Page 47 of Tainted Gifts
I swear that damn dreams is never going to end.
I climb over her, coming to rest behind her to keep my affected area hidden with her body, because he'll wonder why I'm keeping my back to him otherwise.
As soon as I get settled in to face the aisle, Aria's arms wrap around my neck as she turns to face me. Her leg comes back to rest over my hip once more, making me let out a huffed breath of torment.
She's killing me.
Kellan comes into view, which alleviates some of the strain in my pants. Aria's mind isn't letting me lose my throbbing completely though. As the snowy dream gets more in depth, her back arches, pressing her center against my already rock hard desire.
He sits down on the bed where Simone is resting, his eyes falling on my girl as she smiles in her sleep. I almost wish that fucker could read her mind right now. I'd love for him to see who she's dreaming about.
"She seems peaceful," he murmurs, reaching over to stroke her cheek.
It takes all my strength not to flatten his face. I don't have to read his mind to know it's driving him crazy to see her in my arms, her body tangled around mine like a girl in love.
A better man wouldn't be revealing such a smug smirk, but I'm not a better man. I'm a man in love with the girl too stubborn to see I'm the right one, so I'm going to enjoy this win. That bastard lets me see his smug grin every time he touches her.
He sits back, glancing once over his shoulder at the sleeping Simone, and then he turns back to me, studying me as Aria moans lightly. Her dream is getting more savage, and it forces me to groan inwardly as I see the dirty exhibition getting bloody, rough, and carnal... so, so carnal.
Fucking shit.
My head almost explodes - along with other parts of my body - when she lets out a slight gasp to represent the screaming climax going on in her head. Of all the times she could have done that, she had to do it now?
My fucking pants can't get any tighter at this point. This asshole is the only thing souring the moment.
"She seems to be having a good dream. Care if I ask what it's about?" he asks so naively.
Initial response? Tell him everything.
I'd love nothing more than to tell this imperious son of a bitch that the girl lying in my arms is dreaming about me - the twisted, fucking perfect things she wants me to do to her. I want to tell him that it's my name she just called out in a scream when she hit a peak so intense she wanted to cry.
Actual response? "Snow."
The enigmatic smile tugging at my lips is involuntary, but it's at least respectable.
"Snow?" he chuckles, staring at her so endearingly that it makes my teeth hurt when I clench them too tightly. "She must be desperate to get somewhere cooler."
Something about that makes me think. Aria wants to go north - get away. She said her head didn't hurt as bad when she thought about traveling that way. It makes me wonder if there's something else going on, but I don't know what it could be.
"Her temperature has dropped back down to a normal hybrid's temp now. I don't know how long it will sustain once I release her," I murmur, smiling when her lips graze my bare chest.
He notices, but he looks away, not giving me the satisfaction of a grimace. Instead, he continues speaking, acting as though his counter isn't loving the fact she's in my arms instead of his.
"I'm worried. Hybrids don't generally overheat to that extent. She barely slept at all on the day long trip out there, and she soaked the bed with her sweat. I admit it was hot, but it wasn't that bad. I've never seen a hybrid suffer that severely. It's almost too... human."
I've thought the same thing too many times. She was burning up back at the camp when she tricked her way out of a grounding. It wasn't like this though. This is amplified.
She said she's always suffered the temperatures more than other hybrids, but this is too much - too extreme.
"I've got Clay Jude's old notes from when Aria was a child," I say while staring down at the girl still dreaming about being in my arms while actually snuggling in closer.
"I wish I knew what to do. I've never had a problem with temperatures. I'm like Araya though, not Aria. She's so rare. Emergent hybrids rarely survive past-" he pauses, looking to make sure none of the children are listening in, and then he continues when he's satisfied they're asleep "-puberty," he whispers.
I nod, and then he adds, "An emergent who found their counter and produced a child is... unheard of. Of course it's not like they can exactly advertise such either."
True.
"What do you mean about the finding their counters before producing a child? It's not like a hybrid has to be with their counter."
