Victoriously Yours,

Metaphysically Rising

River spend the next few weeks, staying with Yamien during the whole day.

Before dawn would break, she would be up and out of his tent, and after the dusk settled in, she was buried in her quilt and saddled way over to the side of the pallet they shared.

It's not like she didn't sense him. Oh the love of God, she felt him right at the moment he slid into their bed, the heat was like a magnetic pull which she forced herself not to wrench him to her side and nuzzle into his deep scent.

The way she kept her back to him, knowing those onyx eyes were staring a hole into her spinal cord. What was he thinking?

She had already overlooked, tried to bloody overlook that her heart beat could never settle down when she was around with him, so the best she did was to ignore him.

Surprisingly it was easy for her because that tall bastard did the same. Effortlessly.

He knew her pulse raced while being in the same room, let alone the fact, she was still forced to share the pallet. But he chose to let her have a disturbed solace and he never gave a fuck.

Even after everything, he had simply grunted a 'no' when she said should she bunk with Yamien, seeing how he had singled her out and even then, her stupid heart ached.

She knew he didn't care anymore, the interest was gone because he never once touched her and nowadays Yuh, was hanging around like the leftovers piling in the garbage behind a trendy restaurant.

River tried to avoid Yisrael whenever they'd meet. A coward move but so far, it had been effective but painfully. It seemed as if he allowed it. He didn't talk to her, didn't once look at her.

He was back to his own duties and from what it looked like, he hadn't spilled the beans about their little thing of doomsday sex in the cave.

God...she still had ruptured dreams about that night.

His heat, that roughness and everything in that bubble of unnamed things because honestly, she had no words for it.

However, staying with Yamien also brought her to the lifestyle of their people. She was dying to know about this weird mating thing that happens between the Iborians but she didn't want to spell it out without sounding too interested. She didn't want her to know anything.

They were currently plucking out aguaje from the palm trees. Well, technically Yamien was high up, clung expertly on the trunk and throwing down the small fruits into the basket River was holding out for her.

"So..I'm curious about something." Be subtle, River.

"About what?" She threw another round of the reddened scaled fruits down. Her aim was on spot, not once did she miss.

"Did you kiss Yosemite?" She kept her face neutral as she saw Yamien momentarily freeze. Good, make it about her.

"Why would you ask me that?" She began to climb back down swiftly like a monkey and she let out an exhaled breath with her cheek coloring.

Eyes widening, she stumbled upon a awkward realization. "Did you kiss Yosemite?"

She tucked her dark curly hair behind her ear, and looked around to see if anyone had heard. There were other women who were busy collecting for storage but they were too engrossed into their own bubble.

"Well, not yet but thanks to you something has changed between us rapidly. After the feast, he invited me for a walk and we went to the little pool down below and began to talk. Since then, all we do is talk and talk. It's been really nice to know he had such deep thoughts. He's so calm and agile. And so handsome..." River smirked at how lost she looked. Then, she tried not remember how most of the time she sported the same look when she thinks of Yisrael.