Children of the Gods - A Chosen Novel by Monica Millard Read Free Book Online Page A

was injured. Even
though I wanted to continue hating him, I hated them more.
    Just outside the entry way where I knew
everyone could see, I pulled his hand and he stopped to look at me.
Worry colored his face, which helped. I drew him close so my body
was pressed tight against his. I breathed in deeply, noting how
pleasant his musky scent was. He looked confused. His body was
quick to interpret my actions though and he leaned in, his face
close to mine. I wrapped my hands around his neck and with an
urgency that surprised even me, I kissed him deeply.
    When I pulled away, he looked happily
stunned. The look I was hoping for. He trailed along behind me, and
rather than the looks of hungry predators, we received averted eyes
and flushing cheeks.
    The satisfaction I felt, I was sure was
reflected in my face. Maybe I was not as needy as we both
thought.
    As we waited for our food I tried not to let
the ramifications of what I had committed myself to taint my
momentary triumph. And like he could read my mind Jaxson reached
out and took my hand.
    “Thank you.” His voice was so soft I more
read it on his lips than heard it. He leaned forward and his eyes
dropped to our clasped hands. “Maybe you are not quite as delicate
as I have worried.”
    I looked up, but he did not meet my eye. He
saw through my charade and was letting me off the hook. Why?
    As dinner went on, I could see how cruel what
I had done was. Was I becoming one of them? Using people with no
regard for their feelings?
    I spotted Griff at the same time Jaxson did.
Jaxson motioned for him to join us. Griff bent close and whispered
something in Jaxson’s ear. He went rigid and his jaw clenched.
    Griff looked up at me and nodded in response
to Jaxson’s question. His look made me uncomfortable, like I was
the subject.
    I was not hungry after their exchange. A
young boy, Tiberius I believe, seeing that I was done, took my
plate.
    “Ready?” Jaxson’s breath was warm on my ear.
I braced for the false display of affection I expected to follow.
He pressed a feather light kiss to my neck instead. It was this
kind of tenderness that made me feel monstrous.
    I offered my hand and he led me back to our
room. As soon as the wall closed, he turned on me.
    “You promised, Anaya!”
    “What did I promise?” My voice sounded
sharper than I meant it to. He rarely called me that, and I found
hearing him use her name made me angry.
    “You cannot go wandering about without Griff
or I.”
    “I only went to the garden.”
    “Those people,” he motioned in the direction
of the dining room, “you have not made their lives easy and they
hate you for it. A few would like to see you bleed. I know you feel
strong, but you are not ready to be wandering around unescorted
yet.”
    “You just said I am not as delicate as you
thought,” I said, looking at my toes.
    He stepped closer and lifted my chin with a
finger. “What if something happened to you? You cannot think only
of yourself. You have responsibilities,” he said with half a
smile.
    “No fair using my words against me. Besides,
I am not the one limping.”
    He kissed my nose and I scowled at him. He
looked suddenly tired, like our argument took everything he had
left. “I am going to bathe.”
    I lay in bed trying to fall asleep while he
bathed. When I heard him approaching I closed my eyes.
    “I know you are not sleeping,” he said,
sliding up next to me. “You are holding your breath.” He kissed my
neck softly.
    “Are you still hurting?” I asked.
    “Not now that I am close to you.”
    I knew he was lying from the set of his
muscles.
    ~o~
    I could feel that he was awake, though he did
not move. I did not understand why he was not doing his normal
routine of reaching for me, then holding me close for a few minutes
before rising. Then I realized I had not moved away from him in the
night.
    Learning my lesson from that night, I
concentrated on keeping my breathing slow and steady. He nuzzled my
hair and neck,