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Chapter Thirteen

VOLAN

M aya shakes within my arms. She clings to me, burying her face into my neck. Any other time, I would enjoy how close she’s pressing herself against me, but now concern for my little human overwhelms my instincts.

“Not long now,” I tell her as I hurry through the winding tunnels, keenly aware of my precious cargo. Though she emerged from the battle unharmed, she trembles in my arms, her skin chilled and clammy. Her breath is coming in short, shallow gasps. When I pressed my fingers to her wrist, her pulse thrummed rapidly beneath my fingertips.

“You are in shock,” I tell her. I’m not even sure she hears me. I’ve seen others go into shock before, usually after a grievous injury or losing a particularly hard battle. There are some who even experience it whenever they have to fight, though I’m sure many try to hide the fact that they are so weak.

When I look down at the small bundle in my arms, I realize she doesn’t feel weak. Despite her vulnerabilities, she stood up to terrifying creatures. She defended me, even when I didn’t ask for it. An insult…or an action from someone who cares.

“Don’t worry, I will take care of you. You’ll feel better soon,” I tell her.

As we descend deeper into the earth, the air becomes more humid. Small plants, much like those on the surface, grow along the walls here, gathering in areas of moisture and cracks between tiles. Normally, I enjoy the soft, welcoming light they emit, though now my concern is for Maya.

“Look how the plants shine when we draw near,” I murmur, keeping my voice low and steady. As we pass clusters and fronds of the plants, they glow brighter at our presence.

I glance down at Maya’s pale face, worry gnawing at my chest. She does not respond, limp in my arms, eyes glazed over and unfocused. When she begins to shiver violently, I clutch her closer to my chest to share my warmth.

I swallow hard, picking up my pace. With each step, my wounds ache, blood still dribbling down and spilling onto the ground. I revel in the pain, knowing that I am alive. I push through it, knowing that I will heal soon enough; none of my wounds are particularly bad or life-threatening.

I’ve been teasing and prodding Maya all day due to her delightful reactions, but have I finally pushed her beyond her limits?

Guilt weighs heavily on me for bringing her into these tunnels. I should have known better than to bring her into scamper’s territory. I barely paid them a consideration, distracted by my delightful companion instead. My carelessness—my selfishness—has put her in danger.

“We’re almost there,” I assure her. I no longer doubt the slight detour from our planned route. We both need time to heal and recover.

Then, I’ll do the right thing by her; I’ll take her to where she wants to go.

Soon, I spy what I am looking for—a simple sign hangs over a roughly carved doorway. The smooth walls of the tunnel fall away as I duck inside, and I’m careful to keep her body away from the rough cavern walls that surround us.

The hot springs.

Steam rises in wispy tendrils from the heated pools of water, filling the cave with a damp fog and beading on my skin.

I don’t pause, even though we are both still dressed. Carefully, I wade into the large pool. The scorching water embraces us and brushes over my wounds painfully, but I do not retreat. Hissing softly, I lower us both into the steaming bath, the water lapping hungrily at our bodies. I sink deeper into the hot water, until only my head is above the water, letting it soothe my aching muscles.

Maya lies limp at first as the hot water caresses her chilled limbs. But soon she begins to stir. Her eyelashes flutter, and she takes a slow, deep breath. Relief floods through me as life and awareness return to her face.

A profound satisfaction fills me when she doesn’t leave my side, instead choosing to rest her weight upon my lap. I think of unpleasant thoughts, desperate for my body not to respond to her physical presence. She needs rest, I remind myself, not a rutting. Yet, her presence feels so right, like something I’ve been missing all my life. Now that my terror for her is abating, I am filled with an overwhelming need to know she is well. I need to inspect her body for the smallest of injuries, I need to soothe her aches and pains, I need to feel her alive…ideally beneath me.

Maya rests her small hand against my chest, her slight touch piercing through the veil of desire.

“You rescued me,” she whispers. Her eyes jump between mine, searching. But for what? “You didn’t have to but…”

“I will always protect you,” I tell her. A smile spreads across my lips as I remember how my little halvi had fought bravely, attacking the scampers with her ranged weapon with an aggressiveness I had not expected from her. “I believe I should be thanking you. It was not you who needed rescuing. You were fearless.”

Maya sucks in a breath, her face an expression of disbelief.

By the lights, she is gorgeous. I love each of her expressions; how she lights up when she talks, how she is always challenging me with a scowl and pouting lips. My gaze drifts to them. They are softly parted now, her shallow breaths disturbing a droplet of glistening water and causing it to shimmer. Heat thrums through my body as I long to slide my tongue along that seam, to delve into her mouth and…

Her mouth slams over mine.

I’m taken back for a moment. After everything she’s been through, I’ve been worried she’s been pushed too far.

My body reacts before I can even process it; my arms tighten around her slight form, holding her tightly against me. This feels right. She feels right.

I press my lips against hers, one of my hands curling around the back of her neck and threading through her hair to hold her in place. I capture her gasp, breathing her air in as my own.

My tongue slides into her mouth, spearing into her heated depth. She moans against me, her hands clutching at my shoulders.

With fumbling hands, I begin pawing at her strange clothing, trying to figure out the foreign ties. I long to feel her skin beneath mine, to feel her softness press against me. I feel like a youngling, completely untried.

Maya jerks away from me, putting distance between us. The anxiety on her face is clear, yet so is the desire. She wants me… she just thinks she can’t have me. But why?

I blink as I process her retreat. I thought she wanted this, wanted me? Watching her swim such a short distance away from me is unexpectedly painful.

“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have done that,” she tells me. She looks at me, her eyes uncertain. It’s as if she fears my reaction.

Disappointment tinges the mood, but more than that, a pain assaults my chest at the realization that she does not trust me. Despite the battle with the scampers, I have not earned her loyalty.

And honestly, would I even deserve it? I may be leading her exactly where she wants to go, but it’s clear she doesn’t know what to expect. She doesn’t know the danger she walks to.

As I gaze at the female before me, I realize something. I want her more than anything I’ve ever wanted in my life. It’s not just some sexual thing either. I want all of her; her body and her soul. I want to hear her speak each of her thoughts, radical and strange. I want to see her pout when she fails, her smile when she overcomes a problem, and I definitely want to see the sparkle in her eye when she is challenged.

I want everything she’ll give me, and then some.

Too long have I been complacent in life, not fighting for what I really want. My little halvi is in trouble now.

I’m a prince, and I will take what I want.

She is mine.