And dear Lord, he looked angry.
No. Furious.
He was panting with rage, his eyes glittering with fury through two tiny slits. And Liana suddenly knew that she would never feel his lips on hers. Ever.
He’d kill her first.
* * * * *
For hours afterward, Kavi seemed incapable of doing anything except keeping that fierce scowl on his face intact.
They traveled by night, determined to put more space between the humans and themselves. Kavi hadn’t said a word to her, but he didn’t need to. Liana could feel his rage in every fiber of her being, in every long, heavy step he took, every withering look he sent her way.
When they finally settled to make camp, deep in the heart of the woods, darkness was lifting from the skies, a promise of the coming sun spreading across the heavens like a veil of light. Fohers bustled around her, settling down to clean their weapons, hug their children. Charging toward her, Kavi clamped a hand around her elbow and dragged her away from the group.
“I commanded you to stay!” he thundered as soon as they were out of hearing distance.
Liana was surprised that, rather than tremble, she could barely keep from smiling. She was happy that Kavi was safe, even with that menacing scowl, and that every single Foher had returned. She knew Kavi’s anger stemmed from his concern, and all it did was make her feel wonderful. “I wanted to do something useful for a change, Kavi. I’m sick of doing nothing,” she softly explained.
His fists waved up in the air. “You could have been mutilated. Killed!”
She waved off his accusation with one hand. “He’d never kill me, he needs me. You’re the one who took a cut,” she said chidingly, instantly tearing a piece of fabric from her skirt and coming close to inspect it. “Let me see that.”
He eyed her narrowly as she began to minister to the wound.
“What is the human commander to you?” he asked gruffly.
She stared at the welt, sure she would be screaming if she’d had it herself. Yet Kavi didn’t even wince as she began to dab at it.
“Is he your mate?” he demanded.
“Excuse me?”
“Is he your mate, Liana? The human commander?”
Liana gasped in revulsion. “Lyle my mate? Of course not,” she scoffed. Her eyes narrowed and she whispered, “He claims to be my cousin but I don’t believe him.”
“Why?” he urged, taking her arms and squeezing her gently. “Why does he want you so much?” His attention shifted to her lips, his voice dropping an octave. “Why do I want you so much?”
Liana ached for him to kiss her. “Kavi…” she whispered, leaning against his steady, muscled chest and craning her neck back. Spellbound by his eyes.
He came closer with a lengthy growl, his warm lips brushing her forehead. His big hands smoothed down her arms then ran gently up her back. “I am not myself around you.”
“Kavi.”
His breath fanned her face as he drew back to stare at her. “My beautiful human. Your eyes are like amethysts when you are angry…the same color of the river I seek.”
She heard the words, and yet she wasn’t listening. Her nerves, her muscles, every bit of her wanted. Begged. The bloodstained cloth fell at their feet as her fingers curled around his arms, her body undulating against his. “Kavi, I want you so much. I was so afraid they would hurt you. Please kiss me…touch me.”
“Liana.” One big hand grabbed a handful of blonde hair, tugging back her face so he could look into her eyes. “We mate for life. You humans mate for a night.”
Liana was so feverish she trembled. “I don’t care what happens after, just kiss me now. Touch me…like before.”
His stance, his shoulders, his jaw—every inch of him had turned rigid. “I could not stop like before!”
“Kavi, please, touch me.” She took his free hand and slipped it under her dress, pressing it to the warm, wet place between her legs.
A groan choked him as he palmed her, felt her, stroked her.