She nods and heads for the bathroom while I head for my closet. A couple of minutes later, I join her. When I open the door, steam greets me first, telling me she’s already started the shower, and she likes it when the water’s hot, which is good because I do too. My gaze drifts to where she stands in the shower. All I can see is her silhouette because the majority of the glass is frosted, and she’s just short enough that the top of her head is the only part of her that’s visible. I’m still surprised at how strong she is, considering her size. I wonder if it has to do with being a harpy or if it’s something else altogether.
Either way, I clear my head and step inside to deposit the towels on the counter so I can join her. When I get closer, I realize she’s humming something and stop for a moment to listen. It’s a song I instantly recognize because it’s one of my favorites: “Caramel” by Sleep Token.
“That’s a beautiful song,” I say, stepping into the shower behind her.
She nearly jumps out of her skin. “Holy fuck. You scared the shit out of me!”
“Did you not hear me come into the bathroom?”
“No!”
I shake my head. “It’s not like I was quiet, and I know I didn’t take that long getting towels.”
She sighs. “I’m just always inside my own head.”
“Well, let’s get cleaned off, and then we can go watch a movie or a TV show. How does that sound?”
“I haven’t watched TV or seen a movie in years,” she mumbles, staring down at the black tile floor of my shower.
Bringing my fingers to her chin, I tilt it up to make her look at me. “What’s wrong, little one?”
She shakes her head, the little she can with the way I’m holding onto her. “I’ve been alone for a long time and haven’tfound a place I’m comfortable settling, so I haven’t partaken in a lot of the normal things others do on a daily basis.”
“I’m sorry. Can I ask why?”
Her tongue rings clack against her teeth. “I didn’t feel like I belonged in my nest. Other than that, I don’t feel comfortable talking about it—I don’t even know you.”
“And yet you were comfortable enough to come into my home and expose yourself to me,” I say, and then stop myself from saying anything else. “I’m sorry. That was uncalled for.”
“You have valid points, but I’m comfortable in my own body, and I’m capable of taking care of myself. I’m not comfortable talking in depth about how my life was in the nest before I left.”
I let go of her chin and take a step back. “That’s understandable. I’m sorry.”
She shrugs. “It’s in our nature to be curious. It’s also in our nature to question things that don’t make sense to us.”
“That doesn’t mean I had to be rude.”
With a nod, she tips her head back and lets the water run through her hair. I reach over to my wall shelf, grab my loofah, and pour some of my body wash on it. Then I lather up the soap and take another step toward her.
I place my hand on her hip, reminding her I’m here. She wipes the water from her face as she looks at me.
“May I?” I ask, lifting the loofah so she can see it.
She nods, and a wave of relief washes over me. I bring the loofah to her neck, swiping it across her skin in gentle strokes. Her head falls back, and a moan slips past her lips. I bite my lip, but continue, making sure to get her clean while I still try to admire her beautiful body.
When I’m done with her upper body, I quickly clean her lower body. I want to make her feel special—and not just in a sexual way. It’s one of the things I miss the most about my relationship with Avyanna. She’d been alone for hundreds of years, but shestill knew how to make me feel like I meant something to her. Even though I don’t know this woman, I want her to know she’s special. And, weirdly enough, I don’t want her to leave. I want her to stay with me because, for the first time since my relationship with Avyanna, I feel like I might be able to let someone else in again.
Chapter eight
When I wake up, I’m not exactly sure where I am, but I know I feel safe. Thinking back, all I remember from last night was the hunter lying me down on a bed and undressing me before I passed out. Where the hell is she now?
I lie there for a minute, but my bladder screams at me to use the bathroom, so I hurry in and out because I’m still naked as the day I was born. After coming out, I try to find some clothes, which is useless because the hunter doesn’t have many clothes, and the ones I can find don’t really look like they’ll fit me. A few minutes in, I just give up, grabbing the sheet from the bed and wrapping it around me.
The smell of pancakes hits my nostrils the moment I open the bedroom door, and my stomach grumbles—I’m not even sure of the last time I ate right now. I plod down the hallway toward the smell without thought. As much as I want to look around, I’m curious to see what the hunter is up to.
At the end of the hall, I come to an open archway, which leads to a barren living room. I don’t even remember us going through it last night, but since there wasn’t anything in it, the fact that it’s not familiar doesn’t surprise me.
To my right is a half-wall that looks into the kitchen. On the other side of that wall stands the hunter with her back to me, and I’m hypnotized by the sight of her. Her ethereally pale skin is a stark contrast to her wavy, black hair, which she has wound into a bun at the crown of her head. The sunlight peeking through the window to her left shines off her silky hair, revealing crimson streaks throughout. My hands itch to take her hair down, to run my fingers through the strands, and see just how soft it is.
