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He pulls me to him, tucking my head in the crook of his neck. I inhale his fragrance, musky and intensely male. His tail winds around my waist possessively. I’m enveloped in his large, powerful body, safe and content. If I’m not careful, I’m going to fall head over heels for this man. A man who is not free to love me, despite all his protestations to the contrary. Just this one night with him, then I’ll keep my distance.
“I can feel your mind awhirl with thoughts, my lovely. Stop thinking; just feel.”
“I was thinking about what you said earlier when you were telling me about your holy trances,” I say, deflecting quickly. “I’m wondering what exactly you saw in us that first day.”
“In Avery, so much envy and resentment for you. In you, I saw a warm aura that called to me in bright shades of yellow and orange, with trickles of pale green sadness and longing for someone—this ex-mate of yours.”
“You could see all that, just from a quick scan?”
“Yes. I could have seen more if I had aspirated the energy into me, but I do not in general suck in anything other than the evil I need to dissipate.”
I hesitate before asking, “And Troy? Anything negative there?”
He eyes me indignantly. “Do you think I would let anyone but a good man be with my son?”
“No, of course not. I was just checking.”
“Rest assured that Troy has not even the slightest atom of evil in him. I have checked him several times, just to be sure. I will not let anyone bad near my son.”
“You know they’re madly in love, don’t you?”
He grunts, “Obviously my family has a proclivity for Humans. I dread to think who next will fall under the spell of your kind.”
“You make it sound like a bad thing.”
“It is a bad thing when the female I love holds another male in her heart.”
He’s already alluded to his feelings, but hearing it out in the open makes me catch my breath. “You love me?” I sound like the type of female I despise, all needy and clingy.
His eyes burn with an emotion that warms me from the inside out. “Yes, Melinda, I love you.” He places a large hand on my cheek. “And you love me. You are just too stubborn to admit it.”
“I thought you said my heart belongs to another.”
“It is possible to love more than one person, you know. But somewhere down the line, you are going to have to make a choice—him or me. I have already told you, I do not share.”
“Neither do I, Kirimor. I won’t make that choice until you are free to be faithful to one person.”
He nods. “Then I shall have to be patient and bide my time.”
“That’s not to say I will necessarily choose to be with you once you are free to mate.”
He looks at me wearily. “Playing games, Melinda? Do not.”
I flush. Being coy, never showing your true hand, keeping the other side guessing—these are all skills I have honed over the course of my career. But he’s right, there is no place for this kind of thing between us. “I’m sorry.”
He stands and pulls me to him, holding me close. “It is late. Let us go to sleep.” He leads me to the bed. “Give me half a beat to ablute in the bathroom. I shall be right back.”
I sit on the bed and pull out my communicator. There’s a message from Troy, checking in on me. I send a quick response, reassuring him that all is well. I smile when I see a second message, this one from Kiristen, also checking in on me but in a much more subtle way.
Kiristen:It was a pleasure to see you again today, Melinda. I hope you are enjoying your evening?
Me:Yes, thank you Kiristen. I am having a lovely evening.
Kiristen:I am glad. My father is a good man.
Me:Yes, I know.
Kiristen:Goodnight, dear Melinda.
