Chapter 19 #4
Just before noon, Tavian shrugged the small field pack from his shoulders and produced a wrapped bundle from inside it. I had my own lunch sitting untouched in my camera bag, but the unmistakable smell of roasted meat and cut fruit made me turn toward him anyway.
“You brought lunch too?” I asked Tavian as he settled beside me on a broad rock near the stream, patting the dry section beside him before opening the bundle across his lap.
“Luca made some of it.” Tavian admitted as he peeled back the wrapping, amusement tugging at his mouth while sliced fruit and roasted meat came into view.
“That explains why it looks edible.” I accepted one of the pieces Tavian offered me and leaned back against the sun-warmed stone, deciding my own lunch could survive untouched for a little longer.
“I hunt.” Tavian pressed one hand dramatically against his chest, looking personally wounded by the insult to his ability to provide food.
“You brought me fruit.” I held up the slice between two fingers, letting the evidence speak for itself.
“I hunted the fruit.” Tavian answered with complete seriousness, reaching for another piece.
“You picked it.” I corrected Tavian, taking a bite while he frowned thoughtfully at the remaining fruit.
“Same basic skill.” Tavian shrugged before eating one himself, and I accepted another slice rather than wasting energy arguing with someone willing to defend fruit picking as a form of hunting.
His scent had been stronger around me all morning, citrus leaves, sun-warmed wood, and spice weaving through the heavier green smell of the forest. I hadn’t thought much about it until Tavian leaned close to reach for something beside my bag and stopped, his nose twitching once before his amber eyes dropped toward the collar of my shirt.
“What?” I asked Tavian when he inhaled again, already suspicious of the smile beginning to form while he remained close enough that I could feel the warmth coming off him.
“Oh.” Tavian’s mouth curved as realization settled in, his attention lingering near my throat with open curiosity rather than annoyance.
“What does oh mean?” I asked Tavian, narrowing my eyes while setting the remaining fruit on the wrapping beside me.
“You still smell like Malek.” Tavian leaned slightly closer but stopped short of touching me, breathing near my shoulder as though confirming what his senses had already told him.
I glanced down at myself despite knowing perfectly well scent wasn’t something I could see.
“I showered.” I looked back at Tavian, watching his mouth twitch while heat crept annoyingly into my face.
“I know.” Tavian answered with exaggerated innocence, making the words sound considerably creepier than they needed to.
“That sounds disturbing when you say it like that.” I pointed out to Tavian, giving him a flat look while he laughed under his breath.
“His scent is still in your hair. A little at your gland too.” Tavian explained, leaning close enough to breathe near my shoulder without touching me while citrus and spice mingled with the faint cedar still clinging to my skin.
Heat touched my face before I could stop it. Tavian noticed, but instead of commenting, his attention drifted toward the camera strap hanging across my body. Before I worked out what he was thinking, he caught the loose end between his fingers and dragged the inside of his wrist over the fabric.
I looked down at the strap and then at him.
“Are you scent-marking my equipment?” I asked Tavian slowly, staring at the fabric still resting between his fingers while disbelief fought with the urge to laugh.
“Yes.” Tavian answered without hesitation, releasing the strap and sitting back on his heels.
“My camera strap.” I repeated, lifting the fabric slightly while waiting for him to hear how ridiculous the situation sounded out loud.
“Yes.” Tavian nodded once, his gaze dropping toward his handiwork with visible satisfaction.
“Why?” I asked Tavian, one hand settling at my hip while the other continued holding the evidence.
“You smell mostly like Malek.” Tavian rubbed his thumb across his wrist before looking back at me. “You should smell like me too.”
“That is not an explanation.” I told Tavian, although I was beginning to understand that, in his mind, it probably was.
“It is exactly an explanation.” Tavian replied, settling back against the rock. I lifted the fabric closer to my face. Citrus, warm wood, and spice clung strongly enough that even I could identify them now, richer than the scent that normally lingered around him in human form.
My body liked that considerably more than I wanted to admit.
“You like it.” Tavian’s teasing softened when he noticed me breathing it in, his attention shifting from the strap to my face.
“I did not say that.” I lowered the strap and let it fall against my chest, wishing the warmth in my cheeks would stop giving him additional evidence.
