by Lexi Ander
“Tell me what troubles you,” she prodded.
His warm gaze returned to her. “I wish I could go where you go. Swim like you. I can only imagine the wonders you have seen.”
“I can always come to you.”
“But I want to be with you all the time.” He kissed the back of her hand. “I want to go to your family and ask for permission to marry you. I want to swim with you, to sleep by you.” He waved a hand over his body. “I cannot do that when I look like this.”
As he spoke, her blood went cold, and she shivered. “I do not understand. What are you saying?”
“There is a company here, Tartarus, that advertises experimental body modifications. I’m going to talk to them about acquiring gills. We have suits and fins we can wear under water, but if I can breathe underwater then I can go where you go.”
She did not think it would be that simple, but to be able to take him home with her, to formally introduce him as her amor… She wanted that more than words could convey and apparently so did he.
“Is it dangerous?”
His smile slipped. “Such things are always dangerous.”
“How long do you think it will take?”
“Not sure. What I read on the internet says six to eight weeks of recovery, if there are no complications.”
How could she go to him if there were complications? She stared at her fins, scowling and she tried to imagine having legs again. Her stomach flipped, threatening to make her sick.
“Hey. Hey.” He cupped her face, making her focus on him. “Don’t try. It kills me to see you in such pain. You don’t need legs.”
“If I had legs then you would not need to see strangers about sea lungs.” Tears of frustration pricked her eyes.
“I love you just as you are, Shaneva. If Tartarus can give me the opportunity to claim a life with you, I would do it and so much more.” He dug in the pocket of the short pants he wore, bringing out a strand of gray pearls separated by polished turquoise squares. “I made a new one for you.”
She wore all the jewelry he made for her, a declaration that her attention was taken by someone. “Ravindra, you have given me so much already.”
He grinned, his eyes dancing. “I haven’t even started.”
She tilted her head so that he could slip the necklace on. How did she come to love this human so? She cupped his cheek, and he placed his hand over hers, leaning into her touch.
“Tell me about your day,” she said, pushing away her concerns.
She listened to him talk, and they ate before swimming along the surface of the lake as the sun sank toward the horizon. Soon she would have to go home and talk to her parents about Ravindra and what her plans were. For the time being, she luxuriated in his company, wishing the days were longer and dreading spending the night away from her amor. Perhaps the company could help them acquire the future they wanted, a future she wanted desperately. Perhaps too desperately.
A Note from Lexi Ander
A Note from Lexi Ander: I hope that you enjoyed this newest installment in The Valespian Pact. This series is a labor of love for me and I'm so happy to see Sohm'lan and Mestor come together. If you want the scoop on all new releases consider signing up for my newsletter.
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If you have the time, please consider leaving a review. I appreciate all reviews and thank you for taking the time to write one. Thank you for reading!!
About the Author
A two-time Rainbow Award recipient, Lexi has always been an avid reader and started reading (secretly) her mother's romances (the ones she was told not to touch) at a young age. She was the only teenager she knew of who would be grounded from reading. Later, with a pencil and a notebook, she wrote her own stories and shared them with friends because she loved to see their reactions. A Texas transplant, Lexi now kicks her boots up in the Midwest with her Yankee husband and her 80-pound puppies named after vacuum cleaners.
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Website: http://www.lexiander.com
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Other Books by Lexi Ander
The Valespian Pact
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Alpha Trine
Striker
Constant
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Sumeria's Sons
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Twin Flames
Songs of the Earth
Dreams of the Forgotten
Surrounded by Crimson
Dragon’s Eye
Releasing Chaos
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Darksoul
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Sünder
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Standalone
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Caledonia Destiny