Page 15 of Bred By Zyros
“You have never listened to reason before,” he retorts. “Leave and know, Xyphora, I give you my vow by Nythara’s alter if any harm comes to her, I will end our species myself. This changeseverything.”
Rage flares in her eyes again. “You will be the death of us. The goddesses will drag you to the Ether themselves if you fail them. Keep it hidden, breed it, and when it bears nothing, killit.”
It, as inme.
He says nothing to that, and my head is light as she turns with a shocking amount of grace, her hair shining like flames when she darts back into the woods.
“Zyros…”
“For the love of the goddesses who haunt the skies, do not speak female.”
“What the fuck haven’t you told me?” I whisper, my chest heaving. My head pounds as I struggle free from his tail, which only tightens around me, making a frustrated scream leave my throat. “Put me down now!”
“No,” he hisses back.
I slam my fists into the meaty part of his thick tail, which he barely seems to feel. His stare is blank, directed at the ground now, his breathing ragged. I watch slowly as the tension, thefight,leaves him. Where I was held off the ground, suspended in the air, I’m now set down, still very much so wrapped in his tail,although the coil looks as loose and defeated as the man. “Let. Me. Go.”
“Please. Just a moment more.”
I go still at the tormented sound of his voice, his claws digging into his palms, drawing blue-black blood from them. His teal-colored hair hiding his face. My fighting and shoving slow, and I haven’t a clue how many minutes pass while he’s lost to his thoughts.
It gives me precious time to think about things, think aboutanyof this.
It was a mistake.
Soon enough, his tail unravels from me fully, and he straightens. Removing the bags from around him. My eyes dart to the mouth of the cave. I’ll go in, act casual, grab the Zytheron crystal, and get home. I can stall for a few more zentics, solars at the most. The thought of being trapped here for solars makes my knees wobble. I stumble, stepping into the mouth as the smell of rainstorms and musk envelops me again.
“Little human, if you intend to leave, I would advise against it. This is bigger than the both of us.” A bucket of cold water drowns me as his hand gently, so gently, knots in my hair, making me face him as tears bud in my eyes. “I am sorry, Melody. You were not given a good male.”
My lip wobbles as I shove off him and head into the cave.
nine
Melody
The next limtic passes like nails on metal, screeching, jarring, demanding your full attention. I avoid him, and he lingers, watching, tracking, and taunting, always close by as I’m scooting away. I do it once, twice, maybe three times before I give up, because if I’m being honest with myself, something I intend to do less often, I do not want him to let me go.
My crystal is still sitting in my chamber where I left it. He hasn’t taken it from me like I thought he would, but neither of us is under any illusion that I’m nowallowedto leave. I came here for a purpose, despite all my better judgment.
And despite his, apparently.
His tail curls over toward me again, the tip resting just by my palm as I kick my feet slowly in the hot spring. Like he can’t help himself, it follows, hooking, coiling. The smell of cooked meat fills the cave soon enough as I adjust my top. It’s a very simple thing, but it’s comfortable and far more practical than wearingmy dress around every day. He’d sown it for me when I showed him what I wanted. My heart had fluttered in my chest as the backs of his scaled knuckles had brushed my flesh. My stomach shows a little. He’d made it shorter than I wanted it, but I do my best to cover the loose pouch as much as possible. It doesn’t help that now that it’s mostly exposed, Zyros seems to fixate on that sliver of flesh.
“Come, eat. We are leaving soon.”
My head snaps toward him as he pushes the plate toward me. Zyros seems to think my portions need to match his; the all-meat diet is seriously getting to me. I mostly pick at it these days.
My stomach isn’t a fan.
“I would like to stay behind.”
He treks out at least once a day for fresh water and to hunt, but he stays just outside the wood line. Sometimes I join him, quieter than I’ve ever been. I go to speak but stop myself, trying to remember I have every right to be mad.
He knew this would happen if I came.
Heknew,and it was worth it.
My life to…what? Make a point? Maybe I’d get killed, but hey, he also might get the kid they all want before that.
