Chapter 21
Countless things vied for Telok’s attention, tangling into webs that threatened to ensnare his senses—the drone of boisterous conversations backed by joyful music; the scents of the gathered vrix, mixing with those of the many foods laid out and the sweet, subtle smoke from burning sap; the flickering orange flames and the long, restless shadows they cast; the array of color created by the thornskulls and winddancers lounging and dancing all around.
With each passing moment, the small, quiet den Telok had claimed with Lacey grew more appealing, beckoning him to abandon this gathering. He’d been fighting the temptation to return there since this meal began.
But none of his companions were keeping watch, none were alert. He could not leave them unguarded.
Unguarded? The winddancers have several watchers posted throughout Tovuunshai. Vigilance is not the reason you linger, Telok.
His gaze returned to Lacey. Her smile was wide, her eyes bright, and he felt every thread’s width of distance between them in that moment.
I could just take her with me.
I could just…take her.
He firmly drew in his mandibles and claspers as the roar of instinct rattled his body and soul. His fingers curled, digging his claws into his hide, and he clenched his jaw tight enough to make his fangs ache.
Though his legs demanded he stride to her, he held them in place, even when they began to itch with prickling heat.
Lacey was enjoying herself here, amongst friends old and new. Telok would not cut that short at the whim of a desire he could not fulfill. Yet while she was here, he could not allow himself to leave. There would be no escaping this battle with himself.
Telok forced his gaze away from Lacey, shifting it to Cole, who sat with Sophia on hands and knees before him, their faces a breath apart.
Sophia lifted a hand and caressed Cole’s flushed cheek before easing back to retake her seat. Without breaking eye contact with him, she plucked up a slice of fruit and slowly slipped it into her mouth. Cole’s lips parted, his attention fixated on the female’s fingers and mouth.
Telok hadn’t heard anything they’d said, but Sophia’s interest in Cole was obvious without any words. It seemed so fast, so simple, so decisive. So easy.
Yet nothing between Telok and Lacey had been simple or easy.
Laughing, Lacey turned her face toward Telok, meeting his gaze like she had many times during the gathering.
But this time, her smile softened, and the light in her eyes seemed warmer, fuller.
Looking away, she gathered something on a leaf, which she folded before patting Cole’s shoulder and standing up. She walked straight for Telok.
His hearts thudded, spreading heat through his body, and his chest felt tight and fluttery.
She’d changed into a dress Sophia had given her.
It was soft blue silk, with straps that tied around her neck and a hem that fell to just above her knees.
Her long red hair hung loose around her bare shoulders and back in gentle waves, lifting in the breeze, and Telok wanted nothing more than to bury his fingers in it and drag her close until her mouth was pressed to his.
He craved the feel of those yielding lips against his hide again.
Craved to learn what she’d meant to do with her tongue…
“You don’t have to stand here alone,” she said as she came to stop in front of him.
“I am not alone.” Movements stiffer than he intended, Telok gestured to the crowd with his upper right hand.
She poked his chest with a smirk. “Don’t be a smartass. You know exactly what I mean.”
That simple, fleeting touch sent a pulse of desire straight to his slit. He cinched his claspers over it even more securely. “You needed time. Human time. I would not know many of your words, so I keep watch.”
“Liar. You know plenty of human words, and you’ve been learning more.” She arched a brow. “Are you back to trying to avoid me?”
That question coiled around his hearts and drew taut. “No. Never again.”
“Then why didn’t you sit next to me?” Lacey stepped closer and leaned toward him, narrowing her eyes in suspicion. “Do I smell?”
Without meaning to, he drew in a deep breath, nearly shuddering as her sweet fragrance filled his lungs. “Everything smells.”
She scrunched her nose and pressed her lips together before laughing. “Jerk.” Taking a step back, Lacey brought her hand up and held it out to him. The leaf resting on her palm unfurled to reveal several chunks of meat atop it. “Here. Eat.”
Telok stared at her offering. He’d often given her food and water during their journey, knowing she wasn’t always eating and drinking enough on her own…and now she was doing the same for him. Some of his tension eased as the scorching heat in his chest abated to a tender warmth.
He took the leaf from her, his hide tingling when it brushed the skin of her hand. “Thank you, vi’jatai.”
