Chapter 7
Voss
The first thing I noticed when I woke up was the light. It felt wrong, too bright for it to be my bedroom with the curtains tightly drawn.
Then I noticed the ache. My entire side hurt, pressed flat into a hard, cold surface. And yet a wonderful, deep sense of wellbeing permeated me right to my bones. As if I’d slept so much better than usual.
Something stirred against me, soft hair tickling my nose, and I startled. Peeling my eyes open carefully so the secondary eyelids covered them, I took the first look at my unusual morning.
What I saw made my heart beat with wild, possessive joy. Alina was in my arms, her warm breath fanning over my chest, the top of her head tucked under my chin. She was here, a lovely, warm weight of a woman, and my cocks immediately filled with eager, pounding blood.
And yet, I held them back, forcing the double erection to stay uncomfortably hidden in my cock pocket. Because something wasn’t right. I remembered falling asleep at Alina’s door, where I could catch the soothing whiffs of her scent, but I had no idea how she found her way into my embrace.
Did she have an overnight change of heart? I doubted it. Something bad and painful had happened to her in the past, making her cynical and mistrustful, and I knew it would take more than a nightmare, or whatever happened, to make her fall into my arms.
What, then?
“N-no… No…” Alina murmured suddenly, her head lolling away.
I was startled by the pinched, tense look on her face. She was clearly asleep, her eyes squeezed shut. As I watched, her mouth suddenly opened in distress as if to scream, but only a small, heartbreaking whimper came out.
“No… Noooo…”
I pressed her closer, my heart hammering with the violent need to comfort her. My mate was in pain, and all my instincts sharpened, adrenaline pumping in my veins. I had only one purpose in life now. To keep her safe and happy.
“Shhh, my sweet,” I hissed, my voice falling into the low, soothing cadence of the mating call. “You’re safe. I have you. Everything will be all right. I have you now. I’ll always protect you.”
The words fell out in a rapid current, and I was helpless to stop them. I wanted to say the mating call, a special soothing melody that calmed and eased the natural fighting instincts of a basilisk female, since I was an adolescent. Now, long decades later, I could finally do it.
“You’re safe with me. I am your guardian, sweet thing. I am yours to command. Ssshhh, my dearest. Feel how warm it is. How safe you are in my arms.”
Alina’s pained expression smoothed out, her lips closing with a soft smack. She took a deep breath that expanded her ribs and then stilled, breathing slowly as I held her.
And even though I was ecstatic my mating call chased her nightmares away, I still couldn’t hold back a pang of sadness.
She heard it and reacted, but only through her sleep. Once she woke up, she’d probably scream from fear.
And yet, I couldn’t let her go. As long as she slept, I could pretend my mate wanted me.
I held her precious body, watching dust motes swirling lazily in the beams of light falling in through the dirty window. The angle of the sun changed slowly until finally, Alina stirred with a groan.
She was awake.
“Please, don’t be frightened,” I said quietly, bracing for her scream. I already loosened my hold enough so it was easy for her to move away, which she did.
With barely a gasp, Alina extricated herself from my arms and sat up, looking right into my eyes, her gaze wary and bright, not a trace of sleep left.
I swallowed thickly, the intimacy of eye contact filling my chest with bubbles of joy, before she suddenly jerked her head, breaking the connection.
“You… uh. Why did you sleep on the floor here?” she asked, stroking her collarbone nervously.
“Because the only thing that keeps me from raging like a wild animal is your scent,” I said, deciding to be honest, even though I knew this would only sharpen her distrust.
Alina flinched, her eyes darting to my throat and away. The nervous stroking at the skin over her neckline became scratching. Her lips were pressed together, and she looked miserable and lost.
“How… Why were you with me?” I asked gently, really curious what made her sleep in my arms.
“You caught me,” she said, clenching her fists. The skin over her collarbones was scratched red. “I went to the bathroom, and you were asleep here, and when I came back… You just grabbed me and didn’t let go. You seemed to be asleep.”
She glanced at me again, and I nodded slowly. “I don’t remember it, so I must have done it in my sleep. I apologize. I will be further away from the door next time. So you can pass easily.”
She shot me an alarmed look, our eyes meeting for the briefest moment. “You plan to sleep here? On the floor? Again?”
She was appalled, and I sighed, getting to my feet. “I’m sorry, but I’ll be selfish about this, for your safety, as well.” She got up, too, smoothing her dress down her hips. “I will never ask you to share your room or bed with me. But I do need your scent,” I explained.
“Because you’ll die without it,” she said, her voice flat, like she didn’t believe me.
“Yes,” I confirmed. “You can read about it if you want. There are some books about my species on the shelves in the dining room. They are in the common tongue. That should be helpful for you to understand.”
She shrugged, hugging herself. “Fine. I’ll read the book. Could I ask you a favor, then? You said there was a human village nearby. Can you take me there?”
She didn’t look at me, her hands twisting nervously together. An ache pierced my chest. So nothing changed, even though, for a moment, when she was in my arms and I protected her from nightmares, it seemed like there was hope.
But of course, she still wanted to leave.
I considered what to tell her while she waited, looking at the golden dust motes swirling around where her breath stirred the air. Finally, I settled on an answer that made my insides pulse with despair even as it gave me a sliver of hope.
“I will let you go, then,” I said slowly. She tensed, her cheeks coloring, eyes pinned to the floor. “But not just yet. You are my wife, for better or worse. And I won’t ask for anything but this one favor. I want a chance.”
“A chance?” Her eyes darted to my throat in surprise. “What chance?”
“To gain your trust. I’m asking you to stay for at least two months. Live with me and talk to me. Nothing more. If you still want to leave after that, I’ll lead you to the village. It’s a day’s walk.”
Her hand returned to her neckline, scratching viciously as she thought. It hurt to watch her hurting herself, but I just promised to make no demands save for her staying with me. I couldn’t tell her what to do with her body.
And yet, the sight of the inflamed redness spreading over her skin made me itch with anger. I took a step closer, breathing deeply in. Her scent immediately calmed my fury.
“All right.” Alina stopped scratching and turned to me, her shoulders braced, her face determined. “I’ll need some cleaning supplies, then.”
“I’ll clean everything,” I said instantly, cringing with shame at the state of my home.
She shook her head. “It will give me something to do. Um, I don’t suppose you have some clothes that will fit me? Or, uh, food?”
“Everything should arrive later today,” I explained. “An air shuttle will drop the packages behind the house.”
She nodded, exhaling sharply. “All right. I’ll see around the kitchen, I suppose.”
She set out first, her dress swaying around her legs. Helpless to do anything but follow like a besotted fool, I watched her enticing figure moving in the dusty light of my home.
It was a miserable, addictive state. Being mated, and yet not. Drawn to her scent, her touch, her voice, yet denied with her every look that strayed away from my eyes.
My two cocks pulsed with heavy need, my blood pounded with longing, and underneath my skin, rage lived like a caged animal. It would settle for good once I was mated fully, but for that to happen, I had to come inside her. At least once.
Until then, her nearness was the only thing keeping me sane.
My human bride had no idea how close I was to snapping for good. And yet, I didn’t dare tell her, lest she decide I was trying to manipulate her again.
I stood in the dark corridor outside the kitchen to give her space. Alina opened and closed cupboards, their hinges creaking. Then, for a moment, there was silence.
And then a scream.