13

After breakfast Devion had headed back to the town as Mika said he would and Theo kept watch over Talia. Mika had also grabbed his pants but left his shirt for Theo to use as a wet rag for Talia. She seemed to be resting easier than the last 24 hours and they were hopeful for her continued improvement.
Mika and Ari had taken to patrolling the woods surrounding the little cabin incase of intruders and also to keep their selves busy.
Mika watched as she hide among the leaves and bushes like a true huntress. Her moccasins hiding her foot falls. She was not a chatty female, which surprised him as most he'd fine to talk to a wall if needed. Once she became focused on a job she was zeroed in and ready to complete it. They had circled a mile around the cabin, even though the cabin was not too far off the road no travelers came through it. In their patrol they had found a clean water source or better to say Keke found the water source as she was first found drinking from it. Keke also was not too please to share her secret treasure with a wolf when Ari found her drinking there first.
Mika kept his distance not from fear of the beast but respect. “She is beautiful Ari." he smiled as Ari patted her mare. "She is, isn't she?" A thought crossed her mind that a bath wouldn't hurt since it had been a minute since her last, and now she was living in a cabin with three, no four highly sensitive smelling creatures. She smirked at Mika never giving away her plan. His back was to the cool water looking over the pool. She glanced to his left as if she was going to walk off and then last second turned to push him into the waters. At first he didn't move, the man was a brick house. Instead he grabbed Ari up in a hug and fell back into the cold waters.
Instantly the waters rushed around Ari making her gasp. They felt so good against her skin. She breeched the surface gasping and laughing. "Tried to get me wet *roka*" he laughed as he whipped water from his face. Ari felt his tension lessen and relax. The water in the center of the pool was much deeper than Ari had first thought looking down into it. She was wading through doing her best to keep her head above water. For a 5 foot 5 inch woman the center had to be nearly 8 foot deep. Mika moved closer to her and partially shifted letting his long wolf legs stretched out. "Here don't ware yourself out.' He pulled her into him. She thought it was so strange. He felt not weird or unknown but something familiar. the more time she spent around Mika the more she felt at ease with him, much faster than she ever had before. She wasn't really sure how that could be. She let her hand splayed out on his chest as she steadied herself- God she could felt heat radiating off him. His heart pounding through those thick muscles. Mika looked down at his little roka- he'd called her his little fox. She was clever and feisty like one after all. Looking down at her he knew that was where she belonged, in his arms. She fit perfect. Mika swallowed, "Um, ok can you answer something truthfully to me please?" His blue eyes twinkled at her request," I wont ever lie to you, ask away."
She wasn't sure how she wanted to ask this, was this all in her head? She couldn't compare to other females, hell Talia was his kind and she was tall and lean. Perfect wolf features Ari was sure. But she? She was just a plain jane human with blond hair that stuck out because it was a pain to find a good brush these days, and dirt speckled her various pieces of exposed skin, not to mention Mika even when he was just in his human formed towered over her.
"What did you mean by mate?" It was Mika's turn to be uncomfortable now. He knew he didn't know everything they needed to know about fated mates, but he was certain once he got her back at the packhouse they'd have a sit down with Jaquelin and Murtaugh.
"In my world there are two type, a life mate- which in human terms is a husband and wife. A fated mate is different. It was explained to me as being one soul two bodies. They are literally drawn to each other. *Everything* about the other person appeals to their mate. For instance the way you smell." Ari felt uncomfortable at once hugging herself trying to keep her smell to herself. Mika laughed lightly," your smell, even though you are wet is strong to me, an perfect. its like the sweetest smelling perfume and it calls to me. Do not be ashamed of it. I love it. truly." there he admitted it before he realized he had. His heart was pounding in his ears now. How would she react. "Which do you think we are, I mean if we are?" Mika bent down so that she was barely an inch away from him, "There is no if, roka." And he lifted her as he pressed his lips hard to her. An explosion of feeling, sensations and taste flooded Ari's senses. She felt like she had no control over her own body as her arms wrapped around his neck pulling him further into her. His lips tasted like cinnamon and it drove her wild. Vaguely in the back of Ari and Mika's mind they felt what could only be described as tiny strands connecting them, sewing them together. Faint but defiantly there. Mika broke first looking at her, breathing her in. She felt almost in a daze, she'd never been kissed before but she was certain that was not normal. Mika smiled as her cheeks blushed, “Where did you learn to kiss like that?". She blinked a few times, “That wasn't me." she replied. He grinned, “Than did it answer your question?" She splashed him playfully. There was something there, something more she couldn't hide from it, and she didn't want to if he was feeling it too. For once she felt...whole. A cough from the over look they had first stood on brought their attention to the tall dark skinned man, Devion. "Hi ya boss."