Still he was silent, unmoving, unwilling to close that final distance between them. When she despaired of making him understand, he spoke very quietly. “With me, Joey?”
She smiled slowly, unable to answer and not needing to. The bond was opening, breaking free of its careful boundaries like a river in spring flood. Luke reached out across that last fragile distance and touched her. For a moment it was nothing more than the lightest brush of his fingers, and then he was pulling her into his arms, pressing his face into her hair. His voice was almost lost in it.
“Joelle,” he breathed. “Joelle.”
They might have been alone in the world, tasting, sensing, knowing nothing but each other. Joey felt his warm breath and heard the rapid beat of his heart under her cheek.
“I was afraid, Luke. Even after we found my parents, I was afraid—of living, feeling again.” Joey struggled to find explanations, but Luke already understood. The bond resonated with his acceptance.
“I was afraid too, Joelle. Afraid of living without you.”
She tried to shake her head, but she felt herself pressing deeper, sinking against him as if she could become part of him. His big hands spread across her back.
“I was wrong, Joey. I hurt you because I was afraid.” He pushed her back gently, lacing his fingers through her hair. “I thought I couldn’t live without you, and I was wrong about that, too.”
She looked away from his eyes, sudden fear stopping the question she so desperately needed to ask. Perhaps she had been wrong after all. She stiffened, trying to pull away, but he held her fast with gentle dominance.
“I can live without you, Joelle,” he said with infinite tenderness. “But I don’t want to.”
The world seemed to lose focus as she felt his hands cup her face, drawing her up to look at him, his eyes were very bright. “I need you, Joey.”
“Need isn’t enough,” she whispered, calling herself a fool, holding that last fragile barrier in place.
“I know.” He sighed, and his hands trembled on her cheek. “It doesn’t have to be.” His eyes looked deep into hers. “I love you, Joelle.”
In a sudden, vivid burst of light and heat the last barrier shattered, and the bond expanded to fill every last shadowed corner of her being, healing all wounds and erasing the scars in one brilliant instant. Before the fire could consume her, Luke’s mouth found hers and drew the blaze into himself, until the incandescence faded and he was once again muscle and bone and firm flesh pressed against her.
“Luke,” she said. “I love you.” It was all that would come, and it was enough. His joy was hers, reverberating and rebounding between them until it filled her heart to overflowing.
When the world stopped spinning, she drew back from him reluctantly. Somewhere birds were singing, water flowed down from the mountains, wolf cubs tumbled at their feet, steady and changeless. It was she who had changed, whole at last within herself. Only one thing remained.
Luke drew her from the clearing, holding her tightly against him as he made his farewells to the wolves one by one. Even when his eyes turned away she felt him, and knew he felt her to the depths of his being. And as they drifted into the forest, hand in hand, Joey thought of that time when she had come to the mountains, so many months ago.
She stopped at the verge of open land that stretched before his cabin, breaking the peaceful quiet between them at last. The look of utter joy on his face made her catch her breath.
“Luke,” she said softly, folding his big hands in hers, “There is one thing—I’d like to go back to the mountain, see my parents again.”
Searching her eyes, he saw deep into her soul, a flood of memories blended with her love for him until there was no separation.
“They would have loved you, Luke,” she whispered. “Maybe it’s a little crazy, but I want to tell them everything that’s happened. I know they’ll give us their blessing. Will you come?”
She heard his silent answer as his mouth found hers.