Total pages in book: 159
Estimated words: 144433 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 722(@200wpm)___ 578(@250wpm)___ 481(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 144433 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 722(@200wpm)___ 578(@250wpm)___ 481(@300wpm)
I have not even admitted to Maeve that I want to abandon my title. What if she doesn't approve? What if she wants me to leave this planet and her behind? What if she truly feels our marriage is simply a temporary thing and she will be upset that I can't leave? Won't leave? She hasn't indicated how she feels about me.
Nassakth thinks that she has feelings, but Maeve has a caring heart. She would take in anyone that showed up on her doorstep, I think. It does not make me special. It is for that reason that I haven't said anything to her yet. I want to tell Nassakth my decision first. I want to see how he reacts.
The ride seemed like forever yesterday, but it is over all too quickly today. I wipe my sweaty hands on my clothes as I park the sled, and then approach the house. Before I can get to the door, it opens and a scowling Nassakth fills the entryway.
"You and your plant." His eyes are slits of anger. "My mate has been crying all morning because her hands bother her."
"Mine looks like one big blister," I point out. "It is exceedingly hideous on naked human skin. Maeve is utterly miserable."
He grunts, somewhat mollified. "You want the salve? It helps but you have to reapply it frequently."
I nod, and he indicates I should follow him inside. I trail after him, and he heads to the kitchen. Seated at a table are three cubs and his wife, her hands wrapped in gauze. They look like they are eating a meal, and one of the girls picks up a bread cake of some kind and chews on it.
"Is that the man with the bad wife, Daddy?" she asks.
"Maeve isn't to blame," Kim says, but she sounds tired. "I'm sure she didn't want this any more than I do."
I give the child a grave look. "I will punish her appropriately, do not worry." I am thinking spankings. Naughty spankings.
Nassakth hands me a jar of a gluey-looking substance. "Here. Take it and go. I have to feed my cubs."
Snagging the jar, I pause. "I have made up my mind. I need to know what comes next."
Nassakth puts a hand on my shoulder. "That's the thing. Only you can decide that."
CHAPTER
NINETY-EIGHT
MAEVE
You never appreciate something like skin until yours betrays you. Mine has itched and swelled and peeled for three days straight, keeping me awake because I can't sleep. I've taken a dozen showers. Two dozen baths. Zhur has rubbed lotion on every inch of me.
And on day four, the worst of it has faded and I want to weep with sheer joy.
"This is the last of the lotion," Zhur tells me as he carefully anoints my face with a bit of smelly goop. He sits next to me on the edge of the bed, our knees grazing. "Do you want me to stop by Nassakth's again to retrieve more?"
I touch his thigh. "No, I think I'm okay. It's no longer itching like crazy. I hate to keep bothering him when I'm already not his favorite person."
His tail gives an irritated thump on the bed. "I don't care about that. I care about you feeling better."
It's sweet of him, but he's already gone above and beyond. I didn't think that Zhur would be much of a nursemaid while I was sick, but I was dead wrong. He's been an absolute champion and taken care of me without complaint. He's made me tea and soup (both terrible but still appreciated), rubbed lotion on me at all hours, helped me shower, and never minded when I woke him up for another round of lotioning or even just complaining. It's been a really long time since someone has taken care of me, and my goodness, it's nice.
Even now, when most of the redness and itching has faded and I can finally wear clothes again, he's still fussing over me. He dabs a bit more goop on my nose with a look of concentration on his face. "If you don't want me to go over to Nassakth's, shall I make you more soup? Draw you a bath?"
I capture his hand when he lowers it. "Actually I think I need to go into town."
"Absolutely not," he blusters, a scowl on his face. "Out of the question. Whatever you need, I can go get for you—"
"I need to be seen," I remind him in a gentle voice. "It's going to look suspicious if you show up and I don't. We can go in and say hello to Simone, get some snacks, and then head home again."
His frown remains, but he doesn't shoot the idea down. I wait for him to answer as he caps the now-empty jar of lotion and decides. "Very well. But it should be a short trip and we are taking the sled, not walking."