Strike: The New Protectorate Stories: Volume Three by Abigail Kelly

Author:Abigail Kelly [Kelly, Abigail]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2023-05-29T18:30:00+00:00

Chapter Fifteen

Watching Hele discover new things was one of his greatest joys. Seeing her learn to swim, even just a little, was the same.

Slowly, he coached her on floating, then the basics of moving under water. Not all of his knowledge translated well, since he had two extra limbs and a tail with which to move, and she was leery about keeping her head under water for more than a few seconds at a time, but they made it work.

Whenever she learned something new, he rewarded her — and himself — with a slow, drugging kiss. Hele met him enthusiastically. It took willpower he’d never known he had to pry himself away from her again and again. Every time his lust began to cool, it burst to life again, hotter than before.

Eventually, they began to play games. It was mostly to distract himself from the way he felt like he was about to lose his mind, but Hele seemed to enjoy it, too. He playfully chased her around the pool, and he laughed himself to tears when she discovered the honest pleasure of shamelessly splashing an opponent.

His Hele wasn’t particularly graceful in the water, especially with her gauzy dress on, but as she became more comfortable, she transformed into the woman he knew — intense, competitive, and eager to play. It was a far cry from the sad creature on the curb, and even farther from the heartbroken mate on the beach.

This was Hele. His Hele.

And then, slowly, the playfulness ebbed away. The chase came to a stop and the splash fights ceased. They began to simply twist in slow circles, arms loosely intertwined, and breathe each other’s air.

Hele’s eyes were half-mast when she whispered, “You did not tell me your story.”

Vael breathed deeply and rested his cheek on her damp hair. Sparks nipped at his skin. Each one was a tiny, sizzling kiss. “I don’t like to talk about it. It’s hard for me.”

Soft hands stroked his neck, his shoulders, and the delicate bones of his wings. He shuddered. “I understand. Sometimes I don’t want to talk about things. I don’t always know how. You don’t have to tell me.”

He was so damn lucky to have her. Gratitude thrummed through him as he hugged her closer, tighter, until he felt like he could breathe again.

In a hoarse whisper, he said, “I need you to know. I think it’ll help you understand why— the reason I was such a dick. Why I thought I was doing the right thing by trying to protect you.”

He lifted his head to gauge her expression. Hele stared up at him with her big, dark eyes. In a perfectly solemn voice, she said, “Explain. I will listen.”

He did his best. It didn’t all come out smoothly, and sometimes he had to pause for an extended period when his throat closed so hard he couldn’t get any words out at all.

But he did it.

He told her about his parents, how they had one of those precious,

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