Guardian of the Storm by Kaitlyn O'Connor

away. “It is expected.”
    Tempest didn’t know why that surprised her when they had been captured traveling together, but it did. Somehow, she’d thought since they seemed to be under the impression that she was their goddess they wouldn’t expect her to share her tent with a mere mortal.
    It was a relief to know she wouldn’t be left entirely alone throughout the night with nothing but her fears for company.
    Sighing, she surged forward, slipping her arms around his waist and laying her cheek against his chest. “I’m so glad. I’ve been scared silly ever since they captured us.”
    After a momentary hesitation, Kiran folded his arms around her. “I would have come regardless. I told you that I would protect you.” He pulled a little away and tipped her chin up so that she was looking up at him. “I am the guardian of the goddess of storms.”
     
     
     
     
     
    Chapter Nine
     
    Tempest smiled tremulously. “That isn’t even slightly funny!”
    Kiran stroked her cheek. “You have no need to be so fearful. Tomorrow, they will take us to the sacred mountain.”
    Tempest pulled away. “Do you think we should? So soon? I mean, you were hurt. Wouldn’t it be best to rest a few days?”
    Kiran frowned. “You wish to stay longer?”
    Tempest shuddered. “Not really. I’d be happy to leave tonight, if you want to know the truth, but I don’t suppose it would be a good idea to try it. I’m more concerned about you. There was so much blood!”
    “Your grat caused me more injury.”
    Tempest gave him a look. “She didn’t claw you nearly as deeply as some of those cuts looked. Maybe I should have a look?”
    He shook his head. “I will heal. They were anxious to give the goddess Niah’s chosen mate the best of care.”
    “I wish you wouldn’t keep calling…. What? They think.... Why would they think that?”
    “Because of your concern for me.”
    “Oh.” Tempest looked around uncomfortably and it occurred to her for the first time that there might have been more to the ritualized preparation for bed than she’d thought at the time. Tiny, flickering lights in clay and oil lamps, were ‘strewn’ about the tent, creating an atmosphere of intimacy. A length of fine cloth had been spread atop the mound of pillows against the far wall. “I suppose that means they don’t consider chastity ... important?”
    “Our beliefs and those of the Mordune differ as much as they are similar.”
    Tempest nodded, not entirely certain of whether she was relieved or sorry. The way Kiran was looking at her made her feel warm and soft all over, and she wasn’t overly inclined to lie to herself. His kisses haunted her. When she’d experimented with kissing before, she’d been almost as uncomfortable about it as she was excited. When Kiran kissed her, she’d felt things she had never imagined she could feel and, despite her lack of actual experience, she suspected that it was far more than ‘typical’ of such an encounter.
    If he hadn’t been the product of a different culture, she would have told him she was interested in sharing her body with him and discovering if they could please each other as well as she thought they might, just as everyone else in the colony had. She had a strong suspicion though, that the Niahians had very different views about sex than the people . Given the cultural differences she’d already seen, she was afraid of what the consequences might be.
    Historically speaking, among the people , the male had always expressed his sexual interests freely and viewed sex as recreation. Even after the social custom of marriage was conceived, it was only the female who was truly bound—for it was the female who was attacked by society if she was discovered sharing herself with a male not her spouse, and that had gone on for centuries. It wasn’t until women were finally able to control their reproductive organs that they found the freedom to express their sexuality as the male did. The whole