Page 17 of The VaDorok's Unexpected Mate
She stood there silently, as if experiencing a moment of hesitation. Finally, she walked over to the burrahs and cautiously turned the skewers before returning to the fur rug beside him and sinking down upon it so that they sat companionably side by side.
“I appreciate that,” she said quietly.
And something deep within him, beyond the torment of the ulukskinon, fluttered to life and grew.
Chapter 13
Katie yawned and flopped over onto her other side, her eyes slowly opening. Why was she even awake? It was too damned early. That much could easily be discerned. The room was still dark; its only illumination was the hidden lights in the walls and the glowing coals in the hearth. That was enough to confirm how early it was since the lights were set to a timer to brighten at an hour in the morning that she personally felt was already far too early. That the setting was still on the night cycle was enough to give her a hint about just how early it was. She blinked as her eyes adjusted to the dim light and jumped when she finally focused on the broad angles of Kull’s alien face. Her heart pounding in her ears, she stared at him.
He was in bed with her.
Of course, logically, she knew that he was sleeping in the bed with her every night, but he was always so careful about going to bed after her and rising before she woke that there was always an illusion of sleeping alone. Until now.
Seeing him sleeping so soundly and comfortably at her side made something twist inside of her. Part of it was the apprehension of being so close to a male. The anxiety that sang through her she understood. It was the other part that she didn’t get. She felt... comfort. It was as if his large body was a warm cocoon protecting her from the world. Even his tail was curled over her hip as if holding her gently to him like a cord of connection. She had little doubt that if she moved suddenly that he would come awake, ready to protect her. She wouldn’t test it, however. She would rather let him sleep. His rhythmic breathing in steady, soft exhalations was loosening something within her, and besides, he was an entirely different male whilehe slept—one that she had only caught glimpses of in unguarded moments.
With his face relaxed in sleep, he looked soft and warm. There was a sweetness in the faint curl of his mouth that often seemed absent when he was awake. During the day, he was often stoic and somewhat unapproachable in appearance. She slowly reached out with her hand and traced the tip of his ear with her finger. It flicked in response, and she sucked in a smile. He was always so guarded that she doubted he would enjoy knowing that she saw him when he was so vulnerable. She liked it even more for that reason. It was like seeing a secret part of him that no one really got to see.
“I think I prefer you like this,” she whispered.
Kull’s tail twitched against her hip before unconsciously uncurling and sliding over her lower back. It pressed against her back, holding her tighter, and a deep purr began to rumble from his chest as the corner of his mouth crept up slightly. She leaned forward, her nose just scant inches from his, uncertain if he was really sleeping. He didn’t so much as stir when she ran a finger down the broad, feline-like bridge of his nose. Even there, his fur was incredibly soft. She could pet him forever, especially if he merely purred louder at the contact.
It seemed that he was a heavier sleeper than she had thought.
Not even bothering to hide her smile while he was so soundly asleep, she continued to pet him, running her fingers along his cheeks and through his mane, and rubbing gently at his ears. She even explored the taut tissue around the horns that he had spoken of with Ren. She didn’t venture any lower than the short, velvety fur on his chest—she certainly had no intention of molesting him in his sleep, after all—but the longer she explored him from his horns to the broad muscles of his shoulders and chest, the more familiar he became to her and the comfortable she slowly grew with his big body tucked so closely around her.
She stroked his cheek thoughtfully, her fingers suddenly going still, however, when his eyes slowly slitted open to peer back at her. His purr stuttered briefly as his eyes met hers, and they stared at each other. It was so much like being held captive in the gaze of an enormous predator that her breath caught with wonder. Her fingers twitched reflexively, and he blinked, his purr tentatively coming back to life again as he subtly leaned into her touch. She moved her fingers in a tiny caress, and his eyes slid closed again, his purr growing louder as he looped one around her and drew her snugly against her chest.
She lay there petting him, his purr vibrating through her with their proximity, stirring the strangest sensation deep within her belly. More than that, she was so very warm in his embrace that it slowly sank into her along with the most appealing smell that she couldn’t quite define. Her eyes grew heavier with every moment that passed until, finally, her hand slid along his mane in a final stroke as she fell deeply asleep once more.
When she woke in the morning, she wasn’t sure if it had all been a dream or not, but it sent a warm feeling through her every time she thought about it and she was forced to hide the ridiculous smiles that spread across her face. Especially since Ren gave her a sour look any time she so much as smiled at all, much less in Kull’s direction. As for Kull, she wasn’t sure whether to be annoyed at him for ignoring it and acting like nothing happened or grateful that she wasn’t being flustered by any knowing looks from him. Thankfully, the more he ignored it, the easier it was for her to forget it had happened at all and fall back into their usual interactions without another thought to it.