“You smelled it twice.” Tavian pointed toward the bag, clearly delighted with himself.
“I was assessing what you did.” I told Tavian, smoothing the strap flat where he had rubbed his wrist against it.
“There is nothing wrong with it.” Tavian replied with mild offense on behalf of his scent, his brows pulling together.
“You still should have asked before deciding my camera equipment needed to smell like you.” I let the strap settle back against my chest and held Tavian’s gaze, keeping my voice calm enough that he understood I wasn’t teasing about that part.
The humor in Tavian’s face eased. He glanced at the strap, then back at me.
“Okay.” Tavian nodded once, his voice losing its joking edge as he accepted the correction. “Next time I ask.”
“Good.” I watched Tavian for another second before adding, “And that does not mean you should immediately start asking to scent every object I own.”
“I wasn’t going to.” Tavian replied with a face so innocent it became an admission all by itself, his gaze drifting suspiciously toward the rest of my camera bag.
“You absolutely were.” I told Tavian, unable to stop a laugh when his mouth finally gave him away.
His purr started before he could answer.
I had heard Malek purr plenty of times now, and Luca’s was quieter, almost soothing enough to disappear into the background if I wasn’t paying attention.
Tavian’s was neither. The vibration rolled through his chest with enough force that I could hear it clearly even over the waterfall.
“What?” Tavian asked when he caught me staring, his brows drawing together as the purr continued loudly enough that I could see the fabric over his chest moving slightly with each breath.
“Oh my God.” I pressed one hand over my mouth, already starting to laugh as realization settled in.
“What?” Tavian demanded, looking increasingly concerned while his purr continued to betray him.
“You made fun of Malek.” I pointed toward Tavian’s chest as the vibration somehow became louder. “You are louder than he is.”
“I am not.” Tavian straightened defensively, looking down at himself as though he could personally command the purr to become quieter.
“You absolutely are.” I told Tavian through my laughter, wiping beneath one eye.
“I have a perfectly normal purr.” Tavian insisted, folding his arms while the very thing he was defending rolled steadily beneath them.
“You sound like someone left farm equipment running.” I finally had to set the camera bag down because Tavian’s offended face made it impossible to hold anything expensive safely.
“That is incredibly rude.” Tavian crossed his arms more firmly over his chest, his mouth pulling into an affronted line while the purr continued vibrating through him.
“You deserve it.” I wiped beneath one eye and tried unsuccessfully to bring my laughter under control.
“I have a nice purr.” Tavian insisted, looking personally wounded by my lack of appreciation.
“You have an aggressive purr.” I corrected Tavian, leaning one hand against the rock when another laugh escaped me.
“I’m an enthusiastic person.” Tavian spread his hands as though that settled everything.
“That is the first accurate thing you’ve said all morning.” I backed away when Tavian started toward me, the grin returning to his face telling me I had just become his next source of entertainment.
“You insulted my purr.” Tavian followed when I moved around the edge of the rock, stalking after me with exaggerated menace while his attention stayed fixed on me.
“I described your purr.” I corrected Tavian while backing farther away, keeping one hand near the rock so I didn’t trip over something while watching him instead of the ground.
“You need consequences.” Tavian’s smile widened as he followed, deliberately slowing his steps so I had plenty of time to see him coming.
“That sounds threatening.” I told Tavian, although the laugh beneath my voice destroyed any real alarm.
“It is.” Tavian replied with mock seriousness, keeping his pace slow enough to make it obvious he was drawing the chase out rather than actually trying to catch me.
“You realize I can just leave.” I glanced toward the trail while continuing around the rock, even though we both knew I wasn’t going anywhere.
“You won’t.” Tavian replied confidently, matching every step I took.
“You are way too sure of yourself.” I accused Tavian, pointing at him while continuing to retreat.
“You like me this way.” Tavian answered, ducking easily beneath a fern frond as he circled the rock after me.
“That is an outrageous assumption.” I told Tavian, moving another step backward while the cool spray from the waterfall settled against my arms.
“You’re still here.” Tavian pointed out, looking far too satisfied with his own evidence.
“I am working here.” I reminded Tavian, gesturing broadly toward the waterfall and the camera equipment sitting safely several yards away.
“Still here.” Tavian repeated, laughter beginning to work its way into his voice.