Chapter 147
Tempest didn’t know how long they had been in Skoq but she was growing used to it. From the topography to the heat.
It wasn’t the most comfortable she’d ever been in her life, but she wasn’t falling over every few seconds like she was in the beginning.
She followed along behind Rynax and Mexyn and Gerax but it didn’t feel like she was as much of a burden as she was before.
She’d even tried her hand at helping Mexyn gather some grains and fruits. They were all different from what she was used to on Thraqe but she managed to find the ones that wouldn’t kill her.
Tempest was taking that as a win.
Still she was feeling the effects of being away from Dron but she found a way to push the feeling down. She was on a mission and finding him was the pinnacle of that mission.
That was the only issue she seemed to be having now.
They’d been walking in the same direction for days but no one was able to tell her if they were any close to where they thought Dron was. She didn’t know if she were any closer than she had been when she was back on Thraqe.
She didn’t want to question it, though; she didn’t want to push her luck.
"You look like you’re deep in thought again." Rynax walked up next to her.
Tempest jumped a little; she really was deep in thought. Putting one foot in front of the other, not really paying attention to what was going on around her.
"Oh, it’s nothing." Tempest shrugged her shoulders.
"We’ve got a lot of time for nothing." Rynax looked down at her, that signature smirk on his face.
"You’re going to think I’m complaining, I’m not complaining."
Rynax grunted before he put his hand up and grabbed hold of her elbow. Slowing her down until there was more space between them and Mexyn and Gerax.
"Start complaining." Rynax said.
Tempest looked forward seeing Mexyn and Gerax ahead talking amongst themselves. She was happy that Rynax would be the only one to hear her bitching. Out of everyone, he was truly becoming a good friend to her.
"I’m so grateful for everything that you guys have been doing for me." The words come out of my mouth in a rush.
"But...?" Rynax starts.
"But I feel like we’re walking in circles. Or not circles, but I don’t feel any closer to Dron than I had when we were back on Thraqe. How long is it going to take to get to him?"
Rynax gulps hard and looks forward, nodding his head. "I get it. You’re impatient."
"I am impatient." Tempest sighed.
"I promise you we are making good time. According to Mexyn, there are a few settlements that are not too far away. Just a few more days."
"And you think that we’ll find Dron at one of these settlements?" Tempest asked a little more hopeful.
"I’m sure of it. We’ll get you back to your mate." Rynax gave her a little smile, and they continued to walk forward.
"Tell me something." Rynax continued.
"Sure." Tempest fiddled with the fabric of her dress.
"Have you ever felt like you were made for something more? Maybe that you weren’t just put here to be someone’s mate."
For a moment, Tempest felt a little offended by the question. She wasn’t just Dron’s mate. She was her own person. Then she calmed and realized that Rynax was talking more about himself than about her.
"Yeah, when I got here, it bothered me that it seemed as if all I was meant to be was someone’s wife. On Earth, being considered just a wife is like a hit to my intelligence, not that there’s anything wrong with being a wife, but I wanted to be considered something more than that. But in the same regard, being Dron’s mate comes with more than just wifely duties."
"Like what?"
"It comes with being a therapist. Comes with being a liaison. A teacher. A leader." Tempest thought about all the different ways that she’d seen Dron and the people around him change. As much as she didn’t take the chance to think about it, she knew that she was a great part of that. She was already more than just a wife.
"So that’s what you mean? You want to be a leader in the community?" Rynax asks, and Tempest could hear there was something deeper in his tone.
"I don’t need to be a leader, that’s not what I’m shooting for. It just seemed to just happen. What about you? What do you need to be?"
Rynax was quiet for a long while, and Tempest thought that maybe he wouldn’t answer, "I want to be needed."
It was the saddest thing that Tempest had ever heard him say. She grabbed him. Stopping him from moving.
"Ry, you are needed. Don’t you see? We wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for you. I wouldn’t be able to do any of this if you hadn’t come to help me."
"Yeah, but what happens when all of this is over? What happens when you get back to Dron and all is right in your world? Where is that going to leave me?"
"I’m not just going to forget about you if that’s what you mean. You’re still going to be part of my life."
Rynax chuckled and crossed his arms over his chest.
"Yeah, Dron is going to love that." He kicked at the dirt.
Tempest shoved at his arm playfully. "I don’t care what he loves. You’re an important part of my life now, Rynax. Don’t you ever forget that."
"That’s what I need. To be in your life." Rynax looks down at her, and Tempest could feel the air around them change. He was opening up to her in a way that she didn’t expect. It was heavy. It was intense. It was intimate.
"You will be. I promise. You will." She reached up and gently caressed his face. He closed his eyes and leaned into the touch. When was the last time someone touched him like this? The last time someone showed Rynax some gentleness.
Tempest suddenly felt so overwhelmed with guilt, with longing to just comfort. "Come here." she whispered.
Rynax didn’t hesitate. He lowered himself and let Tempest wrap her arms around him. They stayed there in that embrace for a long while.
Too long.
Too close.
Rynax slowly pulled back. In the back of Tempest’s mind, she could feel what was about to happen. She knew it from years of being in the same room with the opposite sex. She knew it from years of watching all those Hallmark movies.
Rynax’s breath brushes against the side of her cheek as he pulls back.
Tempest could feel her heart galloping in her chest. She was nervous. Not because she thought Rynax would hurt her but because she knew what she was doing was wrong. Or maybe it was right.
Maybe this was the right decision.
Maybe instead of traipsing all around the world looking for a man that she chose just to go against the grain, she could choose the man who seemed to be a better match for her. She could feel the adoration in Rynax’s hold. She could feel his need to protect her. She could feel everything that he had to offer her right there in his touch.
All she had to do was let him.
Her eyes closed.
She lifted her face, getting closer and closer to Rynax. All she had to do was let him.
The air flowed through them, the scent of the native plants infiltrated her senses. Tempest closed her eyes again just before Rynax could press her lips to hers.
Dron’s face popped into her mind’s eye.
She couldn’t do this to him. Things are rough. She was needy and lonely. She wanted to be home in her bed.
She wanted her mate.
With a gasp, Tempest quickly backed away from Rynax.
"Tempest I...." Rynax started, but she put her hand up to stop him.
"No, you don’t need to say anything. It’s okay."
"It’s not okay. None of this is okay." Rynax tried to take a step back into her space, but she moved again. She needed to put some distance between the two of them before she did something that she couldn’t take back.
"If you need to talk to someone, I’m always going to be here for you. I should get back to Mexyn. She’s probably got more interesting tidbits about the land that she’s dying to tell me about." Tempest let an uneven laugh push through her lips. She was uncomfortable, but it wasn’t all Rynax’s fault.
He clenched his jaw but didn’t say anything in return.
Tempest smiled again before she turned on her heel and rushed to get back to where Mexyn and Gerax was.
She breathed out, trying to slow her heart. Tempest had to get to Dron. That was all she needed to focus on.
Whatever was happening between her and Rynax would resolve itself.
She only hoped it wouldn’t destroy the friendship that she wanted to keep with him. And she hoped that Dron wouldn’t see it as a betrayal.
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⏸ PAUSE■ STOP