Page 42 of Camriel
“It’s Cam’s turn,” Zoe said, surprising them all.Even she looked taken aback for a second.Amaros was about to remind her that it was his turn, but she shook her head.From the mischievous look in her eyes, he figured she’d had a vision.
“Aw,” Camriel complained from his bedroom.Sound carried throughout the stone building, thanks to their enhanced hearing.“Are you sure?”he asked as he headed towards them.He’d been checking his room again, repositioning the thick black rug he’d appropriated from town.It had been in the dressing room of one of the boutique clothing stores.Now it belonged to his mate.
“I’m positive,” Zoe said firmly.“The baskets are waiting for you.”
“I could have sworn it’s Amaros’ turn,” the warrior said with a scowl.He didn’t hate washing day, but fair was fair.
“Don’t argue with Zoe about this, Cam,” Grace said sternly, cottoning on to what was happening.“You know she’s never wrong.”The teen slid a look at Zoe to see the psychic give her a slight nod.
Camriel heaved a sigh, then traversed to the south wing back to his bedroom.He might as well wash the outfit he was wearing, too, since he had limited clothing.One of the largest knights, he hadn’t found a lot of stuff to fit him so far.
Grabbing a change of clothes, he took a series of hallways to the back door.Two baskets full of clothing were waiting for him.The females must have gathered them while he and Amaros had been installing closets in the spare bedrooms before breakfast.
He hefted the baskets beneath his arms, then strode through the exit that still didn’t have a door.They were beginning to wear a path from traveling to and from the lake.They had to wash every few days, since it was such an ordeal if they let it go for longer.He’d strung a couple of clotheslines in the trees in a clearing next to the lake.The sun and wind dried their garments quickly enough.
“We’ll have to set something up inside before the snow starts,” he said as he made his way to the water’s edge.Zoe’s idea of using solar power was a good one.He just wished they knew where to get the panels from.Few houses in this area had them.They needed enough panels to power their gigantic base and the knowledge of how to achieve it.
Fish fled when they sensed him coming closer.He’d built a box to contain their detergent and everything else they used to do their washing.Stripping naked, Camriel sucked in a breath when he waded into the lake.This was only his second turn at washing duty, but the water was definitely colder now.The others didn’t get naked when they performed this task.He would just get soaked anyway, so it made sense to take his clothes off first.
Camriel whistled while he washed, then waded to shore to wring the clothes as dry as he could.Piling them into the baskets, he headed for the nearby clearing.It still felt weird to hang up the females’ delicates.None of the knights had ever had to do anything like this before.They’d just made, or stole new clothes when they became too worn or dirty in the past.
He was about to change into the fresh clothes he’d brought with him when he sensed something.His head whipped around until he was facing the far side of the lake.“My cambion,” he breathed, knowing with utter certainty that his mate had found their base.She was just a short distance away, waiting for him.
His feet began to move before his brain could catch up with them.Camriel waded back into the water and began swimming.It would be faster to cut across the lake than to go around.
Reason began to return after he’d crossed the halfway mark.Halting, Cam treaded water as he fought to regain control of his mind.His instincts told him to rush forward and claim his mate.Their previous interaction warned him not to do anything stupid.
“You meanagain,” he muttered.He’d blown their first encounter, at least verbally.This time, he wanted to be suave and sophisticated.He wanted her to see him as more than a one-word fool.“You can do this, Cam,” he whispered, psyching himself up.“Just swim over there, introduce yourself and she’ll fall in love with you.”
He was already gone for her and he didn’t even know her name yet.Confident that the cambion would fall for his charm like the other females he’d bedded in the past, he was determined to remain in control this time.
Boulders blocked his view as he neared the far shore.He slowed down when he heard splashing noises.Treading water again, he listened intently when he heard his mate speaking.
“This is so fudging annoying,” she complained bitterly.“I’m not built for outdoor living.I need a fudging washing machine and a fudging dryer.I don’t even have a fudging clothesline to hang my shizzing clothes on!I’ll have to hang them from the hooks on the walls or something!”
Cam snickered beneath his breath, unsurprised to see she was having the same problems they were.She must have found shelter last night, which he was glad for.The storms seemed to be starting later and later and the hail wasn’t as big now.With luck, they would peter out soon.The rain and hail would be replaced with snow, so it wasn’t going to be much of an improvement.
He focused on the present rather than the future and nerves began fluttering in his belly.His mate was now singing softly and he didn’t want to startle her.Camriel quietly moved closer until he was right next to the boulders.He cautiously peered around them and was instantly captivated.
The cambion had the same idea as him and had stripped off, but only down to her underwear.She was crouched in the water, scrubbing her clothes by hand.As he watched, she stood up and wrung a pair of trousers out.His breath stopped when he got a full view of her body.She.Was.Magnificent.
Tall and bulky, her body was sculpted in muscle.She was like a female version of himself with breasts.Cam had always been attracted to tall women.He’d never met one that looked like a goddess before.He realized his mouth was hanging open and snapped it shut.His body had heated at the sight of her mostly naked and dripping wet body.
Get a hold of yourself,he snarled silently.Your mate won’t respect you if you drool all over her.She hadn’t noticed him yet, so he had time to compose himself.Once he was sure he had full control again, Camriel decided to cool himself down as he approached his mate.Shoving away from the boulders, he submerged himself and swam underwater towards his destiny.
