Chapter 23 Nasrin
NASRIN
“You will have to let me know,” Thaleo said with heavy thoughtfulness, as if he considered some very important matter, “if there is a credible resemblance.”
The very important matter he was considering was, in fact, a drawing done by little Wanda.
We were sitting outside with the brolka, enjoying the afternoon sunshine and the quiet lapping of the cold lake.
Salina, Zaria, and her girls were splashing around in the shallows.
Linnet was here too, of course, and she was just as lovably cantankerous as ever.
The drawing in Thaleo’s claws was obviously supposed to be a portrait of him and me. Wanda had run over here and dropped it at our feet before sprinting away, giggling madly.
“Well, I think I look rather good,” I said, observing myself in the image. Though Wanda seemed to have forgotten to give me a torso, she’d made up for it by giving me big, shiny green dots for eyes and a voluminous mane of hair made up of wiggly lines.
Thaleo’s hair she seemed to have struggled with.
A few weeks had passed, and it was growing in now, a short, thick velvety sort of stubble that I couldn’t get enough of rubbing my palms against. And my nipples.
Like me in the picture, Thaleo had also been awarded a few wiggly lines of hair, except his were short and scraggly and standing straight up from his round purple head.
“Of course you look good,” he growled, his sight stars – bright teal in both eyes, now – flying to my face. “Look at the inspiration she took from.”
“Well, I’ll just say that no one would be able to capture your essence reliably,” I said, grinning and patting his chest. “Don’t worry. Your hair will be back to its full glory in no time.”
“I was not worried.”
“Suuuure.” I gave him a swift kiss.
From the water, I heard Vanda say, “Did you give that drawing to the Gahn and the Gahnala?” To which Wanda squealed her confirmation.
Thaleo was still Gahn. For a time, he’d struggled with this. Even though he was able to take me as his official, Vrika-approved mate in the end, the very fact he’d chosen me before his mate vision left him feeling like he still owed his people the chance to choose a new Gahn.
I had to remind him constantly that he’d basically given up his fucking life to defend his people. If the Vrika hadn’t been there with him, he would have died killing the borog. And if there was ever a sign of a worthy Gahn, it was that.
And I knew his people agreed. He’d always been an impressive figure that commanded respect. But now, people looked at him with a sort of hushed awe.
Which was fair. Sometimes, I did too. This beautiful, powerful man who’d died for his people and then dragged himself all the way back.
This man who was with me now. Within kissing distance. Unable to resist, I leaned over and gave him another soft peck. Then, I stood. “I think I’m going to swim,” I said, extending my hand to him. “Want to join me?”
“Yes,” he said at once. He rose and took my hand in his own. “I want to, Nazreen.”
Thank you so much for reading Nasrin and Gahn Thaleo’s story! I’ve been itching to write this book since Gahn Thaleo first laid eyes on Nasrin way back in book 13 of this series, Alien Storm! I hope you enjoyed finally getting to share in their happily ever after. I think they truly deserve it.
This series is not finished, for I have many more Sea Sand (and Bitter Sea, and Deep Sky) stories in me.
I can’t leave Warrek and Oxriel and so many others hanging!