Page 117 of Riv's Sanctuary

But the worst part about everything was that it seemed he had gotten used to her constant singing, humming, and chatting…for when she wasn’t closeby, when he couldn’t hear her voice, the world suddenly became unbearable.

Without her, the silence he’d once cherished so much had become deafening.

Stalking in the opposite direction, he shook his head, trying to get rid of the thoughts there.

She was slowly driving him crazy even from so far away.

* * *

Feeding the last umu some grain, Riv sighed.

The female should be asleep by now.

He’d taken his time feeding the animals just so she would be well in bed before he entered the dwelling.

But as he approached the building, Riv squinted.

Grot was by the wall and the tevsi lifted its head as he came closer.

"You. What are you doing out..." His words trailed off as he saw the human.

For a second, he thought something was wrong with her and his life-organ thumped hard in his chest. But the subtle rise and fall of her tunic told him she was still alive and well.

Just asleep.

She'd fallen asleep sitting on the ground outside.

Moving closer, Riv swallowed hard.

Eyes closed, body relaxed, she looked as delicate as the flowers she smelled like.

A lock of her hair had fallen over her face and his hand reached out to move it away but, just millimeters from her skin, he paused.

What was he doing?

Glancing at Grot, he found the tevsi giving him a critical eye.

"Don’t look at me like that. You should be on my side," he murmured. “Instead you curl beside her every night as if she belongs to you.”

Maybe you’re jealous she doesn’t belong to you.

Well, newsflash to himself, HE DIDN’T WANT HER TO.

Crouching lower, he reached for the human, pausing for just a second before his shoulders stiffened and he completed the action of lifting her from the ground.

For a moment, she groaned and burrowed her face against him, causing every part of his body to freeze except his cock.

That particular body part grew stiff and jerked.

He almost returned her to the ground so he could decide on another way to get her inside.

But she didn't wake.

In the moments it took him to pause and watch her settle back into sleep, he became acutely aware of how she’d settled against him.

When she was unconscious, he wasn’t the monster who was trying to get rid of her. He was just a comfortable male for her to snuggle into.

For just a second, he could pretend this was true. He could pretend reality wasn’t the opposite.

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