She smiled at him. They stood there, staring at each other, for several heartbeats before she touched the back of his hand and guided it up. “I’m not going to be satisfied until you actually eat it, Telok.”
Chittering, he raised the leaf, tipped his head back, and opened his mouth, dumping the meat inside. As he chewed, he held up the now empty leaf for her inspection.
Lacey laughed. “If you’re that hungry, I can grab some more.”
She turned to go, but Telok caught her wrist, halting her. When she looked at him, he shook his head.
“No, you don’t want more food?” she asked.
He tugged her closer, until her body pressed against his and her palms rested on his chest. Banding an arm around her waist, he lowered his head and hooked a finger under her chin, tipping her face toward his. “Stay.”
Eyes widening, she sucked in a soft breath through parted lips. His gaze dipped to that mouth. Gently, he stroked his thumb along her bottom lip, relishing its softness and give.
“Telok…” Lacey whispered. Her fingers curled, and her blunt nails scratched his hide, sending a thrill through him that made his cock pulse. Warmth radiated from her, weaving with his to become something larger and stronger, something consuming, something—
A nearby fire flared with a whoosh. Telok turned his back toward it reflexively, shielding Lacey with his body and cradling the back of her head as he held her close. She gasped again, nails digging a little deeper.
Another fire flared, then another, and another, as winddancers poured what must’ve been spinewood sap into the fire bowls. The orange light that had bathed the gathering became a familiar blue-green, the same glow prevalent in Takarahl’s tunnels.
He released a heavy breath and stood straight, easing his grip as he looked down at Lacey. She pressed her lips together as though to hide a smile, but she couldn’t hide the dark blush that had blossomed on her cheeks.
Lacey patted his chest with a soft chuckle. “False alarm, huh?”
Eager whispers rippled amongst the winddancers.
Only then did Telok realize that both the music and the conversation had fallen quiet while he’d held Lacey.
He pried his gaze away from her to see the winddancers clearing a wide space at the center of the platform, the patterns on the males’ fur glowing in the new light as they led their thornskull guests aside.
The crowd reseated themselves in a broad ring.
“What’s going on?” Lacey asked.
“I do not know,” Telok replied. Confusion slowed his racing hearts and dulled their thunderous beats, but their echoes throbbed throughout his body.
A drum began playing, and the onlookers hushed. It was a slow, steady, simple rhythm, not unlike the heartbeat of a vrix at rest. Anticipation built in the silence between those thumps. The crowd turned their attention skyward.
Telok and Lacey looked up. A lone figure hovered above the platform, visible only by the slight glow of his red and gold markings—a male winddancer hanging upside down.
Slowly, the male descended, his form growing more distinct as he neared the firelight. The merest shimmers above him betrayed the pair of silk strands connecting him to the branches shrouded in darkness overhead.
With three quick, heavy beats, the drum stopped.
So too did the male, dangling at least ten segments over the platform.
That anticipation crackled in the air, reaching a new peak.
The male’s arms were tucked over his chest, and all six legs were bent as though hooked onto the main strand suspending him.
Lacey pulled away from Telok. He wanted nothing more than to drag her back, carry her off to somewhere secluded, and seize both this moment and his mate while everyone else was distracted.
Instead, he followed her over to the others and positioned himself beside her as she stopped to watch the display over the heads of the seated winddancers.
Overhead, the hanging male held his body utterly still while he slowly spread four of his legs. His forelegs pointed down, and his middle legs stretched straight out to the sides.
His rear legs shifted, slicing one of the ropes.
Several drums burst into a pounding, lively beat as the male swung over the crowd.
His arms and legs moved, altering his path and making him rotate on the end of the strand even as it swung him in a wide circle.
His patterns flashed with dizzying speed, and his limbs sketched ghostly patterns, looking impossibly more numerous due to the speed of his motions.
“Wow,” Lacey breathed.
Though the male’s spinning kept its speed, the swinging circle shrank as his descent resumed.
When he was only a couple segments over the platform, he bent his torso to grasp the strand in his upper hands, curled his legs inward, and spun in place, faster and faster until his body was nothing more than a blur of scintillating color.
As the male’s momentum faded, he flipped himself, twisting in the air to land gracefully on his legs with the rope already cut away. His head snapped toward a female sitting nearby who stared at him with wide, gleaming orange eyes.