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I’ve never been drawn to anyone before, monster or not. I’ve never felt the lick of flames until now. I know all about our physical needs and have seen and heard about the mating hazes my people go through, but I never understood their lack of control and possessive nature.
Until her.
She makes the madness make sense.
It terrifies me how quickly she is wrapping me around her tiny, little human finger. “Wait here, okay? Feel free to explore or shower. They can’t get through. I will lock the door for your safety. I need to check in with my people and send the message to Akuji.”
She nods, sobering at the reminder, and wraps her arms around herself. I ache to grab her and make it better, to feel her melt against me again. When I woke up with her wrapped around me, I couldn’t breathe or move a muscle. I just lay there for hours, watching her sleep. I adored the way her nose would crinkle, her eyes moving under her closed lids, and the soft breaths that would blow across my skin and leave me hard and wanting by the time she woke up.
Sleep was a necessity for my body. Never before had I actually wanted to crawl back into my nest. I used to hate the weakness of needing to rest, but now I’m counting down the hours until I can sleep with her and hold her tightly. I want to feel her against me, where she fits perfectly and belongs forever.
Turning away before I say something stupid, like begging her to love me, I hurry to the door, but when I look back to shut it, she’s standing in the room looking so alone and lost, it hurts.
“It will be okay, Tally. You’re safe here. I would never let anyone hurt you.” With that, I shut the door before I storm back in there and wipe that worried look away.
Once downstairs with my people, I handle any issues that have arisen, from a fire in a food barn to problems at the perimeter and quarrels within our ranks. It’s a long process that I used to find joy and purpose in, but all I can think about is getting back to Talia. I want to see her smile again, smell her scent, feel her against me, and explore that brilliant mind of hers.
I almost ache with the need to race back to her side.
It’s illogical and I hate it, yet the image of her storming towards me with determination in her eyes as she gave up on her chance to escape is seared into my brain. As is the image of her with her head tilted back and her eyes alight with laughter and joy as I pulled her close, the warm lights of my nest making her glow like an angel.
This human is completely and utterly taking over my every thought. Where before there was logic and reason, now there is only need and possessiveness.
It’s distracting, and more than once, I am having to ask people to repeat their issues. My comek, my second-in-command, watches me worriedly, and hours later, he finally pulls me aside as I scrub at my face.
“Okay, spill. What’s wrong, brother?”
“What? Nothing,” I mutter guiltily.
“Uh-uh, I know you. That’s not yourI’m distracted trying to save our entire raceorcaught in a scientific problemexpression. This is something else, so tell me,” he urges, growling. He wants to protect me, to help. Unlike most of the people here, he isn’t obsessed with knowledge and peace. He is like Akuji and the old me—a warrior. He left with me because he’s my best friend.
We have been together since we were kids, since our parents died in the war. We had many looking after us, but it wasn’t the same, so we stuck together, just two orphaned boys. When I decided to leave the tribe and come here, he followed me without protest, telling me he would follow wherever I wandered. It didn’t matter to him where he settled, as long as it was with me.
His brother.
His family.
Guilt eats at me for lying to him, but I know his thoughts on humans. He hates them with a fierceness that scares me, especially knowing how close Talia is to him. Once, I didn’t care, understanding his anger at them, even as I felt nothing towards them. He let his anger at the loss of his family and friends fuel his hatred, whereas I let it change me. Logically, I thought it through, and I recognised blind hatred wasn’t smart. I was always curious why.
Why they made us.
Why they hate us.
Why they want to kill us.
Not him, he just wanted to kill them all. For a moment, I hesitate. I should tell him. He could help me with this problem, but the idea of him and Talia in a room together makes terror race through me. My brother would kill the human I cannot seem to stop thinking about—the human who restarted my old heart.
I let my shoulders sag and focus on his searching eyes. “It is nothing. I am just tired, I was up all night working on that new formula, and it didn’t work.”
He sighs, accepting my answer. “I’m sorry, brother, but you know you will find the answer. You always do. There is no one smarter than you,” he teases, nudging my shoulder. “How about we go to the aqua?”
I hesitate. Usually, I would take him up on it. The aqua is a place for relaxation, and after being stuck in my lab, I would always drink away the problems plaguing me and listen to the chatter of my people. That familiar atmosphere and the burn of the ale would usually allow my brain to look at the problem with new light, but not tonight. The idea of leaving Talia unprotected and being away from her makes me sick to my stomach.
“Not tonight, brother.” I clap his shoulder. “I need to figure this out before I can relax, but have fun and find yourself a mate for the night.”
“You know I will.” He chuckles. “Are you sure though? You look wound tight. We could spar?”
“Stop babying me.” I snort. “Go find a female to make wild.”
