Page 58 of Dealing With Drak
“Permission?” Drak echoes, looking up at me with bewildered eyes. “An-nana, you have done what I have been begging for. You have not forced me, you have… you have honored me beyond comprehension. I do not think that you understand because hu-nims do not mate as Aprixians do.”
His eyes sparkle, and his thumbs gently brush my cheekbones.
“But you have done something every male would die for. You demanded my soul seed choose you, and it has. I can not believe how lucky I feel. I couldn’t express it properly if I tried. I apologize, I am not the best with words.”
“You’re doing pretty good right now,” I admit in a hushed tone. “Do you feel differently towards me now? Like, is it making you like me more?”
“I feel stronger,” he admits. “Mentally and physically, I feel stronger. Not exactly in my feelings for you, but in my ability to keep you safe for all of our lives. I already felt for you what I feel for you now.”
That is good to hear. I think.
No, I know. It’s fucking great news.
The soul seed isn’t forcing him to like me any more than he already did. He won’t feel chained to me or angry with me for activating something I had no idea I had the power to unlock.
“Good,” I say with a gulp. “But Drak?”
“Yes, my An-nana?”
“Your friends won’t think I’m a witch or something, will they?”
“A sorceress?” Drak asks with wide eyes. “Why would they think such a thing?”
“Um, because I harassed your soul seed into lighting up for me? Has that even been done before? Is there an Aprixian counsel that’s going to want to interrogate me about this?”
Drak gives me an amused smirk. “You say many funny words, my mate.”
Lightly smacking his chest, I pout. “I’m serious!”
The chuckling alien uses his hands that are still cupping my face to pull me into a long and slow kiss. The air seems to crackle around us, sparks igniting in my stomach.
“They will not believe you to be a sorceress, my mate. Once I tell the story of how you conquered my stubborn soul seed, you will be renowned as one of the most formidable Aprixian mates in history. The thing you have just done has only been depicted in stories. Tales of mates from hundreds of years ago.”
My face is burning up. “It could just be timing, you know? Your soul seed could have just picked a crazy time to shine.”
Drak shakes his head, refusing to believe it. “You did this, An-nana. You are beyond incredible. As much as I wish it were the time for me to ravage you, to show you how grateful I am, you must sleep now. I can give you some Sal’um plant if you need it, but we are on a mission. You need your rest so that we may hunt for your family.”
Sal’um is the little leafy green Aprixian sleep plant that tastes like mint. Marrec introduced Stevie to it months ago, and I’ve tried it before. It works great and has minimal lasting effects. I don’t typically need nor ask for it, but I might need it after the shot of adrenaline that this interaction just caused.
“I’ll take a little leaf,” I concede. “I don’t think I could sleep with my mind so busy. But are you sure you want me to go to bed right now? You just found out I’m your mate, won’t it be hard for you?” Flicking my eyes to the bulge in his pants, I chuckle. “And I mean literally hard.”
“I am always hard for you, my Mean One,” Drak declares goodnaturedly. Dropping his tone, he shifts forward to ghost his lips over mine. “But I have promised to help you search, and if we begin to touch now, I worry we will not stop. I must put my devotion to you and what you need above my desires for you. For now.”
Shakily, I breathe out, absorbing his words.
I don’t think I’ve ever been happier that I survived the zombie apocalypse. I used to think it was more bitter than sweet to have lived because of pure luck and circumstance. But now, with Drak? Nothing is bitter.
“For now,” I agree, kissing him firmly.
Several minutes after swallowing the minty leaf, I drift off peacefully to sleep.
23
Anna
I’m not getting my hopes up, I’m not getting my hopes up?—
All day I’ve been silently repeating the same mantra to myself. With every passing hour that we go without finding my family, the voice gets quieter and quieter. I don’t want to admit it, but some of my hopes are definitely up. How can we have found so many signs and clues and still have nothing?