Page 19 of Seducing Scylla
She relaxes only a little.
“You don’t think it’s wrong that I married a woman?”
“I have also been with female nymphs, before. We do not have the same beliefs as fickle humans.”
Her shoulders relax entirely. Did she think I would judge her for her tastes? Frustration itches at me. I amstillnot grasping how to care for my human mate.
“So, you could not have children. The ivy eff did not work?”
She shakes her head, her eyes turning glassy. Sadness radiates off her.
“It was too hard in the end. The constant heartbreak that only grew with every failed cycle. The guilt whenever I looked at her,that my body did not work the way it should. That I felt like it was my fault we couldn't have children. So, we divorced. She has two children with her new wife.”
A glistening tear tracks down her cheek, catching on her lip before plopping on the rough-hewn floor of the cave. She scrunches her eyes shut and hollowness wells in the pit of my stomach at her pain. We both have wounds we have hidden from the world. She shakes herself off.
“So, do you have any secret children I should know about?”
“No, I cannot. Unless I am mated, and I have not been mated, properly. Until now.” Realization dawns on me. I could reproduce now if I so wished.
Morgan cocks her head, brows furrowed.
“I produce eggs. When I am mated, they are fertilized. Before, they were empty sacs.”
“You… produce eggs…?” she trails off and I can see her mind turning over every thought in her pretty head.
Nodding. “I self-procreate.”
“Huh. That’s handy, I suppose.”
“Only if I am mated, and mates are very rare. I am millennia old and have only just found you.”
Feeling brave, I reach out and take her hand in mine. She smiles at me and does not let go.
19
Morgan
Talking to Scylla is nice. Comforting. It’s like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders after telling her about my ex. She has not judged me. Her reaction to IVF was a little alarming, but I understand how wild it must sound to her. I play over her story in my head and sympathy for her nips at me. She’s lived with this feeling of being unwanted and a monster for thousands of years, with no friends or relationships to lean on. It must be so lonely. I’m curious as to how many other creatures like her exist on this island and why they haven’t built a community together. Surely, there are others who are just as lonely.
My dress is fully dry now after our little rendezvous in the orange grove and I am thankful as the chill beneath the ground would be unbearable. Instead, it is quite pleasant on my sun-warmed skin, and I make a mental note to head to the surface frequently to bask in thelight and warmth. I mentally shake myself. Making notes to go to the surface, as if I intend on being here permanently. I mean, currently, I don’t have much choice. I’m not sure I could get off the island if I wanted to, but if an opportunity presented itself, would I take it?
Scylla’s hand is wrapped around mine, the mate fire fizzing beneath my skin. We’ve done well to ignore it so far. I can only imagine the intensity if we were to give in to our desires. I shiver at the thought, lust pooling heavily in my abdomen.
“You are cold?” Scylla mistakes my want for discomfort, effortlessly scooping me up in her arms to tuck me against her chest. Ignoring the heat between us every time we touch, I surprisinglydon’t mind being carried. Or maybe, I just don’t mind being carried by her. There is something incredibly hot about being picked up as if you are no heavier than a cushion.
I sigh, content to nestle my head against the crook of her neck and shoulder.
“Thank you,” I whisper into her neck.
“What for?” I can feel the vibration in her chest when she speaks.
“For keeping me safe. For making me feel safe. I haven’t felt scared since I woke up in your cave. I know we’re mated, and we still really need to discuss what that means for us and the future. But I’m glad it was your cave I stumbled into and not someone else’s.”
I can feel sleep tugging at my eyelids, the swaying motion of Scylla’s movements soothing me to sleep.
“I am glad it was my cave you crawled into as well. I do not want to fail you as your mate. I feel I keep getting it wrong. I forget you need to eat more frequently, or that you are more sensitive to the cold than I. There is so much for me to learn, but I want to. I want to keep you.”
My eyes drift close. There’s a growing part of me that wants to be kept.
