Page 145 of A Soul to Embrace

Avoiding his wounds as much as possible, he rolled to his back slightly when he noticed she wanted more, and she laid her head on his chest. Once she settled into a comfortable spot, she let out an endearing huff of contentment.

“See? Isn’t this nice?” he asked, only to receive an annoyed, although half-hearted, grumble.

All went quiet except for their shallow pants, and his post-nut clarity surfaced through the haze of his thoughts.

Jabez looked up at the ceiling.

We... probably shouldn’t have done this.

As much as he knew they needed to talk, the least he could do was offer to hold her in sleep rather than ruining this for her. He also needed tothink, because he wasn’t sure what he wanted anymore.

Sex hadn’t made his chest feel any lighter. He was thrumming with satisfaction, but the worries that pestered hadn’t faded. Nothing had been resolved.

But he didn’t regret this. Far from it.

Rather... it felt like something had grown to irritate the hole where his heart should be. He kind of liked the feeling, and his flaccid dick pulsed in agreement.

A small smile curled the corners of his lips when she dabbed her tongue against his chest, right as her orbs turned black and she nuzzled it instead. With her lying on his arm, he held her waist and gripped her other thin wrist to stop her from tickling his damn side with her claws.

I can think about it later.

The problems he faced, his goals, what he wanted and didn’t want to do, they could wait. He was tired, he was content, and he had a pampered female in his arms. Whether he deserved a moment of ease or not, he was giving it to himself anyway.

Especially as she didn’t seem to regret it either.

He peeked down at the top of her skull and suddenly disliked how far she was from him.Come here, you,he thought, as he grabbed her arse and drew her even closer until she was almost on top of him. The crown of her head butted against the underside of his jaw while one of her antlers nestled against his neck and behind his ear. Her snout ran over the top of his chest, and he winced when she almost kneed his nuts.

Then he let her warmth, her softness, her scent lull his eyes closed.She feels nice in my arms.He brushed his fingertips up her furry side in appreciation, and allowed his mind, for the first time in a very long time, to shut the hell up.

The last thing he did before he let sleep overcome him was place a protective barrier against the entrance.

As much as Jabez would have liked to continue lying down with his sleeping companion, he eventually abandoned their cuddle. The gashes in his back constantly throbbed, as did his mind. His movements pulled across his taut skin when he quietly slipped on his pants and tied them.

Then, facing Zylah, he rested against the wall with only his horns and upper back keeping him upright.

His mind remained dozy – groggy even. Despite the concerns looming over his head like a cloud of rain, he couldn’t remember the last time he’d slept that well.

Perhaps it had been the nestle of her body up against his own as the satisfaction still simmered beneath the surface of his skin. Maybe it was because it just felt nice to hold someone while he slept, rather than strategically annoying the shit out of his companion, so they didn’t know he was making them leave through manipulation.

Jabez always slept alone for his own peace of mind.

It’s funny how that had stopped being an issue with Zylah quite some time ago.One of the most dangerous creatures in theworld, and I slept like a babe today.

His gaze drifted to the late-morning sun peeking into their cave, and he reached his hand out to touch it. Since he used his magic to cover his skin in a barrier that could handle its intensity, there was no burning sensation like usual.

If only I’d been able to protect myself then.Had that barrier assisted him in his fight against Lindiwe and her three little humans, he wouldn’t have needed saving. He wouldn’t have almost died.

He wouldn’t be here, with Zylah, with conflicting thoughts and feelings. For many reasons, he wished that battle had never happened.

I’d probably be gone by now.He’d already schemed his next plan and had just finished scouting Nyl’theria to come up with the best strategy. He had multiple options – some suicidal, some not.

To rain down terror, or be... political.Political was never his strong suit. He liked things going his way, and he liked things working in his favour. He was argumentative, arrogant, and stubborn – an unbending force. He would rather head-butt the person he was arguing with than listen.

The political option would be slow, which, in his mind, meant pointless. He wanted what he wanted, and he wanted itnow.He’d been saying that for over three hundred years, after all.

Had I left before facing that battle...His gaze slipped to a sleeping Zylah.None of this would have happened.

He would have continued forward, blissfully unaware of her existence. No worrisome thoughts, no concerns about his faltering emotions. He would’ve been empty inside, and part of him preferred that.

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