AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Laughing, he nods, and with one last look, he hurries away to do just that, and my smile drops. I feel guilty for lying to him. Would he hate her? Wouldn’t he help me if I asked? I frown, truly wondering if his loyalty to me would override his blind hatred, and for once, I don’t know.
I hate that I’m questioning my brother after everything we have been through, but I won’t take it back.
I won’t risk her.
Not even for my family.
After making my final rounds to check on everyone, I finally grab some food and water and head back upstairs after ordering my people not to disturb me. They don’t question it, so used to me locking myself away for days. It usually means I’m close to cracking a problem.
Not this time. This time, I am the problem.
I know my duty, which is either to kill the human or have her sent for questioning. But there has never been a human female over the wall, only soldiers. Surely that changes things? Besides, I couldn’t do that to Talia, not now. Not after she cared for me. I couldn’t betray her that way. Not even for my duty or my people.
I have no idea what I’m going to do about it however, but that’s a problem for a later date.
Excitement and anticipation thrums through me the closer I get to Tally, but when I unlock the door and search for her, my heart melts. Some foreign, warm feeling flows through my body as I watch her. She’s curled in my nest, her hand fisting the fur, and her hair is spread around her. Her plump lips are parted, and her eyes are closed.
She’s beautiful.
Desire courses through me. It’s so strong, something I’ve never felt before her. A human. Maybe something is wrong with me, like my brother thinks, but I can’t seem to care with her in my nest.
I want her, crave her. Why else would I put myself and my people at risk?
But the question is what is she to me? Why do I hurt when I’m away from her? Why does happiness fill me at the sight of her in my space, rested and clean? Why does her scent wrap around me and warm me like nothing else ever has?
I crouch before her, softly moving some hair from her face with a claw and frown at the sharp weapon against her perfect, paper-thin skin. She is so small and fragile compared to me. How could this ever work, and more importantly, why does the thought of her going back to her people cause agony to pierce my chest?
Rubbing at it, I stand, leaving the food and water next to her, and head back to my lab, intent on working. I need to distract myself from the turbulent emotions I don’t know how to contain or understand.
All because of one human.
If only my people knew.
TWELVE
TALIA
I’m warm, warmer than I’ve been in a long time, and content. A feeling of safety wraps around me, pulling me back to sleep, but a noise has me frowning and blinking my eyes open. A yawn splits my lips as I sit up, frowning deeper as I look around. For a moment, I can’t figure out where I am. My apartment doesn’t have fur…
Then it all comes back, and I bolt upright, but I don’t see Cato, only a plate of food and drink next to the bed. Sliding to my feet, I stretch and look around. Did he come back yet? After he left, I had a nice, warm shower. It took three times to clean my body and hair from the last few days, but once I was clean, I felt so much better. My clothes were filthy, however, and I really didn’t want to put them back on, so I washed them and left them to dry, then found an old sheet which I tied into a makeshift night shirt. It hangs from my willowy frame as I look around. I can’t tell if it’s night or day or how long I have been asleep, but my stomach is still full and I feel more rested.
That’s when I hear it again.
Slipping out of the open door, I spy Cato, and my breath shudders in my chest. For a moment, I forgot how imposing my monster is.My?No way, delete that thought. Not mine. Just a monster. But there’s something so achingly beautiful about him as well. Since he’s focused on the samples before him, I allow myself to lean into the door and greedily watch him without concern about earning his anger or worse—his interest.
I recall the feel of those massive hands on my body last night, and I shiver, hating to admit it almost felt…good.
He’s bent over his desk, his massive shoulders rounded, flexing the muscles on his back, and my mouth turns dry. His enormous, muscular arms flex as he moves with slow and purposeful actions. His black horns catch the light as I trace their curled length with my gaze before looking at his face. It’s all square jaw and sharp edges, with a humanlike nose and big, pouty lips, even with the huge fangs hanging over them. His eyes are tilted up and almost lined black, and his tail flicks behind him. When he sits back with a frown, I find my eyes dropping to the wide expanse of his chest.
He’s a scientist, but I’ve never quite seen a scientist like him. He’s built like a wall, all solid muscle and sharp, firm lines of abs and pecs.
If you look past the red skin, flicking tail, and horns, he’s almost human.
My traitorous body gives a pulse, desire coursing through me, but I ignore it, hoping it will go away. Instead, I focus on his deft fingers as he works with quick, sure strokes, his eyes alight with purpose as he studies what is before him.
As I watch him, I realise he carries the same air as me, the same loneliness and determination. My heart aches for a moment, and he must hear me, because his head jerks up, then his black eyes land on me and lock me in place. I lose myself in his gaze, as if he’s stealing my very soul, unable to look away as he watches me right back. Something flashes in those dark depths, something I cannot begin to explain.
When he finally looks away, I sag, released from his gaze and almost panting.
