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NowI’mthe one who’s speechless, leaving me a little stumped as to what to do next. I hear footsteps behind me, and then Taraven’s hands rest on my hips, his head ducking against my neck to whisper in my ear.
“Or if you’re too tired, you could let me teach,” he drawls.
I lean my head back against Taraven’s shoulder, looking up into his eyes. They spin with rose-gold light, enhanced by the glow of the firefern all around us.
“I don’t think I could miss out on that,” I say. “But…I’m also not going to lie down on this sandy floor.”
Malix blows out a breath and stalks toward the bin with all the bedding in it, yanking out a blanket and tossing it over to us. Taraven catches it with one hand and straightens it out, then lays it flat on the wooden boards beneath us.
“Only the best for myekirah,” he says, his eye dancing with joy.
“What’s anekirah?” Malix asks.
He tosses another blanket to Taraven, who takes it and lays it out. I cross my arms and watch them interact, their rapport so easy that it’s like we’ve all known each other for a lifetime.
It feels like home.
“Anekirahis the Skoropi version of a humansoulmate,” Taraven says. “Our one…or, I suppose in my case, two.” He smirks and looks between us, and Malix matches his expression. Their heated gazes fall to me, making me bite down on my lip for the sake of justfeelingsomething.
“You’re tossing around that word awful casually,” I tell him.
“Like Malix said, we could die any moment,” Taraven says. “And if I’m wrong…then we may as well enjoy each other’s company while we can, right?”
Malix tosses him another blanket, he lays it down. They’ve basically built a makeshift nest at this point, and now Malix is pulling out pillows and passing them to Taraven. The temperature rises, my skin heated and feverish like it always is in their company. I start to feel awkward again, a blush painting my cheeks.
There are no more blankets in the bin, no more pillows.
No more excuses.
If I’m doing this, I’m doing it now.
“Frankie,” Taraven says quietly. “Come here.”
Malix stands behind him, his hands clenched into fists at his sides. I wish I could read their minds—that I could tell if Malix is feeling just as awkward as I am or if he’s ready to go.
But I can’t read their minds, and I’ve asked enough questions. Malix says he’s good to go—Taraven is more than ready. I’m the only holdout.
So I take a deep breath.
I lick my lips.
And I step onto the blankets.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
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TARAVEN
I have never been nervous about intimacy, in all its varied forms. I’ve had numerous partners over the years, making the rounds on Jaya. I’ve had a human female, I’ve even made love to Frankie…
But being with the two of them—bothof myekirah—terrifies me.
The gravity of Frankie’s presence sends a shiver down my spine, making my tail twitch. I look from Frankie to Malix to see what they’ll do, waiting for someone else to make a move.
I can pretend to be experienced and nonchalant—and normally, I would be—but I’m better at taking direction than the lead.
The balance between the three of us is tenuous, taut, running like a current of energy. Malix is the most tense, and I think that means he’ll hold back…but he’s the next one to move.
