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“You are the one who I almost stabbed my dagger into, though.”

“You wouldn't have.” She says the words quietly but firmly, like she knows I’d never be capable of hurting her. “You’re not that kind of male.”

If she only knew the horrific things I’ve done. She only sees the Commander and the Lord. She hasn’t seen how hard and vicious I had to be to get here. I don’t want her to see it.

“Do you want to talk about it?” she asks.

“No,” I rasp. “You’re brave to come in here and wake me.”

“Figured I’d return the favor when you save me from my own mind.”

Her hair is pulled up and piled on top of her head with a few strands of hair loose. It’s the first time I’ve seen it like that. The graceful column of her neck is exposed and the desire to pull her toward me and bury my face against it is so strong I have to dig my fingertips into the mattress on my other side.

I should say something. But all I can do is stare at her.

“I should probably go back to my room.” She catches her lower lip with her teeth.

“It would probably be best.” My hand is still on her leg. I should move it, but I can’t bring myself to.

With a quick smile she shifts her body from my touch and slides off my bed. “Lay down,” she directs me.

“Why?”

“I’m going to do what humans do for each other when they need comfort.”

My mind goes places it has no business going.

“Not like that,” she laughs.Stars, her laughter kills me.“Just trust me.”

“Do you trust me?” I ask as I follow her orders and lie down.

“Probably more than I should.”

She lifts the covers up and over my torso, tucking them around me. Then she wraps her arms around me in an embrace. Her head fits perfectly between my jaw and shoulder, like this is where she belongs. My blood roars with the need to claim her, heat and desire battling with all the control I can muster.

“Your heart is still racing.” She puts a hand over where it beats against the cage of bone protecting it. After too short a time, she sits back up. “I used to have a small toy bear, which is an animal on earth, that was fuzzy and soft. I’d sleep with it every night, and it always brought me comfort. Too bad I don’t have anything like that for you with me.”

“Too bad,” I manage to say. The words I actually want to share are that she brings me all the comfort I need. Especially the thought of her curled beside me in my bed. “How’d you get the bear?”

“My father left it with me when he dropped me off on Oculus Nine.” She opens my bedroom door. “Sleep well, Raiz.”

“Sleep well,” I reply.

I don’t move, too afraid to displace her scent hovering in the air around me. Fuck, she smells good. I drag in greedy breath after greedy breath, hoping it’ll sate my ever-growing appetite for her.

CHAPTER14

NEEV

* * *

Clouds once again cover the crimson sky, but the thought of staying inside another day makes me want to peel my skin from my bones. Grabbing one of the shorter cloaks from my armoire, I throw it over my shoulders and head for the balcony with stairs down to the beach. The stone beneath my feet is wet from the rain, but my feet are going to get wet when I wade into the sea anyway.

Who knows when I’ll be able to spend hours a day next to the ocean again. If I end up back on Oculus Nine, it definitely won’t be anytime soon. I step onto the beach and my feet sink into the black sand. This planet is so different from the busy ecumenopolis that is Calindrea.

Frothy, small swells wash ashore beckoning me toward the water’s edge. I dip my toes in cautiously, not knowing how cold the water is. It’s chilly but not as cold as I was expecting so I step out further. Tiny, purple fish swim past my legs when I’m knee deep. I don’t want to risk going out any further when the current pulls the sand from beneath my feet with each wave.

“Watch out, those bite.” Raiz points at the fish still swimming near my legs.