But I was beyond laughter when I looked up at him.
“Are you frightened, Luna?” he asked me and I stilled when I heard my name fall from his lips, so unexpected that for a moment, I forgot my nerves. Forgot everything.
Then I remembered. Remembered who I was, why I’d come here. Remembered the young girl that had been forced to grow up too soon, remembered the years of hard work, of hard struggle, to provide for Kivan in an unfair universe.
I was strong.
IwasLuna. NotkallesorMissikiorMorakkari. At least not yet.
Luna.
Bright stars shone down, glimmering in the absence of the moon light. Some of the stars I didn’t recognize. Some of them only made their appearance when the moon was dark.
“I am,” I whispered, which was difficult to say. Iwasfrightened. I wouldn’t pretend otherwise.
I’d grown up trying to put on a strong front, trying to lie to myself that everything was alright, for Kivan’s sake. But right then I realized I didn’t need to lie anymore. I didn’t need to protect Arokan from the truth and I certainly didn’t need to impress him.
It was…freeing.
I could be strong and still be frightened. That night, I just needed to be brave and I would be.
Arokan inclined his head in acknowledgment, but didn’t say anything in reply, which I was surprisingly thankful for. Instead, he made a clicking sound in the back of his throat and hispyrokiinclined his head, bowing so that it would be easier for me to climb on.
Remembering the unforgiving hardness of riding apyroki, I hesitated. Truthfully, I would rather parade myself naked around the entire camp than get on the back of the intimidating creature again, but Arokan was watching me, studying me.
So I climbed on with the help of the horde king, though I surely flashed him in the process. The short skirt barely concealed my lower half and with my thighs splayed wide over thepyroki’sback, I felt exposed and on display.
With a grace and experienced ease, Arokan swung himself up behind me, those thick thighs bracing on both sides of my body, encasing my own.
Stiffening in the seat, I gasped when Arokan reached around and pressed his hand to my bare sex, cupping it. Warmth from his hand heated me, registered, and my cheeks flamed when I asked, “What are you doing?”
“No male will see you here,” he growled. “This is only forme.”
“Then maybe you should have given me a longer skirt,” I returned, though my voice sounded a little strangled.
Arokan made a grunting sound and curled his fingers, making me straighten, making my nipples tighten evenfurther, if possible. “I did not want to.”
My eyes narrowed—maddeningmale—but I bit my tongue when he urged thepyrokiforward.
The jolting, rocking motion of thepyrokiwas both familiar and strange, but every step it took pushed Arokan’s hand against me more, making me swallow, making me aware of my shallow breathing.
Perhaps it was best that I focused on that hand, as opposed to everything else that would come that night. Perhaps that was part of the reason why he’d done it. To distract me from my nerves.
So, I stayed, rigid and still, on top of thepyrokias Arokan guided it towards the front of the camp.
That glow that I’d noticed early became more and more pronounced and when thepyrokirounded a tent, riding onto the main alley of the narrow road, I realized what that glow was.
My breath hitched, startled, when I saw all the Dakkari, all members of Arokan’s horde, lining the makeshift road of the camp. Females, males, children, all holding glowing, parchment-thin lanterns with something bundled inside it that I couldn’t make out.
All roads of the camp, the same route that Arokan had taken when he’d presented me, were filled with Dakkari.
The warm glow reflected in their dark eyes as hispyrokiled us through. It was completely silent and the only sounds were the gentle breeze whistling through the tents and the crunch of thepyroki’s hooves on the dirt.
It was beautiful. Surprisingly peaceful and dizzyingly beautiful.
The Dakkari reached out with their free hand as we passed, pressing them over thepyroki’sside and over both our legs, just like that first night. Hundreds of hands brushed my flesh but I continued to look around at all the surrounding Dakkari, into their eyes, searching forsomething.
They would only meet my eyes for a brief moment before they looked away, but I realized that they did the same for Arokan. It wasn’t discomfort that had them unable to hold my eyes, I realized.
