Page 6 of Solivagant

“I said I’ll grow it.”

Khorli chuckled. “Then I will braid it for you.”

“It’ll be easier for you to pull it.” I smirked.

Khorli laughed. His hand on my hip gripped tighter. “I am trying to be soft with you. You make it difficult.”

“Maybe I don’t want you to be soft with me.”

His smile widened, but his eyes softened. “My Jem.” Hands gripped my hips as he lifted me out of the water, his forehead bowing to rest gently against mine. “Do you really have no fear of me?”

“Of course not.”

“You are the only one to trust me this much. And you are the only one I will touch like this. My people do not do this. We do not love soft. We do not love kind. But for you, I am changed. Only for you will I go against my nature and be gentle.”

My hands wrapped around his neck as I pulled him into me, claiming his lips again. I’d never grow tired of the taste of him. I’d never get enough of it.

He kissed me back as if he felt the same.

Then his head jerked away and turned to the woods by the riverbank. Khorli’s hearing far exceeded mine. All I could make out were the sounds of the stream, the insects, and the breeze that rustled through the trees.

He’d heard something I hadn’t, and clearly whatever it was required more of his attention than the usual things lurking in the shadows.

The purr in his chest halted. Stiff silence replaced it. Then a new rumble, and one far more menacing as he growled like rolling thunder. Deep and threatening in a way that made the hair on my arms stand on end.

The golden flowers that covered his huge horns grew brighter, as did the orb floating between them and the diamond shape on his chest, pressed against me. Brighter and brighter, like a sun exploding. The surrounding area lit up like daylight.

My chest tightened, and my heart beat rapidly as I hoped it wasn’t bright enough to be seen from the village if anyone dared to be looking outside.

Then it dimmed, returning to the usual low glow.

Only when Khorli broke his concentration on the tree line and returned those beautiful golden eyes to me did I feel safe enough to breathe again.

“What was that?” I whispered.

“I’m not sure. But it’s gone now.”

“What did you do?”

“Nothing yet,” he huffed. “Just a display of power.”

“Are… we safe?”

He smiled. “Yes, my Jem. I will always keep you safe.”

The tightness eased, and I relaxed into his arms once more. I didn’t know half the things that lived in these woods. But I knew that most of the ones I needed to be cautious of had seeped in from Khorli’s world, so I trusted he knew what he was talking about. And anything from my world, even the largest of bears, would be no match for him anyway.

We finished up and returned to the riverbank where I’d left my clothes to dry. They would likely still be damp by the time I had to return home, but Khorli’s warmth kept me content and comfortable for now, and the walk back into the village would be tolerable until I could change into something else dry back home. It was worth it, and I loved the feel of his soft fur and hard muscle directly against my skin.

Once more, he pulled me into his lap as he sat on the stones, his arms and tail wrapping around me as he looked up at the sky.

“I wish I could show you my sky. You would like it very much,” he told me, his voice sounding wistful.

“Tell me about it?”

“Your moon is pretty, but very small. In my home we have two. They are much larger, and the sky is… a different color.”

“What color?”