Page 92 of A Soul to Guide

He didn’t allow anyone to get under his skin, instead remaining rather distant with everyone he met. Whether it be a human or Demon, Merikh didn’t allow anyone to twist his gut like this.

So why her, of all people?

By the holy Gilded Maiden... I can’t believe he just did that to me,Raewyn thought, as he basically shoved her guide cane at her.

“I think you should walk by yourself for a while,” Merikh stated in a strained voice before he gave her other hand the end of the guide rope.

Raewyn clutched both items in her hands, her cheeks heating. As soon as she positioned both so she could walk, the rope tugged, and he led the way, while she was a few steps behind.

Tapping the round end of her cane against the ground to make sure she didn’t trip over any roots or forest floor debris, she couldn’t help lowering her head.

Not in shame or embarrassment, but in hopes of hiding the strange expression twitching her face.Does he not want to carry me because he feels awkward? Maybe he’s feeling too comfortable with me because we keep touching?

Of course, her thoughts ran rampant. He’d practically nuzzled the skin off her face!

It was Merikh. He didn’t seem like the kind of guy to rub against another affectionately, and yet he’d done so to her. All because she playfully growled back at him?

Her heart had nearly tumbled out of her chest, confused but utterly delighted. His bony face was hard, and he’d pressed it rather deeply as he rubbed it against her cheek, but it reminded her of one of the pets they had in Nyl’theria begging for snuggles.

If she hadn’t been so startled by it, she may have rubbed back.

He got all shy and awkward.

She’d almost ‘awwed’ at him when reddish-pink sparks flared in her vision. She found it sweet, but she hadn’t wanted to make him feel uncomfortable. She was kind of hoping he’d do it again in the future, but intentionally.

Merikh’s insides were just as hard and jagged as his outsides.

To have witnessed even just a shred of tenderness seemed impossible. She wasn’t surprised he’d instantly deflected and made them start walking, as if to ignore what had just happened.

Which, of course, had her mentally pouting.

Why is he the one to throw up a wall?He was the Duskwalker, not her, so why was he quick to shove a barrier between them?

Shouldn’t she be the one who hated such actions from him?

Instead, she couldn’t stop her pulse from racing every time she felt a tingle on her cheek, like the ghost of his cool touch was freezing it. It only made her remember what had been sliding between her thighs less than a day ago.

Suddenly, her entire pussy went warm in memory.

He’d thrown up a wall after that too, perhaps more than one.

Raewyn clenched her eyes shut.I feel kind of pathetic,she thought to herself with a humourless laugh.He shows me a few moments of kindness, and suddenly, I’m like a creature in heat?

She knew that wasn’t true, since she wasn’t trying to climb him now.

Merikh was usually so rough, short, and mean, that when he wasn’t, it always took her by surprise. She’d snatched this strange thread in her head that maybe he was only like this with her, but she doubted that was true.

There had to be someone, somewhere, he was affectionate with freely.

She wished the idea didn’t make her stomach knot with mild jealousy. Raewyn, despite being a head scientist, had never been special to anyone other than her parents. Even then, her parents had been obsessive with helping Jabez, so much so that, sometimes, Raewyn had been pushed to the side until he came to Earth.

She didn’t tell Merikh that because she hadn’t wanted him to think she was envious of her half-brother. It was just a fact that, as a young child, she wasn’t the interesting one, or the one who needed help, or extra love and care.

She hadn’t minded at the time, since she’d been able to garner all the affection she’d wanted from Jabez. She annoyed him, and he let her freely. She’d violate his space, and he’d accommodate her as best as he could. Even though he hated it when she braided his hair and put flowers in it and around his horns, he’d wear them proudly until they all fell out.

She’d had many friends, but they went off to do fun things while she was studying. She adored school, and when Jabez was locked away, she’d thrown herself neck deep into it as a way to cope.

Loneliness wasn’t an issue on her radar.

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