Total pages in book: 118
Estimated words: 106646 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 533(@200wpm)___ 427(@250wpm)___ 355(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 106646 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 533(@200wpm)___ 427(@250wpm)___ 355(@300wpm)
I'm so damn ready for five minutes alone.
When I get into the cave, though, I stumble over a furry mound at the doorstep. With a squeak of distress, I face-plant onto the hard rock of the floor, even as glowing blue eyes narrow and gaze at me. A moment later, there's the pointed prick of a knife at my throat.
I swallow hard. "Um…who is this?"
A second pair of khui-blue eyes blink, and I hear a bone-cracking yawn. A small hand pats my arm. "Breecht," Pak says in a sleepy voice.
I let out a sigh of relief. "Jesus Christ, it's you, Pak." I glare at the second pair of blue eyes, because today is not the day. "And you must be Dad."
"Dada," Pak agrees. "Dada Pak Breecht."
"Right. I did say you could sleep here, didn't I?" Gingerly, I take the knife by the blade and tug it away from my throat. "Can we not do that? Thanks. I'm just here to do pottery and mope, though I guess that's off the menu if you guys are crashing here."
"Breecht," Pak says again with a yawn.
"That's me," I agree, sitting up. The smack onto the rocky floor of the cave didn't exactly help my mood, and now I've got a sore shoulder to boot. I rotate it a little, noticing that Dad's eyes stay locked on me in the dark, as if I'm a threat. "Sorry to interrupt nap time." I reach back to the rock shelf where I keep my candles and the striker, and light one up, just so they can see my face.
Sure enough, Pak and his dad are squeezed into my cave. They're using the extra furs I have in here for the nights when things get cold—furs that A'tam brought me, no less. And a quick glance over at my snack basket shows that it's been totally cleaned out. I can't be mad at that, though. We leave out food for them in baskets. They probably think any food laying around is fair game.
Pak's Dad—Juth—doesn't look thrilled for me to be here. He watches me with a wary expression, unlike Pak's open and trusting one. He looks at me as if I'm the one intruding, and I feel a little ridiculous. "I didn't realize you guys were here," I say quietly, knowing they can't understand me. "I'll go." I gesture to myself, then to the cave mouth. "I'll leave. You two stay here and keep warm. It's going to be cold tonight. Build a fire if you like." I point to the fire pit. "Actually, if you want me to build one for you—"
A low snarl echoes in from the entrance of the cave. Immediately, my khui starts thrumming madly, overwhelming my thoughts. I blank out, forgetting everything.
"B'shit," A'tam hisses as he stalks inside. He glares at Pak and Juth furiously. "She is my mate. Get away from her." His hands curl, his claws evident. "Mine!"
"Whoa, whoa, whoa." I jump to my feet, smack my head on the low ceiling of the cave, and wince. "A'tam, it's just a misunderstanding—"
"Your cheek bleeds. Who did this?" He pushes his way into the small cave, his presence overwhelming, and reaches over to touch my cheek with exquisitely tender fingers. "They hurt you?"
"No," I say softly. I'm trapped by the intensity in his eyes, the mixture of terror and longing and protective need. He's truly worried about me. "I tripped, A'tam. That's all it is."
I watch his nostrils flare as he tries to control his emotions. I know the khui is making us both a little crazy. Mine is singing so loud that it feels as if the entire cave is vibrating, and his is joining in. He gazes down at me, then forces himself to glance at his surroundings, at the too-crowded cave. "Do you want me to make them leave? So you can work?"
For some reason, that melts me. It's absolutely a dick move and yet he'd do it for me, just because I'm way more important to him than anything else. I put my hand on his chest. "A'tam, no. I offered to let them stay here when it's cold. They took me up on it. Please don't get upset."
His handsome face looks frustrated. "I do not like that they are taking this away from you. I want to fix it."
And I melt a little more. This is the A'tam I'm head over heels for, the protective-despite-politeness guy who wants to do what's best for me and not what's best for everyone around me. It makes me feel…understood.
I shake my head. "I invited them to stay when it gets cold. They're absolutely allowed to be here. I don't have to work on pottery tonight. It's not like I'm getting anywhere with it after all." I shrug and then reach down to take his hand. "They won't touch it, and if they do, it's nothing that can't be rebuilt." I don't mention that they ate all my snacks or that the furs they're bundled in are mine, too. It doesn't matter, and I'd gladly share with them. I like to think that A'tam would, too, if he was thinking clearly.