Page 14 of The Breeding Cave
“No, I’m not.”
“Mmhmm.”
“What?!” I exclaimed, throwing my hands up and twirling around to face him. “I’m not!”
While a shadow of darkness covered his face like a blanket, I could see the faintest outline of a smirk on his lips. He placed his large hands on my shoulders and turned me back around to continue deeper into the cave, where a shimmer of light glowed against the ground further up.
“She’s mat—married,” he said. “And I have no feelings toward her.”
“You’d better not,” I hissed before I could stop myself.
Where is this coming from?! Why am I so jealous?
He chuckled softly—a first taste at something more vulnerable in the beast.
“How do I know you’re telling the truth?” I asked. “I don’t know anything about you.”
When we made it to the shimmer of light, the tunnel opened up into the prettiest hot spring that I had ever seen. Deposits of marble stone surrounded a crystal-clear body of water. I left the beast at the entrance and walked farther into the room, admiring the moonlight glimmering off the water from an opening above.
To my left, a variety of soaps, shampoos, and lotions sat in clear bottles. Molly must’ve left it, like the beast had said. I picked up a bar of strawberry-scented soap, sat down on a rock, and dipped my feet into the warm water.
After a moment, I slipped into the hot spring and moaned in delight, my muscles relaxing. All the stress from earlier tonight, when the Dragon Clan had paid me a visit, seemed to drift away, and I could finally find some peace.
I closed my eyes and suddenly felt him behind me, sitting on the rock with his legs in the water. He grabbed the bar of soap from my hand and dipped it in the water. While I wanted to turn around, I knew he didn’t want me to, so I moved between his legs to let him wash me.
“What do you want to know?” he asked.
“Hmm?” I asked, relaxing into the hot spring.
“You said you don’t know anything about me, so what do you want to know?”
“Will you really answer my questions?”
“Depends on what it is.”
“What’s your name?”
“Next question.”
“You’re not going to answer anything, are you?” When he didn’t respond, I flared my nostrils and decided to continue in an attempt to try to get something out of this man. “Where do you work?”
“Next question.”
“Come on,” I drew out. “Give me something.”
“Ask me a question that doesn’t reveal my identity.”
“Why can’t I know who you are?”
“I can’t risk anyone finding out about my kind,” he said.
I pressed my lips together. “Why?”
“Because there are packs of wild animals after me, and if you know, then they’ll be after you too.” He scooped up some water in his huge hand and wet my hair. “I don’t want you snooping in my affairs. It’ll only end up putting you in danger.”
“Then why did you involve me at all?” I asked. “Why’d you choose me?”
“Because you have birthing hips and a breeding kink. Perfect to extend my line.”
