Page 40 of Romancing Rem'eb

His shoulders slump and he breaks from my gaze to glance down at his chest, which is resonating loudly to mine. “You can untie me,” he says, defeated. “I am not leaving her.”

I’ve thwarted him. I realize now that was part of his plan. He was expecting resonance between us. We’ve both been feeling something this entire time. But Rem’eb hasn’t wanted to leave his people, so that’s why he’s taking me away. He wanted to get rid of me before resonance, before it was too late. I’m sure in his eyes he’s doing the noble thing, but I feel unwanted all over again and it hurts.

Resonance should be the happiest moment of my life, and instead I’m feeling a variety of things—resentment, hurt, bitterness, and vindication.

R’jaal looks over at me, waiting to see my decision.

“Do it. We have to trust him at some point,” I say.

Set’nef looks over at R’jaal, and when he nods and makes a gesture, he unties my new mate. Rem’eb pulls his hands to his front and rubs his wrists, his gaze moving back to me even as he throbs with resonance song. Mine is so loud that it feels like drumming in my ears, and I both want to jump Rem’eb’s bones and slap him across the cheek for hurting my feelings.

I remain crouched by the firepit, strikers still gripped tight, as Rem’eb gets to his feet. He stands, stretches, and then moves to my side, offering me his hand.

There’s no point in being childish and slapping his hand away. I did want this. I did. I still do. I just wanted him to be a little bit happy about it, that’s all. But I need to be an adult. So I nod, hand the strikers to Rosalind, and get to my feet. “We’ll continue our fire lesson after I’ve talked to Rem’eb.” I turn and gracefully put my hand in his. “Shall we go outside?”

He gazes at me and then turns his head. “Noj’me the Attendant, come with us to translate.”

Great. Because that’s what I need in this moment, another person staring at us while I squirm with horny resonance. I keep smiling, though it grows more difficult by the moment.

We head out of the cave, and the cool air hits me in the face, feeling like relief. I notice that both Noj’me and Rem’eb gasp at the cold, flinching as we step out into the snow. Sure enough, they didn’t bring fur wraps with them and the temperature gets colder when the suns go down. Rem’eb’s legs are bare, his kilt and sandals no good for this kind of weather. With a shake of my head, I indicate that they should sit together on a nearby boulder. “Wait here, I’ll get furs.”

I leave before I can hear Noj’me translate, and when I return, both of them are seated, their feet carefully perched on the rock outside of the snows. I’ve brought several blankets with me and I immediately wrap one around Rem’eb’s shoulders and then one on his legs. He seems surprised that I’m tending to him, as if it didn’t occur to him that I’d want to look after him.

I guess I deserve that after clubbing him on the head and all.

After I bundle Noj’me too, I take a step back and make sure they’re sufficiently covered and warm. “You’ll get used to the cold after a while,” I reassure them, and give the two a thumbs up. “It’ll eventually feel pretty nice.”

Well, until the brutal season hits, but we’ll cross that bridge when we get there.

Then I cross my arms and stare at them, trying to think of what to say. Do I apologize for snatching him when I don’t feel sorry? Tell him that I wish we hadn’t resonated? Because that’s not how I feel. I’m glad in this moment. Elated. There’s nothing broken in me. My body was just waiting for the right guy.

And I’m tired of pretending like everything is okay when it’s not. So I keep my arms crossed and lift my chin. “I’m going to be honest, if you’re expecting an apology from me, you’re going to be waiting a while.”

Chapter

Twenty

REM’EB

Tia tucks blankets around myself and Noj’me as we move outside. It is dark and, impossibly, the wind is even colder than before. The above is strange, cold and open and endless, with the air pushing against my face constantly. The cozy warmth from below is gone, and this place is covered with white fluff that melts when it touches my skin.

Ice, Noj’me had told me earlier. Frozen water. I tasted some of it on my tongue and it seems to be so. I knew it was cold above, and that the world was covered with a chilly white substance, but I did not realize it was water. More than that, I do not know how it falls from the sky when there is no cavern ceiling above us.

But none of that matters right now because I am resonating to Tia.

It is the thing I had hoped for most…and feared the most. Now we are united. Now I cannot separate myself from her easily, no matter how much my people need me. Even thinking about parting from her causes me physical pain, as if my khui seizes up at the mere consideration. The moment I was untied, I wanted to leap upon Tia. To rub my face all over her soft skin and push between her thighs, unfurling my frill deep inside her.

I do not, of course. I control myself, even though sweat coats my chilled skin at the strain of not touching her. Her scent was lovely before—it is addictive now. All the while my heart pounds, my khui sings, and my cock surges. My frill threatens to spread and I pant, hard.

I do not know how Tia’s old suitor – the stranger R’jaal can stand it. He hovers over his yellow-maned female, who now has a khui, much to my relief, but they do not seem as frantic as I feel. Are they just better at hiding it? Or does resonance strike them differently? Is it because R'jaal’s female did not have a khui until recently?

Resonance is maddening to me, at least.

And when Tia suggests we move to talk outside, it is a relief.

Yes. Outside. Where we can be alone together. Where I can touch her and cover her, even in the freezing snows. Where I can bear her to the ground and…

…and Noj’me comes with us to interpret.

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