Total pages in book: 118
Estimated words: 106646 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 533(@200wpm)___ 427(@250wpm)___ 355(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 106646 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 533(@200wpm)___ 427(@250wpm)___ 355(@300wpm)
Turns out that the only thing lurking under my skin is a pair of lead feet. Sigh.
Raven adjusts my hips again, then nods, and watches me as I sink toward the floor. When I immediately face plant, she sighs. I stay on the floor, frustrated and just a teensy bit embarrassed. "I say this with love, but maybe you should take up cooking," Raven jokes. "If you can't win the way to his heart with dancing, maybe food is the way to go."
With a heavy sigh, I roll onto my side. I want to drum my fingers on the wood floor of her hut, but I do my best not to show my impatience. Raven's doing me a favor with the dancing lessons, and I've appreciated it so much. It feels like I have a friend again, which is nice, considering that as everyone has paired off, all my friends have focused in on their mates and their crafts and I feel as if I've been left behind. Out of everyone that's landed here, only me, Flor, Steph, Sam and Tia haven't resonated.
Sam doesn't want to resonate. Tia's too young (and is at the other camp anyhow). I don't know about Flor and Steph, but I'm torn between being glad that my cootie's silent and feeling like a reject.
Unfortunately the reject feeling is normal to me. I've been rejected by those I've been close to all my life. Hell, we've been away from Earth for, what, four months now, and I still feel like I'm going to have my disapproving mother call me and tell me how disappointed she is in my life choices and my “squat” body that looks nothing like hers.
Mother (never Mom) always looked perfect. Pristine. Ethereal, like life couldn't touch her. Daisy's like that, too. It's just another reason for me to hate her, even though I'm sure she's very nice.
I drag a finger across the wood floor of U'dron and Raven's hut. "Have you seen her today?"
Raven doesn't ask who. She knows. "Not today, no. She's probably with the others prepping for the new round of games."
Of course she is. Ever since she arrived, Daisy's been stuck like glue to Shadow Cat clan, and most notably A'tam. Freaking beautiful Daisy, with her perfect red-gold hair and bright smile and gorgeous skin. Daisy's the reason I'm in here learning how to dance, how to move and be sexy.
Well, Daisy's not the only reason. I'm a mess. I'm still hung up over A'tam. I tell myself I don't want anything to do with him. That he's just an ass and his dick’s too big and my human-sized hoo-ha is too small…and then I see him with Daisy and I lose my mind with jealousy. That he's mine and she doesn't get to flirt with him or touch him.
But then I remember how awful our sex was and how much it hurt, and I back away again.
And yet…others have resonated and are quite happy with their mates. Not a single one has complained that their alien mate's dick is so freakishly huge that it hurts her. In fact, every single woman that has resonated—like Raven here—pretty much glows with happiness.
Which means that I just must be smaller than everyone else downstairs.
I hate how it always comes back to me being the issue. Some things never change, and the thought is depressing. I draw circles on the wood floor with my finger, reluctant to get up and try dancing again. "I heard the game is gonna be teams of two now instead of two big teams. Are you and U'dron going to play?"
She shrugs. "Probably not? He's not all that interested in one of the knives and neither am I. Plus I can think of a lot of other things I'd rather do with my spare time than go around collecting points."
"Is that what they're doing? Collecting points?" I deliberately skirt around the fact that I can just guess what she'd rather be doing with U'dron. After all, they are newly resonated. They can barely keep their hands off one another. It's achingly sweet, and I'm so happy for her…even if I'm envious.
"Dunno. Every time they look in my direction, I do my best to seem busy so I won't get roped in." She grins and gestures that I should stand up. "Come on. Let's give the dancing another try. I'm sure you can make some progress. Maybe we should do some stretches first?"
Her chipper mood just makes me feel worse. "Actually, I think I'm done for today." I sit up and offer her an apologetic smile. "My head's not in it and I thought maybe I'd go see Veronica's baby."
Raven's eyes light up. "I'll join you. He's the cutest little golden butterball." A dreamy look crosses her face. "I never thought I'd have babies on the brain, but I can't seem to get my mind off of them lately."