But then I get a horrible thought.
"Unless you just don't want to?" I ask, leaning up on my elbow.
He lets a small bark of laughter escape and reaches up with one hand - a hand so large, he can cradle the whole side of my head. "Trust me, my little mate," he says, smiling, "you will hear no complaints from me about that."
My little mate.My tummy does a little flip that I'm pretty sure has nothing to do with the baby. I avert my eyes and feel myself blush like a teenager. "You've never asked-"
"You will give that gift to me if you want me to have it, Ah-Lanah," he says. "You aremy mate-" he tells me, his fingers burying deeper into my hair, gently but possessively massaging my scalp before moving to the nape of my neck, "-but that is something you decide on."
I blink at him and then move back to sprawling on his chest. He keeps calling me his mate and I keep neglecting to call him out on it. It would be weird it I did it now. It would pop this pleasant little Alana-and-Mavyx-bubble we're in.
And maybe I don't want to call him out on it.
"I'm pretty tired," I say, completely refusing to acknowledge the confusing issue. "Can we nap here a while?"
My head rises and falls on his chest with the huge inhale and slow exhale Mavyx takes. His fingers continue to trail up and down my arm but that purr of his doesn't accompany it this time. "Of course," he says, his tail wrapping around my calf like it has done every night we've slept together like this.
***
The first I know of anything wrong is when Mavyx's chest slides out from under my cheek so abruptly, it jolts me out of my slumber. It's not like he's never woken first before - in fact, he often does - but his departure from the nest is normally gentle and stealthy, ensuring he doesn't wake me.
This time, his movement is so swift, it shakes me from sleep and then his hand is covering my mouth and his face is right above mine. The hot-spring cavern is dark, the life-stones' glow having faded after a lack of touch to keep them alight. All I can see is Mavyx's golden eyes shining in the dim - and they are full of fear.
I start to breathe heavy through my nose, fighting off a panic attack. Mavyx puts a finger up to his lips, indicating I should be quiet. I nod and he releases my mouth.What is it?I mouth silently.
Mavyx leans forward, his lips brushing my ear before he whispers, "I scent mimyckah."
My body goes cold.
"Stay here."
I grab ahold of him. "Don't leave me!" I hiss.
"I'm not leaving you. But I need to kill it and I don't want it even catching a whiff of you."
"What if it's just passing by. We can stay hidden up here!" I sound desperate now. Iamdesperate now.
Mavyx kisses my forehead and then leans his own gently against mine. "If it comes up here, it will see you and we will be cornered. I can dispose of it cleanly out in the open."
I suck in a breath, close my eyes, and nod my head ever so slightly. Mavyx knows what he's doing. He's dealt with those creatures before. He's-
I study him as he returns my nod and straightens. He's trained for this type of thing. His whole body is honed for this purpose. He is made for killing.
He will be fine.
He will be fine.
He will be fine.
Mavyx unsheathes the dagger he keeps strapped to his thigh and hands it to me. "Stay hidden," he whispers, picking up his spear and turning to approach the mouth of the cave. The pale light from the twin moons silhouette his form as he crouches to survey any movement below. And then, as swift and as silent as a ghost, he dives and I'm left staring at the empty opening to our cave, clutching a dagger like my life depends on it.
Will it?
Seconds drag on. They are quiet and they are terrifying. All of a sudden, a noise pierces the night; an animalistic pained yelp, so loud it makes my heart thunder. There's a scream that's abruptly cut off with a sickening crunch and a softthwumpof what I can only assume is a body hitting the jungle ground.
Whose body though?
Those silent seconds return. Even more terrifying than before.
