Page 38 of The Lost Princess

The only question: what had Nasi seen? I wished he would open up to me. It might make it worse if he talked about it, but there was also the chance it got better. I wished he would trust me. Perhaps together we could unravel what had happened and how he’d ended up here.

But it didn’t matter when I asked him, the answer was always the same—a firm, yet polite no. And the bite marks on his neck refused to heal.

Frustrated, I decided to take matters into my own hands.

The next day, I waited until dawn was sneaking through the cave opening, throwing the morning sunlight onto the furs at our feet like a second blanket. I yawned, and snuggled closer to Nasi. He hadn’t tried anything with me since coming out of his madness.

It was somewhat disappointing.

I stretched my back, and none too subtly pressed against his front. He grunted in his sleep, one arm sneaking around my waist and tucking me closer against him. Something hard poked at my lower back. Either there was a rock wedged between us, or he was happy to see me.

Though somewhat inexperienced, I wasn’t completely inept. I listened quietly as maids and servants whispered, figuring me too absorbed in my embroidery to be paying attention to their trivial gossip. I’d picked up enough to know what that prodding hardness behind me meant.

And it made me feel gloriously feminine.

I scooted my bottom closer into it, pressing every bit of myself toward him as I could. I still slept in my ‘human’ form. Nasi was perfectly content to sleep on his side, but I wasn’t sure how I’d fit with my wings.

Nasi groaned into my neck, his claws flexing and lightly raking over my hips and thighs. With a single thought, my fangs burst through my gums, and I lightly bit down on the palm of my hand. Red blood swelled forth, but much darker than I was accustomed to seeing. Had embracing my draken side changed it?

I didn’t waste time. I smeared some on the back of my neck and pressed close again toward Nasi. His nose twitched in sleep, then his tongue was out, licking and caressing the back of my neck like a starving man. The rough, uneven texture was odd but highly erotic.

My breathing hitched. I reached my hand back, putting it in front of his mouth. His eyes cracked open, mere darkened slits. The wound on his neck looked dramatically less angry. Like it was healing.

I turned around in his arms, and smeared my blood on his lips.

His eyes shot open.

“Kaida!” he grumbled and practically pushed me off of him. Roughly, he wiped the last vestiges of my blood from his face, his expression crestfallen.

He looked upset and betrayed like I’d done something unforgivable. Panic and confusion overtook me.

“What are you doing? I said Ididn’twant your blood!” He sounded so hurt that I struggled to find a defense.

“I just … You’re injured!” I gestured wildly at him, begging him to understand. “You’re just being stubborn! I can heal you, but you won’t let me! It’s stupid!”

He actually growled at me, and I stumbled to my feet, tripping slightly as I tangled in the furs. My wings shot out of my back, flapping wildly and randomly as I struggled to keep my balance.

Nasi advanced on me, his face pinched. “It does not matter. I did not want your blood. You decided my wishes did not matter. You didn’t have my consent.” He turned from me and paced, his hands grabbing his hair and twisting.

I struggled to understand why he was upset. It was what was best for everyone, wasn’t it? Why should it matter if he didn’t initially want it?

“I am going hunting. Do not do that again, Kaida.”

Nasi practically ran from the cave, propelling himself out with a mighty jump. I watched him go, my mouth slightly agape.

That hadn’t gone at all according to plan.Well done, now he’ll never trust me enough to tell me what secrets haunted him.

I tried to make it up to him by straightening up the cave, tending to the fire, and rolling up the furs to keep them neat. But it didn’t take long at all with our scarce possessions.

My feet took me to the mouth of the cave, and I peered over the edge. A rush of vertigo grabbed me, and I staggered backwards, my wings fluttering slightly. It was so high.

Yet Nasi did it almost every day—leaving to patrol the area, hunt, or find me clothes or other things. Ever since I’d come, he’d started stealing more items: plates, cups, and even a bone-carved fork.

It was adorable, and I didn’t have the heart to remind him that he’d have to return it all to the original owners once I left and returned home.

Home.

Another flicker of fear hit me. My father had never liked anything odd or different, except me. I liked to think I was special of course—a gift from the gods like he insisted. Now that I knew better, I worried his love was conditional, and easily broken.

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