Page 9 of His Human to Adore
“I have my reasons, but I know they are correct,” I answer vaguely, not wanting to tell Kendra of my mother and her wishes for me to mate someone of my kind. “The storm was a sign that I am not supposed to take a human as my mate.”
Kendra chews on her lip as she thinks of what to say next. Silence surrounds us for long moments before she leans closer to me and asks me, “What do you think the brothers have taken from you?”
Her question catches me off guard because I do not know what my brothers could have taken from me to have me so upset, but I know it is the most important thing in my life. They have taken a piece of my soul somehow. I do not know how they have done it, but I need it back. I rub my chest, a lump forming in my throat as I think of the constant ache that has plagued me since I woke the first morning of my imprisonment.
“I do not know, but it is important.” My voice breaks slightly as I say it, but I do not hide my emotions from my friend. She has seen me in despair before, and I am sure she will see me become emotional many times in our lives.
Kendra chews on her bottom lip, her small white teeth pressing into the pink skin as her brows furrow and her eyes look up at me with pity.
“I need to speak with my mates,” she says as she stands slowly. “We need you to control your anger so we can let you back out.”
“Have them bring back what they’ve taken, and I will be calm,” I say, knowing that she must know what it is they have taken since she has not been trapped in this room like I have. I rub my chest again, the tightness amplifying as I think about how empty I feel without whatever it is they have taken. “Please, convince them to return it because I cannot be myself until they have returned it.”
Kendra nods, but the sad look in her eyes doesn’t leave. “I’ll try my hardest, but I think you should reconsider not taking a human mate.”
“I cannot,” I answer, sounding more angry than I intend to. Of course, I want a human mate, but it has been made clear to me I am not to have one. The goddess will surely not tempt me with a human mate after my mother’s wishes have been made clear to me, so there should be nothing to worry Kendra about. Her sad expression does hurt my chest, though. I might care more if I wasn’t already dealing with the worst emptiness I have ever felt in my life. “The goddess will look out for me. Do not pity me.”
Kendra laughs more to herself than to me, but it is still nice to see a smile cross her lips. “You remember the goddess is looking out for you, okay?”
“Always,” I say, nodding. “She has looked favorably on my brothers and me. Why else would she send my brothers such sweet mates?”
She gives me a knowing look, but I do not know what she could know that I do not, other than the thing my brothers have taken from me. “You’re deserving of a sweet mate, too.”
“Maybe so, but I cannot, and the goddess will not tempt me with one. She is much too kind for that.” I stand from where I’ve been sitting, knowing that I need Kendra to leave so she can go talk to her mates about returning to me what is mine. I want my soul to feel complete again, and it never will if my only hope continues to sit on the floor with me. “You will ask your mates to return what is missing, yes?”
I offer Kendra my hand, but when she takes it, I hiss loudly at her, my eyes narrowing and pain searing through me like I have touched something that has burned me. I do not drop her because that would be unkind, but it pains me to help her to her feet. Once I do, I release her and step further into my room, so I am not near her. She does not seem surprised by my reaction, which is confusing since she has touched me plenty of times, and not once have I ever reacted in this way.
“I’ll have them bring what you’re missing back, but you need to open your mind.” She rubs her hands together like she knows she just hurt me with her touch. “Things are going to be really hard if you refuse what the goddess is giving you.”
I do not dwell on her words, mainly because she has told me she will return what has been taken. This means they have taken something from me, and I am not losing my mind.
I open my bedroom door for her and am met with the glowing red eyes of Erkoz and Xoth, who are still only staring from the crack in the wardrobes that is only big enough for a human female to fit through. I am surprised they have not moved the wardrobes in an attempt to come to get their female since they both seem angry, but I cannot even begin to imagine how they are with their mate since they share her so frequently.
“Oh shit,” Kendra mutters as she starts to wiggle back through to her mates. “I’m in trouble, aren’t I?”
Kendra doesn’t get an answer. No, Erkoz throws her over his shoulder while Xoth watches me with red eyes until they are back in their own room before following them.
I try not to get angry since they will have their way with their mate before they return to me what they’ve taken, but it is difficult when I can hear them through the walls. I lean against the far wall and wait for their sounds to silence before I get my hopes up for getting what they have taken from me. Kendra has told me she will get her mates to give it back, and I trust her since she has never given me any reason not to.
Deja
Myvisioncamebackon the second day, and that was also when all of my senses started to come around. My hearing was no longer muffled, the ache in my chest was still there but more manageable, and the sensitivity of my skin lessened. I spent most of my time sleeping as the storm raged outside. I would sleep for a few hours, wake for a little while, and then go back to sleep.
My body aches like I’m hollow, and my heart has an empty feeling of heartbreak that I haven’t felt since my mother passed away. I’ve maybe eaten four times in the six days since I was taken from Dath’s room and trapped in this house.
The storms ceased this morning, and Kendra and her mates went back to the great hall to speak with Ralleth, the tribe’s leader, to see what they’re supposed to do with me.
They all give me pitying looks when I wake up and move around the house. Apparently, I’m in Diane and Almaac’s house, but Kendra and her mates have been staying here as well in case I try to leave or Dath tries to get out of his own prison cell. No one has told me why we’re being treated this way, but it doesn’t seem like they really know either.
I’m sitting at the dining room table when the front door swings open. Kendra’s eyes are red-rimmed, but she wears a smile, and her demons stare at her like she’s their entire world. It would be adorable if it didn’t make the hollowness in my heart amplify. Her eyes meet mine, and her smile grows.
“Okay, so we have a few things to discuss.” She says as Erkoz pulls out a chair and sits in it before pulling her into his lap. “One, you need to go back to the great hall, or Dath might actually lose his mind and kill someone.”
She tries to say more, but I cut her off by trying to get out of my chair. “Let’s go now.”
“Not so fast, little human.” Xoth, Kendra’s other mate, blocks me from moving away from the table.
No one has touched me since the first day when I was carried into the house. Erkoz has repented for touching me and bringing me pain many times, and still, he looks at me like he’s full of regret even though I’ve told him over and over that it’s okay. None of us knew that leaving Dath would cause as much damage to me as it has.