamed about finding someone. A woman I could share this part of myself with. And until now, I thought I never would."

Rehn gazed at Leila. Her cheeks were pink from wine, or maybe embarrassment. It was difficult to tell. She put aside her glass and folded her hands in her lap.

"Rehn…I really like you, I do. But I…"

His heart sank.

"I simply hoped we could keep this… lighter. More casual, I suppose. It just feels like everything is moving too quickly," she said, putting a hand to her forehead as if she were dizzy.

Tell her , Rehn's inner bear demanded. He was feisty, and growing tired of waiting. Tell her she's our mate!

"I don't want to offend you, really, our time together has been incredible," Leila continued, babbling quickly. "It's just difficult to think about the future when there's someone out there trying to harm me." Leila sighed, seemingly frustrated with herself.

Rehn smiled and took her hand in his. "Aren't you able to see into the future?" he asked with a lighthearted laugh. He'd let out too much too quickly, and needed to sweep that vulnerability away now. "That's your specialty, even. You teach divination, do you not?"

"Yes, that's true. But when it comes to my own future, things tend to get… clouded. It's hard to see what fate has in store for me." Leila pulled away, leaning back and chewing on her lip. She appeared distraught, and Rehn realized he'd accidentally turned the conversation sour.

"I'm sorry, I didn't know this was a rough subject for you," he said.

Leila shook her head. "I don't understand why I can't use my own powers to protect myself. If I can't even do that, then…"

Rehn crossed over the blanket and gently took Leila by the shoulders. She didn't resist, and instead leaned into him. He held her close against his chest, stroking her back.

"It'll be okay," Rehn said. "I may not have powers of divination, but I know my own power very well. I know my strength, and what I would do to protect those I care about. And I care quite deeply about you, Leila."

She snaked her arms around his chest, laying her hands on his back. Her cheek pressed against him, nuzzling against his tunic with a sigh.

"But why?" she asked.

Tell her, his inner bear practically roared.

Instead, he cupped his hand against her cheek and pulled her head back to look him in the face. She did, those beautiful dark eyes sparkling with unshed tears. Rehn leaned down and kissed those tears away, trailing his lips down her cheek, across her jaw, and lingered against her throat.

"How could I not care for a woman as sumptuous as you?" he asked.

Leila gasped as he nipped gently at her neck. Then he let go of her and moved, hands trailing across her abdomen and breasts, until he was situated behind her. He moved her hair off the back of her neck and laid kisses across her exposed skin.

He held her close to him, his mate, and knew no matter her worries and fears that she was his. Completely.