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Sulat glanced up from his tablet with gleaming eyes and a wicked smile. She recognized the look and knew exactly what the randy male would suggest as a distraction. “No, Sulat, that wasn’t a request to go back to bed. Or the shower. Or the couch.”
Tariq chuckled. “What about the kitchen table? We’ve only abused that piece of furniture once.”
Tariq’s dessert had been a key element in that bout of love-making, and she blushed at the recollection. “Maybe later.”
Sulat got to his feet. “I’ve got an idea. Be right back.”
She watched him take to the air and fly up to the second floor instead of using the stairs. That would take some getting used to.
“Any idea what he’s up to?” she asked Tariq.
“Yes.”
“Care to elaborate?”
Tariq smiled, his green eyes dancing with mirth. “No. But I’d suggest you stay on your feet while you wait to find out.”
“Does this involve nudity, cookies, or both?” she asked.
“Neither. Unless he’s deviating from the plan.”
That got her attention. “There’s a plan?”
“Mhmm.” Tariq rose, stretched, and sauntered over to where she stood. “We’ve talked a great deal in the last week. About the past, where we are now…” He brushed a kiss to the crown of her head. “And what our future might hold. We talked again last night after you were asleep.”
A buzz of anticipation filled her mind along with a dozen or so questions. Before she had time to ask any of them, Sulat reappeared. He hopped the railing, wings unfurled to slow his fall. The floor shook with the impact of his landing.
“Was that necessary?” Tariq asked.
“No, but it was fun,” Sulat said. He walked into the living area and then dropped to his knees at her feet.
Tariq joined him, leaving her standing in front of two bare-chested males with upturned faces and hopeful smiles.
Uncertain what to do, Jody let the moment play out. After a short pause, Sulat reached down to pull a dagger from his belt. It was smaller than the one she’d seen him with yesterday, and the blade appeared to be inlaid with gold letters she couldn’t read.
Without a word, he held the dagger out hilt first. Tariq set his hand over Sulat’s, making it an offering from them both. It only took a second for her to recognize the gesture and what it meant.
This was a mating ritual. The blade represented a declaration of intent and a promise of their protection.
She reached out and then froze, her hand still outstretched. “I don’t understand. I’m not your mahaya.”
“No, you’re not,” Tariq said, his voice solemn. “You are something else. An unexpected gift.” His eyes met hers. “But I’d be ten kinds of a fool to let you go.”
“Instead of the five or six kinds of fool he was to resist the inevitable as long as he did,” Sulat said. The comment earned him a wing bash from his anrik.
“But this…” she touched the bare blade with care. “I know what it means. Are you sure you want to make that kind of promise?”
Sulat huffed a laugh. “Would we be on our knees if we weren’t certain?”
“I suppose not. But this is all happening rather quickly. Isn’t it?”
“Not for us. I don’t know what this is or how it happened, but what we have between us is… More…” Sulat waved a hand in the air in front of him. “I’m trying to find words the translator will understand. You are a fire in my blood. It’s been that way since our first kiss. I cannot get you out of my mind, Jody. This feels different. Stronger.”
“We’re meant to be together. I feel it in here.” Tariq tapped his chest with his free hand.
So she wasn’t the only one who felt it. The more time she spent with them, the more complete she felt—not only the physical pleasure but a soul-deep connection. She’d thought it was wishful thinking on her part, but it wasn’t.
“I feel that, too,” she admitted. Then she asked, “So, now what?”
