Zelli shuddered against him. He was hot, or that was Tahlen’s mouth. Tahlen’s lovely, perfect mouth, pressed to Zelli’s, not seeming to mind that Zelli’s lips were open. It moved, Tahlen’s lovely, perfect mouth, brushing another kiss—anotherkiss—over Zelli's cheek and then again over Zelli's mouth. That was Tahlen.Tahlengently quieting the hungry sound that tore out of Zelli, and Tahlen pulling back again to stroke Zelli’s bottom lip with his thumb and stare into Zelli’s wide eyes.
“You are not a wall.” Zelli didn’t fully know what he said but Tahlen was no wall as Zelli was no vine. “If I’m a wolf, then what are you?”
Tahlen pressed lightly on Zelli’s lip where Zelli had last bitten it. “You still don’t know?”
Zelli whined. Tahlen stroked his lip again. Zelli thought of biting that thumb. He thought ofnibbles. He looked up into Tahlen’s eyes.
Tahlen pushed out a pained breath, then moved to put his back to the tree, tugging Zelli with him. He looked pointedly at the spot next to him until Zelli scooted in. Tahlen held up his arm, offering his vambrace for Zelli’s use yet again.
Zelli continued to stare. “But…”
“You’re right. I’m tired and I do need to sleep.” Tahlen lowered his slightly roughened voice. “And you want to keep watch for me.”
“You kissed me.” Zelli leaned in, then crept in, because it seemed to be allowed. Slowly, very slowly, he settled at Tahlen’s side where it was warmer, gazing up at Tahlen the entire time. “I couldn’t sleep now if I wanted to. You kissed me,” he repeated with amazement, “even though I want to bite you.”
The curve at Tahlen’s mouth now was no hint. It was a warm, if careful, smile. “Zelli.”
“But I won’t,” Zelli insisted. “I’ll protect you.”
Tahlen offered his arm once more, not concealing a shiver when Zelli wrapped his hands around it and held it to his chest. “You could do both, if you like.”
Zelli stared at him, uncomprehending for a long while, then, stinging all over with heat, brought Tahlen’s arm up. He touched the points of his teeth to the meat of Tahlen’s thumb. Tahlen made a not-altogether-quiet sound. Zelli twitched in surprise and turned his head so that his teeth pushed into the hard leather.
The sound he made was too near a growl.
He dropped Tahlen’s hand and then said quickly, “If you want to rest, do it now, or I will truly be foolish.” He could feel Tahlen staring and also his warmth and the weight of his arm, which he left in Zelli’s lap, no doubt for Zelli to do with as he pleased.
Which, at the moment, would have been to tear that bit of leather into strips.
“Zelli,” Tahlen said again. He dared to soundfondwhen Zelli wanted to gnash his teeth and jump on top of him.
“You smiled at me too,” Zelli marveled, curling into the space at Tahlen’s side before raising Tahlen’s arm. He closed his teeth over Tahlen’s fingertips without biting down.
A nibble, and not terrible.
Tahlen smiled again, less careful.
Zelli kissed his hand and knew he would not sleep a wink.
Thirteen
Tahlen had not appeared happy with Zelli when he woke up before dawn and found Zelli struggling to stay awake. He’d narrowed his eyes and gotten to his feet, no traces of last night’s incredible fondness for Zelli to be seen.
Nonetheless, Zelli had told him the ideas that had occupied him during his damp and sleepless night, and Tahlen must have agreed with them, because after shaving and cleaning up, he had spoken to Let. The Lyralinah guards could not stay here and Tahlen and Zelli had to return soon. If the guards wanted Tahlen and Zelli’s protection or help, they must leave with them. Considering the distance to travel in a day, they had to leave early.
Tern could ride on Lemon Blossom, Zelli had also decided. Zelli would walk.
He thought that as he helped the guards take down their camp, and introduced Lemon Blossom to Tern, and hastily combed and braided his hair because he didn’t want to bother Tahlen. He continued thinking that until Tahlen appeared from nowhere and put a hand on Zelli’s shoulder to steer him toward Starfall, who now bore no packs or even Tahlen’s short staff.
“Oh, no, I couldn’t leave you to walk,” Zelli tried to argue, already placing his boot in Tahlen’s hands as though he’d been trained to by the sight of Tahlen kneeling in front of him. Starfall’s ears flicked back and forth at the sound of Zelli’s breathless protest. Starfall himself stayed still until Tahlen slid into the saddle behind Zelli and Zelli tensed without thinking.
Tahlen clicked his tongue and Starfall calmed. Zelli kept his back straight but otherwise tried to relax so he wouldn’t disturb the horse even more.
“Tahlen,” Zelli whined, voice rising at the end when Tahlen’s hand landed on his hip. He almost thought Tahlen might click his tongue athim this time.
“You need to rest,” Tahlen informed Zelli in a low tone. “And I don’t trust you not to run off in search of blackberries and stumble into those ten riders we all fear so much.”
Zelli managed a scoff but couldn’t argue with most of that, since hehadstopped for blackberries and run into a group of people they’d been looking for. Unsure what to do with his hands, he crossed his arms over his chest. “If we cut across the fields—carefully, to minimize damage—and do not stop, we should reach Mayor Sar’s inn tonight.” He had already told Tahlen this, but he had to saysomething. Tahlen’s chest was firm and histhighswere firm and Zelli had to think of anything else lest he embarrass Tahlen and not just himself. “I really could walk the whole way,” he added, refusing to look over toward anyone else who might be watching him blush and lean away from Tahlen’s lap.