Maybe it was all just a dream after all.
Chapter 14
Katie fidgeted with the hem of her wrap-style shirt as she headed down the hall. Another day, another breakfast with Kull before resigning herself to a day of boredom. The morning and evenings had somehow quickly become her favorite parts of the day. She discovered that she actually enjoyed sitting at the low table while Kull was crouched by the fire cooking or lounging together in the evening while he quietly busied himself with one task or another. Aside from a growing feeling of uselessness, she had no real complaints. It was the long days when he left her to do as she liked while he hunted throughout much of the afternoon that she could have done with less of if she were to be honest with herself.
For the last couple of weeks, that had become their routine. While giving the pretense of being an attentive mate in many ways when he was home for Ren’s benefit, she was allowed to enjoy her relative solitude, outside of Ren moping around the den while he was gone. The younger male, for the most part, had recently taken to outright ignoring her, as if he thought that would actually bother her. After so many months of being under constant scrutiny, she didn’t mind in the least if she was ignored, though there were still times that the fire dwindled dangerously low that the resulting chill that swept through the den was unpleasant enough to often send her crawling beneath the furs, At least until Ren remembered to build the fire back up and the place began to warm up again.
She sighed heavily, anticipating another afternoon where she would be huddled in her room to ward off the cold. At least Kull always filled her up with a warm meal before he left for the day. Though, now that she thought about it, it seemed like lately he was out hunting longer every day. Was it because of whathappened in bed the other night? Or was it her imagination? She would ask him over breakfast. It was possible that he had felt taken advantage of while he slept. If that were the case, she would apologize. She knew all too well how that felt. But first... breakfast! She was starving.
Unfortunately, as Katie walked toward the living room, she didn’t smell anything cooking. It appeared that she would be foraging for more than one meal then. That was disappointing. She certainly didn’t trust her nonexistent ability when it came to cooking over an open flame, and she didn’t even know what was safe to eat just from looking at it. A city kid to the core, her family had never been the camping sort. Better safe than sorry. In any case, it was possible that Kull just woke up early and didn’t have time to cook anything. That was fair—she could live without a hot meal for one morning. Maybe she could coax him into making a quick mash or something before he headed out.
She frowned a little, however, when she stepped into the living room and found it empty except for the young male sitting once again on the rug in front of the fire, idly playing with something he held between his hands. Whatever Ren held, his attention seemed to be absorbed with it since he didn’t so much as glance up at her when she entered the room. She knew that he had heard her. She’d even seen his ear turn toward her. It appeared that he was starting his ignoring game with her earlier in the day than usual. He at least kept up appearances while his elder brother was home.
“Where is Kull,” she asked curiously, her head turning as she peered around the room.
Ren shrugged, unconcerned, and scratched at one of his small horn-spikes. “Hunting. He said that we will need more furs and meat since we are going through supplies quicker with you here as part of our family for the time being,” he added sourly. He glanced over at her, then, his lips curving with a smilethat instantly made her suspicious. “He said that I should take good care of you, though, so I made you a gift.”
“A gift?” she echoed.
Ren nodded and handed her a small woven ball. She held it up, examining it curiously. It was very neatly made, though it had a surprising weight to it. Her brows beetled at him, and she glanced back down at the ball, slowly rotating it in her hands. She could see where a small opening on one side was latched into place with twisted fibers. It wasn’t a ball but some sort of spherical basket. It was even slightly flat on one side so that it would be stable when set on another surface. She could see that now that she was looking at it more closely. She continued to turn it slowly as she studied it, but nothing appeared to shift inside. Strange. Perhaps it was just the plant materials that were used that had a bit more unexpected weight to them. Although she had nothing to put in it yet, she had to admit that it was thoughtful even though she still wasn’t entirely convinced that it wasn’t some sort of trick.
“Thank you. I don’t really have any possessions, but I’m sure this will be very useful. Did you make it yourself?”
He shook his head and laughed. “I did, but the gift isinside. Open it. I searched all morning while you slept for the perfect gift. Something special just for you,” he added.
Yeah, right.She was pretty sure that whatever this gift was, it was one that she wasn’t going to particularly like. It seemed that he had shifted his tactics when it came to his pranks.
