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He’s probably upset with me. Sh-should I just explain a little bit about it?At least enough to ensure he knew it wasn’t hisfault, and that her rejection hadn’t come from a place of disgust at him.

She knew her answer immediately: she had to be fair to him, even if it hurt her chest.

“About before...” she started, eyeing him warily as he came closer. She frowned when he picked up her special shell from the beach. “A-about before, it’s not your fault...”

Her frown deepened when he picked up her shoes, then her water sack, before grabbing her bag. He placed them inside it. Then he gave Linh the satchel, and she took it while rather confused.

“Are we going somewhere?” she asked when he offered out his hand.

Wanting to show him she did, in fact, trust him, she put her hand in his big palm. She immediately noted how soft it was, even compared to her own, and how it swallowed her up. He gingerly lifted her to her feet, only to put his arms behind her so he could lift her into a safe cradle.

“Nathair?” she asked, eyeing the ground.

He started slithering towards the lake, and not the cave opening. She knew where it led: his pond. With every millisecond that passed, her heart doubled its speed. Realisation dawned, and her entire being went cold.

“No!” she screamed, shoving at his chest, his face, anywhere she could to separate them. He gave her the tiniest growl, and renewed tears instantly welled as she kicked and punched at him. “No! I don’t want to.”

Ignoring her, he began to drop into the water.

Frantic, desperate to stay on the land, she grabbed a jutting rock. She kicked him in the head before he could submerge her, and it forced him to let her go. A guttural noise tore from the Duskwalker, but she refused to listen as she scrambled to get away from him.

Linh, with tears freely falling, clawed at the rock with all her might.

Betrayal stung her chest so intensely she thought her squeezing, fright-filled heart would give out.

With a snarl, angry at himself and not at her, Nathair leapt forward and grabbed her ankle. She screamed when he dragged her across the ground and back towards the water.

It’d taken him hours. Long, agonising, conflicting hours to make this decision.

As much as he wanted to keep this little female, this cute creature that desired his protection, she couldn’t stay. No matter what he felt towards her – affection, fondness, desire, friendship – she wasn’t safe.

He was bound to hurt her; he’d already done so.

He was too unstable, too large, toodifferent.

Nathair had tried to convince himself otherwise; maybe they could resolve his fractured mind and he could speak to her. He wanted to believe he could win her heart, obtain her soul, and make this alluring creature his bride.

The moment she sat in his nest, the nagging, deep-seated yearning clung to his scales like water. Linh as his female. For him to treasure, cherish, and covet. To protect, touch, and marvel at like a gem sparkling in the sunlight.

But she didn’t want that, and he was too much of a monster to know that would not bode well.

Nathair was a Mavka.

They were stupid. Emotional. They thought with instincts rather than with sense.

He had just enough lucidity and humanity to know that if she smelt of arousal again, if she climbed into his nest again, he was doomed. She was doomed.

It was better they parted ways now, before she could envenom his heart even more with her wiles, her smile, and her lovely voice and scent.

“Please!” she squealed, sobbing. “Please don’t make me leave!”

Linh kicked, threatening to strike him in the skull again, and his sight shifted to dark orange.Why does she have to fight?She didn’t truly want to be here, not if she knew what he wanted.Why does she fight?She should be fucking running away from him!

She shouldwantto be freed.

She was the most confusing captive. It was like she’d lured herself here. And her squirming was notaidingher. It only made his sight threaten to shift to red in hunger.

He let her go when it was too much. When the grip of invisible hands wrung at his brain to try to enrage him. Clutching the side of his skull, he shuddered at the vile thoughts of tearing her limb from limb.