Page 120 of The Hunter

Telok leaned toward Tas. Raising his voice over the thumping music, he said, “I must ask you…”

Tas turned his head toward Telok. Grunting at the disturbance, Virai absently climbed over onto her mother’s shoulder, never once looking away from the dancers.

“You danced like this for Shir?” Telok asked.

With a trill, Tas nodded. “One of my proudest moments. When she joined me, I nearly came undone.”

Ess and Zesh continued dancing toward Ayali, nearly matching each other move for move. The instant they were within reach, each male thrust a hand toward her, exchanging one more glare before looking back at her.

She pushed herself up, and the males tipped their heads back to hold her gaze as she stood. Neither backed away, not even as she loomed over them.

“Let us find some quiet,” Telok said.

Tas touched a foreleg to Telok’s. “Is something amiss?”

Ayali’s shoulders rose with a deep breath. She exhaled and took both males’ hands.

Surprise rippled through the crowd, shifting to cheers as the female thornskull joined Zesh and Ess in their dance.

Smiling, Telok shook his head. “No…but I would ask for your aid all the same.”

CHAPTER 27

Stop being a coward.

I’m not a coward.

Yes, you are. A silly, pathetic, coward.

Lacey pulled a pillow over her head as though it could silence her thoughts. But it barely even quieted the music that had been taunting her for hours, drifting to the den from the center of the village, where everyone was gathered for the evening meal.

Where Telok was now.

She groaned into the bedding, hating that the spiteful voice in her head was right. She was being a coward, hiding in here under the covers, away from curious eyes, away from…Telok.

Telok, who not very long ago had done his best to ignore and avoid her. Who had officially claimed her as his mate today.

What had been so wrong about what they’d shared? They’d had sex. Amazing, mind-numbing, animalistic sex. It was a natural part of life. There was no reason to be ashamed about it.

The concept of modesty was foreign to the vrix. Of course, many vrix enjoyed the privacy of their own dens, but they were wholly unconcerned with nudity. She’d even heard of times when vrix had been stumbled upon while mating out in the open—like Telok and Lacey had—only to continue unbothered. None of them would have freaked out or been embarrassed.

Just as no one likely cared that she’d been knotted on Telok’s cock, bare-ass naked, orgasming repeatedly while he fought a bunch of beasties.

But she cared.

Lacey had despised what her body looked like for so long, and everything had been on display today. She hated how exposed, raw, and vulnerable she’d felt. How scared she’d been. Hated that their beautiful moment together had been interrupted by the kurghests, and that she’d been soaring with bliss…while being terrified of getting clawed and gnawed to death.

I was stuck coming around his dick while our lives were in danger.

She’d already been trembling in the aftermath of their mating, but that whole situation had left her entirely shaken to her core.

Worse…Cole, Sophia, and all the vrix had been there to witness it. They’d stood only a few paces away while Telok had pulled her off him. They’d heard the suction of his knot being dislodged from her pussy, and the gush of fluids hitting the ground.

It had been humiliating.

And instead of being cuddled up in bed with your new mate, you drove him away.

Great thinking, Lacey!