“I can’t say I have,” I admitted, glancing away, studying the fluffy clouds in the sky, noticing how thick and gray they appeared, as if it would storm later today. “Is that the name of a test to prove that I’m a suitable mate?”
She tilted her head, then rainbow strands of her hair blew gently in the wind as she gave me a toothy grin.
“You can say that.”
I was glad I’d brought her up here, especially if it meant convincing her to accept me for who I was and the hometree that I could provide for her.
Even if she still had her doubts and needed more time to think about it, nothing could change how she looked in the first light of the morning.
Her skin was the same color as the early sunlight on the thick clouds: glowing and alive. It made sense for her hair to be vibrant, the same combination of sunlight shining through the thick rain clouds after a powerful storm.
And her eyes… They were the same color as the dangerous predators for which we were constantly on the lookout. A rich brown that made me afraid I’d drown in it, trapped in their beauty.
Beautiful, cunning, and deadly—myluwaeriwas a lethal combination that I would worship until I returned to the cycle of life. She wore a pafeldae kill on her belt as proof that she should never be crossed.
“What do I have to do?”
“Put your lips on mine.”
She tilted her head, licking her lips as she reached for a different vine with her free hand and brought it to her mouth. She locked her gaze on mine, pressed her lips against it, and let out a long moan.
Shivers ran through my body, heating up places I’d never felt before as I struggled to breathe.
Something about the performance was wild and erotic...and I desired more.
“What was it?” I bit out, trying to gather myself.
The last thing I needed was to get lost in communication while attempting to interpret her display and mate with her right here on her balcony at the dawn of a new day.
“A kiss,” she chuckled, dragging her pink blunt tongue along the edge of my vine, making my eyes roll back in my head from the pleasure she gave me with such a simple motion. “Don’t you want to feel these lips on yours as our tongues dance with future promises?”
“I want to do more than this ‘kiss,’ but I won’t do it until you agree to seal our relationship—to accept Mother Tree’s gift to both of us.”
“First, let’s start with kissing and work our way up to something more.” She dragged her tongue along my vine once more, almost making my legs buckle with delight. “At the very least, I know a weakness of yours that I can exploit to get you to behave.”
“Behave?” My pupils dilated. “Do you call this punishment?”
“We shall see.” The mischievousness in her rich brown eyes as she licked her fingers clean was unmistakable. “What is the name of this pale green powder?”
“Ekila.” I gently trailed one of my vines across the bare part of my skin where no vegetation grew. I gathered some fine pale green powdery substance slowly and raised my finger for her to see. “My species has it as a defensive trait to keep others from eating us… Our bodies are covered in it, and if it is ingested by another, they will have no ill will toward us. Most beings simply become friendly, while others lose interest and walk away.”
“How does it keep others from eating you when it tastes so good?” As she stared at the vine that was still trapped with her other hand between my own, she dragged her tongue along her middle fingers. “Doesn’t it have to be repulsive?”
“You’re myluwaeri,” I drawled, taking in her title. “It is my responsibility to provide you with everything you require—”
“Everything?”
“Correct.” I nodded, hovering one of my vines with a fuchsia and teal flower end near her face. “Not only do I provide you with a suitable hometree, but a few of my vines are equipped to look after you.
“These flowers can pour rich nutritional nectar for you to drink your fill, ensuring that you will never need to leave this hometree if you don’t want to. While the other vines are intended to provide you with pleasure while we mate and I plant my seed within you.”
“Plant your seed, huh?” Her cheeks darkened, reminding me of the color of clouds at sunset—warm, bright, and welcoming. “We’ll see about that.”
“Are you sick?”
My body stiffened as I became fully aware of her health. I scooped Viola off her feet and quickly opened the balcony vine door, carrying her over the swing bed.
It was a good reason why I had always kept this room ready for when the Mother Tree would bestow myluwaerion me. I couldn’t let my fated one become ill before I could kiss her. She’d definitely turn down whatever I had to offer her.
