Total pages in book: 84
Estimated words: 79603 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 398(@200wpm)___ 318(@250wpm)___ 265(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 79603 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 398(@200wpm)___ 318(@250wpm)___ 265(@300wpm)
J’are’s eyes glowed a brighter green and the last vestige of rational thought left him. Lifting his nose to the night sky, he inhaled deeply and smelled her sweet scent. Her—the female—his female. The one he was supposed to bond to him—the one he was supposed to breed.
His k’dra markings glowing under the light of the three converging moons, he set off into the jungle, intent on hunting her down and making her his forever.
Thirty-Five
Imani didn’t know when she’d been this frightened. The breath was sobbing in her throat and she was panting with terror. She thought she must be running in circles because no matter how far she went, she couldn’t find the exit—or even a wall. And the crashing sounds in the underbrush behind her kept getting closer.
At last she gave up on finding the way out. She wasn’t going to be able to escape from the simulated jungle of J’are’s home planet. So the next best thing was to hide.
Panting, she came to a halt in front of a tree that looked like it might be climbable. It had low, sweeping branches that were thick and sturdy enough to support her weight. And best of all, it had lots of leaves—big, broad ones, as large as her head—which would hopefully hide her from sight.
She hadn’t done much tree climbing since she was little and her brother had led her on wild adventures through the woods in the park near their house. But Imani found you didn’t forget the basic skills—find a low branch, grip the rough bark, pull yourself up, find another branch, repeat.
She went up as high as she could, until the ground was far below her, and settled herself on a branch which was sheltered by a large overhanging bunch of the wide, flat leaves. Putting her eye to an opening between the rustling greenery, Imani looked out into the jungle landscape.
At first she didn’t see anything. But then a pair of glowing green eyes appeared down in the darkness below. Those were followed by the pale, silvery markings of J’are’s k’dra. They glowed like pale fire all along his big, muscular body, an unmistakable harbinger or what was to come.
Imani didn’t dare to move—she barely dared to breathe. Holding tightly to the branch she was straddling, she squeezed herself tight, praying that the big Nightwalker would pass her by…would just go away.
And for a moment, it seemed like he would. The pale green eyes turned aside and the silvery k’dra markings melted into the darkness.
Somewhere else, Imani thought, her heart thumping. He’s hunting somewhere else! I’m safe!
But her elation lasted only for a moment. There was a rustle in the leaves behind her and when she turned, the pale green eyes were looking directly into her own.
J’are was right on the branch beside her.
Imani screamed and lost her tenuous grip on the rough bark. With a shriek, she plunged towards the ground in a fall that would certainly have broken several bones—or maybe even her neck.
But before she could land, J’are dove out of the tree and padded neatly to the ground. Holding out his arms, he caught her as easily as though he’d been standing there waiting the entire time.
Imani had never seen anyone move so quickly. She stared at the big Nightwalker in surprise and fear as he cradled her close to his broad, bare chest.
“J’are?” she whispered, her heart pounding in her throat. “J’are, please if you’re in there…if you can hear me, talk to me. Tell me you’re still aware of what’s going on!”
The big Nightwalker opened his mouth and a single word came out. Looking Imani right in her eyes he growled,
“Mine.”
Thirty-Six
“J’are, please—we went over this. You know why I can’t be yours,” Imani begged, knowing it was no good. She could tell from looking into his eyes that the thinking part of him was gone—off on vacation, at least until the lights came back on and the jungle and its three moons disappeared.
Still, she had to try.
“God knows part of me wants you—yearns for you the way you yearn for me,” she started. “But J’are listen, please. We can’t—”
But it was clear the big Nightwalker wasn’t hearing her. Or at least, he wasn’t processing anything she had said.
Carefully, he laid her down on the soft grass under the tree. Imani started to get up, but she found that his long arms were on either side of her head, effectively caging her in. Before she could try again to move, he buried his face in her neck.
Imani’s breath caught in her throat—was he going to bite her now? Going to rip out her throat in some savage display of passion turned lethal?
But no—though she felt his teeth—especially his fangs—along the sensitive flesh of her throat, he didn’t bite or tear. Instead, he lapped her gently, as though he simply wanted to taste her skin.