Page 40 of Cosmic Castaway


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I lay there, panting, beneath him, and I liked it. A lot.

I stared at Bartholomew, who lay passive beneath me. Everything in me demanded I mold my lips to his and claim him for myself. I fought against the instinct, trying to reason with myself, but arguments of friendship and fitting fell away. All I was left with was the truth.

Bartholomew started to writhe beneath me, fighting me. He hit me, but not hard enough for me to think he intended to harmme. He was playing the game. He struggled, trying to escape, but there was none. I wouldn’t allow it. I would never allow it.

I grabbed his wrists and trapped them above him. Bartholomew arched beneath me to throw me off, but I was too heavy. I transferred his wrists to one hand and bent to growl against his throat, and Bartholomew stilled.

“I caught you,” I whispered against his ear.

“You did.”

“I plan to keep you.” This was my truth. I could not believe I hadn’t understood what my instincts were demanding. I’d been scent marking him, claiming him, calling him mine. I’d been a fool. This human was mine, and I had no intention of letting him go. I wanted Bartholomew as my mate, and I planned to woo him until he realized what I had—we belonged together.

He didn’t respond, staring at me, mouth open and breaths heavy. We stayed there in the snow, me growling against his neck and Bartholomew’s chest heaving for what felt like an eternity.

When he shivered, I asked, “Are you cold?”

“Yes.”

“Then I need to get you inside, next to me.”

Red rushed to his cheeks, and something primal inside of me rumbled in pleasure. My mate might be a challenge to court, but I would succeed because this human was the only person I’d ever care about. He was mine, and that was that.

I started to help him stand, but my healing wound pulled, making me wince. Bartholomew was next to me in a flash, frozen hands on my side, rucking up my shirt to see the injury. My soul stalled when his cold fingers brushed my skin. I couldn’t help but pull away; the skin was too sensitive.

Hurt flashed on my mate’s face for a single moment before his blank expression returned. I bit my lip, teeth catching on my lip ring. Fiddling with his lenses, I gave him a soft smile. His aspectdidn’t change. I cupped his cheek and drew Bartholomew closer to me, settling his head on my shoulder.

“My skin is sensitive, my Teddy. Extreme temperatures are difficult for it,” I tried to explain, smoothing his spiky hair.

“I’m sorry,” he replied.

“Don’t.” I gripped the nape of his neck to keep him tight against me. “You didn’t know.” Reluctantly, I pulled back. “Let’s go inside.”

I took his hand in mine, marveling at the slimness of his fingers and how he perfectly fit within my grasp. How hadn’t I noticed this earlier? I wanted to keep him against me all the time. The urge to claim him, kiss him, and rub my scent all over him persisted, but I respected his boundaries. Hopefully, in time, he would desire me how I did him, and not for a flash of lust, but for forever.

When we stepped inside, I ushered Bartholomew to the tent. He needed to warm up. While I preferred to warm him another way, I settled for gathering the blankets around him. “You need to eat.”

He shrugged.

I shoved a nutrition bar at him, and when he was eating it, I grabbed one for myself, forcing myself to swallow the dry, flavorless bar before washing it down with a cube of water. I gave a couple of the cubes to Bartholomew and smoothed a hand over his head.

It seemed ridiculous that I cared so much about him all of a sudden. Well, it wasn’t sudden. I’d cared about Bartholomew since the first time I’d seen him, but this was different. He was mine. How could I want someone for the rest of my life and not be in love? I liked Bartholomew, but I wasn’t in love with him yet.

I’d always assumed when I discovered the one I wished to spend my life with, I would love them first. My youngest brotherKalvoxrencol hadn’t loved his mate Seth at first, but he’d sought the Crystal for his mate. That was different. I wasn’t sure about Zoltilvoxfyn and Caleb, but Hallonnixmin had fallen deeply in love with Gilvaxtin before they became mates.

But Bartholomew was my mate—I knew it—and yet I wasn’t in love. It would happen—I knew that—but it hadn’t happened yet.

It didn’t matter. I liked Bartholomew and had every intention of keeping him. Besides, once we drakcol started to perceive someone as our mate, the bond formed and we were unable to desire another. We mated once, whether bound or chosen.

Bartholomew rubbed his temples, and I frowned.

“Are you alright?” I asked.

“I have a headache.”

I shifted him closer until he was practically on my lap. “Will you be alright?”

“I’m fine.” He licked his chapped lips and swallowed.