Page 44 of Blood and Fate

Slowly Kais climbed to his feet as well, keeping his distance. His gaze was heavy on her, tracking her as she moved aimlessly, just needing to move.

She spun to face him again, her mouth going dry. “It’s impossible. It’s a myth. They’re gods! Do you believe in sea monsters too?”

He pressed his lips into a line and nodded. Though he ignored the last part of her statement as he answered. “They are. But it’s not a myth. Can you really not feel it?”

Feel it? She could admit she felt something, but mates? She couldn’t help it; she laughed out loud.

Kais’ brow pinched together, but he said nothing.

“Mates.” She said through her laughter. “That’s absurd.”

Kais’ eyes drifted to the ground and then back up to her. “A few nights ago you had a nightmare.”

She stopped laughing. She didn’t recall a nightmare, though she had them often. She didn’t speak, waiting for him to continue.

“This was before your tent was moved. You were on the other side of the camp. It woke me. I thought someone was attacking you. But when I got there, you were only dreaming.” He bit down on his lip, slowly pushing it out, his eyes taking on a distant look as though lost in a memory. “But not just dreaming. You were distressed. I stepped closer to you, and I touched you.”

He had touched her? What? Her eyes grew wide at his admission.

Kais raised a hand to stop her line of thought. “I only placed a hand on your shoulder. Your restless movements stilled. Your labored breathing came easier. But you never woke. I waited the next day to see if you’d say anything, but you didn’t. I didn’t think you remembered.”

Indeed she had not remembered any of what he said. Could he be making it up?

Kais took the slightest step toward her, his hand still stretched out slightly in front of him. “And now you’re unsure if I’m telling you the truth.”

He was right, of course, but how did he do that?

Kais continued, “Two nights ago, do you remember? I burst into your tent with a knife.”

“Of course I remember that.”

“You were scared. I felt it so strongly. I thought someone had you cornered, that someone was in there with you. But you were alone then, as well. What were you so scared of?”

He didn’t ask her if she had been scared. He knew she was. He asked what it was that had her scared. She remembered. It was him. She had been thinking of him, killing her father and then her. Thinking about how unsafe she was in his camp.

When she answered, her voice was soft. “You.”

His face fell. She nearly felt bad for the admission, such was the look on his countenance. It would have been the same if she had stepped up to him and struck him. Then his shoulders slumped.

“I’m so sorry. I don’t know what I’ve done that makes you think you need to fear me. You don’t. There’s nothing you need to fear from me. On my life, Princess. Satori. I promise it.”

Satori. She sucked in a breath as he spoke her name. His voice seemed to reach inside her chest and take hold of something. She could find no words, form no sounds. She simply nodded once, looking away from him.

She believed him. She could feel it. She wanted to deny that fact, but it was there, inside her, and there was no way she could explain it away. She could deny it to him, to people around her, but she couldn’t deny it to herself.

Satori rallied all the strength and fortitude she could at that moment and met his gaze once more. She intended to speak louder, but when the word emerged, it was a whisper that even she could barely register. “Mates?”

He nodded. “Blood mates.”

Her throat ached, and she fought the tears that stung her eyes.

“Blood mates. What does that even mean? Why me? Why you? I don’t even trust you.” She could see the words stung him, but they were the truth. “Why would this happen to you and me? I’m a Princess, spoken for by at least three different men. What will you do when I go home and am married off?”

He remained quiet. She had no idea what his intentions were. Maybe he would kidnap her and keep her for his own. The air seemed to become scarce as she fought to fill her lungs.

Kais interrupted her thoughts, repeating his earlier words, “Princess, don’t be afraid of me. When it’s time for you to leave, you will be free to go. No one will stop you.”

“Thank you.” She didn’t know what else to say.

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