Page 16 of Dweller of the Mists

Somehow that did not make him feel any better. He would endure every lecture and obvious hint from his mother for the rest of his life if he could just have the one female that he wanted but who could never be his.

Chapter

Twelve

Noelle was completely charmed by Gwum’s family. They were loud and friendly, and brought back memories of the community that she had when she was younger and the home that hadn’t existed for many years now. Jyel was jovial and had a jest for everyone, and the tall male clearly formed the backbone of the family with his big heart. He seemed to be everywhere at once, helping wherever he could while the two younger brothers were continuous sources of merriment and delight with their welcome. There were apparently other brothers as well, but they were all mated and living in their own ponds, some in other clan territories. Even with the smaller number of family members present—and one softspoken and kindly father of a faded plum complexion who greeted her warmly when the others weren’t clustered around her, eager to fill her cup, fetch her food, or fire questions at her—Noelle was exhausted but in high spirits when night finally came and she departed with Gwum back to his home at the other end of the pond.

She hadn’t noticed before, but it was the only other dwelling she saw within the pond.

“Are you the only one who has your own home here?”

He glanced over at her in surprise as he carefully guided her over a particularly knotted root system and nodded.

“This dwelling is traditionally the home for the daughter in residence—the eldest daughter who would dwell within her mother’s pond with her mate and offspring to care for her aging mother and eventually inherit it. My mother did not have any daughters, and since I was not inclined to mate and by Bia laws and traditions incapable of claiming my own pond because I am a male, my mother suggested that I dwell here.”

Noelle nodded. That made sense. It also made sense as to why the elder female had shown so much delight with her presence and all the mate talk that Gwum pointedly ignored. It was none of her business, of course, but it just drove the knife a little deeper into her already bruised heart. She felt bad for his mother too. No doubt he would come up with some kind of lie when he returned, but she had been so happy to have a daughter in her pond that it just made Noelle feel worse.

Gwum suddenly chuckled, startling her as he leaned forward and brushed the claw of his index finger against her cheek. She stared at him in surprise for a long moment, trying to work out what that touch meant when his finger drew away and a nightglow bug drifted up from her cheek. She blinked at it and gave it a wry smile despite the fact that she now wanted to cry. He had touched her just to brush away an insect, that was all.

“It seems that they have followed you after all,” he murmured and gestured to the air above her head.

She looked up and gave a watery laugh at the luminous cloud surrounding her. Despite everything, her spirits lifted a bit at the sight of them.

“They can’t help that they’re all in love with me,” she joked halfheartedly. “I smell good to them, after all.”

Gwum’s expression sobered, and his hand lifted to her cheek to caress it tenderly. “That is not the only thing about you to love.If I were to take a mate, you are everything that I would have ever dreamed of.”

If.A damnable word. She was everything he dreamed of but not enough. She managed a small smile as she leaned her cheek into his hand, savoring the connection. If this were all they had then she would take it and have no regrets. At least the memory of it would be something she could cherish through the months or years Darvel had them stationed there.

His knuckles brushed her jaw as he studied her face, his eyes growing heavy as they glowed with his rising desire and the reflection of the nightglow insects off his irises. His claw brushed her bottom lip thoughtfully and he paused as it very slightly hooked into her mouth. He parted his lips and inhaled deeply as if drawing in her scent. His head lowering fractionally bit by bit as he continued to breathe her in with a soft, rumbling static hum. It was so unlike his usual song that it made the small hairs on her body stand on end. She shivered as hot arousal streaked through her, settling deep within her belly only to blossom and burn wildly at the touch of his lips against hers.

She clung to him as they kissed. Not many species kissed but she was thankful that the Bia did. Their mouths melded together, breath exchanging between them with every kiss. There were no declarations, no promises for tomorrow, just this.

“Noelle,” he rasped regretfully, and she clung to him tighter, not wanting to hear his apologies.

“I know. But we have tonight. Can we have tonight?” she pleaded between their kisses.

Gwum groaned in affirmation, his arms curling around her to lift her off her feet. A hard, inflexible bulge ground against her pubic bone as he held her. It didn’t feel like his cock; it was too rigid—more like a bit of armor than men frequently wore to protect their genitals—but it definitely did something for her as it rubbed with a gentle pressure against her. The sensationseemed to also get him excited too, and he hissed quietly in his eagerness even as her arousal slickened her thighs.

Without a word, he carried her deep into his home and laid her on a thick, luxurious bed. There were strange wooden posts that rose from the corners of the bed and were anchored to the ceiling. They struck her as unusual at first, but she understood their purpose right away when his hands covered hers and he slowly drew them from around his neck as he began to turn her toward the posts. She protested, pulling her hands free from his hold to slide them up over his chest, dragging her nails against his flesh with enough pressure to make his eyes grow heavy with desire. She was determined to keep him exactly where she wanted him.

“No. Just like this,” she whispered, holding his gaze. “This is how I want you.”

He pulled back and gave her a quizzical look. “This is not how Bia…” He shook his head, clearly rethinking his words. “Are you certain this will not harm you?”

That threw her at first, but she enthusiastically nodded and tugged him closer so that he covered her intimately, his large body pressing hers into the bed. “Yes, this is perfect. I want to see you and kiss you while we do this.”

He gave her a contemplative look but nodded, the corner of his mouth hitching indulgently. “It sounds a little obscene to look upon each other while rutting,” he teased.

“Humans are obscene, naughty creatures,” she agreed as she tugged impatiently at his clothes.

Gwum chuckled and gently pulled her hands away so that he could strip off his netted pants from his legs and toss them aside. He made a glorious sight, his violet flesh luminous with orchid pink markings speckling him entirely over his powerfully muscled body on display. Her gaze ran down his length and lingered on a strange bony pouch at the apex of his thighs.

Despite their differences, he was breathtakingly beautiful. He was also quick. It took so little time for him to relieve himself of clothing that it seemed as if she had just taken a breath when his hot hands were on her, stripping away her jumpsuit and TRS with a surprising amount of patience—far more than she possessed. She stretched her arms above her head, drawing her hands out of the way, and she watched him methodically work with a grin. Better just to leave him to it. She probably would have damaged one or both of them in her haste and then complained afterward when she had to wear them again. As it was, she enjoyed each reverent caress as he continued to hum statically, a low song pulsing behind it.

Noelle sighed with pleasure. The way he looked at her with his bright glowing green eyes made her feel craved, as if she were nothing less than the air he needed to breathe. His claws looked so lethal, but they danced over her flesh in teasing patterns, drawing her excitement higher.

“Perfection,” he murmured, and her heart jumped at the note of longing in his voice. It was more than mere desire and it pierced her heart.

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