✧ ♥ ✧

When Katya woke up, it was very early, and very cold. Everything was damp – her blanket, the clothes she had slept in, the canvas of the tent, even her hair. To make matters worse, there was a hard lump under her back; a pine cone perhaps, or a stone.

From Aleksander's breathing, she knew he was awake too.

"I really do hate camping," she lamented, sighing miserably.

"Get used to it, princess." Apparently his surly mood had not improved during the night.

"It's this dampness that's killing me, not the lack of comfort," she huffed indignantly. "I've slept in haystacks countless times and not complained."

"Just slept?" he asked drily.

"Well. That and... other things. Hay is underrated."

"Peasants," he sneered.

His tone was contemptuous in a way Katya didn't like at all. "That was uncalled for," she muttered.

"Then let me make it up to you." Without warning he rolled on top of her, pinning her with his body as he kissed her almost aggressively.

After the initial surprise, Katya responded eagerly, helping him take his shirt off, and then her own. Skin against skin, he started summoning darkness in a thick cloud around them, and as usual the buzz of magic made her faint with desire.

When his lips left hers to travel down her body, her senses turned inward and her breath became uneven. Aleksander always seemed to know what she liked, but this time he really surpassed himself, sparing no effort to please her.

Katya's eyes rolled back in her head, and she soon became oblivious to everything but his divine fingers and tongue.

✧ ♥ ✧

A while later they had an early breakfast; it was still in the bleak twilight before dawn, and the forest was almost uncannily silent. No small animals rustled in the underbrush, no birds sang.

When Mal joined them, he looked a bit flustered and seemed very preoccupied with his food.

Katya glanced at Aleksander, feeling her cheeks heat up as she realized the tracker must have heard them earlier. In the heat of the moment, she had quite forgotten how thin the canvas of the tent was, and how well sounds traveled through the quiet woods.

Aleksander, however, looked decidedly smug. "Can you pass me the tea, Katinka sweetie?" he asked, flexing his shoulders. "I'm unusually thirsty this morning, it would seem."

Mal hurried to gulp down the last of his rye bread. "I'll check the vicinity for new tracks. See you later."

When he was out of hearing range, Katya whispered: "Right. Will you explain what that was about?"

Aleksander innocently raised one eyebrow. "What what was about?"

"You're never that cute with me, Sasha. You're putting on a show for Mal. Why?"

"Can't a man call his woman cute names?" he asked lightly. "And don't call me Sasha. As far as the tracker knows, I'm Leonid, remember?"

His woman? That sounded much too possessive to Katya's liking, as if he thought he owned her. But what did she expect him to say? His girlfriend? His wife-to-be? She knew he liked her, but didn't flatter herself into thinking it went as deep as love. At least not yet.

But then what was this thing between him and Mal?

She peered imploringly at Aleksander, but he was still acting unconcerned, his dark eyes unreadable. She had called him jealous as a joke yesterday, but what if it was true? If so, it made no sense – what with his power, status and flawless looks – but how else could she interpret this uncharacteristic testiness?

Perhaps he thought Mal had flirted with her – that, or her talk of old boyfriends could have wound him up.

She remembered Zoya's hurtful words about Aleksander's past lovers, and how easy it had been to believe she was expendable; someone he would replace after a while, like he had done with many before her. She had been more than jealous then, and she had to admit, it made her a tiny bit smug to find the roles may be reversed now...

Deciding to find out the truth, she asked: "Is it some sort of pissing contest?"

Aleksander choked on his tea, his nonchalance act ruined. "Say, what?" he sputtered.

"Between Mal and you. Establishing who's the alpha male – you know, like stags battling for dominance."

"Dominance? Don't be ridiculous."

"It's kind of cute, though." She smirked. "Now that you've defeated your rival – will you claim me? Perhaps give me a love bite?"

"Don't tempt me..." His eyes gleamed.

Whatever he had planned to do, however, was interrupted by the sound of Mal returning. "I think the pack's close," he said. "I found where they rested tonight."

Aleksander brightened. "Great news."

"I can't guarantee it's the one you seek," Mal warned.

Instead of replying, Aleksander just smiled, as if he knew a secret the other did not, and proceeded to take down the tent.

Soon they were on their way again. All day they trekked, following in the wolf pack's wake, and though Mal said they closed in on the prey it sure didn't seem that way.

When a light drizzle began in the afternoon, Katya felt ready to turn on the spot and stomp back home.

Home... It struck her that she associated that word with the Little Palace now. For how long had she done so? It had happened so gradually she couldn't say, but it was heartening to realize that maybe she wasn't quite the misfit she had thought.

✧ ♥ ✧

It was still raining at sunset, so after a cold evening meal they went to bed early. Sighing with relief, Katya pulled off her soaked clothes and tried to spread them on the tent floor as best she could. Among all other things, she longed to have her thick, waterproof kefta back.

"It's funny," she mused. "In the Little Palace, I couldn't wait to get away, but now that I'm away I can't wait to return. I miss my warm, dry room."

"Are you afraid of a little rain, princess?" Aleksander teased.

Katya narrowed her eyes at him. "I thought we had established I'm a peasant. And I can handle bad weather, it just doesn't appeal to be out in the wilderness for weeks on end and–"

"This won't take weeks."

She was a bit surprised at his confident tone. "Really? How can you be so sure? Mal said we could be following the wrong wolf pack."

"Mal," he repeated disdainfully. "What does he know? It's the right pack; I can feel it. Like calls to like."

"What do you mean?"

Glancing at the thin tent wall, he lowered his voice. "I'm an amplifier, as is the wolf, therefore we are drawn towards one another. It's the same as when darkness calls to me, or fire calls to you." He leaned back on his bedroll, hands tucked under his head. "Trust me. She will come."

Katya nodded to herself as understanding dawned. Like calls to like... She had always felt a fascination with fire, even before her powers manifested. No wonder it had been so difficult to hide her ability!

Cheered by the prospect of soon being done with hiking, and to get her own amplifier at last, Katya decided it was time to improve Aleksander's mood as well. This waspish version of him was no fun at all.

"That is great news. I can't wait to be back in my own bed..." She winked.

When he didn't take the cue to say something naughty about beds, she tried a different approach. "Like calls to like, you say." She edged closer, fixing her eyes on him. "I know exactly what you mean."

"Grisha are often drawn to power," he said off-handedly.

"And girls are drawn to hot men." She pushed aside a strand of his tousled hair, still damp with rain.

His impassive face didn't waver, but an amused expression flicked across his eyes. "You are so shallow."

"Can't help it when exposed to such irresistible attractiveness right in front of me," she murmured. "The tracker boy in the next door tent could never beat that, and the peasants I met in my youth weren't even close." She pulled down his blanket slightly, exposing his wide shoulders and flat chest.

"In your youth? Then what are you now, an old lady?" His lips were twitching now, and Katya knew she had won.

"Finally!" Grinning, she crawled on top of him and gave his cheek a sloppy kiss.

"Finally what?"

"Finally no more sulking."

"I wasn't–"

She silenced him with a kiss on the mouth, and from there, things soon turned interesting.

A/N:

Hope you enjoyed some possessive!Darkling. :D
Also, this lazy-ass writer has finally started to read the first Shadow and Bone book hehe. Better late than never!

Thanks for reads, votes and comments despite my irregular updates. You're great!