Crucible of Fate

soft kisses that felt warm on my cold skin.
    I smiled because I could feel it in his clutching hands, taste it on his lips when they grazed mine, and hear it in his halting breath: he loved me.
    “Domin?”
    “I’m not leaving you.”
    “Promise,” he insisted.
    “I swear,” I said, opening my eyes again, and I saw how pleased he was, and how tired.
    “Why are you scowling at me?” he asked as tears ran down his cheeks.
    “Because you look like hell.”
    He framed my face with his hands.
    “I woke up to get laid,” I quipped, even though just that much talking was exhausting.
    He leaned over and kissed me again, laughing into my mouth, so happy, even as I parted my lips under his, his tongue sliding over mine as he tasted me, savored and ravished me.
    “You missed me,” I said as he kissed my eyelids and my nose, my cheeks, my forehead, my chin, and then fused his lips to mine once more.
    “Sleep,” he commanded. “You’ll shift when you wake up.”
    “Stay with me,” I ordered. “Right here. I want to smell you when I wake up.”
    “Yes, my semel.”
    “And I expect some action then too.”
    I was kissed again and it was good.
     
     
    I WOKE up ravenous.
    “Shift,” Yuri said the second I opened my eyes.
    It hurt, my muscles were sore, but I did it and lost time as I always did when I was in panther form. I was starving and there was meat and water, so much food, and I ate and drank my fill. When I was sated, I found my mate outside in the sun, lying down, and I crept over and joined him on a blanket in the grass. It smelled good, there was shade, and I could hear a fountain. I fell asleep curled into his side.
    The next time I opened my eyes, I was in bed. I had been bathed; I knew because I no longer smelled like blood and dirt and sweat. I had felt gritty before, but now, smelling good, clean, lying on my back under freshly laundered sheets, I felt better. The best part of all was that when I rolled my head to the left, I found Yuri sleeping beside me on top of the sheets, barefoot, in jeans and a threadbare old T-shirt. The man was gorgeous all rumpled, and I would have reached for him, woken him up to hold me, but the sound of a throat clearing drew my attention. I found myself caught in the gaze of Dr. Pakhom.
    “Oh,” I said, yawning. “Hi.”
    She sucked in a breath.
    “What?”
    Quickly, she shook her head.
    “Good Lord, woman, get a hold of yourself,” I grumbled.
    “You scared me to death,” she said, then pursed her lips together in a tight line. “But I guess you’re going to be doing that a lot.”
    “I hope not.”
    She reached down to take my hand without permission.
    “This is a slippery slope,” I said with a grunt.
    “I want to hold your hand,” my doctor confessed.
    I shook my head.
    “Are you really planning to visit every tribe in the world?”
    “Yes.”
    “And are you planning to take me and my team with you?”
    “Yes, if you’re up for an adventure.”
    “I am.”
    “Then, yes, you’re invited along.”
    Her tears were instant.
    “Oh come on,” I complained.
    “No, you come on!” she ground out. “Scaring me to death, how dare you! Broken clavicle, deep puncture wounds, a bullet, for heaven’s sake—and still not fully recovered from an assassination attempt! Who are you?”
    I let out a huff of air to let her know I was annoyed too. “And? Did you save Taj? Rahim?”
    “Of course I saved Taj and Rahim!”
    “Where are they?”
    “That is for your steward to tell you,” she huffed, and I saw her begin to fidget.
    “Do you need to hug me so you know I’m well?” I asked bluntly.
    “Yes. Do you mind?” She sounded just as practical.
    “No.”
    And with that she bent and wrapped her arms around me for a long minute. When she straightened, I gave her a compliment, telling her that she was very beautiful for a doctor.
    “Well, I’ve seen a hundred more handsome semels.”
    I chuckled, and she said to get ready for visitors.
    “Not in my room,” I groused irritably.
    “No. Use your eyes, what do you see?”
    And she was right; I wasn’t in my own room. “Why did we move?”
    “It’s only while you recuperate. Your sekhem didn’t want everyone traipsing through the private quarters he shared with you, but once you’re all healed, you can go back up there. It’s quite the walk to get up there. Have you ever noticed that?”
    “I haven’t.” I sighed, pleased that he wanted our room to stay just ours. I would have done