Page 91 of A Soul to Guide

“Oh no, whatever shall I do?” she falsely cried as she threw the back of her wrist to her forehead and turned away dramatically. “If you do that, I will have to make us stop moving again because I won’t be able to walk from the cold. Whatever shall you do then? Spank me?”

She’s mocking me!

Merikh’s snarl was feral, a warning for her to stop immediately. He bared his fangs and claws, just as his quills raised to stand to their full height in aggression, tearing at his clothing. His orbs glowed a dangerous colour of red, haloing her in his potential violence.

Instead of being frightened, she turned to him with her hands curled into fists at her sides and leaned forward slightly. With her nose bunched, her teeth gritted in her own anger, she said, “Grr.”

Merikh paused, his head tilting to the point it almost went upside down as his orbs flashed to bright yellow. His anger deflated out of him like a swift gust of air, and his quills flopped.

“Did you just...” He twisted his head the other way. “Did you justgrowlat me?”

He stood up straight and covered the end of his snout when a weird noise escaped him.

A smile twitched her lips. “Maybe?”

That weird noise finally finished building, and Merikh let out a warm chuckle, one of adoration for what she’d just tried to do.

“Did you just laugh? Like... anactuallaugh?” she asked, her sweet voice turning higher pitched in surprise, as though she couldn’t believe he was capable of such a positive and pure emotion.

Even her white eyelashes fluttered in disbelief.

Merikh stepped closer. He towered over Raewyn, his snout inches from her nose, as he allowed a loud, deliberate, and menacing growl to bubble from his throat and chest.

Her nose bunched as she gritted her teeth. This time, she shook her head up at him as she said, “Grrrrr.”

She sounds like a fucking puppy!It was hilariously endearing. He didn’t know whether to laugh at her or nuzzle her damn beautiful, scrunched-up face.

Merikh snarled again. She did her growl in return, and his hands came up to cup her entire head. He lifted her face, unsure of why he was compelled to bring her closer, but something tender was playing with the strings of his heart.

He snarled again.

When she growled in return, one of his conflicting desires won, and it wasn’t his laughter. Merikh rubbed the side of his snout and cheekbone against her cheek and jaw to pet her.

His snarl softened into rumbles before all went silent, except for a few crickets that had decided to come out of hiding.

He hadn’t realised his sight had gone black from a delicate emotion closing it until he opened his vision and his usual red flashed. When he registered what he was doing, Merikh grunted and yanked himself away from her.

“Sorry,” he rasped, scratching at the side of his neck. “I’m not sure why I did that.”

Her eyelids flung open wide. She looked confused and awkward, and he wasn’t quite sure if that was a bad thing or not.

“I-it’s fine,” she said, offering him a reassuring, broken smile.

This day had been filled with so many highs and lows, and Merikh wasn’t quite sure how to deal with them.

Their sexual interlude the previous night had not truly left his thoughts, and he was still unsure how he should feel about it. He was well aware he’d allowed himself to get caught up in the moment, her scent, her touch, and the fact she’d been usinghishand to pleasure herself.

He’d enjoyed every damn second of it, especially because her noises had been cute, her body sensual, and her face beautiful, filled with an erotic, heated gaze. It was hard to believe she’d been the one to instigate it.

He refused to talk to her about it.

He didn’t want to know how she felt, not when it could make him reflect negatively on that memory. If she regretted it, she’d ruin it for him, so he’d rather not speak of it.

Then, speaking about his past, learning of her connection to Jabez, and now this embarrassing outburst from him?

Merikh scratched at his neck, kind of wishing he could disappear in that moment as his orbs continued to deepen their reddish-pink hue.

What is wrong with me? I’ve never acted this way with another.

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