Page 35 of Blood of the Fallen
Ila shook her head. “Those two will never grow up.”
Maki gathered several rocks in his hands, stood up, and started skipping them on the surface of the river. Ila watched him with a wistful expression I hadn’t noticed before. It came and went quickly, and I would’ve missed it if I hadn’t been looking in her direction. She busied herself with gathering her satchel, but her secret was out with me.
She liked Maki.
“I never learned how to skip rocks,” I said, picking a few in my hands and handing some over to Ila. “Will you teach me?”
She smiled. “Sure, it’s easy.”
Honestly, I already knew how to do it, but I still paid attention as she explained how to stand, hold the rock, and flicked my wrist. I tried a few times but did badly on purpose.
“Ha! Four skips. That’s all you’ve got?” Maki teased Ila.
Soon, they were engaged in a competition to see who could get the most skips. Surreptitiously, I pulled away from them and started walking back to where we’d been sitting.
I caught Kall’s intense green eyes on me as I approached. There was something hungry about the look that made me want to shy away. I nearly turned around and went back to pretending to suck at skipping rocks, but that new, wilder side of me dug in its heels and pressed forward. As I went, I held his gaze, matching his intensity with my own.
He licked his lips and scanned me from head to toe, looking as if he wanted to devour me. That intensity was almost like a touch, except it was welcome and made a delicious shiver run up my spine. He rose to his feet, lithe and graceful. He was wearing a sleeveless vest with fringe at the hem. It had no buttons or anything to fasten the front, so I could see a thin section of his chest and abdomen, which looked smooth and golden. It surprised me because he was quite hairy, but he had clearly shaved his torso to a smooth sheen. I could also see his tattoos better.
My stomach fluttered with excitement. I had once criticized how hairy he was, so it seemed he’d done this to please me. I bit my lower lip imagining my hand caressing the planes and ridges of his strong chest. The thought surprised me, especially because it didn’t elicit any negative feelings.
I stopped a few paces in front of him. He extended a hand, inviting me to take it. I hesitated for just an instant, then reached out. As our hands touched, nothing but a thrill of excitement ran through my body. Very slowly, giving me the chance to pull away, he interlaced his fingers with mine. The thrill intensified, filling me with sensations I never imagined possible. Every cell of my body became alive. My skin pebbled in response. How could such simple contact make me feel so much? I let out a shuddering breath, feeling ready to burst.
He turned and started walking toward the woods, tugging me along. I went, my steps hesitant. For just an instant, I wondered what Ila and the others would think, but then I decided I didn’t care. As we walked past a line of trees, he stepped next to a thick trunk, effectively hiding us from view. Without letting go of my hand, he turned and faced me.
His piercing gaze fell to our interlaced fingers. “Better?” he asked, the word a quiet rumble in his chest.
I nodded.
“I’m glad.” He took a step closer, the tips of his boots meeting mine.
“Me too.”
He scanned my face as if memorizing each feature. He paid special attention to my lips. “I told the others.”
I frowned. “Told them… what?”
“That you’re mine.”
My mouth opened and closed as I processed my surprise at his gutsy comment. How did he figure? I wasn’t an object someone could own. Clearly, he hadn’t learned from my vow never to be his. Admittedly, I didn’t feel as averse to the attraction, but still.
“That’s why they’ve stepped aside,” he added.
The custom was for the triad’s alpha to pick a mate out of the three. It was done that way to ensure the birth of strong offspring and increase the probability of another triad forming in the pack. In the beginning, all three of them had seemed to fight over me, but that had stopped, and now I knew why. Kall had somehow convinced them that I would pick him. How? Why was he so sure? Maybe hehadheard myI want youthought the other day. Still, that was a far cry from thinking I was his for the taking.
“And…” He lifted a hand and tentatively caressed the side of my face. I sucked in a breath as my insides seemed to ignite, heat rising from my middle to the rest of my body. “And I’m yours.”
My lower lip quivered. I savored his words, surprised by how much they pleased me. He leaned closer, his mouth opening slightly. I had never been kissed, and I had long ago renounced the possibility of any lips ever touching mine. And now…
He led my hand to his waist and placed it in the gap between his vest and the waist of his pants. His skin was deliciously warm. In turn, he placed a hand onmywaist and pulled me closer, until the length of my body was pressed against his, and I felt his solidity mold to me like a puzzle piece finding its home.
Slowly, he leaned forward and pressed his mouth to mine. The first touch was as brief and light as a feather. He paused, our lips barely brushing, his warm breath mingling with mine as he seemed to tremble in my arms as if he couldn’t believe this was actually happening and was afraid to discover it was all a mirage.
Unable to resist the tug any longer, I pushed up and kissed him fully. As if suddenly waking up, Kall responded in earnest. His supple lips moved against mine, nibbling, exploring. I was still trying to wrap my head around the well of sensations our closeness had sparked, when his tongue brushed against the corner of my mouth, then slipped in and tasted me.
The spasm of sensation that jolted deep in my belly and between my legs was so unexpected that I moaned involuntarily. This must’ve seemed like an invitation because, picking me off my feet, he whirled me around and trapped me against the tree, his arms and muscled body a cage I had no intention of escaping.
Hooking a hand under my knee, he stepped between my legs and let his mouth roam down the column of my neck. I threw my head back, biting my lower lip to repress a whimper.
