Four-Letter Words by Evans, Gabrielle (top 10 books of all time .txt) 📗

Thane clearly wasn’t seeking an answer. Still, Zasha felt compelled to respond, and the words fell from his lips, quiet, breathless, and sincere. “I’m yours, Thane. I always have been.”

* * * *

With the recovery of Zasha’s lost memories, something had shifted inside Thane, awakening a dark and primal instinct inside of him. His thoughts were a chaotic mess. Events from his previous life swarmed him, events he’d long forgotten until that final piece of his bond with Zasha had snapped into place.

From the moment they’d met, he knew he’d do anything for his mate. He’d been protective of Zasha since day one, but now, he had the overwhelming urge to throw himself in front of a speeding train just to prove the lengths he would endure to keep his partner from harm.

Then there was the almost violent possessiveness that suddenly engulfed him. Sure, he’d always known Zasha belonged with him, and he wouldn’t have stood by while someone tried to take his place. However, this new emotion raging inside him was more than a territorial claim or even superficial jealousy.

Thane actually feared for the other men in their group. It didn’t matter if the person was friend or family. He wasn’t sure he could leash his temper if someone so much as brushed against his mate by accident. The sudden deranged behavior coincided with Zasha’s revelations, but Thane couldn’t understand the hows or whys.

“Zash, I need you to stay right beside me,” he warned as they hiked toward the top of the hill, struggling to traverse the rocky terrain.

“Are we close?”

Yes, they were getting closer. The magic was thick in the air, crawling over Thane’s skin like a living thing. They’d driven as far as they could before they’d been forced to continue on foot into less hospitable territory, and Thane worried about their ability to make it back to the vehicles before the sun rose.

“How long until sunrise?”

Zasha pressed a button on the side of his watch to illuminate the face. “At least ten hours. It’s only eight o’clock.” He seemed to interpret the meaning of the question, though, because his features softened, and he rubbed his hand up and down Thane’s arm. “I’ll watch the time. There are plenty of caves around here for me to take shelter in if it comes to that.”

“Right.” The feeling of being on edge intensified, rattling Thane’s insides with tense energy for which he had no viable outlet. “We’re getting close. Let’s hope this goes quickly.” Wrapping one arm around Zasha’s waist, Thane tucked his Infinity against his side as they crested the top of the hill. It slowed their forward momentum a bit, but he needed the connection more than he needed his next breath.

“Thane, are you okay?”

“No, I don’t think so,” he conceded. “Like I said, just stay close.”

Thankfully, Zasha didn’t argue or try to pull away from him. The look in his eyes said he thought Thane had lost his mind, and truly, he was probably right. “Don’t worry about me. I may not be a warrior, but I can hold my own in a fight.”

In a fair fight, Thane believed that. These witches they were hunting wouldn’t play fair, though, and Zasha had no defense against their magic. Still, that wasn’t the driving force behind Thane’s command. “Right now, lieveling, I’m more concerned for everyone else’s safety. I’m not feeling very rational or forgiving where you’re concerned.”

To his surprise, Zasha ducked his head and turned away, but not before Thane caught the grin that stretched his lips. “I probably shouldn’t like that, huh?”

“Probably not,” Thane agreed, but he was pleased by the response. “I probably shouldn’t like that you like it, but there you have it.”

“Thane, come here,” Lynk called to him through their twin bond. “I think we’re here, but something doesn’t feel right.”

Sighing, Thane kissed his lover’s temple, released his waist, and tugged him forward by his hand. “Duty calls.”

“Lynk.” Zasha surmised, and unless Thane was imagining things, there was a petulant undertone to his voice. “Well, let’s not keep him waiting.”

“Something you want to tell me?” Thane asked as they passed the others to get to Lynk. “What was that tone about?”

Zasha shrugged, and the sheepish look on his face as he peeked at Thane through his blond lashes was sexy and adorable all at once. “It’s stupid.”

“Tell me anyway.”

“There might be a little part of me that’s jealous because we don’t have that mental link. It’s something I can’t share with you.”

This made sense, and Thane imagined he’d have a similar reaction if their situations were reversed. He couldn’t change the way things were, though. They both knew that. Instead of offering platitudes, he squeezed Zasha’s hand and winked. While he knew better than to say it aloud, the spark of jealousy was a good thing.

Except the rare occasion when Zasha lost control—and Thane didn’t count those times—it was the first real evidence that his lover wasn’t as unaffected as he’d have everyone believe. Thane wished to hell he knew what had happened back in that SUV right after sundown.

The dynamics of his and Zasha’s relationship had taken a sudden and extreme turn. While he liked the new direction they were traveling, it felt a little like the calm before a storm, and he kept waiting for the other shoe to drop.

“Now what?” Lynk asked as Thane approached him. He rested one hand on his hip and pointed to the valley stretched out below them. “That’s the direction we’re supposed to go. I can feel it. As you can see, however, there appears to be a slight problem.”

Thane would call it more than slight. Getting down the small mountain was only the beginning of their problems. After that, they’d be walking right into the waters of Lake Mead. “We’ll have to cross.” They didn’t have time to go around the lake. Not only did they have the