Druidess Found (Druidess Trilogy Book 1) by Machelle Hanleigh (interesting novels to read txt) 📕

finger over his chest, tracing invisible patterns. He remained silent for so long she began to think Moto wouldn't answer her. Her eyes drifted shut. She would get the story from him, eventually. Tonight, was too perfect to spoil it with her curiosity.

"Sari is ten years younger than I am and we used to live in the same village." He said, breaking the silence.

"You've known her a long time." There was a catch in her voice she didn't want to be there. She was jealous of the time Sari had with Moto, jealous of the way she knew him, and Kaily wanted that for herself with Moto. She didn't want to be jealous of Sari, but she was.

"It's not like that," Moto forced Kaily to look at him. "We have known each other a long time, but she is like a sister to me."

She looked away. "I'm sorry."

He kissed the top of her head. "There is no reason to apologize. As you learn our ways, you'll come to understand that there is no one else except you for me and never will be."

She searched his eyes and saw his sincerity. She felt silly for still harboring jealous feelings. "What happened?" She asked. It was easier than to face her own insecurities.

"Growing up, Sari was always smacking me. As she got older, she got worse about it. Once she came into her powers; she went from smacking to zapping me. She thought it was the funniest thing. She was about fourteen when I had hit my limit. I can't even remember what started it that day, but we were at Crystal Lake and she zapped me particularly hard. I spun her around and gave her a sound spanking. Not the playful kind I gave you."

"Oh my," Kaily said. "What did she do?"

"Honestly, I think I stung her pride more than her behind that day. She stormed from Crystal Lake and didn't talk to me for a very long time, which was something considering we lived in the same village." He brushed his fingertips up and down her back.

"Wow," Kaily shook her head.

He laughed. "It's funny now, but not at the time. Of course, she didn't smack or zap me as much after that point. Now, it's just when I do something that really makes her mad."

"Do that often?" She teasingly asked.

He flipped her to her back. He didn't answer her question.

She searched his eyes. He turned serious.

"You have turned my world upside down, little one."

Same for me, she replied.

I know. Moto pulled back to give enough room to lock eyes with her. "If it means keeping you in my life, I wouldn’t change anything."

"Neither would I." Kaily frowned. "Well, except maybe I would have chosen a different hiding place for my stone."

He shook his head. "Talisman, Kaily, not stone, talisman," he corrected. "I don't want to know what possessed you to put it there." He rolled onto his back and took her with him.

She settled back into her comfortable position half laying on him. "I won't make that mistake again."

"I would hope not." He ran his finger up and down her spine. "Thank you for staying."

"You're welcome." She kissed his chest. "Good night, Moto."

"Good night, little one." He reached a handout and concentrated on pulling energy from the stones that lit the interior of the cave.

She watched in fascination as he did so. She wondered if she would be able to do that. She might not believe, but there was a part of her that wished it were true. She sighed and settled deeper into his embrace. Kaily closed her eyes and drifted to sleep with the alluring scent of Moto filling her lungs and soul.

Chapter Seventeen

 

Moto woke before Kaily. He didn't know what time it was. It felt early. He eased out from under her so that he didn't wake her. She had been through so much and needed the rest to heal from her latest ordeal. He blamed himself for everything she endured since first setting foot on Ki. The reality of the situation was that if he had done what he should have from the beginning, none of the difficulties Kaily endured would have happened to her. He could have saved her so much heart ache if he had just taken her back home the moment he found her among the Agenors.

He closed his eyes and rubbed them. He wished he could go back and somehow handle it all differently, but he knew deep down that it wouldn't change anything. He would make the same choices and the same mistakes. He couldn't let her go, and he couldn't let go of his love and duty for his people. He couldn't have both. He had to choose one or the other. Never would the Queen or his people accept Kaily as his bonded mate. Sari said he would choose her in time. She was right. He would claim Kaily and consummate their bonding. It was only a matter of time. If the last few weeks confirmed anything, it was that he simply could not let her go. Letting her go might be the best thing he could do for her, but it was the worst thing for him. He didn't have the strength to give her freedom. He knew he was being selfish, and he no longer cared. He would be selfish if it meant hanging onto his Kaily. He was going to make her his bonded mate, somehow the rest would just have to work itself out.

Moto placed a kiss on his fingertips and touched them to Kaily's lips. He didn't know what it was between them that created the connection they had. He only knew that he wouldn't feel complete ever again if he let her go. It was a strange thing, before he met her, he never once felt anything was missing from his life. He didn't feel drawn to any of the Kahoali women in the villages and came to terms with the