Chapter 33
CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
I am officially mad as hell about how stunning this place is.
I mean, really?!
Is it not bad enough that I’m in this nightmare situation? Does it have to be so beautiful?
Rask’s giant wings flap, floating us to the ground.
I barely notice—my mind reels, trying to process the city we just passed over.
Clear and sparkling. Pastel blue and the prettiest pinks.
Shining structures strung together like a precious pearl necklace, all cradled in the valley below lavender skies.
I don’t get much time to consider it… because Rask’s destination turns out to be even more gorgeous.
It’s an ocean, I think dumbly. As if I haven’t noticed the distant waters winking at me from my bedroom window. I suppose it’s okay to be struck stupid by this particular sight, though. Given it is the coolest thing I have ever seen.
“W-wha—H-how—”
Half-questions stammer out of me as Rask sets my feet safely on the ground.
We’re on a jetty of sorts—rough purple rocks that spear the crystalline waters shifting around it.
If I had the brain space, I might marvel at the way their tides move sideways instead of rolling forward.
I might pause to examine the swirling aqua pools between boulders or the glittery pink sands lining the shore.
I can’t do any of that, though.
Because the water is full of… lightning?
No. Not lightning. Just lights. Soft and glowing, undulating in waves of color. As if someone captured the Aurora Borealis I’ve always longed to see and confined it to the sea.
Iridescent vibrance ripples around the jetty, water frothing and shimmering where it breaks against the rocks. I stagger forward without meaning to, needing to see up close. I only realize I’ve almost fallen in when Rask suddenly hooks his arm around my waist.
His solid, scaled forearm knocks some sense back into me. I startle, blinking to reboot my brain and stepping away from the ocean’s edge.
Light-headed awe filters through me as I turn my head, taking in the endless water, flashing with infinite colors.
“Rask…”
I don’t know why he’s changed his mind about being near me. I also don’t know what to say—or why it feels like he’s given me a priceless gift by bringing me here. Instead of finishing, I tilt my chin up and catch his silver gaze.
The big pink alien seems to read my thoughts. His chest rumbles quietly against my back. “I wanted to apologize for the other day,” he admits. A wince pinches his too-handsome features. “Both other days. All of this, actually. I—”
He sighs in frustration, shaking his head as he glances out at the shifting sea. “I could think of no better way to make amends than bringing you to my favorite place on Khanos.”
I have to hand it to him—this is beyond any form of remorse I’ve ever received.
And what is the guy even sorry for? Coming into my room after I begged him to?
Grinding against me until I came twice because I was practically sobbing for him?
Hauling himself off me instead of taking advantage during my sparring lesson?
Sure, he sort of disappeared on me after that. And, yes, it hurt my feelings way more than it should have…
Earnest regret spins through Rask’s quicksilver irises. “I am sorry, little one. I will try to be stronger—better at resisting your perfume, instead of letting it rule me.”
God. Why does that thought also make me sad?
I’m clearly losing what little is left of my common sense.
Stuffing down my emotions, I step away from him, hoping the distance might clear my head. I have to cast my eyes down to keep from staring at his face. When they land on the glowing waves, their otherworldly beauty hits me all over again.
“Why does this happen?” I ask, fascinated.
Rask rubs at the back of his neck, looking sheepish, before following my gaze to the water. After a long beat, he admits, “I’ve never wanted to know.”
I can’t imagine feeling that way. When I balk, he flashes one of his white-hot grins. “Isn’t it better, sometimes? Not knowing? Letting things be…”
Miraculous.
That’s what this place is.
And as I turn in a slow circle, taking in the alien landscape, I see his point. A lot of this will never make sense.
Maybe that’s okay.
My gaze snags on the shore, the terrain distracting me from my philosophical musings. There are caves there—giant abalone maws that reflect the pink-and-purple horizon. Their walls shimmer; I instantly feel drawn to the iridescent colors.
“What are those?”
Rask turns. His smile dies a swift death as dark pink warms his horns. “They aren’t anything really. Just, uh…” He trips over his words, darting his silver eyes away from the mouth of the largest cave.
I squint at it, noticing there isn’t just light shining on it—but from it. Suspicion sneaks into my chest, and I cock my hip at him. “Rask.”
The pink alien sighs, his enormous shoulders falling forward. A cringe pulls at his handsome face. “That is what I brought you here to see. To help me explain—”
An odd noise cuts him off, echoing from within the one lit cave. It almost sounds like… barking? Not exactly. More of a coughing chortle. Almost like a hyena.
I tense, thinking I’ve misread this whole situation. Maybe this area isn’t embarrassing for Rask—maybe it’s dangerous. Are we about to be attacked by some weird, barking sea creature??
But Rask blows out another resigned sigh, muttering what must be a string of curse words under his breath. He’s still going when a furry, magenta blur darts out of the cave and bounds straight up to him.
Instead of screaming or attacking the creature, Rask merely opens his arms and lets the beast barrel into him. “Yeah, yeah,” he grumbles, but I catch a smirk on his lips. “I was getting around to it, friend.”
My mind whirs, putting the pieces together.
This is some sort of… dog? Not really. He’s HUGE.
Way taller and thicker than a Great Dane, with similar pointed ears and an oddly hooked muzzle covering rows and rows of shark-like black teeth.
Purple-magenta fur ruffles in the sea breeze as he cough-barks, a series of spines rising along his spine.
He’s terrifying.
But he’s also wagging two tails. And licking Rask’s neck with a forked violet tongue.
This is his pet, I realize. Which means I was right—one of those caves does belong to him.
Rask settles his enormous not-dog, using his alpha voice to issue a series of commands. Unconditional adoration fills the beast’s big, dark eyes as he gazes up at his master. Then he drops his backside to the sand, wiggling his butt as both tails continue to wag in opposite directions.
Okay, so he’s kind of cute.
In a killer alien canine sort of way.
The winged male petting him pauses, shooting me a crooked, apologetic-but-not-sorry grin. “So, do you want to see my nest?”