First Forest - Viola Grace Page 0,14
one side before he pulled his lips from hers, and he pressed his mouth against her neck. She wasn’t quite certain what he was doing until she felt the suction. She squeaked and batted at him. “Don’t. No. That’s just—”
He lifted his head and smiled. “Done.”
She slapped her hand over the spot that was warm and throbbing. “What did you just do?”
Kiloh looked pleased with himself. “I marked you. That one won’t come off.”
She glared at him. “Why did you do that?”
“You want to travel outside the wall, away from the village? That is the price.” He smiled, his eyes warm.
She blinked. “That’s it? That’s all I needed for me to leave the village?”
“Oh, you can leave any time, even without the mark. This is so that no one can question your return. Consider this an open invitation to the village. Of course, you will still have to petition at the temple to leave.”
Abiha jerked up and stared at him. “What?”
He was still close. “You are going to have to come to the temple in public, and you will have to beg.”
There was a lot of sensual menace in his tone, and she swallowed. “Why and when?”
“Your sister is being wed tomorrow afternoon. It will be the day after the wedding that you ask permission to come and go as you please.”
“Just like that?” This seemed far too simple.
He reached out and rubbed the new mark with his thumb. “Just like that.”
The skin under his thumb tingled. She locked gazes with him, and she knew that things had just gotten exponentially more complicated.
They walked to the temple, and she glared at him as she stepped out of her shoes and went inside. She walked to the altar, bowed, and then knelt and bowed again.
“This is a lovely sight, but I prefer your skin sweating and your cries breaking the silence.” He crouched next to her. “I also prefer the sound of our bodies colliding to the coursing of that stream.”
She blushed, and from her deep bow, she reached up and clamped a hand over his mouth.
“Miss Nahe! How dare you accost the forest?” Elder Junat entered the temple.
She sat up and glanced back at the elder. “He started it.”
Kiloh pulled her hand from his lips, pressing a kiss to her palm. “I did goad her, Elder. I find it very amusing to guess what she will do, and it never fails to surprise me.”
He hadn’t released her hand, so she was stuck on her knees while she waited.
“Too bad you didn’t choose her sister. Ledana is much more biddable.”
She sighed. “Yeah, I have been hearing that a lot. Thank you for pointing it out, Elder Junat.”
She turned to Kiloh. “How much longer are you going to keep me on my knees?”
A devilish light came to his eyes, and he smiled. “I like you in that position.”
“I will knock you over.” She narrowed her eyes.
“Miss Nahe! How dare you threaten the sacred Kiloh.”
She looked at the elder. “Fine. You blow him, and then, I can be on my way.”
She winced the moment that the words were out of her mouth.
Elder Junat paused, and he leaned on his cane, chuckling suddenly. “I wasn’t there this morning, so I was not sure that they saw what they said they saw. You are his mate, are you not?”
Kiloh gathered her to him protectively, and he held her close. “Yes, she is. I will not hear a word against her. She has always been my choice.”
The angle he held her at must have shown the new marking on her neck. The elder bowed low. “Pardon, honoured Abiha. I will spread the word.”
“Elder Junat, what is the shape of the marking? I can’t see, and he did my hair, so I wasn’t near a mirror.”
The elder paused and smiled. “It’s a stag.”
Abiha looked up at Kiloh’s horns. “Huh. What are the odds?”
He grinned and kissed her quickly before standing and setting her down on her feet. “Smartass.”
Abiha bowed. “Thank you, Elder Junat.”
He smiled and inclined his head. “You are very welcome, honoured Abiha, chosen of Kiloh.”
She winced, but the honourific was going to stick.
She scooted out of the temple and down to the steps, stepping into her shoes before taking a few steps away and trying to figure out which way she wanted to run. The sun was down, and the lighting was minimal, but she decided that a walk into the woods was what she was up for. She just needed a minute to breathe.
Kiloh