“Rath…” I whimpered.
He groaned, rutting against me, his hips grinding in just the right way to make me moan. It’d been three days since the shadowstalker came after me, and he still refused to go on another hunt. He’d have to eventually, but whenever anyone brought it up, he dragged me back to the tent and we ended up like this, wrapped around each other in a sweaty, sticky heap.
A familiar tingle at the base of my spine told me I wasn’t going to last much longer. I tried to hold back, but it was just too good, and when I came with a cry, Rath was always quick to follow me, painting my skin with his release.
We both fought for breath, clinging to each other. I didn’t think I’d ever get sick of this, it was too perfect, but I was starting to wonder why we never did more. I’d heard rumors, mostly from my brothers, about things men did together. They always spoke of it with disgust and horror, but I found it intriguing. I wanted to ask Rath about it, he was more experienced than me, but I was too embarrassed. Besides, I didn’t want to remind him constantly of my inexperience. I wanted to be good enough for him.
“Brother!” a familiar voice called from outside the tent. “We must go!”
Verus was smart enough not to poke his head in, but it didn't stop Rath from growling loud enough for him to hear. “How long were you listening to us?”
“If you wished to be discreet, you did a poor job of it,” was Verus’s teasing reply as his footsteps moved away from the tent. I felt my cheeks flush, and I wanted to pull the blankets over my head, but I also didn’t want Rath to move. I clung to him instead, burying my face against his neck.
“Where are you going?”
His sigh was resigned, and he hugged me tighter when he muttered, “To hunt. I must. It’s my duty to the clan.”
When I first met him, he was excited to share all the details of his job in the clan. He showed off his knives with pride and the first words he taught me outside of the clan hierarchy were words about hunting. The reluctance in his voice made me frown now.
“What’s wrong? I thought you loved to hunt.”
His grip on me tightened and for a moment, I thought he wouldn’t reply, but he eventually admitted, “I can’t bring you with me. I can’t have you in danger again.”
Ah. While I hated being separated from him, I had to agree with him. I didn’t belong out there. I wanted to do something to support the clan, to earn my keep as it were, but I didn’t think hunting would be the way I would do that. And I could hear it in his voice that Rath would be too stressed having me out there anyway.
“That’s okay. I’ll wait here for you.”
I thought he’d be relieved, but he still didn’t release me. If anything, he clung to me harder, his beard tickling my neck in his attempt to hide away. I hated how upset he was, but I absolutely adored how willing he was to be vulnerable with me.He was upset and while he didn’t look me in the eye, he did show me with his actions how he felt about it.
Another rub gave me goosebumps, and I couldn’t stop the snicker that escaped me. “Rath,” I complained, poking his side. “You’re tickling me.”
He grunted, pulling away enough to look at me. “You say this as though it would make me stop.”
“Huh?”
Instead of answering, he buried his face again, this time purposely scraping his beard on my neck. I squirmed and laughed, helpless to get away with him pinning me with his big body. He only stopped when I was breathless and close to tears from laughing so hard. This time, when he lifted his head, he looked a little lighter, though there was still apprehension in his eyes. I trailed my fingers over his face, urging him to speak to me.
“What’s wrong?”
“I do not wish to bring you with me, but I like leaving you even less. I do not know what to do.”
I melted at his sweet confession, cupping his face and lifting up enough to kiss him. He leaned into it, seeking my comfort, and when I pulled away, he leaned his forehead against mine, his brow furrowed with worry.
“How about this? I’ll go to the field with Godr while you’re gone. If I need to go anywhere, I’ll ask him to go with me. That way, you know I’m safe and looked after, and you can focus on staying safe yourself.”
It wasn’t the same as staying by his side, but I figured it was a suitable compromise. And Rath seemed to agree. He was reluctant, but it was enough to get him out of bed and moving. And I would keep my promise. I wouldn’t go anywhere without Godr beside me. I didn’t want to be the reason Rath was distracted.
We cleaned up and got dressed, and Rath led me to Godr, giving his brother a stern warning about watching me before he forced himself to go. Godr watched with amusement, raising an eyebrow at me once he was out of sight.
Pointing a finger at him, I frowned. “Be nice.”
He chuckled, putting his hands up in surrender. “I am a very nice brother. It is just fun to see him so flustered. He is the calm one. He needed to be shaken up a bit.”
I wrinkled my nose, following him into the field where the horses were grazing. “I don’t like shaking him up. I don’t want him distracted out there. He could get hurt.”
The worry ate at me, and I chewed on my lip, staring at the forest we’d been hunting in together a few days before. If he wasn’t focused, what were the chances that another shadowstalker could come after him? Zoya had explained why they were so dangerous. They weren’t the biggest or anything, but once they decided to hunt something, they wouldn’t let it go until they got their prey. The shadowstalker would’ve kept coming for me until it found me. That’s why Rath had panicked when I described it to him. He knew I wouldn’t be safe until he killed it.
Godr’s hand rested on my shoulder and when I glanced up at him, his expression was full of understanding. “Rath is a good hunter. The best. He will return to you. Try not to worry so much.”
