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Goddess, she never thought she’d describe a bak asinnocent.But then again, all of this was mad, wasn’t it?
She’d brought the creature home last night, much to Kai’s behest. But he—they’d discovered he was boy—would’ve died if they’d left him out there alone.
Isla definitely needed to address her bleeding heart, but yesterday was not the day.
“Good morning,” she whispered, noting the wagging of the pup’s stubbed tail.
A glance up beyond Kai’s still-slumbering features revealed the little sleep space she’d crafted him by the glass doors to their veranda. After giving him a bath—which had been surprisingly pleasant—Isla had grabbed every blanket she could find, and from the look of it, the bak had tunneled a hole into them like a den.
He sniffed before padding forward on his notably clawless paws and shoved his head in the confined space beneath the brawny arm that had been looped around Isla’s back. He pushed Kai’s dead arm up until her mate roused just enough for him to get beneath it. As he snuggled in, Kai’s eyes fluttered open. Confusion painted his face, then a mildly concerned smile when he took in Isla’s beaming grin. “Good morning, beautiful.”
The gravelly baritone of his voice in the morning never failed to send a shiver down her spine.
“Morning, handsome,” she cooed too sweetly for him not to frown.
He began to mouthsomething likewhat did you dowhen he finally clocked the leathery hide of something beneath his arm. He lifted it, and the bak yipped in protest. “So, that wasn’t a dream, huh?”
“No,” Isla drawled, running a hand over the bak’s head to get it to settle. He sidled closer to Kai’s side. She laughed, laying her own head back on his chest. “Heiscuddly, isn’t he?” she said to the bak.
“Goddess, this is madness,” Kai murmured, relaxing his head back to stare at the ceiling.
Isla felt his fingers stroke down her naked spine. “Perhaps. He also seems to enjoy your heat. Maybe he can take my place in the bed while I’m gone.”
Kai lifted his head, meeting her eyes, unamused. “Funny. I didn’t need the reminder.”
“I’m leaving in a few hours,” Isla said, and Kai overdramatically shushed her. She chuckled. “You made it twenty-five years without me. You can make it a few days.” She pretended the words didn’t feel like blows to her chest.
“I don’t remember what life was like before you, and I don’t want to.”
“Oh, you can do better than that.”
Kai’s chuckle reverberated through her body, and Isla sucked in a breath when he flipped them over, pressing her back into the floor and settling between her legs. His elbows bracketed either side of her head as he pressed his weight down onto her, her body igniting in response.
This time, the bak didn’t protest; he just stared at them, his head cocked to the side.
“Can you give us a minute?” Kai asked, and somehow understanding, the creature got to its paws and padded back to its burrow. Kai watched him the whole way, bewilderment twisting his features before he hung his head and just…laughed. It was something genuine that warmed her heart. “What the hell, Isla?”
Isla beamed, running her fingers through his curls, pushing them back from his face. “We should name him.”
“This is sounding more and more permanent,” Kai said, trying to sound stern, but those dimples bracketed his smile. Isla brushed her thumbs over them. “You do realize that he’s going to grow into a ferocious monster three times our size. A monster that we’ve killed many of.”
That fact felt like a weight on her chest. “Well, right now, he’s a baby without his mother, and if he didn’t have us, he would die.”
Is that a bad thingmay have flickered in his eyes. “He’s a baby monster.”
“Maybe not.” Isla shrugged as she adjusted beneath him, her skin gliding along his. “Monsters are made.”
That seemed to strike something in Kai. Though still, he argued, “Instinct is instinct. He could hurt someone.” But then his features fell slightly as a wave of thoughts and emotions must’ve went through his head, passing over his face. “We’ll talk about it when you get back.” He kissed her once, chastely on the mouth, and when he pulled back, he said, “You’re ready.” Not a question.
Isla’s stomach clenched. “Verena—not anyone, really—will not have great things to say about Io or my father. I just can’t lose it. I need to detach myself, make them nothing to me.” When they meanteverything. “Do you think she’ll plainly talk to me about the rebels? About what she wants?”
“I hope so. She knows it’s only you and Ameera coming.”
“Should I try to find out what I can anyway?”
“Why are you asking when I know you’re going to no matter what I say?”
Isla shrugged, matching his knowing smirk. “A courtesy.”
