Chapter 10

"Okay, I'll just… go get undressed behind that tree and come back," Veda announced.

But Traze remembered what Veda had said about being naked, about how it was something special for only her mate. Suddenly, he felt extremely jealous at the idea that the seers were going to get to view her naked body. If it was special, Traze did not wish for everyone to see it.

"Wait!" Traze yelled out as she walked away.

Veda turned around to look at him. "What?"

"Just… wait here a moment," Traze instructed. "There is an Ateran home nearby. I will go ask them if they have a cloth you can wear into the healing sands."

"Oh… okay, yeah, thanks. That would be great." Veda nodded.

Traze could see Veda believed he was doing her a favor, but this was actually for selfish reasons.

He turned to the seers. "Watch over her as if your lives depend on it."

They nodded as he walked to the nearest house.

It wasn't far. He knocked on the door and waited patiently for someone to answer. When a woman did, her eyes widened when discovering it was Traze.

"My warlord, I was not expecting to see you at this time of night."

"My apologies but I am in need of a cloth that can be worn into the healing sands. Might you provide one? It is for my…" Traze almost said his kode, but he stopped the sentence abruptly.

To Traze's relief, the women did not ask for clarification.

"Yes, of course, I will be but a moment."

As she went back into the house, Traze reminded himself he had to be more careful. A few people at the hold, like Najol, knew who Veda was to him, but he could not have the entire tribe knowing. News would spread quickly, and soon Veda would find out. Traze wasn't ready for that.

The woman returned with the appropriate cloth and Traze thanked her greatly before returning to the pond where Veda and the seers stood.

When Traze handed Veda the cloth, she seemed extraordinarily grateful. "Thank you. I really appreciate this," she told him as she took the cloth with her before she went to undress behind some nearby foliage.

Traze tapped his finger against his thigh impatiently as he waited for Veda to walk back out. He knew the cloth he had provided her was small, and though it was better than being naked, he was still surely going to see quite a bit of her.

It was a double-edged sword. On the one hand, Traze felt he had no business eyeing Veda's body at this point in time. It was going to increase his desire for her undoubtedly, and he still wasn't ready to succumb to that desire.

But the primal instincts within him were desperate for her, eager to see her.

When she walked out from the brush, Traze had to steel himself. The cloth was a lot more revealing than it would have been on Ateran women, who were fairly flat. Unlike the human women, they had no bumps on their chests or their behind.

But Veda had even more curves than the average human woman. Her chest bulged in the cloth, and it clung to her every curve. It was a bit see-through, and Traze knew it would only become more transparent as she got wet.

He was entranced by her, and as such, he said nothing. He did not comment on her appearance, and Veda was likely appreciative of this. She spread her hands across her body as if to shield herself from everyone's view as she rushed to the pond in the scanty clothing.

She reached the water and immediately began to enter, letting the liquid rush up to her thighs. As soon as the cloth became wet, it was entirely see-through.

Veda likely didn't notice this, but Traze did, and his eyes bulged as he waited for her to enter further. He wanted to see the cloth entirely clear, exposing every inch of her. He forgot entirely about the fact that the other Aterans would be seeing her nudity as well. In that moment, he was too turned on to care, fixated on his own desires.

But to Traze's dismay, Veda did not go in further. Instead, she paused and looked back at Traze.

"Uh, are you sure this is safe?" she asked.

"Why wouldn't it be?" Traze responded.

"Because, well, there could be creatures in here. Right? It's so dark that I can't see anything under the surface. What if something attacks me?" She looked up at Traze fearfully.

Traze hated seeing her scared. It brought out an instinct within him to protect her. He wanted to rush to her side and put a comforting hand on her, reassuring her it would all be fine.

But he curbed the impulse.

Veda continued. "All I'm saying is that I don't want to end up a tasty human snack to any other animal."

"Would serve her right for the way she's treated us," someone muttered behind him.

It was the same seer who had grabbed Veda earlier, Bune. Traze snarled at him, and he looked contrite but did not apologize.

Traze would not have anyone speaking about Veda that way. He made a mental note that he would have to talk to the head seer about replacing Bune, but that was an issue for another night.

"This is not an active stream so nothing lives in this pond," Traze assured Veda.

But this only seemed to put her further on edge. "So, you do have life in other water sources? Predatory animals?"

"There is life in other streams, yes, but I assure you they do not exist within this pond. You will have to trust me on this."

Veda nodded. For some reason, it did appear that she trusted him.

She continued to go further into the muddy water, slowly and hesitantly. Traze's breath grew heavy as he watched her. He would never admit it aloud, but secretly, he hoped she would dunk herself underneath the wetness and then come back out, so he could see her entire body.

As if reading his mind, Veda did just this. She submerged herself down past her breasts and then popped back up again, exposing them to Traze.

It took everything Traze had not to jump in after his kode right then and there. Her full bosom was gorgeous, full, sexy. It was so different from Ateran women, yet Traze was entirely absorbed in how her body looked.

He imagined what it would be like to touch her breasts, what they must feel like. Would they be soft under his touch, or firm? Would the small circles in the middle of her breasts respond to his touch? What would happen if he were to take his forked tongue and lick around them in tight circles?

He continued to fantasize as Veda dunked herself under and then back up again. Oh, how he longed to be in there with her…

But he was pulled from his reverie when he heard two seers muttering behind them. One was taking notes in his hand-pad while the other one commented on Veda's body parts and what they might be used for.

Traze whipped around and stepped close to them. "What are you doing?" he asked in a low voice.

"We are observing the human woman," Wezt said. "We want to learn her biology."

Suddenly, Traze could no longer ignore that the rest of the seers were seeing Veda naked. It infuriated him greatly.

"Stop it! Turn around, all of you, now!" Traze demanded.

They all looked at him in confusion but slowly did as he commanded.

Traze would have no more of this. He could no longer fantasize about Veda knowing everyone was looking at her, ogling her body and trying to make sense of it.

"Veda, get out now! You've been soaking plenty long enough."

Veda frowned up at him. "But I like it. It's actually really rejuvenating!"

"Get out!" Traze demanded again, a growl in his voice.

But this only made Veda more defiant. She scoffed.

"Who are you to tell me what to do? What the hell is your problem?"

But Traze was done arguing. He leapt into the healing sand and scooped her up in his arms, dragging her out of it.

"Traze!" Veda yelled at him.

"That is enough. Get dressed now, hurry." Traze set her down by her other clothes.

"Fine!" she snapped as she turned on her heel to get dressed.

Traze still enjoyed the view of her butt as she angrily stomped off.