They reached the river. The water sparkled in the afternoon sunlight, cool and clear and inviting.
Qing Lin waded in, still holding her. The cold water felt AMAZING against her burning skin.
"Ohhhhh," she moaned. "That’s.....that’s so good."
"Better?"
"So much better."
He set her down gently on a smooth rock in the shallows. The water ca up to her waist, and to her delight it was cool and soothing.
As the relief of the water settled in, Xin Yi realized what she was wearing was soaked and clinging to her, heavy with the gri of the construction site. She reached to remove it, but hesitated, her fingers trembling.
Qing Lin didn’t miss the hesitation. "You need to take it off, Xin Yi. It will only irritate the blisters once the soap touches it."
Xin Yi’s face went a violent shade of crimson. "I... I can do it myself! Just turn around!"
Qing Lin didn’t turn around. Instead, he stepped closer, the water rippling around his strong chest. A slow smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth. "Are you still shy with , little female? Have you forgotten how we first t?"
He leaned in, his voice dropping to a whisper near her ear. "I have already seen every inch of you, rember? When you were just a ’strange pink creature’ screaming at the birds."
Xin Yi felt like she was going to actually combust. The mory of her first day—naked and panicked—flashed through her mind. "That was......that was an accident! I didn’t know you were watching!"
"And I am watching now. Do not forget we have mated too....this is just...nothing," he said simply, his erald eyes flashing with amusent. "I am also here to help. Now, be a good female and let take care of you."
With a huff of reluctant surrender, Xin Yi let out a shaky breath. She knew he was right, and honestly, her arms hurt too much to struggle anyway.
Her skin prickled imdiately, but not from the chill of the river, but from the sheer weight of his gaze.
Qing Lin didn’t move. He didn’t reach out to grab her or pull her closer, even though she could see the muscles in his jaw tighten.
He pulled out a bar of soap from his wrap.
Her lavender soap.
"You.....you kept that?"
"I keep everything you make." He wet the soap and started carefully washing her arms. He was really gentle, and tried as much as possible to avoid the blisters. "You work so hard to create these things. Of course I keep them."
[DING! (╥﹏╥)]
[TOO SWEET!]
[Host’s heart: LTING!]
He cleaned her carefully. Her arms. Her shoulders. Her back.
He leaned in close, his tongue flicking out for a split second to taste the air before he pressed his face into the crook of her neck. He inhaled deeply, taking in the soap, the river water, and the sweet, intoxicating scent of her skin.
"You always sll of this," he rumbled, the sound vibrating against her throat. "This......purple flower."
"Lavender," she corrected breathlessly, her heart racing. "It’s a strange mix......soap and sweat."
"It is the scent of my mate," he countered, his voice thick and possessive. He pressed a lingering kiss to her shoulder, then trailed his lips up to the sensitive spot beneath her ear. "It is perfect. You are perfect."
Xin Yi let out a shaky, half-hearted scoff. "I am covered in dirt, my hands are a ss of blisters, and I feel like I’m about to drop dead from exhaustion. I am definitely not perfect."
"Still perfect," he insisted. He pulled back just enough to look her in the eye, his erald gaze heavy with a devotion that was almost overwhelming. "To the tribe, you are a Goddess. To ......you are simply everything."
Aww
Who knew a once forrly emotionally constipated snake could make the best of boyfriends?
A small laugh bubbled up in her chest. She winced imdiately, clutching her side. "Ow.....stop. Don’t make laugh, everything hurts."
"Forgive , little female," he murmured. But he didn’t look sorry.
From the shore, Xiao Long called out: "Is Pink Skin okay?! The water isn’t too cold?!"
"I’M FINE, BABY!"
"Are you sure?! Because you look very red!"
"That’s the FEVER!"
"Oh! Okay! Just checking!"
Feng Huang was pacing along the riverbank like a caged animal. "This is taking too long! What if she gets worse?! What if—"
"She is FINE!" Qing Lin snapped. "Stop hovering, and leave us be! If you take a single peek at MY female, I will have your insides drawn out!"
"I am not hovering! I am being CONCERNED!"
"You are being ANNOYING!"
[DING! (≧▽≦)]
[Tiger vs Snake rivalry continues!]
[Even during dical ergencies!]
[These males are ridiculous! ☆]
Xin Yi chuckled. She reached up and ruffled Qing Lin’s wet hair, giving his head a little pat like he was a good dog.
"Hmmm." The sound rumbled from his chest. Almost a purr. He leaned into her touch, his eyes half-closing.
Then he groaned. Like he was in pain.
"What’s wrong?" She pulled her hand back.
"Don’t stop." He grabbed her hand and put it back on his head. "That feels good."
She laughed, and then winced. "You’re like a giant scaly cat."
"I’m a SNAKE."
"A needy snake." But she kept petting his hair anyway.
Qing Lin finished washing her, then helped her out of the water. He wrapped her in a clean fur pelt, soft and warm.
"Thank you," she murmured against his chest.
"Hmmm." He kissed her forehead. "Now, let’s get you back."
He lifted her up easily, cradling her against his chest.
"We should leave tomorrow," he said, already walking back toward the settlent. "Early. Before the sun gets too hot."
"Tomorrow?! But I just woke up!"
"Exactly. You need one more night of rest. Then we travel to wolf territory."
She frowned. "Wait. How are we getting there? It’s far, yes?"
"Three days on foot. Maybe four with stops." His jaw tightened. "I will carry you the whole way."
"What?! Qing Lin, that’s—isn’t that stressful? I an, I’m not THAT light and you would have to—
He sighed. "Xin Yi. You are my female. Carrying you is not a burden.
"But—"
"She can ride Huo Gen!"
User Comments
0 comments from readers