Page 43 of Serpent In White

I hear Perry as he’s coming in from cleaning the table, thinking about how hot Kiara is. His thoughts are rather perverse, and it has me blushing as a grin sweeps over my face.

Wow, this is crazy. How do they listen to people without it affecting them?

Then I remember how Head Priest glared at me yesterday, and it brings warmth to my chest. He was affected by my thoughts… if even just a little.

Gina turns to face me as I’m shaking away Perry’s thoughts about various places on Kiara’s body he’d like to put his dick. “Hey, kid. What are you doing here on your day off?”

“I was just out for a walk.” I pull up a grin for her. “Figured I’d stop by and see what you guys made.”

Gina shakes her head through a chuckle, then she nudges a plate across the counter in my direction. “Ryle made some delicious spiced fish.”

“This isn’t yours?” I ask, already digging into the plate while she smirks.

“You’re good to go, hippo. The rest of us ate.”

She calls mehipposometimes because I’m always hungry. Apparently,Outsidethere’s a game where four hippos try to eat as many balls as they can, and whoever gets the most wins. It sounds ridiculous, but Gina says she used to play it when she was little.

I smile at her with my eyes while digging into the fish. We have an abundance of trout that stick to the north side of the lake, and they’re delicious in many preparations.Gotta love the fisherman.

I have an early memory of my dad taking me fishing, but after he passed I never went again.

The food is scrumptious, and I clear the plate in all of two minutes while they finish cleaning. Gina cracks open a bottle of ale, then hands me one. I hear her thinking about how much she loves me, and it startles me for a moment. My heart is overflowing with so many things, it takes me a minute to get past it.

But I do, swigging a large gulp of the delicious drink. “I don’t deserve this. I didn’t even work today.”

“I’m sure you were working in some fashion.” Gina smiles.He’s such a good kid. His parents would be proud.

I swallow, blinking at her as I take another big sip.

Would my parents be proud, though? I’ve been spying on Head Priest, seeking out his brother for drugs… Having my first sexual experience ever as a dirty little secret.

I don’t exactly feelgoodin this moment.

But still, I show Gina a kind smile and squeeze her shoulder, finishing the ale before heading for the doorway closest to the bathroom. “See you at reflection tonight?”

“We’ll be there if Paul isn’t too exhausted,” she answers, and I nod at her as I leave the room.

Voices assault my ears from every direction, most of them female, which must mean the wives are around somewhere. That’s the part that’s tripping me up; that I hear people even when they’re not standing directly in front of me, and I can’t get a handle on where they’re coming from.

Ignoring it, I use the restroom near the gym, and when I come out, I swing around the corner and bump right into a giant wall of muscle.

Abdiel,I hear my name in a cavernous voice.

My eyes lift, and I recoil under a deepening blue gaze.Darian. Head Priest. Shit…

“Uh, I’m sorry,” I stutter, trying to back up, though the wall is right behind me.

“Don’t be.” Something of a grin tugs at his lips. And it’s while he’s staring at me that I take in what he’s wearing…

Fitted gray sweatpants. That’s about it.

My teeth move uncontrollably over my lower lip as my eyes follow the wide plane of his chest, curves and divots, glistening with a bit of sweat. He must have been working out in the gym…

He pushes silky hair away from his forehead with his fingers. “I hope I didn’t get you sweaty…” My eyes spring back up to his, finding him watching my mouth closely.I bet that lip tastes like candy…

Swallowing fiercely, I grip the wall behind me to keep from falling backward.

He just thought that… aboutme. I heard him.He wants to tastemylip…?