Chapter Ten
Elaina
I had to swallow a groan, because no, I couldn’t. Not right away at least.
The realization that the serum had corrected my vision on top of seeing a new planet and meeting another Human-turned-omega had overloaded what I was able to process, leaving me feeling exhausted and wrung out.
I hadn’t considered the prospect of having to climb the stairs again to reach Drazien’s home, and the thought weighed on me even more as we kept descending.
By the time Drazien led me through a winding tunnel, my legs felt like someone had replaced my muscles with wet sand. Every step required thought, and I was considering telling him I needed a break until the walls beside us opened out into a space I couldn’t sense the ends of.
My gasp jerked Drazien’s gaze to my face, but I barely noticed him staring at me. For a moment I forgot how tired I was, how disturbed I felt over the changes to my body, and even forgot my secret plan to return to Earth.
The River Caverns had sounded like something that would be large, but what I faced was enormous.
The ceiling disappeared into darkness overhead, lost beyond the reach of the glowing flowers and moss growing from the stone.
Water flowed along a river that wound through the cavern floor, little pools dotting it’s banks like puddles left after some massive creature had climbed from the inky depths.
Between the glowing plants and the candles flickering in other spaces, the entire cavern shimmered. Mist moved like living shadows, distorting the view but leaving the sense of vastness, as if someone had hollowed out the heart of a mountain.
“How?”
The question escaped before I could stop it or even figure out what I was asking.
How was this buried beneath the desert I’d seen when I arrived?
How did the city above not come crashing down?
How was this so underrated in the information on Morrakan?
Beside me, Drazien chuckled. The male seemed to enjoy startling emotions out of me I’d rather hide, but there was no hiding my reaction to what I was seeing.
“It's beautiful.”
Drazien was silent for a moment before I saw him nodding from the corner of my eye.
“Korvashan hides many treasures. The River Caverns are why the Morrak remained here instead of spreading across the globe the way Humans did. There are other settlements, but none as large and grand as Korvashan.”
I stepped closer to the edge of the trail overlooking the river. There was a sheer drop, no railing to save the unwary the way there was along the edge of the ravine. The water below reflected the light, creating the illusion of a second glowing cavern beneath the surface.
Nothing had prepared me for the beauty of it. The dim lighting and mist made it feel close and intimate, while the openness and reflections within the water reminded you how small you were.
My plan had been to gather information, learn what I could, then leave before it was too late. Nothing was more important than returning home and regaining my life, and yet, staring at the River Caverns, the idea of leaving it behind and never seeing it again felt like a loss.
It was a dangerous feeling, and I pushed it away, turning to face Drazien instead of the view. He studied me for a moment before descending another series of stone steps toward the river itself.
The crowds I’d imagined were missing, although I spotted several Morraki scattered throughout the space. What looked like family groups as well as individuals and couples, and two groups of warriors.
Drazien led me on, following a path that wove through the pools and around natural outcroppings until we reached a place where only a handful of Morraki remained visible. It was near a lazy bend in the river where the water flowed gently, and smooth stone shelves descended into the shallows.
Steam drifted through the air, but there were no walls or curtains here. I had prepared myself for public bathing, but I had hoped it wouldn’t be as open as it clearly was.
My stomach sank but I pushed down the surge of discomfort. If the other women had been able to get past communal bathing, then I could too. At least the thought that I wasn’t the first Human there was reassuring.
I turned to Drazien, spotting him leaning against one of the massive columns that stretched into the darkness above. There were holes carved in the stone, one holding a lit candle while another held what looked like a stack of folded towels.
“Do I just…”
I trailed off as his canines appeared. I was beginning to hate that grin.
Mostly because it looked too good on him.
“Put your clothes in a cubby. The cleanser is in the basket.”
He nodded his head toward the woven bowl floating a distance from the water’s edge as he crossed his arms over his chest. I could feel the grime built up from days of illness and wanted nothing more than to wash it away, but I didn't particularly want an audience.
Drazien seemed entirely unconcerned by my hesitation, as if he was content to lean there for the rest of the night. Being Morraki, nudity supposedly meant nothing to him, but the look in his eyes seemed like more than nothing.
