Page 42 of Diamond

As if agreeing with me, Roshan nudges her again and bleats quietly.

She chews on her brown-pink bottom lip, thinking. Watching the movement, I first wonder why she isn't bleeding, then get lost wondering how it would feel if she bit me like that. She can pick where.

"We can try," she says. "But if it looks like it hurts too much, I'm getting off."

I blink for a moment, trying to remember what we were talking about.

That's right.

I make a sound of agreement and help her get on his back, only part of my mind paying enough attention to avoid jostling her painfully. Mostly, I focus on how her waist feels under my hands. Easily two finger-widths of softness before I feel her sharp bones and flexing muscles.

Nothing like the thin skin covering the corded muscle of my body. I hold in a groan as my cock swells again and I imagine how it would feel to hold her against me.

To hold on to her there as I…

It takes a sharp bite to the inside of my mouth and the taste of blood to get myself back under control. She's even younger than Ree and not that long ago I was judging Thivoll for this very thing.

My chest tightens with shame as both hearts thump.

I watch as she puts space between herself and the marking of his injury. I start to feel guilty again about the injury, but I shake it off. The creature does not seem bothered anymore, so why should I?

After steadying her on him, I take hold of the reins and pull him forward slightly.

He lets out a braying sound that I can tell is from pain and I look to Nasrin to see if she has any complaints. She looks down worriedly at the animal and rubs her palm against it but it does not protest so we start moving.

I lead us back in the direction we came from and toward the cave. I don't know how she'll feel about being so close to her former companion's remains, but I'll just have to endure her rage.

22

Rin

Roshan's complete compliance with Kuret's plan to ride him makes me feel worse than I had expected. I direct all of it into annoyance for the tall alien. Why does he have to be right? It's annoying.

I lean forward to place my hand on Roshan's furry head and he crosses both of his eyes so that he can look up at me, and it elicits a giggle. He bleats softly, like that was his initial plan, and his warm yellow eyes focus back on the road.

I can feel Kuret's eyes on me, but I don't acknowledge them. Although, the rest of my body seems to be healing up nicely, my ankle still hurts a lot from that nasty fall over the rocks, and I would only slow us down if I insisted on walking.

So, yes. I know he is right, but it doesn't stop me from being upset with him.

We need to get to shelter fast, not loiter around and possibly come across another group of genali. We wasted enough time arguing already.

I don't realize we are heading back toward the cave Tehlmar spotted until I notice the bright orange embers of the fire we lit in the makeshift hearth.

"Why are we coming back this way?" I ask him as we approach the cave.

I intentionally keep my head down so that I don't make eye contact with any of the pieces of Tehlmar's dead body. As glad as I am about the fact that he is gone, his death was more brutal than anything I have seen before.

"The cart," he points. "It will be useful if we find any other women."

I nod in agreement and try to imagine what the other women might look like. A purple-haired woman, he said.

"Do you have an idea of what these women look like?"

He adjusts his hold on Roshan's reins. "Ree mentioned they all have colorful hair, lovely like yours."

The cave looks far more intimidating than I remember it, and a shudder runs through me. I look away from it and directly at Kuret.

As he says this, his dark skin glows in beautiful patterns around his face and avoids my gaze, looking like he is searching for someimaginary lost item on the floor. There is hesitation in his voice, as if he is expecting me to take offense at his words.

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