Total pages in book: 92
Estimated words: 85553 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 428(@200wpm)___ 342(@250wpm)___ 285(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 85553 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 428(@200wpm)___ 342(@250wpm)___ 285(@300wpm)
“Force…resonance?” Thrand—the other a’ani—asks, and then snorts with amusement, elbowing the big splice named Gren. “As my mate would say, yeah right.”
“It happened,” I tell him, standing taller with pride. “I sparred with another and won, and my mate’s khui was so impressed that it immediately resonated to me.”
“Which one is your mate?” Ashtar asks.
I turn and eye the circle of women near the fire, laughing and talking and crying. Then, because I know Vivi, I keep looking. I swing my gaze beyond the fire and find her sitting on a rock at the edges of the group, alone. She has her knees hugged to her chest and her eyes are big as she listens to everyone and watches. More observing, I realize, and my chest swells with pride. She will be full of their secrets. I point at her. “My mate is the beauty right there.”
“She looks like she wants to hide,” Thrand comments.
I scowl at him and then glance at Vivi again. She does seem rather miserable, upon second glance. I remember what she said, about not knowing who she is. About her worries. It hurts me to see her like this, doubting herself and her ferocity. She is by far the most beautiful of females, tall and strong and clever. If only she realized this. I eye the males that live here on the beach. Thrand and Vordis are arguing with Chalath and Valmir about adding an arena to the village, while Kyth and Gren listen in.
Ashtar is looking at my female, though, and I nudge him out of irritation. “Quit staring at her. She is mine.”
“She reminds me of my shy flame and when I first resonated to her,” Ashtar says with a grin. “My Veronica was very meek and mild. It was adorable to see.”
Meek? Mild? My fierce warrior Vivi? Bah. He is clearly wrong. But his mate has accepted him, and mine has not. I consider this and gesture to Ashtar that I would like to speak to him in private. He nods and we walk away from the group, moving towards the roiling, unpleasant-looking mass of water that must be an ocean. I have never seen one before, and I will probably be more interested in it later, but right now my thoughts are of Vivi and resonance.
I rub my thrumming chest. When Ashtar and I are away from the others, I stop and glance back at my mate. “I am troubled and look for advice.”
“Go on.” The drakoni crosses his arms over his chest, his stance easy.
“My mate is strong-willed,” I say. “Even though her khui has decided I am the best one for her, she is not yet decided. I am trying to court her because resonance is not enough to drive her into my arms. She will not yet let me suck upon her ass and it is a very fine ass.” I eye him. “So I look to you for advice. You said your mate was like mine?”
The look he gives me is knowing. “So it was with my Veronica, yes. Resonance flustered her. It was very charming.”
“And she did not fall into your arms right away?”
He purses his lips, considering. “Well, no, she did. But she likes to pretend that she waited to fall in love with me.” His gaze moves over to the fire, to someone standing there, but I cannot tell who. All the human females—with the exception of Vivi—look the same to me. “Veronica was shy at first, but I am quite lovable and so it did not take long.”
I grunt. “My female is a warrior in spirit, even if she looks shy. She pushes me away. I do not know how to impress her if there are no gladiator battles.”
“Try wooing her,” Ashtar says. “Win her favor by showing her you care. Give her something. What do you think she wants?”
Looking over at Vivi, her shoulders are hunched. Someone is talking near her, but she looks uncomfortable and miserable. I remember all the times she clung to the back of the group, wanting no attention. “I think she would like a place to hide, if I am being honest.”
“Aha,” Ashtar says, snapping his fingers. “You could build her a home. Many of the males here built huts for their females. Humans like to have a dwelling to call their own, to have a private place where no one will bother them.”
It is a genius idea. I look around the beach, at the scatter of crude huts with animal hides stretched atop stone walls. Bah, I can easily make something like this. And I know instinctively that Vivi will like it. A private place to call her own where no one can bother her…except me, because I will surely be at her side and in her arms as she shrieks my name. “This is an excellent idea, my brother. I shall start on it now.”