Page 62 of Sheltered in the Storm

I’d put a blade all the way through its brain, but the serpent hissed. Both of its long, triple-forked black tongues shot out toward my arm.

In a single fluid movement, Vos yanked me out of the path of those tongues, pulled his broadsword, and sliced through the snake’s thick body and the tree with the sizzling, plasma-edged blade.

As the tree fell, both parts of the snake’s body—the section pinned to the tree stump and the other, much longer part—thrashed wildly until Vos hacked them into small pieces. And even then, they continued to twitch.

“My Calla,” Vos rasped, returning his sword to its scabbard on his back. “You are not bitten?”

I shook my head no.

He pulled my dagger out of the snake’s head, cleaned the blade on the wet grass, and handed it to me. Then he wrapped me in his tentacles and bolted from the scene, up the path toward the ocean. The noise and blood would draw predators and scavengers alike.

So much for a quiet walk to the sea.

Before we reached the shore, Vos startled me by veering offthe path onto a narrow trail that cut through thick marsh grasses.

He slowed to a walk, but didn’t stop until we reached a small, secluded, hook-shaped inlet with a steep, grassy bank out of sight of the open sea. This must be his place to enter the water and slip unnoticed into its depths.

My gaze swept the inlet. This part of the bank was grassy and muddy, while the rest was lined with craggy rocks worn sharp by eons of rising and falling tides. Only the slightest breeze stirred the trees. The only sound was water lapping at the shore. And unlike the swamp we’d crossed, the salty air here smelled fresh and clean.

I looked at Vos and found him staring at me, his eyes glowing softly.

“Vos?” I whispered. “Are you all right?”

“My Calla.” His voice was barely audible. He kissed my temple, then rested his forehead on mine, his eyes closed despite the dangers around us. Given I’d just narrowly avoided getting envenomated by a serpent, I couldn’t quite allow myself to do the same, but I relished the moment anyway.

If he trusted me to keep watch over us both, he trusted me with all his hearts, and that was truly an enormous gift.

Vos opened his eyes and pressed his lips to my ear. “When I climbed this bank with you in my arms that first night, I dreamed of returning here with you as my mate. I knew it was a dream, and as much as I willed it to be, I do not think I trulybelieveduntil this moment. Even now, I fear I am dreaming.”

“It’s not a dream, I promise.” I kissed his jaw. “My legs ache too much for this to be a dream.”

He chuckled softly. “May I ask you a favor, my mate?”

I raised my eyebrows. “Yes?”

“If you are willing…” His voice became rough with emotion. “I would like to carry you naked into my ocean home as my people do with their mates on my homeworld.”

I had never envisioned myself wanting to swim naked in the ocean—not even in the beautiful water on Jakora, where nude swimming was permitted and even encouraged. Even with a dagger on my thigh, I would have felt too vulnerable. But here, with Vos, all I wanted was to swim with him in the way he’d dreamed.

I swallowed hard around the sudden lump in my throat. “Of course you may.”

Vos set me on my feet and kept watch as I stripped off my uniform and boots, stacking them neatly on the grass with my daggers and small pack on top. Then we traded roles and I guarded us as he removed his own clothing and sword.

Gods, he was so gorgeous—even more so here, surrounded by the oranges and reds of the swamp and the lavender water. Suddenly I couldn’t think of anything I wanted more in the world than to see him in the ocean.

When we were both naked, he scooped me up in his tentacles, kissed my forehead once more, and carried me down the steep bank into the water. The ocean was lovely and cool but not cold, lavender, and crystal clear.

When the water reached my chin, Vos paused and adjusted how he carried me so I was wrapped in his human arms. Now freed, his tentacles swirled in the water around us, as if dancing for joy to be in the ocean once more.

“Beautiful,” I murmured. “You’re so beautiful. Maybe thisisa dream.”

“If it is a dream, then let neither of us wake.” He kissed my lips gently, his gaze searching my face. “Swim in the deep with me, my mate?”

“Yes, please.” It was my turn to chuckle. “But don’t get so carried away that you gotoodeep. And don’t forget I need air.”

“I will not forget.” His tentacles danced again, this time in what might have been impatience. “Deep breath, my Calla.”

My heart racing with anticipation, I took several deep breaths to stretch my lungs, and then drew in one big breath and nodded.

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