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The creaking goes silent as the watcher stills his movements. Perhaps he thinks I’m talking to the flies buzzing overhead, or the snails lingering at the water's edge.
I tilt my head upward, gazing at the spot where I know he stands behind the thicket of brush. Everything is upside down in this position, so I’m able to see when the individual's foot jerks in surprise. I smile in his direction and lift my arm over my head, pointing directly at him. “Yes, you.”
When the bush shakes, my heart picks up again, whooshing in my ears. Anticipation settles in my stomach, moving upwards as if I’m diving from a great height.
His arm snakes around a small tree, muscular and lined with veins. Next to appear is his leg, covered in onyx colored fabric. The rest of him soon follows, and I wish I wasn’t staring from this angle, because his features cause my mouth to water, nearly choking me as I swallow my reaction.
He’sgorgeous.Other than his dark, crimson eyes and the unnatural paleness of his skin, he looks human. Not like the others, which were ravaged and foaming with insanity. This male looks at me with an intelligent gaze, his stare centering on my face before rising to take in the rest of my body splayed on the rock face.
It hadn’t occurred to me that being nude would create tension upon our greeting. I faintly remember a time where humans began feeling ashamed of their bodies, choosing instead to remain covered at all times. Should I shield myself?
As I think about this, his Adam's apple bobs, but his eyes slowly return to my face. His expression isn’t one of shock or shame, so I decide my appearance must not bother him. He’s from another land, after all.
He lifts his hand up his covered chest, over the long-sleeved black shirt he wears. His hand continues to rise until it reaches a lock of his shoulder-length blonde hair, tucking it behind his ear. He bows slightly at the waist, keeping his gaze locked on mine. “My apologies for interrupting your bath, sweet one.”
I purse my lips. “Sweet?” How veryniceof him to both follow me and judge my character at the same time.
His lip twitches upward. “Perhaps not.”
I watch him for a moment longer, my gaze sweeping over the lines of his smooth jaw. Twin pearly whites peek from below his upper lip, resting atop the fuller bottom. Something about his stare is more intense than I expected, like he’s seeing more of me than he should.
“Why have you been following me?” I ask, head cocked.
He bends at the knees, squatting to be closer to my face. Are greetings usually so intimate?
“My name is Ren. And yours?” he asks, ignoring my question.
“Thea.” I reply simply, gaze narrowing.
He sighs, noticing the obvious unease on my features. “I’ve not met many people like you,” He shrugs nonchalantly. “I’m curious.” His stare lifts, moving over my chest again. “And very intrigued.”
A white lie swirls from his lips through the surrounding air, but most of his statement is authentic. I rise, twisting to face him. He doesn’t shy away from my stare as I lift my chin to gaze at him. From this angle, his face is shadowed, darkened by the light cascading through the trees behind him.
But his eyes are ruby red, shining through the darkness like a beacon of warning. This should frighten me. My mortal body can die, and his hands could crush me should I give him the chance to get close enough.
I search his face, looking for the evil I witnessed in the eyes of the maddened ones.
Instead, I find something soft, like a caress of honey streaming from his red irises into my golden ones.
“And now that you’ve met me?” I rub my hands over my knees, skating my fingers along the goosebumps erupting over my thighs.
His lip twitches again, lifting on one side. “I’m stillveryintrigued by you, my light.”
3
Ren
Sheshouldhavekilledme by now.
It would take seconds for her to immobilize me like she did to the dhampir in the forest, but instead, she undressed, basked in the sun’s warmth, and invited me to her side for polite conversation.
I’m a lucky male, indeed.
Standing in front of her nude form, with her wide hips flattened against the mossy stone and her breasts perked above her sun kissed skin… I am speechless.
And yet my words flow freely. My body knows how to react to my mate while my mind is only beginning to catch up. I try to keep our eyes locked, hoping that by doing so she won’t notice the swollen rod tucked beneath my waistband.
Her lips purse as she silently debates my answer. Looking into her mind has gleaned nothing of her thoughts. Instead of conversation, I find a serenading light show. Images resembling the reflection of light on the ocean's surface flicker behind my eyelids, drowning out everything else like a shield.
