Des'Tai: Book One

137: Tyron

For a moment, Ty forgot all about who and what Faye was, his desire for her clouding his better judgement. Up until now, he knew bedding her wasn't an option – not only was she a human, but she was also his life mate and everyone had heard what that was like. Sex between life mates was supposed to be intense, consuming, it took you over, made you something more than just two beings; then there was the first time, it was the ritual to cement two mates to one another... it would scare the life out of Faye. And that was the last thing he wanted to do.

Taking a steady breath, Tyron forced himself away from her, mentally reminding himself not to do anything like that again. Faye was human. Faye was human. She looked like an animal caught in headlines, frightened and flustered, not sure what to do next.

"Green." Tyron answered. "Why?"

Faye blinked as he moved, the further he stepped, the more she appeared to relax. He tried to ignore the ache in his chest – she really didn't want him near her, his attention or his desire; she didn't want any of it.

"I want us to know each other better – I want to know who you really are."

"My favourite colour won't tell you that."

"Yes, it will," She smiled, making the ache in his chest intensify. Damn the goddess above, he wanted to touch her more than he wanted his next breath. "What's your favourite food?"

Why did she want to know the pointless things about him? No-one wanted to know that, not even his own mother.

"Cram."

She nodded, pretending to know what it was. "Tea or coffee?"

Ty grimaced. Coffee was something the elders had tried to bring into Siofra from Earth, but the high caffeine levels hadn't bonded well with their race – it had sent a few of them crazy, the dark nectar acting like a drug. "Tea, I suppose."

She leant back against the rocky wall, pondering her next question. "Oh, I know! When did you have your first kiss?"

Ty frowned, "You're really asking me this?"

Faye nodded, watching him expectantly.

Fine, she asked for it. "I was sixteen – she lived in my village."

She nodded. "And?"

"And what? We kissed, that's it. There's no story to tell."

"There's got to be a story, Ty. You don't just randomly meet someone and lock lips..." She trailed off, frowning at her own words. "Did you only kiss her once?"

"Yes, she met her life mate a few weeks later – she was happy to only be kissing him from there on out."

At the mention of mates, Faye's ears perked in interest. "She met her life mate, at 16?"

"She was 18 – that's when we hit our maturity, it's when the hormones that make life mates possible kick in. She was considered very lucky, to have found her love so quickly. I hear she's already birthed a daughter." Tyron hadn't seen Shina in years; she'd been a pretty little thing, with bright red hair and round golden eyes – the male who could call her his was indeed a lucky one.

Why couldn't he have been matched to someone like Shina? Instead, fate had dealt him a sick, cruel hand and given him a human female. One that was incapable of feeling the same things that he did – did she even feel like pull like he did? Would it all be the same, like it would be for a female elf?

"Next question."

"Um..." She swallowed. "I have one question, but it's not a personal one..."

Ty splashed himself in the face, trying to cool down. There was a small cluster of freckles on the inside curve of her left breast; the image of his lips grazing over that one spot refused to leave his mind, no matter how many of her ridiculous questions she asked. "Just ask it, Faye."

She hesitated at first, wringing her hands together beneath the water. "Well...is it possible for...um, well...y'know..." Her cheeks turned a light shade of red. "...for a human and an elf to..."

"Have sex?" He finished for her. "Yes, it's possible. I've read enough history books to know that much. We could test the theory, if you're really that curious."

A devilish smile tugged at his lips – until the red vanished from her face, replaced by a ghostly white. Tyron immediately turned serious and backed up further. Seeing her so frightened made him ashamed of himself.

"I'm sorry," He edged toward the falling water at his back. "I would never expect you to do that with me, to force you into something you don't want. Just...please don't look so scared, I wouldn't do anything to hurt you." Ty groaned, rubbing his hand across the back of his neck. "I can't help it. I'm not normally like this. I lose myself and forget and my brain goes foggy when I get too close and – I'm just sorry. It won't happen again, I promise."

With that, Tyron quickly ducked beneath the fall. He needed to get out of this lake and away from Faye, before he scared her more than he already had.