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A month from now, maybe less. Not much time, all things considered. The ticking clock simultaneously reassured and distressed him. She'd leave, and he wouldn't have to endure this unbearable attraction any longer. It's what he'd wanted when he asked Hunter for a break, after all; when Zorah left, he'd have one less thing making him miserable in the village. On the other hand, she'd be gone, and the thought of that gouged a pit of emptiness right through his core.
Jake stared over her shoulder and considered. Could he do it? Could he break his promise to Hunter and spend time with her? Could he teach her to swim and hold himself in check when every second in her presence made his skin vibrate? A few weeks only. Could he hang on for a few weeks and teach her something in the process?
A month was enough time to teach her some beginner strokes, some basic water safety, maybe CPR while they were at it. She might not be as fearless in the water as she imagined, but if she worked hard, she could be proficient, which would be a vast improvement. Her altruistic arguments about teaching others carried weight, they did, but he'd be lying to himself if he said that convinced him. Truth was, Jake neededZorahto be safe. She'd return home to live by a river, and he'd sleep a lot easier at night knowing she had one less weak spot in her existence.
She was young, but she wasn't stupid. He'd asked what she needed, and swimming had been her answer. Why would he doubt her in that? This was protection. This was safety. A skill she could take with her and carry through her entire life, a life he would never be a part of. This was what she needed, and he could give it to her.
He'd focus on the lessons and ignore the rest of it. For a few weeks, he'd turn his back on the thrum in his blood that whispered her name. He'd teach her this and then send her on her way. One more good deed to throw on the pile, a self-appointed Sisyphean task to outweigh all the bad.
Hands on his hips, Jake shifted his gaze to her wide, trusting eyes. "That's not much time." Lightness radiated from Zorah's face, and he held up a finger to stopper her forthcoming exuberance. "No one can know. It has to be a secret." He cut off her automatic nodding with a slash of his hand. "I'm deadly serious. You can't whisper to your friends. If anyone finds out, if there's even a hint of suspicion..."
Her chin firmed in solemnity. "I can keep my mouth shut."
"Okay." He gusted out a breath. "Then there's the matter of when."
"It'll have to be night," she said. Jake grunted a disbelieving noise, and she gave him an admonishing look. "We can barely keep it a secret right out in the daylight. Besides, I'm busy with the kids during the day, and you're doing —" She gestured vaguely in the direction of the watchtower. "After the kids are asleep, I can slip away and meet you here."
"How?" He folded his arms over his chest, not believing this complication was as simple as she made it out to be. "You'll have to avoid the patrol, which won't be easy. Someone will see you."
Her plump lips twitched into a smirk. "Believe it or not, I have practice sneaking around. You be here, I'll take care of the rest." She lifted her eyebrows in a hesitant question. "So... you'll be here?"
"Yeah." He sighed, resigning himself to his doom. "I'll be here."
Zorah beamed. "Good. Tonight then."
Jake blinked twice in surprise, thinking maybe he ought to stop being startled by every single word that passed her lips. "Tonight?"
Zorah cocked a playful hip. "I'm leaving in a few weeks, remember?"
He scraped his palm along his bristled jawline. Couldn't he take a few nights to prepare himself, at least? Apparently not. "Right."
She grinned. "There's no time to lose."
No time to lose. No, maybe not time, but a heck of a lot else.
He was so fucked.
CHAPTER 8
Zorah
"Where did they find that canoe?" Matteo asked.
Across the dinner table, he and Heck hunched forward, their gazes intent on her face.
Zorah swallowed a small bite of buttered bread. "I don't know. They dragged it to the beach. It was all rusted out, and I told them not to put it in the water, but they didn't listen."
Riddick, sitting to her right, leaned in closer. His face looked shiny today, like he'd scrubbed it especially hard before dinner, complimented by his luxurious pile of dark brown curls gathered in a jaunty, but freshly assembled, man-bun. He'd clearly gone to some effort to look presentable tonight. Oh god, was he going to insist on spending time with her after supper? No way would her nerves handle that tonight.
"I think they're both plenty sorry." His gold tooth winked as he spoke. "I know Ty got his ass whooped by Xavi."
"He did?" Zorah's voice rose in surprise and then disappointment. She'd hoped the boys' parents wouldn't be overly hard on them. They were growing Alphas, after all. Didn't that make them prone to some youthful stupidity? "It was a stupid mistake; they didn't know what would happen."
Riddick lifted his cup to his lips and gave her a knowing look over the rim as if to say he agreed with Xavi's parental justice. Zorah's spirits sunk lower. She was so tired of talking about the lake incident, and for whatever reason, as angry as she'd been at Ty and Nico when they ignored her, she felt oddly protective of them, too.
"They should've listened to you." Matteo pointed at her with a forkful of meat and gravy. "The whole thing could've been avoided. It's a good thing you were there, Zorah."
He shoveled the food in his mouth, and Zorah racked her brain for something —anything— she could change the subject to.
