9. Kaila

“Wake, my sleepy mate.”

The raspy voice tugged me from a deep sleep where I was warm, comfortable, and snuggled against . . .

“Ah!” I straightened, realizing that sometime during the night, I’d turned around and basically crawled all over Turren. My legs encircled his hips, my fingers were teasing across the warm skin on his sides, and . . . “Your cock is . . .” I gaped down at the enormous thing thrusting between us. It had dragged up his loincloth during the night and the leather barely covered it. “You’re huge. How in the world do you think that will fit inside a woman of my size?”

“I assume you’ll stretch?”

“You don’t sound confident of that.”

“Would you like to try?”

A low hum simmered in my belly, shooting downward. “Stretching doesn’t sound pleasant.”

“Because it won’t be pleasant.” Leaning close, he whispered by my ear. “You will enjoy it so much, you will scream.”

“I’m sure screaming will be a part of anything involving that.” Snatching my hands from his side, I pointed at his cock. “Put that thing down.”

He slapped my rump, though not hard enough to sting. “Climb off me, mate, and I’ll make my cock behave.”

I scrambled off his lap. Toppling backward, I nearly fell off the branch. I would’ve if Turren’s hand hadn’t snapped out to grab onto my arm.

He tugged me back into his lap and wrapped his arms around me. “Good morning, my clumsy mate. It’s a lovely day already. Hear the birds. Smell the perfume from the flowers in the air.”

“Are you always this happy in the morning?”

“I’m with my fate-chosen mate. She slept sweetly in my arms last night and this morning she’s eager to discuss my cock.” His gaze shot to the infernal thing tenting his loincloth. “Should I give you your first kiss while the sun lifts into the sky?”

“You’re awfully talkative.”

“It’s a wonder, isn’t it?”

I had no idea what that meant.

“I don’t want a kiss.” I scrunched my face. “My breath tastes horrible.”

“If this is about the flavor of your mouth, I don’t mind.”

I bet he didn’t. “Release me.”

“So you can fall to the ground, my beloved mate? You could be injured. While I’ll happily carry you through the day as we travel, I doubt you want my arms around you that long.” Laughter came through in his voice. Funny how I knew him enough already to recognize it without looking up to see the grin that must still be plastered on his face.

“Would you please take me to the ground?”

“Hey, when are we heading out?” My brother stood beneath our tree, looking up, though with all the branches and vegetation, he probably couldn’t see us.

I squirmed. What would he think if he could see me nestling so easily in Turren’s arms? Probably nothing. He was thirteen, mature in a few ways but still very innocent in others.

“Kisses can wait. Your brother waits. Our journey also awaits. If you’ll untangle yourself from around me, I’ll take you to the ground.”

I was stroking his chest again. My bitter shriek erupted from my throat, and I flung my hands into the air. “You did this to me.”

“Made you touch me, stroke me?” He kept smiling. “I believe you like me, my astonishing mate.” He stood with me in his arms, holding me easily while I clung for a new reason, fear of falling down through the branches. “Never fear. Your heart is safe with me, my adorable one.” He grabbed his weapon and slid it into the scabbard running down his spine.

With that, he leaped off the branch, and we soared downward.

I shrieked and closed my eyes, pressing my face into his neck, my arms and legs coiling about him like moss on a tree.

He landed squarely on the ground with barely a grunt. How he didn’t break an ankle or leg was beyond me.

A trembling wreck, I whimpered and continued to cling. “You left my heart somewhere back up in the tree.”

“Please, mate. Let’s keep our feelings between us.”

“I’m not saying I like you. You know what I mean.”

“She likes me,” Turren announced to Brunnen.

“I do not.” My voice came out muffled.

Did he have to smell good? If he stunk, it would be much easier to dislike him.

“Release me, my stunning mate,” he said. “I promise I’ll hold you again soon.”