Declan skidding to a halt next to me “Lou, we don’t have time—”

I glared at him as I sucked in breaths. “Make time.” The moon was brighter here with no trees to filter it, and I could see him clearly. His eyes shone in the light, more wolf than human. “You’re starting to shift.” Between the fear of capture and his protective instincts, Eva was pushing his wolf to the forefront. We didn’t want to give that to her.

“I know.” He watched the forest, and I could feel the weight of his worry through our bond.

I squeezed his hand. “I can help.”

He watched the woods for another second, then turned his face to me. “What do I need to do?”

The profound amount of trust he was showing right now made my heart squeeze and my throat tighten. “Drop your mental walls.” I touched his cheeks with my hands, stepping even closer to him. “We need a strong connection.”

I hadn’t realized I’d mumbled the last bit out loud until Declan asked, “Like this?” He pulled me against him, his face inches from mine. One arm wrapped around my back, the other cupped my neck, hitting the stones Will had placed there just a few days ago. I felt a spike of heat flow through my spine, the sizzle of protective magic. I immediately moved one of my hands to the back of his neck, completing the circuit. Power flowed through us. I closed my eyes and sifted through our bond, telling the wolf to retreat. That we needed to keep Declan safe.

The wolf agreed, curling up and resting, but kept his ears pricked for danger.

When I opened my own eyes, Declan’s face was so close I could feel the heat of his breath on my skin. The soft curve of his lip near enough that all I needed to do was lean.

“Hey, Lou?” His voice was a velvet growl, wrapping around me.

“Yeah?” My voice, on the other hand, was shaky and unsure.

He brushed his lips across my cheek. “Do you think you can wake us up? Get us out of here?”

I shivered. “I don’t know. I can try.”

His lips were so close to my ear now, I could feel the faintest brushes of them against my skin as he spoke, and my nipples tightened. “You should wake us up in about ten seconds.”

“Why—” I didn’t get to finish my question, because at that moment Declan captured my mouth with his.

The kiss was hot and hungry, his arms tightening around me. My brain completely short-circuited. No thought, just sensations. Cold air against my cheek contrasting to the heated press of his mouth, his hands. The nip of his teeth on my bottom lip. The silken glide of his tongue. My knees actually went weak.

I hadn’t thought that was an actual thing until just now.

It was the kind of kiss that would make every single kiss before it fade into the background. Like there could be only one, and this was it.