15. Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Fifteen

L ash

It’s no accident that I wait until almost every living soul leaves the community center. Zoya still seems to be in a trance, carried away by the performance. I wouldn’t want to break her out of her spell. Besides, she’s cuddled so tightly to my side, I’m quite content to wait until one of the elders clears their throat and uses their chin to point toward the door, a not-so-subtle hint for us to leave.

We’ve spent every waking minute together from the first moment I met her. She hasn’t come out and said it, but in addition to Max hurting her physically, I get the impression he wasn’t kind or gentle in what should have been their mating bed.

It’s for this reason that I’m mindful of where I touch Zoya. Although I keep a hand on her at all times we’re out of HQ, to help her feel safe, I never dip below her waist and haven’t tried to kiss her. My mind has done far more sexual things than that, but my body hasn’t crossed the line. After all, once the paperwork goes through we’ll have ninety more days to get to know each other better.

“Do you know what was more fun than watching the nagas perform?” Okay, I admit, I didn’t need to lean quite so close to husk that into her ear.

“No, what?”

“Watching you watch the performance.”

Her eyebrows flash higher on her forehead. “Oh?”

“Mmhmm. At times you were like a young girl, entranced. I’m glad you enjoyed it.”

She grants me a smile as I escort her down the bleacher steps. As we walk back to my apartment, she gushes about every nuance of the show. Is this the same quiet, terrified woman I met only days ago? Being in the Zone is good for her. And maybe I’m good for her, too.

“It’s safe here, right?”

“Absolute safety, Zoya. No one comes into the Zone without permission.” I stop, turn, and softly poke her pointed chin as I add, “Except you. Did you know I asked Courage and Fang to walk the fenced perimeter to fix any holes? We were all embarrassed to know a little slip of a thing like you managed to find your way inside.”

I was right when I assumed she had been asking in a roundabout way if Max could reach her here, because her shoulders relax when I tell her we repaired the fence.

“It’s quiet here.” Her words echo on the empty street. “Maybe…”

When she looks up at me, her expression an odd mixture of shyness and desire, it’s as though the air shimmers with unspoken expectation.

“I… don’t know how this is supposed to go, Lash. Max told me the K-1 visa meant we were supposed to…” She shrugs. “From the very first night.”

Her words affect me as profoundly as if she reached inside my chest and squeezed my heart. My hands fist at my sides, my claws extrude, cutting my palms, before I take a breath and consciously sheath them.

“How things are supposed to go, Zoya, is at the speed you’re comfortable with. You need to know two things. I’m very attracted to you, and I can wait forever for you to catch up. Or…” It’s going to kill me to say this next part, but it needs to be expressed. “Or never, if that’s not what you want.”

I’m over a head taller than her, so I’m not sure how she does it, but she grips my shoulders, jumps, and manages to give a flying peck to my cheek.

“It won’t be never, Lash. You’re too good and kind and handsome for me to say no to what you’re offering.”

Then she grips my hand and pulls us in the direction of Wolven Warriors HQ. She doesn’t need to pull too hard, though, because I’m floating on air.