Page 160 of Onyx Cage: Volume II
She parted her lips in offense, pushing up onto her elbows. “Youaalio.”
I shrugged, not bothering to feign remorse for what had kept her out of Ava’s hands, as well as my father’s. “I did what I had to do to keep you safe, Lemmikki. It was the most believable lie.”
She settled back into her pillow, sighing again, but this one was more resigned. “Well, at least now I know where the rumors came from,”
“Yes, because no one would have said a word about you sleeping in my rooms and sharing a room at the inns with me otherwise,” I shot back. I chose not to mention the other rumors regarding the heir of Elk Clan, more for my benefit than hers, though, as the mere thought of the cause of those rumors did nothing but cause a rage to burn through me.
She blinked like she had no argument for that but also didn’t want to acknowledge it.
Then a nefarious grin tilted her lips and she looked up at me with deceptively innocent eyes. “Well, I suppose I can’t be too upset since it wouldn’t have been a lie if I had been given a say.”
My desire for her seemed to reside permanently within me, endless tendrils that unfurled at the smallest provocation from her.
Or the smallest admission, like now.
I crossed the distance to the bed, lowering beside her to press my lips against hers. Instead of arching against me, though, I could have sworn I felt her pout.
“Lemmikki?” I questioned, pulling back enough to see the downturned lips that were, indeed, marring her expression.
Her gaze settled somewhere near my ear, not quite meeting my eyes.
“We...can’t,” she mumbled.
My brow furrowed, and I tilted my head at her use of the wordcan’t. “Why not?”
“Because…”Her cheeks colored, but she met my eyes at last.“I actually do have pressing feminine needs at the moment.”
Ah. Well, that explained…a lot. Not that I had a wealth of experience with the feminine needs of women, but I understood the concept well enough.
I pressed my lips against her forehead instead, settling next to her.
“I see. Well, at least we know the herbs are working.” Though I wouldn’t have been precisely bothered if they hadn’t been, I was content to spend more time with her as we had been.
She moved closer against me, sucking air between her teeth at the motion. Since I had watched her walk around without wincing only hours after being stabbed, I couldn’t help but react to her discomfort now.
“Are you in pain, Lemmikki?” I asked.
“Nothing I can’t handle,” she grunted unconvincingly.
I placed my hand over her stomach, putting the slightest bit of pressure in an effort to relieve her discomfort. She sighed, her features smoothing a bit. It was a strange new level of intimacy, entirely different from the closeness we had experienced the past few weeks.
Not unwelcome, but not entirely comfortable either, like a pair of boots the first time you put them on.
She shifted a bit, and I wondered if she was feeling the same newness when she glanced at me with apprehension, but her mind had taken her somewhere else, apparently.
“You realize that...if we decide to stop using the herbs, or they don’t work… Any children of ours will have my blood.”
I paused, not sure how to respond to her, because surely, she knew Ididrealize that. Was she worried about her cursed hair?
“I am aware that’s how these things work,” I assured her.
She blinked in annoyance. “My fae blood, I mean.”
Comprehension dawned on me. Yes, I had considered that as well, but I was curious why she was more concerned now. She went on to explain before I could ask.
“And we don’t know how that manifests. Avani, when she was younger…it was difficult to hide the way the animals would all kind of flock to her. On the other hand, the twins had no trouble hiding their communication…but there would be some level of danger.”
Filing away the knowledge of the younger twins’ abilities, I focused instead on her accurate prediction of danger. Danger that would only be heightened by the scrutiny of our position under the best of circumstances, let alone if we were facing a war. I dragged my thumb back and forth along her smooth, taut skin, imagining for a moment how different it might feel brimming with life.