Anchor in the Wild

Valerie’s POV

I struggled to catch my breath as I leaned up. Behind me, Darius righted my pants first and then his own. The sounds of the forest were gentle, the leaves rustling, a bird singing to the morning sun.

Yet the space between Darius and I was deathly quiet. He didn’t say a word, and neither did I.

Instead, I searched internally, checking in with my rampaging feelings. I’d gone through a