Page 99 of Sohut's Protection

“Clee-yo,” he said, dipping his forehead to hers.

“Is something wrong? Are you okay?”

Sohut breathed hard before he answered. “Everything is okay.”

She tried to see his eyes to garner what he was thinking but he held her head steady between his hands so she couldn’t move it.

“I’m not joking when I said I missed you, Clee-yo,” he murmured. “I would take you right here, right now, if I didn’t know you were exhausted.”

Part of her wanted to argue with him about that but he was right, she was extremely tired.

“Then why are you leaving?” The whisper came from her lips before she could stop herself.

Sohut groaned and his hands slipped under her dress again. This time, he didn’t pull away.

Instead, he lifted the ragged hem of her clothing and brought the entire thing over her head.

The garment was deposited somewhere on the floor as he took her in.

Even in the warm, dim glow of the firefly-lantern, she could see the obsession in his eyes.

It melted something within her, made her a little anxious…but most of all, there was anticipation.

“You should—” his voice came out much deeper, hoarser than usual, and he cleared his throat “—you should go in the bath before the water gets cold.”

He was right.

Taking a step toward the bath, she asked, “Aren’t you going to join me?”

There was silence and when she glanced back at him, her breath caught in her throat.

His eyes had bled to black, his pupils completely dilated as he watched her.

Swallowing hard, she stepped into the bath as she watched him and he followed her every movement.

“So…are you?”

Sohut blinked. “Am I what?”

“Are you going to join me?”

He blinked again before moving into action.

His clothes came off easily and he followed her, sinking into the pool just as the warm water covered her body to her shoulders.

Cleo watched him, her eyes glued to his.

“You know…your eyes, when they go like that, it’s a bit startling.”

Sohut blinked again. “Go like how?”

“All black.”

Cleo watched his throat move as he studied her, and for the first time, it dawned on her that he was really a hunter.

The way he looked right now, feral and hyperaware…it should scare her, but it didn’t.

“Does it scare you?”

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