“Lock the door,” he ordered. “And no matter what I say or do, don’t open it until the Mating Flight is over.”
“How will I know when it’s over?” I demanded.
“You’ll feel it,” he said shortly. “We both will.”
Then he shut the door behind me, leaving me in the small dark room, wondering what in the world had just happened between us and if he had any idea of my secret and who and what I really was.
42
AURORA
The small echoing room was a private bathing chamber.
I locked the door and sat on the closed seat of the toilet, shivering in the darkness and waiting for the all-consuming lust I felt to fade.
I’m ashamed to say I lost count of how many times I touched myself. But every time I came, the lust only returned, stronger than ever, until I was sore between my legs from rubbing so much and I felt like I was going crazy!
Outside, I could hear Ryse groaning and wondered if he was doing the same thing I was. I kept reliving his kiss—so hard and delicious—the frantic press of his lips against mine and the way his tongue tasted spicy and hot…
Stop it! I told myself sternly. He didn’t mean to kiss you! He still thinks you’re a boy!
At least, I hoped that he did. I still didn’t know what he was thinking—only that I wanted him with everything that was in me and I could never have him.
At last, when the first edges of light were creeping through the window-slit in the stone wall high above, my body stopped reacting. The crazed lust seemed to fade and with it, all my energy.
I moaned tiredly and looked for somewhere to lay down and try to get some rest. If I could just shut my eyes for a few minutes, I was sure I would feel so much better…
I was eyeing the tub, which was long enough to lay down in if I curled on my side but also would probably be cold, since it was made of stone, when a knocking came on the bathroom door.
I quickly rinsed my hands in the sink and wiped them on a towel before going to the door and asking,
“Ryse?”
“Yes, it’s me.” His voice sounded hoarse with fatigue. “It’s all right now. It’s safe—you can open the door,” he told me. “I won’t hurt you,” he added in a low voice, and I thought I heard shame in his tone.
Slowly, I opened the door. I still wasn’t sure if he knew he’d touched my breast last night…or if maybe he thought he’d imagined it. I was hoping for the latter. My Dragon Glass pendant was still firmly around my neck, and I had spent some time earlier rubbing it and reminding it I was supposed to look like a male.
“Hello,” I said tentatively as I stood in the doorway and looked up at him.
“Hello.” There were dark circles under his golden eyes, which were now bloodshot, as well as thick black stubble on his jaw.
His face looked as tired as his voice sounded, I thought. It was clear he’d been up all night, the same way I had. As for if he’d been dealing with the waves of lust the same way I had…well, I didn’t want to ask about that.
“I’m sorry about last night,” Ryse said at last. “I don’t…don’t know why I kissed you like that. I’m not someone who likes other males,” he added, which gave me hope that he didn’t know my secret.
“I’m not either,” I said, which was technically true, since I wasn’t really a male myself.
“Everything was…it was crazy.” He shook his head. “I’ve never felt a Mating Flight like that.”
“So…that wasn’t normal?” I asked tentatively.
He shook his head again.
“No—not nearly. It’s not usually that…intense.”
“I’m surprised you could feel it—Chud Larson said…he said…” But then my voice broke, and I found, to my horror, that I was right on the verge of tears.
“Said what?” Ryse’s eyes narrowed. “That fucker—I should have killed him!”
