Page 6 of Grounded (Convergence #1)

Thaxvarien stared down at the amulet his mother had given him.

The blue stone was converged, imbued with protection.

He had taken it to comfort her, but after his arrival at the fortress, the amulet had started to comfort him.

Not because of the protection it offered, but because of who had given it to him.

It was a piece of home and a symbol of his mother's love. Which made it precious to him.

And she had returned it.

A Medean doing him a favor. Just a common courtesy.

Returning property lost. Nothing huge. It wasn't as if she had saved his life.

And yet it felt that big. Thaxvarien replayed her words in his mind and cursed, low and long.

He had seen and heard what he wanted to.

No, not what he wanted, but what he expected.

She was right—he had made assumptions about her.

His stare lifted, going straight to the Medean's pert backside as she marched away from him, wrapped in righteous indignation.

Sweet magic, that woman was incredible—her ass, her attitude, all of her.

All right, so maybe it was what he wanted, but only after she had started to speak.

It had been so damn surprising—that surge of attraction.

She felt it too. Thaxvarien had seen it in her eyes.

Felt it in her core. Oh, fuck. He had grabbed her womanhood.

Poked his fingers into her. And kissed her.

He was worse than the women who'd been after him.

He hadn't just harassed her; Thaxvarien had assaulted her.

A chief! He was going to get punished for this. Big time. And he fucking deserved it.

Yet all of his horror and guilt were focused on her.

On that woman's wellbeing. Her feelings.

He didn't give a shit about what he'd be facing.

Fuck! Regret coated his throat like oil.

Only after she was out of sight did Thaxvarien crouch to retrieve his amulet.

He stood up, held it in the palm of his hand, and stared at it.

He'd always been a happy person. Even when he protested Aethari laws, he'd done so without rancor.

He wanted only to make things better for his people.

He didn't hold the council members responsible.

They hadn't written the laws. No, the only people he wanted to hurt were the Nethren.

But he had hurt that woman. She said she was a chief. That was all he knew about her. Fuck! He squeezed his fist around his amulet. He didn't even ask her name. And he had pushed her against the wall and kissed her.

That kiss.

His wings lowered as another emotion replaced the guilt.

Arousal. Correction: it didn't replace the guilt but overshadowed it.

Thaxvarien had been aroused from the second he had seen her walking up to him in her running gear.

The woman had some serious curves. Heart speeding up, he recalled the way she had looked at him—first in anger, and then in lust. She wanted him.

He was certain of it. And that suddenly meant everything to Thaxvarien.

Maybe he could turn this horrible encounter into something good.

“Fuck me,” Thaxvarien whispered. “I want a Medean.”

Great Source, did he want her. Thaxvarien wanted her more than anything or anyone.

She was just so vivid! So alive. Her hair had been pulled back, the rich brown length curling at the ends of her ponytail.

But he remembered seeing her in the dining hall earlier that day.

She had her hair down then, and the energy lights had brought out the red in those dark locks.

More of that image came through and added to what he had just seen.

One plus one equals goddess. Thick, long, glossy hair.

Gleaming blue eyes with depths of indigo and flecks of turquoise.

Full lips. Oh, those lips. He'd never felt anything so soft against his mouth.

Her fair skin had been flushed when they broke their kiss.

And she had reddened further during her verbal attack.

Thaxvarien chuckled. It was absolutely not appropriate, but he couldn't stop himself. Her anger had stomped his into smithereens. She had banished his fury and brought him back to himself. And the woman barely came up to his shoulders.

“I'm impressed, Chief.” Thaxvarien tied his amulet back around his neck. “And I intend to impress you as well. First, I'm going to learn your name. Then I'll make you scream mine.” Thaxvarien strode off in the same direction his chief had taken.