Chapter 21 #2
This male, this Bloody Shadow of nightmares, then outlined his plan for escaping Rik-Vane. No one escaped Rik-Vane. But he had a whole plan. More than that, he had a crew he was gathering. And the only thing he wanted Kirvan for was his weapons specialty.
That was it. Nothing else.
No one had ever admired Kirvan’s other skills before, much less sought them out. It made it very hard to resist the call.
No, it made it impossible.
***
It was the first time in a long time that Trove woke from a dream of his past without screams ringing in his ears.
Sure, they were there, a constant feature in the back of his head, but that memory of Tanin recruiting him was a pleasant one.
Despite everything, he looked back on that moment fondly, though he had never really dreamed of it before.
Maybe talking with Chee about it had brought those times back to the forefront of his mind. He liked it. He wished all his dreams were this nice.
Though it was still early, he got up and got dressed.
They were going back to see Rinnicks today to give her their answer.
Though they knew what it would be almost immediately afterwards, they’d waited a couple days before making the appointment to give their response.
Partially to let the females enjoy Heava Yu more without the impending thought that they needed to leave on the next part of their job, but also to just keep her waiting.
Coming back too quickly might make her think they weren’t sure of their answer. Or that her offer had scared them off. By taking their time, by stringing her out, they proved that her show of power hadn’t motivated them in either direction.
They moved on their own time, and, for them, letting Chee and the others enjoy the beaches and the restaurants and the dancing had been more important.
Trove just wanted this to be over with now, though. Because these last couple of days with Chee had been incredibly, wonderfully, normal.
There was nothing romantic between them. He didn’t know if he’d call them super friendly. But they had normal conversations. Simple, surface level, but peaceful and without pain. She didn’t walk away from him crying; he wasn’t kept awake from guilt.
There was an obvious weight between them. One that neither of them was addressing. It was like a heavy box that they were hauling around, never talking about but unable to leave behind. A topic, a past, a knowing they weren’t acknowledging.
They would have to, he knew. It wasn’t a box that they were going to have the benefit of ignoring forever. Eventually, unfortunately, this vacation would end, and they would have to unpack everything stowed away inside.
But for these last couple of days, they’d been nice, cordial, kind.
They got along. She made him laugh; he made her snort.
A sound that humans made when laughing very hard or laughing by surprise.
She had turned so red, the other females had stared at the sound, then broke into their own laughter.
It was cause for embarrassment, he understood, but he didn’t know why.
He thought it a victory that he could get her to laugh like that.
He didn’t touch her beyond a casual hand here or there. He didn’t kiss her again, though he did look at her lips and miss her taste.
Friendly, casual, and pleasant.
It was a great couple of days. Wonderful, in fact.
But he wasn’t upset to meet Tanin, Sorbet, and Tebros in the lobby later that morning. He wanted to finish this business with Rinnicks. If nothing else, to just prove to Chee that he really had no interest in her.
When his female emerged, she was once again draped in the clothes that he picked for her.
This one a pale orange dress that made her hair absolutely glow and showcased those beautiful hips of hers.
They rocked with each step, highlighted by the swish in her skirt, and he found himself having the indescribable, powerful urge to bite her.
Right there on the swell of her hips, then maybe down into the roundness of her thighs.
It was such a strong desire, he could feel the ache of it in his fangs. He didn’t want to draw blood. His species were blood drinkers, but you never drank from allies, only enemies. He would never pierce her skin like that; the idea was abhorrent.
He just wanted to bite. To nibble. To gnaw. To feel her soft skin giving way…
There was a heat in his belly that was so unfamiliar, it actually gave him pause.
What was-
“Are we ready to go?” Chee asked, smiling at the four of them.
Trove, happy not to think about it, followed behind her as they made their way out to the hover. It would, hopefully, be a short visit.
Just like last time, they were greeted by a handsome male, a different one this time, at the front who looked and moved a bit slow, like he didn’t actually know his job that well.
Then, when they got up to the waiting room outside of Rinnicks’ office, they were met again by the silver furred male.
He offered them drinks and, again, they declined.
Then, it was just a matter of waiting.
And waiting.
Rinnicks kept them waiting for longer this time. Doing to them exactly what they had done to her, but in a situation that she completely controlled. A show of power.
One that Chee, and Tanin as well, paid absolutely no mind to. They instead occupied their time talking about where they would be going once they had the cup, and she was describing the district that Hyde lived in.