The thin dress, rumpled from their movements, outlined every delicate, feminine curve beneath it.
It was hard to believe this was the same woman who had lain on this very bed two years ago, bleeding and growing paler by the minute.
Feeling unwanted heat tighten low in his abdomen, he bit down hard on the inside of his cheek.
Even in the past, he had never welcomed the physical reactions she stirred in him.
Now they felt almost revolting.
Pulling away from her, he spoke in a rigid voice.
"I don't need rest."
Then, fixing her with a suspicious look, he pressed,
"More importantly... why are you suddenly concerned about me?"
"You... you're my husband. Why is it strange that I care about you?"
Embarrassed by her own words, the tips of her ears turned bright red.
Yet Varkas found himself unable to laugh at her.
It felt as though something hot had lodged itself in his throat.
A moment later, he recognized the feeling.
Longing.
The instant that unwelcome realization crossed his mind, words he had repeated to himself countless times slipped from his lips.
"You once said that merely looking at me made it hard for you to breathe."
The color drained from her face in an instant.
Looking up at him with shadowed eyes, she slowly pushed herself upright.
Drawing her knees to her chest, she murmured quietly,
"...It doesn't anymore. Actually..."
Varkas remained perfectly still, waiting for her to continue.
Talia rubbed her knees anxiously before speaking again in a slightly hoarse voice.
"All this time... I've worried about you. This deployment... you were gone much longer than usual. You didn't come back for half a year..."
Still muttering incoherently, she began biting at her closely trimmed fingernails.
He gently caught her hand and studied her face.
"So... it doesn't hurt anymore to be with me?"
Avoiding his gaze, she darted her eyes away before finally giving a small nod.
Something inside Varkas—something he had barely managed to hold together—finally snapped.
He climbed onto the bed on one knee.
Sliding one hand into her thick hair, he gently stroked the pale nape of her neck, where her pulse fluttered rapidly beneath the skin.
Her breathing immediately became uneven.
She was clearly tense.
But she showed no sign of rejecting his touch.
Watching her reaction intently, Varkas cupped her small chin and brushed his thumb lightly across her split lower lip.
Her full lips parted, almost as if inviting him.
The familiar thirst burned through his throat once more.
Cradling her soft cheeks between both hands, he slowly lowered his head.
The moment his lips met her slightly parted crimson ones, her soft tongue timidly brushed against him.
Drawing that tender warmth into his mouth, he eased her back onto the bed—
Boom.
A heavy crash echoed through the room, followed by a burst of loud voices outside.
Startled by the sudden noise, she instinctively pulled away.
Varkas clenched his fists to keep himself from dragging her back into his arms and shot a glare toward the entrance.
The door shook violently, as though the hinges might give way at any second.
Varkas sprang to his feet and crossed the room in a single stride.
The moment he yanked the handle open, a massive beast burst through the doorway.
It shoved him roughly aside before leaping straight onto the bed.
Varkas stared at the magical beast in utter disbelief.
As though it belonged there, the enormous creature claimed the spacious bed for itself before burying its huge head against her.
"Khan!"
Wrapping her arms around the wolf, Talia looked at Varkas with obvious uncertainty.
Running a hand through his disheveled hair, Varkas turned his gaze toward the corridor.
The soldiers who had rushed over after hearing the commotion stood only a short distance away, staring in stunned confusion.
As the heat in his head vanished almost instantly, he silently straightened his rumpled clothes.