rising from the
sitting bench. He turned and faced her, and the flickering flames illuminated
his face. Even if she hadn’t been able to see Lukin’s face, she’dhave known it was the youngest brother. He
moved closer, and she took one step back, not because she was afraid, but
because it was like an instinct.
“You weren’t going to try to leave, were you?” he
said with an almost tired tone in his voice.
Minka shook her head, but then licked her lips and said, “No, of course not. I’m not
an idiot.”
He moved closer.
“I know that I’m safer with you three.”
He nodded, and when he stopped in front of her she
inhaled deeply, like she was instinctively bringing him into her body. “That’s good,
because you are,” he said and reached up. He snagged a lock of her hair, held
it up to the light, and rubbed the strands between his fingers. When Lukin dropped her hair and it landed back on her shoulder
he took a step back. “There isn’t anyone on this planet, or in this galaxy,
that will protect you the way we will.”
“I know.” And she did, without a doubt, which was as
strange as it was comforting. She knew this because she felt it deep in her
body, in her bones and cells—in the very make-up of her soul. She relied on her
instincts to help her survive, to have her keep moving away from threats, and
give her strength to fight when she needed to. Her instincts were telling her
that these men really would lay down their lives for her if it meant she would
survive another day. A part of her couldn’t wrap her brain around that because
she didn’t know them, or really understand this whole mate and breeding
mentality. That wasn’t how humans were programmed, but if she wanted to make
this work she needed to accept that this was her fate, and that it could be a
lot worse.
“I couldn’t sleep,” she said softly, not knowing why
she even spoke. Maybe she just wanted to break up this weird silence that
stretched between them? She looked over at the bench he had been lying on. “You
slept out here?”
He was silent for a moment, and then exhaled. “I
couldn’t sleep either.” He stared into her face, and despite the fact she
couldn’t see him very well, she had a feeling he saw her as easily as if the
sun was in the room with them. “I usually leave for a few hours when everything
is silent, and my brothers are asleep. It lets me think and clears my head.”
The silence stretched between them for a second. “But I know you need plenty of
water, and I was going to go out tonight and stock up.”
She swallowed, and her mouth and throat were so very
dry, but not because she was thirsty, but because this male made her feel
strange in a good way.
“Are you hungry? Thirsty?” he asked just as softly,
but because his voice was so deep it seemed much louder in this great cavern.
“No.” She held onto the hide tighter and felt sweat
start to bead between her breasts.
Lukin tilted his head to the side and examined her like she was some kind of
experiment. “I can assume how difficult all of this is for you.”
“Can you?” She didn’t say it with an attitude, but
was genuinely curious if he really did understand what she could be feeling.
“Well, I guess I have never been in your situation,
so I can only imagine. But you’re probably frightened, confused, and not
knowing how everything will play out.” He smiled, and she realized that that
small act changed his entire “demon-like” appearance. He seemed almost softer.
They stared at each other for a few seconds, and
then she found the courage to ask him. “Can I go with you?”
“You want to go with me to fetch water?”
She nodded. “Yes. I just want to get out of here,
see the planet that is my new home, and clear my head.”
He didn’t respond for a moment, and then exhaled.
“That is not a good idea, Minka . It is dangerous out
there—”
“I trust you,” she said without hesitance, and she
did, with her life.
He
sitting bench. He turned and faced her, and the flickering flames illuminated
his face. Even if she hadn’t been able to see Lukin’s face, she’dhave known it was the youngest brother. He
moved closer, and she took one step back, not because she was afraid, but
because it was like an instinct.
“You weren’t going to try to leave, were you?” he
said with an almost tired tone in his voice.
Minka shook her head, but then licked her lips and said, “No, of course not. I’m not
an idiot.”
He moved closer.
“I know that I’m safer with you three.”
He nodded, and when he stopped in front of her she
inhaled deeply, like she was instinctively bringing him into her body. “That’s good,
because you are,” he said and reached up. He snagged a lock of her hair, held
it up to the light, and rubbed the strands between his fingers. When Lukin dropped her hair and it landed back on her shoulder
he took a step back. “There isn’t anyone on this planet, or in this galaxy,
that will protect you the way we will.”
“I know.” And she did, without a doubt, which was as
strange as it was comforting. She knew this because she felt it deep in her
body, in her bones and cells—in the very make-up of her soul. She relied on her
instincts to help her survive, to have her keep moving away from threats, and
give her strength to fight when she needed to. Her instincts were telling her
that these men really would lay down their lives for her if it meant she would
survive another day. A part of her couldn’t wrap her brain around that because
she didn’t know them, or really understand this whole mate and breeding
mentality. That wasn’t how humans were programmed, but if she wanted to make
this work she needed to accept that this was her fate, and that it could be a
lot worse.
“I couldn’t sleep,” she said softly, not knowing why
she even spoke. Maybe she just wanted to break up this weird silence that
stretched between them? She looked over at the bench he had been lying on. “You
slept out here?”
He was silent for a moment, and then exhaled. “I
couldn’t sleep either.” He stared into her face, and despite the fact she
couldn’t see him very well, she had a feeling he saw her as easily as if the
sun was in the room with them. “I usually leave for a few hours when everything
is silent, and my brothers are asleep. It lets me think and clears my head.”
The silence stretched between them for a second. “But I know you need plenty of
water, and I was going to go out tonight and stock up.”
She swallowed, and her mouth and throat were so very
dry, but not because she was thirsty, but because this male made her feel
strange in a good way.
“Are you hungry? Thirsty?” he asked just as softly,
but because his voice was so deep it seemed much louder in this great cavern.
“No.” She held onto the hide tighter and felt sweat
start to bead between her breasts.
Lukin tilted his head to the side and examined her like she was some kind of
experiment. “I can assume how difficult all of this is for you.”
“Can you?” She didn’t say it with an attitude, but
was genuinely curious if he really did understand what she could be feeling.
“Well, I guess I have never been in your situation,
so I can only imagine. But you’re probably frightened, confused, and not
knowing how everything will play out.” He smiled, and she realized that that
small act changed his entire “demon-like” appearance. He seemed almost softer.
They stared at each other for a few seconds, and
then she found the courage to ask him. “Can I go with you?”
“You want to go with me to fetch water?”
She nodded. “Yes. I just want to get out of here,
see the planet that is my new home, and clear my head.”
He didn’t respond for a moment, and then exhaled.
“That is not a good idea, Minka . It is dangerous out
there—”
“I trust you,” she said without hesitance, and she
did, with her life.
He
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