Chapter 5
Chapter Five
ROWAN
“You okay, Z? You’ve got that intense stare going on again. Is there something on my face and you’re too polite to say?” I giggled, swiping at my cheeks.
“No.” Zikkar seemed to shake himself back from wherever his mind had gone, his flashing scales quietening down. “Your face is as perfect as it always is.”
“I…um. Thanks,” I blushed and sputtered my way through his compliment.
I’ve never felt as beautiful as his swirling perusal made me feel.
His sweeping gaze was intense, as if he wanted nothing more than to possess me.
Heat licked at my core, tightening my nipples as an image slammed into my mind of Zikkar’s hard body thrusting between my thighs.
“Over this way might be of interest,” Zikkar said, dragging me from my illicit thoughts.
Zikkar led the way, his tall frame navigating with an effortless grace that belied the strength coiled in his muscular build.
With each step, our footsteps were swallowed by the cobalt carpet of leaves and moss beneath our feet, as we sought out the beginnings of what would become my new garden.
Our guards kept pace with us, their eyes always scanning, their weapons up and at the ready.
The air was thick with moisture, laden with the heady perfume of alien blossoms and the rich, fertile soil.
It was a scent that was becoming familiar, yet it retained the thrill of the unknown, much like the man at my side.
The jungle around us hummed with life, a symphony of distant calls and rustling leaves that spoke of a vibrant and thriving ecosystem.
Thankfully, the dinosaurs the girls had described who lived in the jungle slept during the day, so there wasn’t much chance we would run into any of them. If we did, the warriors looking after us would take care of business.
Zikkar paused now and then to point out a cluster of seeds or a nascent plant he thought I would find interesting.
His silver eyes would catch the light filtering through the canopy, gleaming with a passion for his world that was as captivating as it was infectious.
I found myself drawn to him, not just for the knowledge he possessed but for the quiet intensity that surrounded him.
As we delved deeper into the undergrowth, Zikkar’s natural scent wrapped around me.
Warm and spicy, the undercurrent of something wild continued to amplify, stoking a wicked heat I could no longer ignore.
My senses sharpened, and my heart beat a reckless tempo against my ribcage.
Each inhalation brought more of his essence into my lungs, and I struggled to focus on the task at hand rather than the heat unfurling low in my belly.
I touched a delicate, spiral-shaped bloom growing on a low-hanging branch, its petals smooth and cool against my fingertips. “This one is especially pretty,” I said, my voice barely above a whisper, as though the jungle demanded a certain reverence.
“Indeed,” Zikkar replied, his gaze lingering on mine for a heartbeat longer than necessary before he carefully removed the flower from the branch with the roots intact and placed it with the others inside a bag he carried over his muscular shoulder.
“It’s a vine. Given a trellis to climb, it will thrive in your garden. ”
My pulse quickened, and I turned away, feigning interest in a nearby fern-like plant to hide the flush I knew stained my cheeks.
Desire mingling with anticipation was an intoxicating blend, dizzying in its potency.
Zikkar's proximity was a balm and a torment all at once, a paradox I couldn't unravel.
A cool breeze stole my breath as we brushed past curtains of trailing vines.
I reached out to steady myself against the rough bark of a tree.
Zikkar helped to steady me, and I found myself encircled in strong arms with my palms pressed against the hard planes of his bare chest. His scales were hot and inviting, a stark contrast to the cool air around us.
“Careful,” he murmured, the rumble of his voice tickling my palms.
As I eased away, sparks of electricity crackled between us, sending a jolt of intense energy through my body. A charged connection lingered in the air as I struggled to maintain a semblance of composure. “Thank you,” I managed to say.
We moved on, Zikkar a silent guardian flanking my side, scanning the underbrush for the plants I sought.
Each step I took felt heavy, laden with an unspoken tension.
My skin tingled where his hands had touched me, and I was acutely aware of every movement he made: the shifting of his muscles on his bare chest and arms, the occasional brush of his arm against mine.
For a nerdy tech guy, he moved with a primal grace, radiating raw power and sensuality. My core throbbed with a need that was as foreign as the world around me.
I trailed my fingers over a moss-covered trunk, its surface cool and slightly damp, a stark contrast to the warmth that radiated from Zikkar where he walked beside me.
There was an undeniable beauty in the chaos of intertwined branches and vibrant blooms making up the jungle—a wild tapestry of life untamed.
Yet, no matter how hard I tried to focus on the reason for our excursion, my senses kept straying back to him.
Amid our lush surroundings, my mind waged a silent war.
There was a part of me that wanted to reach out, scratch this itch that was driving me to distraction.
But if I sealed the deal with Zikkar and Gia was right, a matching shawra would form and I would be marked as his.
Becoming Zikkar's spirit mate would mean embracing this world completely and forsaking all I had known, most especially my twin.
I wasn’t sure I was ready to let her go.
If he wasn’t meant to be mine, sex would forever change my friendship with him.
“Will you tell me more about what it means...to be a spirit mate?” I asked, my voice barely audible over the rustling leaves.
“Of course,” he said, pausing to look at me with a gravity that made my heart skip a beat. “It is a bond for life, one that intertwines complementary spirits. It’s not something entered into lightly.”
“Is it love?” The question slipped out before I could catch it.
“It’s more than that,” he said softly. “It is a union deeper than emotion. A sharing of life essence between two kindred spirits.”
I absorbed his words, letting them settle over me as we continued to collect seeds and select plants, filling the bag Zikkar carried. In his words, I heard the promise of something profound, but also the echo of loss, a surrender of what was once familiar.
“Look at this one,” I murmured, digging up a delicate white flowering plant with silver tips.
The sparkling glow it emitted was enchanting, but even as I admired it, the energy coursing between us tugged at my attention like an insistent current.
His presence was a magnetic force, pulling at the very core of me, and I struggled to keep my cool.
My hand brushed against his as I passed the flower, and a spark of electricity shot up my arm.
I swallowed hard, feeling my entire body flush with heat.
“Beautiful,” Zikkar agreed, carefully placing the flower inside the collection bag, though his silver eyes lingered not on the plant but on me. He seemed so attuned to every shift in my mood, every quickened breath. Could he sense the turmoil raging within me?
I glanced around, pretending to survey our surroundings, even as my heart pounded a frantic rhythm.
It was becoming increasingly difficult to keep my mind on the task at hand.
Every scent, every sound in the jungle only served to remind me of Zikkar's nearness—the spicy aroma clinging to his vibrant scales, the gentle timbre of his voice.
It was as if the jungle itself conspired to draw us closer, its lush embrace cocooning us in a world of our own making.
“Rowan?” His voice, laced with concern, pulled me from my thoughts.
“Um…I think we've gathered enough specimens for today,” I said hastily, maybe too quickly. My voice betrayed a tremor, revealing the tumultuous sea of desire I was desperately trying to navigate. “The garden will be brimming with what we’ve collected.” I gestured vaguely to the collection bag which was now bulging.
He nodded, his penetrating gaze drilling into mine as if he could read my thoughts.
“Let's head back,” I suggested, almost stumbling over a vine in my haste.
My pulse raced for reasons beyond the exertion of our trek.
As we made our way out of the jungle's embrace, I could feel the weight of his gaze on me, heavy with things unsaid.
I knew then that the seeds we planted today would grow into something far more tangled and wild than I had anticipated.