Total pages in book: 130
Estimated words: 117336 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 587(@200wpm)___ 469(@250wpm)___ 391(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 117336 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 587(@200wpm)___ 469(@250wpm)___ 391(@300wpm)
I frown at the sight of him. Not only because I did not smell him—the stink of humans is everywhere in this fort—but because when she leans over, her breasts are dangerously close to spilling out of her dress. If the male opens his eyes, he will get a glimpse of my mate's cleavage…and I don't like that. Not one bit. "Who is this?"
She glances up at me, her expression flicking to immediate annoyance. Melina turns back to her patient. "Didn't realize I had to check in with you before I treated anyone."
I smooth away my suspicious expression. "Of course not. Why is he here?"
"Heatstroke." Melina wets another cloth, applying this one to the male's bare chest. "He's a carpenter. Jim was trying to make enough money to buy some water for his family and overdid it."
"His family does not have water?"
"Nope. The only access to water is privately owned. I have to bargain to get some myself." She gives me a look, even as she wrings out the cloth. "I brought this bucket with me from the barracks."
I move to her side, feigning interest in the male. "Well, that will not do. I will see how progress on the well is coming. Once that is completed, I will send my men to see about getting water for you, here."
She licks her lips and gives me a wary look. "Thank you. Why are you here today?"
"Can I not visit my consort?"
Melina shrugs. "I guess you can. You're not here with guards?"
I tilt my head, clasping my hands behind my back. "Do you think I need them? In my own fort?"
"You just took over the fort, so I don't know if you can call it yours," she corrects. "And you aren't afraid of getting attacked or offed?"
I snort. "Not if they value protection from the dragons that roam the skies. They know they are better off with me alive. Everyone is." Her jaw flexes, and I wonder if she is going to argue that. She does not, though, and wets another cloth, setting it on the man's skin. His breathing is quick, his smell sour, and I instinctively lean in closer to Melina, breathing in her scent. "I am here because I wished to see you today. To talk to you."
"About what?"
"Must we have a topic? I am your mate, as we agreed. Since you do not speak with me at mealtimes, I thought I would come to your clinic and speak with you here."
"Is that a threat?"
"No." I study her, and she looks uneasy. Does she think I am holding this over her head, then? To force her to speak to me? Annoyance flares through me, and I fight it back. A Salorian is always calm. "It is a statement. You flee as if you cannot stand the sight of me. I wished a companion, not simply a warm cunt. Tell me, have I been unfair to you since we struck our bargain?"
She doesn't meet my gaze, fixated on the man in the bed as if ignoring me will somehow make me go away. "That first night—"
"You initiated. I would not have done so."
Her lips purse. Flatten. She wrings out the cloth and then looks in my direction. Her gaze still will not meet mine. "I was trying to anticipate your needs."
"If I have needs, I will make you aware of them. Until then, do not blame me for your own actions."
Melina's shoulders stiffen. "Fine. You and I are off to a bad start. I acknowledge that. I am just having a hard time getting past this whole situation between me and you. It's going to take me some time."
"Time?" I huff, amused. "Here I thought we had already come to the terms of our agreement. I do not remember time as one of the stipulations."
She takes a moment to answer me. "We agreed, you're right." She hesitates, then places the cloth on the man's chest, smoothing it over his skin with delicate fingers, and the sight of those fingers touching another male fills me with jealous anger. I shove it back, because there is no arousal scent in the air. She is not attracted to this man, so my reaction to her touching him is my problem. "I'm just…struggling, Azar."
My name. I like when she says it. "Tell me why you struggle."
"I don't want to be a thing. A possession." She glances up at me, her eyes dark and stormy with emotion. "I don't want to be owned."
"I don't want to own you. I said I want you willing. That has not changed."
Chapter
Eight
MELINA
Willing.
He makes it sound so damn reasonable. He won’t touch me until I’m willing. He makes it sound as if at some point, I’m going to not be bothered by the fact that he strong-armed me into this arrangement. That I’ll just forget everything that’s gone before and suddenly decide that yes, I would like to have sex with him. Yes, I would love to be his consort that he parades around the fort like some sort of trophy. All of the manipulating will be water under the bridge and I’ll fall into his arms, eager to suck his dick. "The willing is the part I'm struggling with."