Defy by Raine Thomas

nebulous.
    Shaking himself from whatever spell she’d
just cast on him, he once again raised his weapon, watching her
warily. And he asked the most pertinent question.
    “What the hell are you?” he demanded.
     

Chapter 13
     
    “ What am I?” Tate repeated, humor in
her tone.
    The large, muscular male in front of her,
dressed in an unremarkable gray tank, gray pants and black boots,
looked disgruntled. His dark blue eyes and markings identified him
as a Gloresti, and between that and his size and gruffness, he
reminded her a bit of her father. But where her father had dark,
curly hair, this Gloresti’s hair was blond and looked as though it
had been hacked off with a blunt blade. It didn’t appear to have
been brushed lately, either…though, since she’d obviously awakened
him, she could understand that.
    “You heard me,” he said.
    She smiled. “Well, it appears to me that I’m
the girl of your dreams.”
    His frown intensified. She could see he was
trying to reason out what she’d just said. While he puzzled over
it, she glanced at his feet. What she had thought was just a shadow
cast from the rear of the small shelter finally took form to her
gaze.
    “Oh my gosh!” she exclaimed with wide eyes.
“Is that a kragen? It’s huge!”
    She rushed forward, forgetting about the male
in her enthusiasm. She hadn’t gone more than two steps before he
stepped in her path, holding his gleaming tomahawk at the ready.
Pulling back abruptly when she almost ran into him, she gave him a
serious glower.
    “Oh, come on,” she said. “I just want to see
it better. I’ve never seen a kragen before.”
    He didn’t reply. Merely stared back at her
with hostility in his gaze.
    She sighed in irritation. “Fine.” Finding
this all a waste of a good dream, she shifted with the intent to
head toward the entrance to the shelter.
    “Wait,” he said.
    When she stopped and caught his eye, she
realized he had surprised himself with the command. Although she
found that realization rather funny, she crossed her arms and
lifted her chin. “Yeah?”
    He seemed to war with himself over whether to
reply. At last, he asked, “If this is a dream, why does it feel so
real?”
    She quirked an eyebrow. “Does it?”
    “Do not be contrary. You know it to be true.
I can feel the warmth of the sunlight. The weight of my weapon is
the same now as usual. I can smell lemon on your skin…”
    When he trailed off and looked discomfited by
his own words, she almost smiled again. “I really don’t know why
this is so intense. But I do know it’s a dream, because I didn’t
sleep with you last night.” Her face flamed with embarrassment when
she realized what she’d just said. Fortunately, he didn’t seem to
notice.
    “How did you find me?”
    “I don’t know,” she said again. “I don’t even
know who you are.”
    He considered that, giving her another
thorough once-over. Something about that intent study had her heart
picking up in pace. Then he asked, “Why are your eyes and markings
such an unusual color?”
    She tilted her head in confusion. “What do
you mean?”
    “There are no classes of Estilorian with your
coloring, that is what I mean.”
    Blinking at that, she considered his words,
spoken in the formal manner of an Estilorian who was unfamiliar
with humans and the use of contractions, as well as his unkempt
appearance. Her eyes fell on the satchel not far from the sleeping
kragen. She belatedly considered the fact that Gloresti generally
only traveled to the mainland to pair with transitioned
Corgloresti, and there certainly wasn’t an uninhabited Corgloresti
form lying around.
    Weighing all this, she once again caught his
gaze and asked, “Just how long have you been away from the
stronghold?”
    She watched his reaction and knew an answer
wouldn’t be forthcoming. It was as though a wave of cold blasted
from him. Rather than back away from him, she rolled her eyes.
    “Fine,” she said again.
    Then she closed