Bane of Tenebris (Wolfgods Book 2) by Blaise Ramsay (i love reading books txt) 📕

the back door of the house. She saw him lean against the wood railing, the muscles of his back tense, his fingers gripping the wood so hard she heard it creaking.

She wanted to tell him she was sorry, how she knew he cared about Jill but she remained quiet.

Instead, she joined him in leaning against the railing. Her fluttering heart gave her the courage to lean against his arm, finding his bicep firm and warm beneath her cheek.

Kain relaxed his muscles. The touch of Tala’s skin against his offered him a sense of comfort. “Did you still want to accompany me this afternoon?”

Tala took his hand whispering “yes” in his ear.

Kain offered his arm, a coy grin formed across his face. Tala took it, thanking him.

As they walked together, Tala took in every facet of Kain’s beauty. She could imagine his short, dirty-blonde hair spiked if he chose to style it.

When Kain caught her gawking at him, she turned her head away to avoid embarrassing herself. He responded with a coy grin since he’d been stealing glances at her as well.

From what he could tell, Tala’s inexperience with a male led him to believe she didn’t know how to interact with one more intimately. In lycan years, she was of age to choose a mate but her timid personality appeared to make courting a challenge.

He had no doubt that males found her attractive. Her soft hair, gentle face and tender eyes gave Kain signs she’d be a perfect mother to pups. Her fair skin held a tint of tan. Her curiosity and admiration were two qualities Kain found endearing.

Tala’s sudden gasp took Kain out of his thoughts.

In front of them, a field laced with golden flowers bloomed in the warmth of the new spring sun. Bees buzzed about collecting pollen from the sweet-smelling marigolds and buttercups. New leaves rustled in the gentle breeze.

The bright smile on Tala’s face pleased Kain. “I thought this might appeal to you. You’ve been so stressed, I assumed you might want some time to relax. Stop and smell the flowers, I believe is the saying.”

Kain sat on a stone beneath the trees and watched Tala walk through the flowers. She sat down and proceeded to pick one and smell it. He didn’t know when it happened, but he dozed off.

The scent of one of the flowers close to him made him open his eyes to see Tala extending a flower towards him, her cheeks red.

Tala swallowed a knot in her throat. “I know men don’t usually like flowers, but I wanted to give this to you.”

Kain blinked, surprised at the gift. He reached to take it, an outstretched hand took his, cradling the flower between the two of them.

Tala’s radiant smile beamed above him. “Come into the light with me. The sun feels great.”

Kain’s eyes grew wider, his heart full for the first time in centuries. A strange sensation of heat fell across his face. The emotion felt so welcome yet scared him because of what it could become. He discarded the unease and joined Tala in the warmth of the sun, sitting down amidst the flowers.

Tala dancing took Kain back to the days before the Blood Wars. Her melodious voice drove away the howling demons in his mind.

For this moment, he wanted to allow himself to be something other than a cursed soldier. He wanted to feel alive, to remember what life was like before the bane. Back to a time when he ran with his brothers and sisters across the mountain plains.

No blood, no cries of pain. Just his people running in the night, singing to their mother.

Tala joined him in sitting in the flowers. Her breath hard from dancing and singing.

“It’s been a while since I could enjoy the warmth of the sun. It’s a nice change,” Kain said. He turned his chin to the sky, grinning, the breeze catching his hair.

Tala looked at the scars on Kain’s arms. New, angry gashes crossed over faded pink scars. She wanted to ask about them but kept her mouth shut.

She watched Kain fall back into the flowers, his arms crossed behind his head, falling asleep in a matter of minutes.

The urge to touch Kain niggled in the back of Tala’s mind. His biceps bulged at the crook between his elbow and forearm. The smell of him mixing with the flowers drove her crazy with want.

Her heightened senses brought forth the darker need inside. She covered her mouth willing the despicable urge away. Kain’s blood whispered to her, the need prodding her to take some of it while he slept.

Tears began to fall from her eyes at the idea such an evil thing kept her from revealing her feelings to Kain.

Kain woke to find Tala sitting beside him. From the light in the sky, it had to be early evening. He sat up and stretched to alleviate the stiffness from sleeping on the ground.

“Good evening,” Tala said.

“Good evening. How long have I slept?” Kain replied.

“About two or three hours. Did you sleep well?”

Kain nodded. From the ground, he plucked a flower and pushed Tala’s hair behind her ear to place the flower there. The yearning he saw in her eyes made him curious about what she might be thinking.

Tala began to lean forward, her eyes half-closed. Her mouth got so close to his, Kain could’ve kissed her. He closed the distance, bringing their mouths together in a sweet kiss.

The taste of Tala’s mouth reminded Kain of the sweetness of honey with a hint of heat from a red pepper. She moaned into his mouth, moving closer to his body.

Inside, Kain wanted nothing more than to keep her close. His lack of the intimacy so normal for his kind threatened to overwhelm his control.

To a lycan, companionship wasn’t just a want, it was a need. Kain had gone many years without it. He pulled away from Tala, sad and aching.

When he saw the disappointed look on her face,