Page 74 of A Soul to Guide

There were truths she was hiding, things she knew that he wouldn’t.

After laying her dress out near the fire, Raewyn sat on the ground, trying to ignore the wind cutting against her bare flesh while she thought.

I’ve never denied my own desires for another before, though.She was carefree in this regard.

She was by no means easy or not selective. Actually, she was insanely picky, which made her desire towards Merikh a bit of a head scratcher, but that was why she’d never not pursued her attraction to someone.

He’s a monster, Raewyn,she tried to tell herself. Eh, not that big of a deal, truthfully.A big monster who said he had a cock.

What did it look like? What did it feel like? Her saliva thickened when she thought it might be big like he was.

Stop it!At this rate, she’d start turning herself on, and she justknewthe big guy would sense it and pick on her about it. At least, she hoped he would pick on her about it, just so she could purr at him until he caved.

That’s it!

“I’m going back to sleep,” she mumbled. Her tiredness was allowing perverted thoughts.

“Do whatever you want,” he bit, obviously cranky about being stuck here.

It was funny, though, and she couldn’t put her finger on why, but she knew where he was even before he’d spoken. Usually, she struggled to sense him when he was far from her.

Giving him her back as she curled into her body, she gave herself a quiet mantra.Feel the cold.That should kill the confusing wet heat between her thighs.

She focused on the cold air brushing over her, and a wild shiver had her whimpering.No! Don’t feel the cold. Think warm thoughts.Her realm’s heat, the sun burning her skin, Merikh’s warm hand wrapping around her side.

Welp. That wasn’t helping.

Just as she was beginning to calm from her strange, desirous thoughts, although not enough to go to sleep, Merikh let out an annoyed sigh.

“Come here,” he demanded.

“P-pardon?” she whispered with chattering teeth, twisting so her face was in his direction.

“You won’t sleep like that.”

She shook her head. “N-no, I’m fine like this.”

Her heart nearly stuttered in her chest.Did he really offer for me to come lie down with him?With how warped her thoughts had been, she didn’t know if she could handle that right now.

She was calm now; she’d gotten over it. It was okay if she liked his thick, dense exterior, his voice and scent. It was okay if she felt desire towards these qualities, but she didn’t want to act on them.

At least, she didn’t think so.

Merikh was a Duskwalker, and she was an Elf. They came from two different worlds, and their hearts would never align. She didn’t know if she wanted to touch someone when their interior was mostly cruel and hateful.

Right now, lying next to him might cause her to do something she shouldn’t, something naughty and foolish.

“I won’t offer again,” he stated, far too sternly. “Either allow my body to warm you, or freeze.”

Raewyn drew her lips into her mouth and bit down hard. She shook her head again. Although she wanted heat more than anything, she just couldn’t do it.

Her eyelids eventually drooped, but the shivers that wracked her never allowed her to pass out. His soft growl echoed before the wack of his feet patted against the ground.

She gasped when he scooped her up. “W-wait! W-what are you d-doing?!”

“You’re being a pain, you know that?”

She covered her body as he walked her to the other side of the cave and laid her down. She stiffened when he got in behind her to block out the wind.

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