Page 31 of Rebirth

I nod. I don’t want to touch it. But the question tumbles from my lips anyway. “Why?”

He’rox pauses slightly, before continuing. The only way I know he heard my question being the slight twitch of his ears.

“Because,” he says, “this place holds the remnants of the last of our power here on this world.”

I swallow hard. Our power? But that’s a good thing, right?

Why does it feel like he’s saying it isn’t a good thing? And if it’s a source of our power, why does this place make my skin crawl so much?

“This place gives the Vullan power?” I ask. He’rox stops moving.

Curiosity—no, a need to know pushes me forward. “You said ‘our power.’ Humans too then?”

He’rox turns to me so slowly that I force myself to remain where I crouch.

“Not the Vullan. Not huu-man,” he says, eyes sliding to me in a way that makes my breath hitch in my throat.

I swallow hard. “Then we who?”

I almost don’t want him to answer because I think I know what he’s going to say and I don’t want to hear it. I don’t want the terror those words will incite. But He’rox’s gaze bores into me as he opens his mouth and says…

“We…the Gryken.”

CHAPTER NINE

HE’ROX

My secret is out.

If this hyu’man is as smart as I perceive her to be, then she will understand the words I have not said.

Fear scents her again, spiking sharp and acrid, and around us, the veins thrum harder.

Her hearing is not as acute as mine, and it seems she does not notice the change. Neither does she sense the network’s yearning for her.

But I sense it. Sensed it even before we entered this chamber. The network’s awareness of our presence. Of hers.

It wants her. Wants to feed on her. Wants me to bring her closer.

A sacrifice.

I stare at her, warring with both sides of myself, yet knowing I could never submit. Will never submit to that side of myself. And not only because it is monstrous, but because this female…is…

I can’t pull my gaze from her, watching how she closes her mouth, eyes leveled with mine though slightly widened as her chest heaves with breaths that take an effort to calm.

Throughout our trek to this place, I kept her at my back, because if she were anywhere else, I would be tempted to gaze upon her. I could scent her all the way…and she smells delicious. When her fear wanes, it’s replaced by another sweet perfume that’s even more intoxicating than her fear. That intoxicating sweet pull that makes me want to run my nose against her skin, ba’clan and ridges over sweet smoothness, as I pull her in.

I remained downwind of her, keeping her at my back, just to soak it in. Pathetic for a male of my station. But I cannot deny that her sweet scent left me wanting.

Wanting something a Vullan like me will never have, because my bloodline must die.

I have cursed it.

Soh’fee stares at me in a heavy silence that weighs between us.

My secret is one I have carried for so long. Just the potential of revealing it to this small creature before me is having a surprising effect. That weight that has settled on my shoulders, the one I chose to bear…feels lighter.

This little female…

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