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He said nothing as he stalked toward her and picked up the pile of wet clothes at her feet. She followed his movement as he retreated into the bedroom once more, then stalked into the kitchen without a word.
The silent game always got on her last nerve.
Narrowing her eyes, she snapped, “If you think holding your silence is conducive to a functional relationship, you’re very, very wrong, Kaien.”
“Why do you care?” He whirled to face her, fury crossing his features. “It’s not like you’ll stay around after this. You may be free to sow your wild oats, but I can never find another mate!”
Blair blinked dumbly. Sothat’swhy he was angry.
She could only gape at him when he gave her his back once more. The Raeth believed her indifferent to him. Apathetic, even.
Nothing could be further from the truth.
Since they’d arrived here, he’d proven his merit by caring for her when all she’d done in return was to ask for more. To say that she didn’t desire him—that she didn’t care for him—was an outright fallacy.
The broad muscles of his back coiled and flexed under his sweater as he prepared whatever food he’d found. Taut silence spanned between them for several long minutes before the tension ebbed from Kaien’s shoulders and a dejected sigh exhaled from his mouth.
“I’d offer you food, but I know you’d prefer it straight from the tap instead,” came the quiet tones of his voice, still not meeting her gaze. “And I’d rather not see the sharp end of your knife.”
A measly bowl of oatmeal in his grasp, Kaien reluctantly reclined on the far end of the couch, his face solemn. Wordlessly, he shoveled a bite into his mouth and barely held back a grimace.
The man was a riddle. One moment, he acted tender with her and the next he was spewing venom. Over the years she’d lived with Nina’s clan, she’d learned that Raeths had only one fated mate—and there were no second chances. If one rejected the bond, neither would receive another. Only a mated pair could produce young, though even that was rare outside of the Heat.
Studying him, she spoke her mind. “We need to find a way out of this, Kaien. I can’t be what you want me to be.”
Kaien stiffened, but he still didn’t look at her as he put aside the steaming oatmeal. Taking a long, deep breath, he breached the silence. “Raeths only mate once, Blair. Regardless of whether or not we finalize the bond between us, I will never find another.”
“But even if we don’t—” she swallowed harshly, her feet unconsciously moving toward him, “—surely you could take another woman?”
As the words passed her lips, the very concept burned in her throat. Jealousy, sharp and dark, swamped her psyche at the thought of Kaien with any woman but her. Shaking off the sensation, she continued her gentle probe.
“Surely you could find someone who returns your feelings?”
The Raeth’s head dropped into his hands, his fingertips running through his blonde mane in agitation. “No, Blair. Male Raeths are monogamous to a fault. Once a bond develops, we simply don’t desire another. It’s not in our nature.”
Blair’s heart dropped. “You’re saying you won’t ever take another? That you’ll never desire anyone but me from this point onward?”
Strained silence was her answer.
She collapsed on the couch beside him, weary under the weight of the admission. Only the sound of their breathing punctuated the silence. Outside, the wind whistled and wolf howls chorused in the distance.
Biting her lip, she fidgeted with her hands. “Kaien, it was never my intention to hurt you.”
“I know.” Kaien glanced at her then, his features softening under the flickering velvet light of the hearth. “And I would never trap you into something you didn’t want. Regardless of my feelings toward you, I know you’d prefer to be detached.”
She startled. “What do you mean your feelings toward me?”
The Raeth shifted uncomfortably on the other end of the couch. For a moment, Blair thought he’d elude the question, but when he spoke, his voice never wavered.
“I’ve always enjoyed your company, Blair.”
With that admission burning against her skin, Kaien retrieved the abandoned oatmeal from the couch’s arm and managed to choke down a few spoonfuls. Clearly, he wouldn’t expand on the insight he’d just afforded her, no matter how much she was dying to hear more.
Heart quickening, Blair crossed her legs, then uncrossed them. She ignored the twinge of the wound on her abdomen and glanced around the space for a suitable diversion. After anxiously shifting on her feet, she peeked out the window at the darkness that lingered beyond. That became old quickly.
So, she paced.
All the while, Kaien’s intelligent eyes followed her, undoubtedly trying to make sense of her sudden stir-crazy behavior.
