dark flush rising in her neck. The same one I’d commented on earlier this morning, when I’d stroked her soft skin there, and tormented myself with thoughts of licking her there, of biting her there, marking her as my own.
“I had it taken down,” I murmured, shifting slightly in the bath, drawing her gaze to my chest.
“But why?” she asked, blinking, frowning. A knot of tension loosened in my chest at her presence. Just looking at her pleased me.
Vok, she was beautiful. Her expression was maddeningly bewildered and innocent. As if she hadn’t yet realized my intentions.
“Go eat, seffi,” I said, gesturing over to the low table filled with platters of food. “You must be hungry.”
She was still wearing the clothes she’d gone running in, though she also wore her furs, which Hinna must’ve retrieved for her before I had her voliki dismantled.
“Nik,” she said slowly, her eyes barely gliding over the table before returning to me. “I want to know what’s happening.”
I blew out a short breath, raking a hand through my wet hair. I had been asking myself how to tell her without her wanting to kill me in response. Maeva was independent, which I had always admired. While she’d always had a streak of independence growing up, it had morphed into something entirely different now and I wasn’t sure how to go about this.
“Are you…are you sending me away?” she asked softly.
A sound of disbelief left my throat.
“Nik,” I growled, my body tensing at the words.
Just the thought of her leaving sent discomfort shooting through my chest. On the rim of the bathing tub, my fists clenched.
“Then…” she trailed off, licking her lips. “Neffar?”
“I’m debating how to tell you in a way that won’t cost me my deva when you cut them from me,” I informed her, the corner of my lips ticking up.
Her flush deepened though she demanded, “Tell me now.”
“You dare to give a Vorakkar an order?” I purred, the way her soft lips pursed in determination making my cock even harder. “Good thing you are the only one allowed to.”
A huff of impatience left her, reminding me of the old Maeva.
“Kiran, where am I supposed to sleep if you got rid of my voliki?”
Knowing I couldn’t put this off any longer, I stood from the bathing tub, water sluicing off my body as I watched her. Maeva blinked, a small sound emerging from her throat that reminded me of a startled privixi as her eyes fastened on my cock.
Again, she surprised me. She didn’t turn away. And her gaze was all wary curiosity, curiosity that almost made me groan out loud. How had I not given in to her that night on the cliff, nine years ago? She’d bared herself to me, offered herself to me freely, and I’d rejected her advances.
And how many times over the years had I cursed myself for it?
But our friendship had been more important than sex then. I hadn’t wanted to ruin that. And I’d feared that if I allowed myself to love her as I wanted to, to be with her the way I wanted to, in the end she would realize that I hadn’t been worth it after all.
Maeva’s love then had been so pure, so complete, that it had frightened me. But I wasn’t afraid anymore.
I had been…foolish. Cowardly.
But I’d been young.
Now, I had been a Vorakkar for nine years and I had experienced the hardships of this life, of life in the wild lands, and the responsibilities that came with leading a horde that depended on me to be strong. I wasn’t that young, saruk-bred boy anymore, who had been barely old enough to lead.
Now, I knew what I wanted and she was standing right in front of me, looking at me in a way that made me want to toss her onto the furs and mate her in the way I’d craved for vokking years.
I didn’t bother to dry off. I stepped out of the bathing tub and stepped towards her.
She wanted to know where she would sleep?
Beside me. Where she belongs, I thought.
Gesturing to my furs, I rasped, “This is where you will sleep, seffi.”
She blinked again, though her gaze seemed a little unfocused.
“Neffar?” she asked quietly, as if she hadn’t heard me.
“With me,” I rumbled, drawing closer.
“Neffar?” she asked, jerking in surprise, her voice rising. “Kiran—”
We were close, so close that I could feel her heat. Between us my cock was hard and thick and I heard her breath hitch when