Page 7

Chapter Six

Christian ~About Two Years Ago~

Miles tells me that running can be really good not only for a person’s heart and body, but also for their mind. Apparently, a lot of runners find a sort of euphoria when they run and they’re able to clear their minds.

I’m calling bullshit on this bullshit.

I’m practically wheezing as I go, just barely keeping my legs moving. Sweat pours down the side of my face and my shirt is almost completely soaked. I keep to the outskirts of town, heading in the direction of the water.

The plan is to either throw myself into the water to cool myself down or if I’m feeling especially dramatic, maybe I’ll just drown. That would put an end to my suffering at least.

The air starts to cool the closer I get to the water. Once the smell of salt hits my nose, I slow down, going from a jog into a brisk walk. I suck in as much air as I can, trying to get my lungs to stop burning.

I realize way too late that as my feet hit the sand, I’m not alone. There’s a figure sitting in the sand, staring out across the water. Their back is to me but I would recognize this person anywhere.

Ghenie’s long, platinum hair is braided down his back in a very pretty, intricate design.

His shoulders slump forward and he rests his face against his hands.

For a moment, worry rises up inside of me but I quickly push it back down.

Ghenie doesn’t care if I worry about him.

He has so much going on, why the fuck would he care what I’m feeling?

“I didn’t picture you as the type of guy to bury his toes in the sand,” I say, taking off my shoes and socks so I can walk in the sand.

It’s not a lie. Ghenie seems like he’s always working, whether it's talking to his people, planning events, or negotiating with other planets. I don’t think I’ve ever seen him do something fun that was just for him.

Ghenie’s body goes rigid before he’s looking over his shoulder at me. My stomach sinks as I see his bloodshot eyes and lines of tears drying on his cheeks.

“Umm. Shit. I can go if you’d like.”

“It is a public beach,” he says stiffly. “You are free to stay if you’d like.”

It sounds like he’s giving me permission to be here which really rubs me the wrong way. What is it about Ghenie that always drives me up the wall? He could tell me the color of the sky and I’d still look up to double check he wasn’t pulling a fast one on me.

I flop down in the sand beside him, looking out across the water with him. I’m still sweaty as fuck and probably smell awful but I don’t really give a shit. Why would I want to impress Ghenie?

“What’s wrong?”

“It is nothing,” he says right away, completely lying through his pretty white teeth. “It is the burden that comes with being Toralleh .”

I snort. And then I immediately feel bad for snorting. Jesus, I really am an asshole, aren’t I? “Speak to me in terms I would understand. What’s so bad about being the leader?”

“You would not understand.”

I grit my teeth. “Try me. I’m more than just a dumbass human. I also have a very pretty face.”

Ghenie swivels his head and looks over at me, his bloodshot eyes narrowing. I don’t think I’ve ever met someone so unamused by my antics. That only serves to make me want to poke him more.

“The voices,” he finally says. “They’re loud and overbearing and I cannot stop them from shouting. They are persistent and angry and I am overwhelmed ,” he says, his voice catching on the last word. “I would like a break, just to exist, just for a moment.”

“The voices?”

“Yes, Christian. The voices of our Ancestors. They live on through me and someday, they will live on through the next Toralleh . Over and over and over, a cycle that has never been broken since it began. A living vessel who embodies the Ancestors, their wishes, and leads our people through them.” Ghenie buries his face in his hands. “It is an endless, thankless job.”

Suddenly, I see him in a completely different light.

I always assumed he had it all together.

I thought he just saw himself above everyone around him.

It turns out, there’s been a huge weight on his shoulders, holding him down until all he could do was hold his head up high so he wouldn’t drown in it.

He doesn’t just have it all together, he’s somehow learned to rise above it all. Ghenie isn’t just beautiful, he’s glorious . The amount of strength he must have not only to be chosen for this role but to be able to execute it without it breaking him? I’m in awe.

“I shouldn’t have said anything,” Ghenie says quickly, wiping the tears from his face. Before I can say anything, he stands up and starts stripping out of his clothes.

“What are you doing?”

“I am going to swim my worries away,” Ghenie says like it’s obvious. And maybe it is to him.

I should look away. I should look literally anywhere but my eyes are glued to him, watching as each piece of clothing falls into the sand at his feet.

Ghenie’s skin practically glows with how pale it is, iridescent against the white sand and blue water.

His back is strong and toned, his arms built like he’s capable of picking me up over his shoulder.

His legs go on for days. His tail swings back and forth and my eyes follow the movement.

Then he wraps it around his own waist, getting it out of the way as he finishes stripping.

When his pants drop, I can’t help but look at his ass.

I bite my bottom lip. His ass cheeks look like they would be the perfect handful.

I’m hard in an instant against my permission, all the blood leaving my head to race to my cock.

Maybe that’s why I feel lightheaded with affection all of a sudden.

Ghenie is strong and kind, despite the shit his Ancestors have given him. Even when I’m throwing jabs at him, he still shows me kindness. I could learn a thing or two from him.

Also, he’s more than easy on the eyes, he’s beautiful.

Feelings wash over me. There’s the obvious feeling of lust that comes from looking at a sexy, naked man, but there’s more than that.

There’s a soft warmth budding inside my chest, like a newly blossomed rose opening up for the first time.

It’s terrifyingly small and in need of sheltering.

It buries into my chest where I can’t quite reach it, unable to pluck it before it can really sink its roots in.

I can admit that I want him. I want him in my bed. I want him in my life. I have feelings for him. The kind that make your insides squirm and your chest warm. The kind that make you want to be a better man.

Jesus Christ. What’s gotten into me? I thought I hated his guts but it turns out, I was harboring a school boy level crush!

Ghenie looks over his shoulder, finding me staring at his ass. I have enough self awareness to blush at being caught but not enough to stop looking. He raises his brow.

Before, that look would have had me growling with annoyance, but now, my chest does a funny little flip. It’s like a button has been pressed and now I can’t stop seeing Ghenie through a new lens. I’ve seen a side of him that makes the picture in my head grander, make more sense.

“Will you be joining me? Just a swim. Nothing more.”

I only have to think about it for a second before I’m nodding. “Hell yeah. I need to cool down after,” I pause, finally looking away from his ass. “After my run.”

I swear he’s smirking at me before he’s running into the water. I make quick work of my clothes before following behind.