Saving Verakko: The Clecanian Series Book 3 by Victoria Aveline (books to read for teens TXT) 📕

Verakko shrugged, feeling brief joy at the idea before a nervous fear settled in. Hadn’t she known that? “I thought you knew it was a possibility.”

An awkward twitch of her shoulders was the only response Lily gave for a moment. Then, she worried her bottom lip and said, “I guess on some level I know we’re the same species, but I never put two and two together. You’re just so different from me. It’s baffling that I might be able to have a…blue?—I don’t even know what color—baby.” Lily shook her head in disbelief and wiped her forehead with her shirt again. “It’s a good thing I have an IUD.”

Verakko scanned her body, not recalling any superficial device. “Where is it?”

She chuckled, her eyes still a bit wider than normal. “It’s inside me. A type of birth control.”

Verakko remembered Jade had been sure of her Earth-given birth control as well. Should he tell Lily her IUD might not be as effective as she thinks? “One of the humans, Jade, became pregnant while on a form of Earth birth control. I didn’t look into it, but it may be that your IUD is…ineffective.”

 Lily’s steps faltered. She stared into the darkness for a moment, then gave a deep sigh and shrugged. “Well, shit.” She laughed. She threw her hand in the air in a gesture that said the new information was just a grain of sand on an ever-growing dune. “I guess we’ll see what happens. I can’t imagine it won’t work, though. It isn’t like the pill.” She pointed, or attempted to point, accusingly at him and grinned. “But you’re wrapping it next time.”

Wrapping it? Verakko mulled over the odd phrase before the words next time registered, and his shaft twitched. The end of the tunnel came into view ahead. She’d taken the news that she could become pregnant pretty well. Maybe she’d take the news that she was his mate well too?

As soon as they got outside and she could look him in the eyes. He’d tell her then. His heart jumped in his chest with every step closer to the exit they got. Neither of them had eaten last night, and he was thankful for it, knowing his stomach was ready to turn at any moment.

When they finally reached the exit and stepped out, Verakko expelled a large pent-up breath. He pulled Lily through the door and watched her take in the first sight of his homeland.

Her eyes were wide, and her mouth hung slightly open. He peered at the scenery and tried to see it through her eyes. They were standing a few hundred feet away from the base of the black mountains. The tunnel had deposited them far from the mountains to ensure the crumbling sides, which often collapsed after heavy sandstorms, didn’t block the tunnel.

The blazing sun was high overhead, shining down on a sea of glittering black sand. Towering dunes formed farther away from the mountains, barely blocking out the view to his city, only a day’s walk away.

“It’s beautiful,” Lily whispered. She gulped and gave him a forced smile. “And a little bit terrifying, to be honest.” She reached out and clasped his hand in hers, tugging him along as she trudged forward up the nearest dune. The small gesture was so natural and affectionate, it made his breath hitch.

“It can be quite dangerous if you don’t know what you’re doing.” He stared back over the rolling hills of sand, recalling the days and nights he’d spent out here while serving in his city’s infantry. “It may not look like it, but the desert is alive. Watching where you step is the most important thing to keep in mind. If the sand looks anything other than smooth, tell me immediately.”

Lily raised her brows and scanned the ground anxiously. “Yep, that’s gonna give me all sorts of nightmares.”

As they came to the top of the dune, a glint in the distance caught his eye, and he pointed toward it. She spun, shielding her eyes.

There it was. Mithrandir. The new city, with its towering buildings, was visible from a great distance.

“Wow,” she breathed. “It almost looks like a forest. The buildings are weird. Why are they so wide and flat on top?”

With a resigned sigh, Verakko slid behind her, twining his arms around her waist and breathing into her hair. “They only look flat. They’re actually sloped inward and lined with solar panels. The mist and rain collect on the roof and are guided down through the center of the building and into large filtering systems underground. Then the water is pumped up to the top, where it falls back down again.”

She scrunched her brows. “Why? Isn’t that wasteful?”

Verakko chuckled. “No, not wasteful. The water is used as needed, and if there’s a shortage, the water is managed better. It’s an unnecessary luxury. The architect designed the building to be self-sustaining, but he also took into account my people’s penchant for extravagance.” He gestured grandly to the buildings, pretending to speak as though enraptured. “When visitors come to our desert city, they’re awed by our lush gardens and never-ending waterfalls in the center of every building.”

Lily chuckled. He shook his head, having always found the feature to be pointless and ridiculously opulent. Although the water was all used, he felt it could’ve been utilized more efficiently. A flash of excitement raced through him again. If he wasn’t marrying Ziritha, that meant he wouldn’t need to move back to Mithrandir either. He could stay in Tremanta with Lily, where technology was prized above gaudy displays.

She rested her head against his chest. “I can’t wait to see the city.”

With great effort, Verakko slipped his hands from around Lily and turned her until she was facing him. “We need to talk before we go to the city.” He ran a hand over the back of his neck.