Eirika's eyes darted in their sockets as Arric returned her scrutiny. He cupped her face, gently stroking her cheeks. "Hold me," she said in a low pleading tone. He drew her immediately into his arms and buried his nose in her hair to draw in her scent. "You are so beautiful, " he whispered. Eirika smiled, tightening her hold around him. When he drew back slightly from her to peer down into her eyes and added, "And I think that separation thing was a terrible idea." Eirika giggled, adoring him with her eyes. "You didn't send Bishop to get me though…" "I heard you were doing great. I didn't want to be the weak link." He grinned. Eirika laughed. "Trust me if I was hundred percent certain you were missing me as much, I would have come to you," she said. Arric’s smile brightened. And that made her realize what she had confessed. Her cheeks burned and she lowered her gaze. Arric placed a finger under her chin to make her look back up into his eyes. "I couldn't sleep so I joined

Eirika walked into the kitchen, drawn to the delicious aromas that filled the room. She'd picked one of Arric’s shirts to wear. It carried his scent and she'd wanted to be enveloped in it. Arric stood over the stove, a large wooden spoon in one hand and a pot of bubbling liquid in the other. The kitchen was filled with the savory smell of spices and the sound of sizzling oil. The countertops were littered with bowls of chopped vegetables, cans of tomatoes, and various spices. Arric's attention was on the task at hand but Eirika couldn't ignore his toned forearms and body that were on total display. "Hey, there," he said with a smile as he stirred the pot. "I'm just finishing up here. Would you like to help?" Eirika eagerly accepted the invitation, excited to see what Arric had cooked up. She peered into the pot and saw a rich, reddish-brown sauce simmering away. She couldn't quite place all of the ingredients, but the aroma suggested garlic, onion, and oregano. She also noticed a

Eirika woke to Arric pacing at the foot of the bed. Sitting up, she asked, "What's wrong?" "I'm thinking…. This place is a fortress but I need some of my fighters… if the pack gets attacked we have a stronghold in place to keep them occupied long enough for me to get here but leaving you behind even with all the assurance that you are safe would plague me insistently. And I don't know how long I will be gone. Taking you with me would mean you would constantly be in danger… but then I would be there. And we can also use that opportunity to visit the major packs to propose allegiance. I need all this sorted before you start to show… which means we have a few weeks…." Eirika got up and rushed into the bathroom to get ready while Arric was still thinking aloud. She rushed out a few minutes later with her hair wet and a towel wrapped around her. "What do I wear?" she asked a tad breathless. Arric stopped pacing to hold her gaze. "I'm going to need knives, a bow, and arrows," she added.

Arric, Nigel, York, Caineghis, Jimothy, and Bishop went on foot for miles, scouting the grounds for more invaders, before Arric asked Danny to land and pick them up. When they got back inside the craft they were all wearing custom-made baggy cargo shorts with black raglan-sleeve shirts. Arric came to sit next to Eirika and she reached out to lean against his chest. He wrapped his strong arms around her, pressing a kiss on her head. From the corner of Eirika’s eyes, she watched Nigel sit beside Zenesha and slowly shift closer until their arms were touching. The she-wolf tensed up but she didn't move away. Nigel carefully and slowly interlaced his fingers with hers and slowly started to stroke the back of her hand with his thumb. He then leaned back and shut his eyes. Eirika was happy to see Nigel was beginning to crack down on the she-wolf's wall of thorns. The sun had dipped below the horizon, casting the woods in a dusky hue before they got to the location where Arric’s people w

"Danny, Jeff, stay alert we are heading in," Arric said aloud. "Yes, Boss," they replied. Eirika gave him a searching gaze and he said, "We are going into the pack territory to warn Hartwell… want to come?" "Yes, please," she said eagerly. He nodded. "That's what I thought," he mumbled and got up to push the door open, jumping down. He held out his hand to her. She took it and he carried her down. Eirika wasn't surprised to see Arric’s men, appearing from nowhere to tail him. Zenesha hurried to stand to her side and Nigel flanked her. Bishop, York, Jarom, Caineghis, Jimothy, and about ten more guards formed a shield around them as they moved. Eirika couldn't help remembering the last time she walked these woods. On impulse, she reached out to put her hand in Arric’s, recalling how she had longed for him and thought she would never be with him again. 'Are you alright?' Arric asked via their mind link, giving her a side glance. 'I remembered the last time I was here… afte