The problem became considerably worse when I realized Drazien wasn't moving. He remained exactly where he was, arms crossed, grin on his face.
Watching me.
Realization dawned, and my stomach sank lower.
“You're not bathing?”
One dark ridge arched over his eye, lips ticking higher on one side.
“Do I smell?”
I sighed, wishing I could excuse smacking that look off his face, but his grin only widened as he pushed off the column and moved closer. His next question was quieter, but sent a shiver down my spine to pool between my hips.
“Or are you eager to see what belongs to you now?”
Heat flooded my face and bloomed in the pit of my stomach, and I turned my back to him, desperate to hide the reaction.
And the worst part?
A tiny, traitorous portion of my brain loved how he said he belonged to me.
Which was ridiculous.
Unfortunately, my body seemed to have developed opinions the rest of me hadn't approved, because the dampness between my legs couldn’t be blamed on the heat.
“You’ve been hit in the head too many times and its clearly damaged your judgment.”
I made the comeback to the river, unable to deliver it facing him, because I wasn’t sure he wouldn’t see the truth written on my face.
“My judgment is excellent.”
I huffed, shaking my head as I let my fingers creep to the edge of my shirt. One way or another, I had to bathe, but I wasn’t quite stubborn enough to wade in with my clothes on.
“Then why are you making insane assumptions?”
It was his turn to chuckle, the dark sound curling into my ears as if it was a physical thing.
“Because watching you become irritated is entertaining.”
I glared over my shoulder, unable to help myself, only to choke on any chance of responding when I found him nude.
Somehow the darkness of his skin made him stand out more in the dimness than if he’d been paler. The stripe of kethra across his throat that extended down to the top of his pants apparently kept going, the twin tails growing closer together as they followed his Adonis Belt all the way to his shaft.
The markings didn’t stop there, but I jerked my gaze away before I could see the extent of them. Drazien stared back, completely unrepentant and unconcerned over my examination.
Finally, I cleared my throat and faced the river again, but I turned as I heard him pass behind me. I waited for the sound of him entering the water, but when I didn’t hear it after several heartbeats, I decided I couldn’t put it off any longer.
Whipping my shirt over my head, I tossed it towards one of the cubbies, barely making it inside. I took a step closer before tugging off my boots, the thud of them hitting the stone somehow satisfying, even if it wasn’t the face I wished they were slamming against.
It was when I was pushing my pants off that I noticed some of the light sparkling at the edges of my vision wasn’t glowing moss or flowers. It was me.
Tiny silver crescents dotted the outsides of my thighs, and once I spotted them, I realized I had them on the back of my arms as well. There were a few faint ones on the inside of my wrists and across my belly, but their pale color made them less noticeable.
My kethra.
My eyes stung for a moment before I blinked the sensation away. I’d forgotten the markings were another side effect of the injection, and while they might make me as alien as the Morrak to other Humans, I found them cute.
Straightening, I glanced over my shoulder to find Drazien standing hip-deep in the river, staring.
“Turn around.”
Fangs flashed and I knew his answer before it reached me.
“I don’t see a reason to.”
Of course he couldn’t play nice and just do what I asked, but I wasn’t above begging.
“Please?”
His eyes narrowed even though his grin remained.
“You are my omega, rethari. There is nothing to worry about.”
The words landed somewhere uncomfortable. Not because they frightened me, but because part of me liked hearing them.
That was infinitely worse.
“I am still a person.”
His brow arched, head tipping to the side as if I was something curious to study.
“I never suggested otherwise.”
I opened my mouth then closed it. The infuriating part was that he genuinely sounded confused, as if he couldn't understand why I was embarrassed. As if public bathing was so normal he couldn't comprehend my hesitation.
Cultural differences. This was what I was here to learn, and I couldn’t if I refused to participate. I couldn’t let my own prejudices inhibit me.
I reached back and unhooked my bra, letting the straps slide down my arms before I pulled the cups away. Hooking my thumbs over my underwear, I pushed them down far enough to let them fall, then snatched them from the ground to stuff in the cubby with my other things.
The process felt like it took longer than the few seconds it actually did. Each movement was stiff and awkward, and removing the last layers made me more aware of Drazien's presence.
Of his gaze.