Total pages in book: 82
Estimated words: 77764 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 389(@200wpm)___ 311(@250wpm)___ 259(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 77764 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 389(@200wpm)___ 311(@250wpm)___ 259(@300wpm)
“Why?” I’rec’s tone is full of irritation.
“You are both clearly still caught in resonance.” Vaza chuckles. “You will not want to talk to anyone until it is done, I imagine. And when I resonated, it took three days before my mate’s chest stopped singing her mating song. During that time, I wanted to tear apart any male that looked in her direction. Some males get possessive when they resonate. Are you handling it well or shall I help out?”
I’rec is silent. I glance up at him, and he automatically puts a hand back as if shepherding me behind him once more. Yeah, I’d say he’s getting possessive. “It might be a good idea,” I call out over his back. “Just in case.”
Vaza chuckles again. “Ah, I remember my resonance. What a good time that was.”
I’rec shifts his feet impatiently. “Let us hear the story some other time, my friend.”
“Yes, yes, of course,” Vaza replies. “I will head back ahead of you and clear the way. Shail will fix you something to eat so you do not have to emerge from your hut until you are finished.” He gives a breezy sigh. “Ah, resonance. It always has such odd timing. There will be nothing for turns of the seasons, and then a flurry of new matings. First S’bren and Puh-nee again, and then Day-see and O’jek. Now you both.”
I nearly fall over, panic hitting me hard. Stepping out from behind I’rec, I stare at Vaza. “Wait, what do you mean, Daisy and O’jek? They resonated? Just now?”
“Yesterday,” Vaza says, his voice as proud as if it was his own resonance. “Ash-tar went looking for them and discovered them in a cave down the shore. They will not be back for at least another day, I do not think.”
I let out a moan of horror. “Oh god. This is bad. This is so bad.”
I’rec gives me an odd look. “Why is this bad? You are not happy for them?”
I smack his arm. “Are you serious? Siblings cannot marry in the same year! That’s bad luck!”
He blinks at me. Once. Twice. Tilts his head. “I am not O’jek’s sibling.”
“You’re his clan brother. It’s the same thing!” I press a hand to my forehead, moaning. “We’re cursed. It’s sukob. Any good luck we would have had is now going to be split with them.”
“Bah. I do not believe in curses,” I’rec says, and puts a hand on my shoulders, tugging me close. He settles me under his arm, offering me the comfort of his body, and even though my khui jump-starts and wants nothing more than for me to stick my hand down his pants and jerk him off, I’m comforted by his solid presence. “You said A’tar found them? Where is he?”
“Ash-tar? Or O’jek? Your Shadow Cat brother is busy with Day-see,” Vaza says, grinning slyly. “And Ash-tar left camp this morning to go and retrieve Tia from Croatoan.”
I’rec stiffens.
“You see?” I cry. “We’re fucking cursed. Bad luck all around.”
Chapter
Six
I’REC
F’lor looks at me with despair, her fists pressed to her face.
She is upset.
Of course she is upset. She resonated to me instead of R’jaal. We yet resonate. And now we must return to the beach, smelling of sex and singing with resonance, and A’tar has left to retrieve the female I have dreamed of for three full turns of the seasons.
It is a disaster.
I do not like F’lor’s worry, though. We will handle things, one problem at a time. I move closer to her and put a hand on her shoulder, rubbing awkwardly. “V’za will go back to camp and ensure we are not disturbed,” I soothe. “And we will figure out the rest later.”
“No,” she says, straightening her shoulders. She takes a deep breath and then puts her hands on her hips, her expression resigned. “R’jaal is at camp and he deserves to hear from me what happened.” She turns to V’za. “I appreciate the offer but we need to handle this like adults.”
V’za raises his hands in the air. “If you like. I will rejoin T’chai, then, if you do not need me.”
“We’re good.” She grabs my hand and hauls me forward, marching toward the distant camp.
I slow my steps deliberately, tugging on her hand. “This is a bad idea. He is not going to want to see me with you, F’lor.” R’jaal is not as quick to anger as I am, but even I would not prod him on this. It seems cruel. “Leave it be for tonight.”
She turns and gives me a strange look. “You’re not going with me. You’re going to go do something else, and I’m going to talk to him and let him down easy.”
The small hairs on the back of my neck stand up and my tail lashes behind me. Leave her alone? With R’jaal? With her body singing of resonance to me? With her cunt drenched with my seed and still begging to be filled again? “Why would I do that?”