“Don’t,” I whispered. “Please.”
Arokan took my hand and pressed it to Kailon’s snout, though my whole body tensed.
“I am sorry about your mother, Luna,” he said in my ear. “But know this…Kailon is loyal to me. Kailon has saved my life many times. Now, he is as much yours as he is mine. He will serve you if you ask him, he will be bound to you if you ask him. He will never harm you so you never have to fear him. They are intelligent creatures, sometimes more intelligent than we are.”
Kailon’s scales felt cool beneath my hand, but Arokan’s hand felt hot.
“I know you fear them. I feel your body shaking, feel your heart thundering in your chest,” he whispered, but I never took my eyes away from Kailon’s. “You make me proud,kassikari.”
My breath hitched, surprise washing through me.
“You fear them, but you are here. That should make you proud too,” he told me.
He was being kind again. And just like last time, I didn’t know if I liked it. Because it made me feel things I shouldn’t.
Finally, I turned my head to look directly into Arokan’s eyes. They were so black that I saw my reflection in them, that I saw Kailon’s reflection in them.
I thought about what Hukan said—that I would never be strong enough to stand at Arokan’s side—and I thought about what she’d offered me to leave him—my old life.
I thought about telling him about Hukan’s betrayal, but I kept my mouth shut on that subject. She was still his family and I would need to tread lightly.
“Stop being nice,” I whispered.
His grin made my belly warm. “I forget that you do not like it,kalles.”
He released me then and I let my hand glide away from Kailon’s snout. Arokan said something in Dakkari—a command—and hispyrokiobeyed, wandering off to eat.
When I felt like I could breathe again, I realized that many eyes were on us. Thepyrokimaster, Mirari and Lavi, the two guards assigned to me, the two Dakkari males who’d been speaking with Arokan, in addition to members of the horde that had been wandering by at the time.
My cheeks flamed, wondering if they’d seen my fear, hoping they hadn’t.
When I looked at Arokan, he was back inVorakkarmode, looking down at me with his stoic expression, so unlike the teasing warmth of his voice a moment before.
You make me proud,kassikari,he’d said.
I nodded up at him and whispered, “Thank you.”
He inclined his head and a moment later, he turned and left.
I watched him go, watched him return to the Dakkari males and they resumed onwards towards wherever they’d been going. I bit my lip, swallowing, before turning back to the pen.
Thepyrokimaster called out, “You have many to groom still,Morakkari,before the sun falls!”
I sighed, set my sights on the nextpyroki—one that seemed more docile and quiet than the rest—and slowly made my approach.
It was going to be a long day.
I was squirmingin the bathing tub as my husband petted my body at his leisure.
For once, he’d finished with his duties around camp early and had come to wait for me at thepyrokienclosure around dusk, seemingly content to watch me interact with the creatures. Afterwards, he’d led me to our tent, where a hot bath and a hot meal had already been waiting.
I’d scarfed down the dinner in record time, ravenous after my long afternoon with thepyroki, and then he’d promptly stripped me and carried me into the tub with him.
And after a thorough washing of us both, Arokan now seemed content to simply run his clawed fingers up and down my body, touching me in places that made my sex quiver, but doing nothing more.
Though he was hard and aching against my backside, he simply caressed me.Teasedme.
And I bit my lip through it all, not wanting to give into him, not wanting him to know that Iwantedsomething more.
