Page 14 of Rhaz's Redemption
“My cave is comfortable,” Lumod pouted. “Just notthiscomfortable.” The merman shifter gestured widely to the room around us.
“Right,” Axon sighed. “Come with me, I’ll start by showing you where you can find more moss, but everything else will have to wait until tomorrow. We’re running out of day light to visit the ruins.
So as the women went to the bathroom and the males left to investigate where Axon found all of this moss, I sat in themain cavern nearly alone. Rhaz stood at the entrance keeping his eyes on the forest for any predators.
Anger burned in my gut that he’d decided to stay. Of course he did. He didn’t have a mate to impress. Why would he need to learn how to make the floor of his cave more comfortable?
I got up from where I’d been sitting and clenched my jaw as I approached him. I wasn’t usually one to speak out of anger, but seeing as we had a limited opportunity to converse before the other’s returned, I decided to take my one shot.
“Not going with the others?” I questioned to get his attention.
He turned to face me. There was a light in his eyes when our gazes met as if I gave him life. But that light was quickly extinguished and he looked away.
“Why would you?” I continued. “You have no mate to impress right? No reason to make your cave any more comfortable than it already is.”
I turned to walk away when Rhaz spoke. “Beatrice wait.”
My breath caught as he said my name. It rumbled through him like a thousand horse hooves hitting the ground. He made my name sound so much more powerful than what I felt.
His hand shot out and grabbed my wrist as if he was desperate for me not to go. The warmth of his skin was comforting. It felt right, and I hated how right it felt. Like a free sample of a love I’d never know.
I turned to face him and caught the distinct look of longing and sadness in his eyes.
“You…you really don’t think I’m a monster?”
His voice came out soft and he looked…afraid. I’d never seen Rhaz afraid of anything before, but as his question lingered in the air he looked terrified of what I might say, that I might have changed my mind and confirm his worst fears.
I looked him square in the eyes and said, “You’re the only one who thinks that.”
I yanked my wrist out of his hand and walked away, not sparing a glance back. No matter how much I longed to build a connection between us, I would not give in to a male who had his own shit to work out.
I sat at the far corner of the cave and laid out the furs I’d packed to sleep on tonight. Once I was done the other women came back into the main cavern.
“Where’d the guys go?” Ashley asked.
“They’re out searching for moss,” I answered. “Axon told them to keep their excursion short, but by the way they were pestering him, I doubt they’ll get back in time to visit the ruins before dark.”
“That’s fine by me,” Julie said as she sat down on her own set of furs looking exhausted.
“Same,” Kayla yawned as she sat down next to her.
“I’ll start the fire, and get some meat cooking for dinner,” Ashley offered. She made quick work of building the fire and started grilling the slabs of salted meat Axon had set aside for today’s dinner.
It was about an hour after dinner was served that the guys came back with arm fulls of moss.
“This will make our cave more comfortable,” Brexl smiled to his mate.
“Aww, you didn’t have to do that,” Taylor commented as she ran her fingers along the moss.
“You deserve the best,” Brexl argued.
“You’re a sweet stubborn male,” Taylor purred before she pulled him down for a kiss.
“I’m not half as stubborn as you are,” Brexl teased.
I turned away from their overt display of affection. I was happy for all the couples here, but it did sting knowing they had something that I might never get.
I wanted to glance over at Rhaz, but refused. I knew he’d probably be looking at me which would just make me feel worse. Curse him and his perceived inner demons.
