He takes my hand in his and flicks our joined wrists at the display. Suddenly, the writing morphs into Earth Common. I blink several times, awestruck. “How did you do that?”
“If you want your translator to display writing in your language, you must simply wave your hand, like so.” He demonstrates with his free hand.
A gasp escapes me as I scan the display, softy biting my lower lip as I begin to read. A smile crests my lips. “This is fiction?”
He nods. “My mother was very fond of imaginative stories of romance and adventure.”
“So am I.” I allow my gaze to drift over the other scrolls in the room, excited at the possibility of so many new books to read. All of them created by an alien civilization, no less.
As if anticipating my next question, he says, “Almost all of these are fictional stories. You are welcome to read them all, if you like, and take some with you when we leave.”
I reach out and rest my hand on one of the scrolls reverently. I can hardly contain my joy. Reading has always been so important to me. Finding a familiar comfort in an alien world is more than I could ever have asked for. Without thinking, I turn toward him and stretch up on my toes. I twine my arms around his neck and hug him tightly. “Thank you, Raidyn. This is amazing.”
When I pull back, I find his gaze heated and my cheeks flush with warmth once more.
“Your skin has changed colors again. What does this mean?” His lips curve in a small smile and I suspect he knows exactly what it means.
I lower my eyes, unwilling to answer. Instead, I change the subject again. “It’s getting late. Where will we sleep?”
He tips his head to the side. “The bed, of course. Where else?” His brows knit together. “Unless your people prefer to sleep outside?”
My mouth drifts open but I quickly snap it shut. I realize I should probably insist he take the couch, but I don’t say this. I loved the way it felt when he wrapped me up in his wings at the castle, and part of me hopes that he’ll do it again. I’m not ready to make love to him just yet, but I’m not averse to cuddling. “No. The bed is fine.”
Chapter 13
Skye
I tuck my hair behind my ear to hide the nervous pounding of my heart. Even though I love the idea of cuddling, I’m concerned about sharing a bed with Raidyn. I know he said we wouldn’t mate until I’m ready, but I’ve never shared a bed with any man before, much less one I’m so attracted to.
So instead of heading inside, I sit in one of the balcony chairs. It’s big enough for two people, so Raidyn takes a seat beside me. Warmth radiates from his body to mine and I shiver slightly, not because of the cool breeze but because of his nearness. His masculine scent—a strange mixture of cinnamon and spice—surrounds us. My heart hammers and I lift my gaze to the sky, staring up at the stars to calm my rapidly fraying nerves.
Maybe I wouldn’t be so nervous if I didn’t know what he wants. But when I turn toward him, I find his gaze locked on me and I feel lost. I’m in over my head. I curse myself again for reading all those romance novels on the ship because a thousand scenarios are playing out in my head, imagining how this night might end. Each ends with us panting heavily in each other’s arms after making passionate love in the bed. Or the pool. Or on the balcony. Or in the gardens. Or even while flying above the tree line.
Oh my gosh. Did I really just imagine him flying us while we make love? I shake my head softly. I don’t even know what his stav looks like or if we’ll fit properly. Just thinking about it, a warm flush creeps from my neck to my cheeks and into my ears as heat pulses between my thighs.
“Are you all right?” he asks, concern evident in his features.
Unable to speak, I swallow thickly and nod.
His nostrils flare and his pupils dilate until only the barest rim of blue is visible around the edges. He can smell my arousal, and judging by the look on his face, my scent is affecting him.
I need to calm down. Drawing in a deep breath, I decide to distract him… and myself for that matter. Because the way he’s looking at me now, so full of love and desire, I’m tempted to jump into his arms and allow him to ravish me, just like I’ve read in my romance novels. “So… tell me more about your world. How many Clans are there?”
“There are four: Wind, Fire, Water, and Earth.”
“Have you always been divided?”
“No. Once, there were four brothers, each vying for their father’s throne. A great war broke out and finally, they decided to split the territory and make peace. And thus, the four separate Clans came to be.” His tone is practiced like he knows this history well.
“How long ago did this happen?”
“Thousands of cycles ago,” he replies. “That was when each Clan began developing different abilities. Some breathe fire, others firefrost. Only the Earth Clan also possess healing fire. They stayed neutral for millennia to share their Healing breath equally with all Clans.” He lifts a thoughtful gaze to the sky. “I believe each Clan has at least one Earth Clan Healer living among them. They are honorable people.”
“So… all the Clans trust them?” I ask, eager to understand as much as I can about this new world.
“Yes,” he replies. “There have been periods of peace among all the Clans in our history. During those times, we held great gatherings, celebrations that were hosted in a different Clan’s territory each cycle.”
“When was the last celebration held?”
The
