Page 32 of Into the Grasslands

“We’ll be fine, Nika. I don’t resent doing this for you. After everything you’ve been through, I feel this is a small thing for me to prove to you that not only am I serious about you as a mate, but that I would never do what Aiden did.”

“Somewhere deep down, I know it. I can taste the truth of your words on the air. Can we sit here awhile?”

“Yes, of course.”

“There is another reason I have been hesitant, and I want you to know what it is, so that you understand. On the other hand, I don’t want you to know because I don’t want it to influence you in a way that…” She groaned a frustrated sound. “Some days I wonder why the gods chose to curse me with the choice of two mates.”

“Curse?”

Nika nodded. “It isn’t like they said: ‘We have two mates for you, enjoy them!’” She offered with a laugh, though I didn’t find that prospect humorous at all. “They told me I had a choice between two mates, and one would be my downfall as a Luna while the other wouldn’t.”

“I think it’s pretty obvious which one would have been your downfall.”

“You would think that an Alpha who chose to have a harem is the likely choice as the one to cause my downfall, but Selene told me something that makes me worry.”

“What did she say?”

“She said neither of you would seem like a great choice in the beginning.”

I was taken aback by that. “Do you feel that way about me?” I asked.

Nika was quick to shake her head, which was reassuring, but then she fidgeted with the grass at her fingertips and sighed. “That’s just it. So far, you seem to be the perfect choice, and I feel as though the other shoe will drop after I make my decision.”

“Ah, I see why you were insistent on the courtship now.”

“I’m being open about this, because you should know that it wasn’t simply a flippant decision, and it is one that I’m struggling with too.” She chuckled softly and I wished again thatI could bottle that sound and keep it to pull out on bad days. “If we’re being honest,” Nika started to say, and I encouraged her with a tilt of my head. “I kind of want to jump your bones. It’s so hard to hold back. When you swiped your finger across my lip earlier…” She shivered at the memory of how that one innocent little touch had turned her on. Now that we weren’t among the rest of the pack and all their scents, I could smell her arousal as well.

“Maybe we shouldn’t be too honest with one another about things of that nature. I slid about a foot further away from Nika. “I don’t mind a little pain, but there’s no way I’d bring electroshock therapy down on you.” It was meant to be lighthearted teasing, but Nika pouted all the same.

“Yeah. I always thought the old courtships were a test of the strength of will for the mates who chose to invoke it.” My mate shook her head and laughed. “Now, I see it was a punishment for not trusting the gods’ judgement in putting them together.”

“It does sort of feel that way. On the bright side, maybe this is the thing that makes me seem like a bad choice? Maybe we end up zapping each other a bit too much and you singe your hair or something?” We both laughed at that.

“Honestly, I hope that’s it.” Nika’s voice was wistful. “So far, I love it here. The Grasslands Pack is beautiful and the way you live makes me proud to be even a small part of it. The pack house where I came from is a mansion that the Alpha lives in. They have so many rooms in it but the only ones who reside within the walls are the family and staff - who are given staff quarters that are less than desirable. There are opulent guest rooms in the mansion for visiting dignitaries, but for the most part, the pack house is a symbol of selfishness and greed.”

“My family would hate it.” It was the truth. Our pack house was meant to be a place where everyone in our pack could feel comfortable congregating. Not only that, but it was a safehaven for those who needed a place to stay. Many of our single members lived within the pack house.

“I hated it. When I first stepped foot into your place, I worried that it would be the same.”

“Did you feel it was?”

“Nope,” She popped the “p” sound a little and turned her head so I could see the beautiful smile on her face. “I was in awe of the place. Such a huge structure and yet, it felt like walking into a cozy home where you might sit by a fire, read a book, and never worry about your security even if you fell asleep while doing so.”

My chest filled with pride at her description. “Thank you. That is probably the best compliment I have ever received about our pack house. Considering you will, hopefully, one day be the Luna of the Grasslands Pack, it pleases me to know you feel comfortable there.”

Chapter 18

Jitters

NIKA

We satin silence on the shores of the pond and soaked in the sun that made its way into the open area. My impulse to reach over and hold Thorin’s hand was only curbed by the zap we got the last time I tried to do just that. It had been a stronger, and slightly more painful, electrical shock as opposed to how the first few touches had just left me feeling curious about the slight zing.

“Where is everyone?” I glanced around and realized that we were completely alone. “You said this was a favorite place for many in your pack.”

“I do believe they are giving us some space, for now. Enjoy the peace while you can.”

We continued to sit in silence for a while, and if there weren’t a thousand worries floating through my head, I probably would have fallen fast asleep there. The sounds of each end of the river lulled me into sheer relaxation.

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