Total pages in book: 118
Estimated words: 106646 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 533(@200wpm)___ 427(@250wpm)___ 355(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 106646 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 533(@200wpm)___ 427(@250wpm)___ 355(@300wpm)
Instead, he just keeps staring down at me with that hungry look in his eyes. As if nothing matters in the world but me. Maybe nothing does; his khui's singing as loud as mine, and our joined songs are drowning out all my thoughts.
Pak rubs his eyes, sleepy, and yawns.
Right. They're trying to sleep, and it's getting late. I tug on A'tam's hand and pull him out of the cave. "Come on."
"I do not like that they are taking your things," he tells me as we get outside. "That is your cave, B'shit—"
Hearing my name is like a record-scratch moment. I wince and release his hand. "It is my cave. I went there because I wanted some privacy and a chance to think. Which makes me wonder…why exactly were you there? Were you following me?"
"Of course I was." A'tam looks at me as if I'm crazed. "I cannot get you out of my mind." He clenches a hand over his heart. "You dwell right here, and every beat of my heart reminds me that I need you. That you are my mate. That you belong to me, and I belong to you."
Just like that, my irritation melts away. "It's hard to stay angry when you say such nice things," I grumble.
"Then I will tell you all kinds of things," he vows. "Just stay at my side."
Reluctantly, I hold my hand out again. If I can't have privacy, I might as well spend this time talking to A'tam about our situation. I'm not ready to join the night owls near the fire, and it's too soon for me to head back to the sleeping cave. "Will you walk with me by the beach? I need to think."
"And you wish for me to go with you?" A'tam looks surprised.
I give him a reluctant smile. "For some reason, I feel like I'm thinking better with you at my side instead of separated."
"It is resonance," he declares, as if he's such an expert. As if he's done this a dozen times. "It wants us to be together."
"I know." And I'm too tired to think about what that means for my future. I'm mentally exhausted, the scrape on my cheek is burning, and I'm just…tired. I'll rail against my fate some other time, but for now, it feels good for A'tam to hold my hand. We stand outside the cave in the darkness, and I glance up at him. "So is that a yes? You'll go with me?"
He grins, and my heart does a weird little flip…and then my khui starts up again. "Of course I will."
I glance down the sands to the encampment, and the fire. The quickest way to the beach is to cut through, but that's absolutely the last thing I want to do. "Can we go the long way? I don't want to see the others right now."
A'tam nods, and I'm relieved he doesn't argue or push his way. I know he wants to go shout to the world that we've resonated, but I'm feeling a little fragile and want to get used to the idea myself before I share it with everyone. I think of Flor and her gift of lingerie, and my face heats. If only she knew how inappropriate that gift was. Thoughtful, but the last thing I want to do is seduce A'tam and his mutant cock.
"B'shit? How is your ankle?"
I look over at him, frowning. "Huh?"
"It hurt this morning? And your back?" He drops to his knees next to me on the sand and touches my ankle, his fingers caressing my skin. "Should you walk on it? Do you need to rest?"
Oh. Oh wow. It's been such a long damn day that I've forgotten that I started this morning in a private cave with him in the hills and my biggest problem was that I wanted him despite his monster cock. Now things are a whole hell of a lot more confusing. My ankle is the least of my worries. "I'm okay," I say. "My shoulder hurts a little." I touch my cheek, where I scraped it. "Am I still bleeding?"
"Your shoulder? Do you need to go back to the healer?" A'tam jumps to his feet, lightly running his fingers over my collarbone. "Where does it hurt?"
I shake my head. "I'm okay. I just fell on it in the pottery cave." It's the wrong thing to say because his expression immediately darkens, as if I've just reminded him that Pak and Juth are there. "Let's just walk, okay?"
"In a moment." He moves closer and puts a hand under my chin, tilting my head up to the moonlight. He studies my cheek and then licks his thumb and glides it over my cheekbone.
I shiver. It's something I've seen moms do on television—not that my mother would have ever deigned to do such a thing—but that small gesture coming from A'tam? It is anything but motherly. Protective, yes. Seductive? Absolutely.