My wolf?


    I hold my breath, trying to grasp the feeling, to coax it to life. For a moment, it grows stronger, a warmth spreading through my chest, a heightened awareness of the forest around me-the scents sharper, the sounds clearer.


    But as quickly as it came, it fades, slipping away like water through my fingers. I let out a disappointed sigh and open my eyes to find Arthur already standing over by the edge of the pool.


    I wander over to him, dipping my fingers into the clear water. It''s cold. If we hade a few weeks earlier, we might have been


    able to swim...


    There''s a sudden ssh behind me, and I whirl around just in time to see Arthur''s head break the surface of the water. He''s stripped downpletely naked and jumped in while my back was turned.


    "Arthur!" I shriek as he shakes his head, sending water droplets flying in my direction. "What are you doing?"


    He grins up at me, treading water effortlessly. "What does it look like? I''m swimming." He sshes more water in my direction, this time deliberately aiming for me. "Join me!"


    "The water''s freezing!" I protest, backing away from the edge.


    "It''s refreshing," heughs, swimming closer. "Come on, Iris. Where''s your sense of adventure?"


    I roll my eyes, but I can''t help the smile tugging at the corners of my mouth. "I left


    it back at the ranch, along with my desire to catch hypothermia."


    "You were braver five years ago," he teases, floating on his back now,pletely at ease. "The Iris I knew would have jumped in by now."


    That does it. No one gets to tell me I''ve gone soft, not even Arthur. "Fine," I say, kicking off my hiking boots. "But if I freeze to death, it''s on you."


    I strip downpletely, painfully aware of Arthur''s eyes on me as I remove each piece of clothing. When I''m fully nude, the breeze kissing my bare skin, I move to the edge of the pool.


    Taking a deep breath, I jump. The shock of the cold water takes my breath away as I plunge beneath the surface. For a moment, the world is reduced to the muffled roar of the waterfall and the cold shock against my skin.


    Then I kick upward, breaking the surface with a gasp. "Holy shit, it''s cold!"


    Arthurughs, swimming over to me. "You get used to it. Feels good, right?"


    I''m about to tell him exactly how wrong he is when I realize that, surprisingly, he''s right. After the initial shock, the water does feel good..


    "Maybe," I admit grudgingly.


    His grin is insufferable. "Told you."


    I ssh water directly in his face, wiping the smug look right off of it. "Don''t gloat. It''s unattractive."


    His eyes narrow, and suddenly, he''s sending a wave of water crashing over my head.


    +25 Bonus


    What follows is what I can only describe as a ssh war, both of usughing and shrieking like children as we try to drench each


    other. Our shouts echo between the rocks, partially muffled by the roar of the waterfall.


    By the time we call a truce, we''re both breathing hard, our hair stered to our heads, underwearpletely soaked through.


    "Feel better?" Arthur asks, swimming closer until we''re face to face, treading water in the deepest part of the pool.


    I nod, suddenly aware of how close we are, how his eyes have darkened to that familiar shade of emerald that means he''s


    thinking things that have nothing to do with swimming.


    "Much better," I murmur, wrapping my legs around his waist as he supports us both, his hands under my thighs.


    We''re both still grinning like idiots when our lips meet, the kiss tasting of mountain water. His tongue slips into my mouth, and I


    press myself closer, the cold of the water forgotten heat builds between us.


    as


    One of his hands slides up my back, tangling in my wet hair as he deepens the


    kiss. I can feel him hardening against me, even


    through the cold water and theyers of our underwear.


    "Arthur," I gasp against his lips. "We should-"


    "Yeah," he agrees, already moving us toward the shore. "Immediately."


    We stumble out of the water, leaving puddles on the sun-warmed rocks. Arthur


    reaches for a towel from our backpack, wrapping


    it around me first before grabbing another for himself.


    "We should probably head back soon," he says, although his eyes say something


    entirely different as they roam over my body.


    "Miles will be back at the ranch by dinner time."


    I bite my lip and stare back at him with just as much ferocity. The man I love. My


    Alpha President. My mate. "Just as soon as we


    dry off," I murmur.


    We both know it''s going to take a while.