"We should keep moving," she said, not meaning it at all.

"We should," he agreed, making no move to set her down.

The cold pressed in from all sides. Somewhere ahead, the rest of Snow Team was probably wondering where they’d gone.

Voss held her closer, one hand spreading wide across her belly, protective, reverent, claiming.

"Five more minutes," he said.

Felicity tucked her face against his neck and smiled. "Ten."

"Fifteen."

"Now you’re negotiating against yourself."

"I’m investing in returns." His thumb traced a slow circle over the swell of her abdomen. "This is the most important strategic asset I’ve ever been entrusted with."

She laughed, the sound bright against the desolate, of the Australian bush.

As she leaned back, her gaze drifted past Voss’s shoulder and locked onto Dimitri.

The air between them seemed to vibrate. Felicity held his stare for a heartbeat longer than necessary, a lingering, searching look that stripped away his stoic veneer.

Dimitri’s breath hitched, his hand twitching at his side, as he made to step forward, a primal urge to close the distance surging through him. But just as he moved, she turned her head back to Voss, a soft, radiant smile blooming on her face.

Inside Dimitri’s mind, the carefully maintained calm shattered into a violent hurricane of emotions. The "delusional" certainty that she was his endgame felt like a fever dream as he watched her choose the wolf beast’s embrace over his shadow.

As the light faded, the teams slowed to a stop to make camp. And it couldn’t stay quiet for long.

"This ground needs to be pure," Ash said, his voice carrying a rare urgency. He paused, running his clawed fingers through the freshly turned soil. "The Light will protect them if we create a sacred space."

Pope nodded, his massive shoulders rolling as he lifted another stone. "The little ones deserve to enter this world under the Light’s blessing; it’s our duty to ensure that when the cubs ever come back this way, they will know that the light follows them and we love them."

Felicity watched from beside Voss, her hand absently resting on her swollen belly. The sight of the two most reserved members of their group suddenly transformed into zealous workers stirred something in her chest, a strange mix of amusement and tenderness.

"Those two have lost their damn minds," Sarge muttered, his weathered face contorted in disbelief as he approached the makeshift clearing. His wolf ears flattened against his head in irritation. "We’ve got perimeter to secure, and these two are playing architect for a nursery."

Felicity smiled, feeling the baby kick against her palm. "Let them have this, Sarge. It’s important to them."

"It’s important that we don’t get eaten in our sleep," Sarge grumbled, but he didn’t interfere, just shook his head and moved to check the defensive barriers.

As night fully descended, the camp fell into a rhythm. The fire crackled at the centre, casting dancing shadows across the faces of the survivors. Dimitri sat apart, his eyes tracking Felicity’s every movement with a hunger that made her skin prickle. She felt his gaze like a physical touch, but kept her attention on the men around her.

Voss’s hand found the small of her back, a possessive gesture that didn’t go unnoticed by the others. "You should rest," he murmured, his wolf features softening as he looked at her.

"Not yet," she whispered, watching as Ash and Pope continued their work with almost manic dedication. They had begun marking the perimeter of their sacred space with small stones and branches, creating a circle that seemed to glow in the firelight.

"The Light will provide," Pope intoned as he placed the final stone, his deep voice carrying across the quiet camp.

Ash nodded, his normally impassive face lit with something like reverence. "It will protect the new life."

Felicity felt a strange warmth spread through her at their words. In this broken world, such faith seemed both foolish and necessary. She placed her hand on her belly again, feeling the life within her stir. She leaned onto Voss’s chest and snuggled into his neck.

She slowly started kissing down his neck, her lips leaving a trail of warmth that made his skin tingle.

Voss sat down on a fallen log at the edge of their camp, and Felicity positioned herself between his legs, looking up at him with a mischievous smirk as a small giggle escaped her lips.

Voss raised an eyebrow, his body already responding to her proximity. He could feel himself hardening beneath his pants, his breath catching as she looked at him with those warm blue eyes. He caressed her face, his fingers gentle as he gathered her blonde hair and pulled it into a makeshift ponytail.

"Oh, so my little fox is treating me tonight, huh?" His voice was low and rough with desire.

Felicity didn’t answer with words. Instead, she leaned forward and pressed her lips against the bulge in his pants, feeling him twitch beneath the fabric. With deliberate slowness, she unbuttoned his pants and pulled them down just enough to free his erection.

"God, Felicity," Voss groaned, his voice rough and low as she wrapped her small hand around his thick cock. She stroked him slowly, feeling the vein pulse against her palm, her touch light yet confident. Fuck, he’s huge, she thought, a rush of heat flooding her core.

She lowered her head, her breath ghosting over the tip, making him twitch. Her tongue darted out, tasting the salty bead of pre-cum that had gathered there. The flavour exploded on her tongue,musky, masculine, addictive, and she let out a soft moan, the vibration humming against him. Voss hissed, his large hands tangling in her long hair, gripping just tight enough to send a thrill of dominance through her. Yes, pull harder, she inwardly begged, her pussy clenching at the thought of him taking charge.

She licked a slow, deliberate path from base to tip, savouring every inch, the rough texture of his skin contrasting with the smoothness of her tongue. The room smelled of their combined heat now, her arousal mixing with his, and she could hear his breathing quicken, ragged and uneven. Taking him into her mouth, she stretched her lips around his girth, the stretch burning deliciously. She swirled her tongue around the sensitive head, sucking lightly, then pulled back to kiss and suck at the shaft, her spit glistening on his length like dew on steel.