I gasped. It was louder than I'd intended. “Gods, that's--that's so sad.” I gulped. “Poor Tanekan.”
Our hands clenched together hard. It didn't hurt. It was more like we were both dangling off a cliff and holding on to the other for our lives. It was a grip that went beyond physicality and mortality. People held on like that with the kind of strength that came from another place, somewhere inside that ran like the deepest of rivers needing to find each other, to discover connection.
That grip emboldened me. “What is Tanekan saying?”
“Not very much.” Tane’s smile grew. “And a lot.”
I spoke softly. “I want to know. Tell me.” What did it mean that his dragon was talking again? Only something good, I thought. Only something really good.
“That he likes you, too.”
“I wish I could actually talk to him.”
“You can. I can translate. Or maybe one day I can shift and you can talk to him then. But he won't be able to talk back."
“One day I was looking out the window and I saw you shift. So, I have seen him fly.”
“You little spy.” Tane chuckled.
“I wasn't trying to spy. But I'm glad I saw. He's beautiful and so big.”
“I can say he's very flattered at your words.”
“Thank you for offering to one day shift in front of me. I know it can be very personal for some. Where I'm from some people only shift in private and not in public. But others don't care and throw big shifter parties. Everyone's different.”
“It's not that different here. I guess people are people no matter where they're from.”
“I would very much like to see you shift.” I rubbed my thumb against his.
Tane’s eyes widened. Suddenly, he lifted our hands, turned them so my hand was closest to him, leaned down and kissed it. Lightly. Just a brushing of lips.
It felt like my body exploded yet I continued to sit beside him unmoving, still whole.
At that very moment, with very bad timing, Elias walked into the room and spoke. “Dinner will be served in an hour. Will that be all right?”
Tane quickly let go of my hand and turned to face his butler. “That will be perfect.”
He turned back to me and said, “I need a shower after all our hard work. Will you excuse me?”
I nodded, speechless. He’d just given me a kiss, then acted like he didn’t notice. Inside, I was coming apart. From one kiss to the hand. I couldn't speak. I had no air. Had that really happened? But I could still feel his mouth against my bare skin and the faintest touch of his warm breath.
Without waiting for any response from me, Tane got up leaving his coffee behind and walked out of the room.
I sat motionless staring at the fire not knowing what else to do. Everything had narrowed down in my vision to a pinpoint of orange flickering flame on the hearth. And inside me.
I wanted him. Just for one night. That was all. But he'd gotten up and left me without a word.
18
Tane
Iturned on the shower to cold and forced myself to walk under the force of water. Unbearable pain shot through me. The shrill shriek I let out was a sound an alpha should never make.
But the pain brought me back to my senses. When everything was clearer, I quickly turned on the hot water. I shut my eyes against the onslaught and thought back to what had just happened in the den.
What the hell?
Tanekan answered.
