Aspen County

"Hey tattle-tale," I hear Louve murmur, popping into her room where I slept last night and still lay in. She’s now wearing clothes.

I look up enthusiastically but pause warily. "Wait, who are—"

"Relax, it's me. She’s with Lovett right now. She's looking forward to the battle apparently so it's safe for us to be up and about."

I shoot off the bed and have Louve wrapped in my arms in seconds. "That sucks for him but I can't say that I’m too sorry. Let him see what it's like to have that thing interrupting his little romantic interludes."

She laughs and gets up on her tip toes to press her lips against mine. I respond without hesitation, once again lifting her and placing her back on the bed. Still aware that she isn't ready for sex yet, I lay her down and lie beside her but keep my hands strictly wrapped only around her waist, not trying to scare or upset her. She shocks me by growling playfully and turning me onto my back, straddling me and taking over control.

I open my eyes to gaze up into hers, just to try to determine if it's still her in control of her mind. Her eyes are open as well, and she stares down at me adoringly. I melt into that primal and passionate look in her eyes, rolling us over once again to be on top. She giggles against my lips but doesn’t protest as my experienced hands begin caressing the curves and contours of her body.

I pull away briefly. "You have no idea how much I've missed you," I whisper.

She giggles nervously. "I kind of did…you spoke to me almost every day while we were away from each other."

I begin playing with the black lock of hair on her head, almost expecting it to come unclipped from her otherwise flawless, if frizzy, waves of auburn silk. "I couldn't stop myself. Even though you wouldn't reply, I just needed…I just had to talk to you. I missed you so much. I love you with every ounce of being, and don't forget that I draw a lot of weight from all of these muscles!"

She giggles again, this time looking away. "Alright, my big body builder. I love you too; I just didn't want you to get hurt. I can't seem to stop people around me from getting hurt."

I tilt her chin up with my finger and gaze into her green eyes that I always see in my dreams. "Louve, the only pain you can cause me is when you push me away."

She gets a mischievous look in her eyes and wraps her arms and legs around me so that I'm pressed even tighter against her. "What if I'm pulling you closer to me?" she asks in a husky voice, her eyebrow pricked.

I don't respond other than meeting her lips once more in another deep and passionate kiss. I still can't believe that I have Louve back with me, and I plan on savoring every uninterrupted second with her. I momentarily pull my lips away from hers and begin trailing kisses down her neck and collarbone. She moans, and I meet her lips again. We stay locked together for another few minutes before I'm forced to pull away for breath.

When I do, she has a distant look on her face, and I again grow worried that it's no longer her in her head. I nudge a lock of hair out of her face and gaze down at her. "What's the matter?" I ask gently.

She doesn't meet my eyes and instead allows her hand to fall from around my neck and trace the shape of my bicep, exposed thanks to my decision to sleep shirtless. Her gentle touch feels nice, but I force myself to focus on what’s bothering her. "I just realized that after the New Moon, I may be killed. I may not be here anymore two weeks from now. I may not be able to be with you anymore two weeks from now, and the thought scares me."

Downhearted, I fall off of her and lay beside her on the double bed. I turn so that I lay on my side, and I pull her to me, snuggling her warm body against mine. "Louve, don't think about that—not now. We still have two weeks until then."

She shakes her head. "No, we have even less than that. We're already a couple of days into the Gibbous. I have less than two weeks until my fate is decided forever. Do you know how scary that is, Ryder?"

I feel her dark, terrified emotions seeping into me. "Yes, I do. It's exactly how I felt when I thought that I would never see you again."

"That's different. You knew I was still alive—we were just separated. But now? I really might be killed! It's a terrifying thought." She sighs. "I know I agreed to it and I have to go through with it for everyone's safety. I just wish that my safety could be guaranteed in the process." She snuggles tighter against me, tears beginning to run down her cheeks.

I pull away slightly, wiping the tears away from her big green eyes. "Believe me: I don't want to see you go either. I may not seem like it, but I'm a nervous wreck inside. This is just one more thing that we'll have to deal with."

"But that's not the point, Ryder. The point is that we won't be dealing with it. I'll be dealing with it. I desperately want you there with me, but I can only bring my brother. I know that he'll give his life to protect me; I just wish I could have you too."

"So what do you want?" I go back to playing with her hair as she thinks.

"I don't want to go with any regrets." She looks up at me strangely.

"Tell me what do you want from me, and I'll do it."

She swallows to buy time. And then she turns her big, bright eyes to me. "I'm ready. I want to have all of you, and I want to give you all of me, Ryder. I'm done living in fear." She bites her lip with a lusty look in her eyes as she trails the pattern of the muscles on my chest down to my stomach with her finger.

As much as I want it, especially with her sensuous touch on me, I hesitate. I'm pretty sure that this is the first time ever that I hesitated when sex is being handed to me on a silver platter, especially with a girl as beautiful as Louve, but I can't help it. I want things with her to be different than with all of my past girlfriends. I want to sleep with her because I love her, and I want her to do it with me for the same reasons. It may seem immaculate, but I can't help it. She just matters to me too much to make love to her simply so that she’ll feel like she's lived before she dies.

I have very little time to think anymore as she begins trailing kisses up my stomach. "Um, Louve," I whisper, trying to keep blood flowing to the head on my shoulders as she reaches my chest.

"Hmm?" she asks.

"Why the sudden change of heart?" She pulls away briefly from where she'd been kissing my neck as I ask, for which I'm grateful. It lets me think again. "You were so against this just yesterday. What changed? I just don't want to take your virginity just because you're afraid of dying. You're too good for that."

"Ryder. I love you. I love you more than I've ever thought that I would love someone. You're the only person I could ever picture myself with. Even Egeria said that we were meant to be together for a long time to come. Yes, I was scared and still kind of am, but I'm ready for this. And before you say anything, yes, I am suddenly very aware of the fact that I may die in less than two weeks. That made me rethink it, but I want to do this because I'm in love with you, Ryder."

I nod, feeling reassured. That's all that I needed to hear. With that, I roughly turn her over onto her back again, pressing my lips against hers with a renewed passion. Our hands roam each other's bodies as our tongues explore each other's familiar mouths, and I feel blissful, knowing that I'll soon be able to truly express my adoration for her in the most intimate way possible. Realizing something, I pause once more, pulling away slightly. Louve's isn't the first or only V-card I've ever taken, but she's the only girl I find worth warning.

"There is one more thing that you should know," I whisper to her, slightly breathless. "Since this is your first time, it may hurt a little."

She nods, looking a little more nervous. I watch her chest heave—she seems to be more exhilarated than I am. She bites her lip but then caresses my cheek gently. "I know that you'll be gentle. I trust you."

I nod. "I promise, I will." And then all of the measly resolve I had leaves me as my lips return to hers and I prepare to make love to the girl that I love most in this world.