Saving Verakko: The Clecanian Series Book 3 Victoria Aveline (best book club books .TXT) 📖

was, when all was said and done, he hadn’t recognized her and had no right to call her mivassi.

Another bolt of lightning lit the gray sky. Verakko glared into the pouring rain. When he focused on his path again, he found Lily had disappeared around a corner.

He sprinted forward, an unreasonable panic clogging his lungs. He’d just rounded the corner when he skidded to a halt. She stood on the edge of the river, gazing into the distance.

They’d reached the fork.

Chapter 13

Lily’s shoulders stiffened as he approached. His fingers itched to reach out and pull her in close, but he held them back. Maybe she was right and it’d be better if he kept his distance. There was no way out of his contract that he could see. He needed to either let her go or explain everything and ask if she’d be willing to wait for him.

Suddenly she faced him. He couldn’t be sure if the streaks on her face had been caused by raindrops or tears, but her swollen lids gave him a heart-wrenching clue.

“So, we should follow this one, right?” She sniffed, pointing at the smaller branch of the river nearest them. It led downhill toward jagged black mountains.

He stepped closer. “Lily—”

“I know, this sucks,” she said with a raised hand. “Maybe we can talk more and see if we can figure it out, but right now, I just want to pick a direction and get out of this storm.”

Verakko finally took a moment to register her appearance. She was soaked to the bone, stained with mud, and shivering. The normally tan color of her skin was pallid, and the tops of her feet were dotted with angry red bites.

Verakko’s heart sank even further. She was miserable, and he hadn’t even noticed. Too wrapped up in his own thoughts and fears. “If we head this way, I can take us through a shortcut in the mountains. We could make it to my city in a few days and get help.”

Lily nodded resolutely and tromped forward. Her pitiful shoes flopped off her heels with every step, sticking in the mud.

“Please, Lily, let me carry you,” Verakko said, accidentally infusing the words with sway.

She gave her head a little shake, then huffed out a breath and eyed him sidelong. She opened her mouth once, then closed it. When she spoke again, a bright bolt of lightning, followed by booming thunder, drowned out her words. She glared at the sky, then back to him. “Verakko, just for right now, I need you to not be so nice to me. It’s making me crazy.”

Frustration flared white hot in him. He flung his arms to the side. “What would you have me do, Lily? I can’t stand seeing you this way.”

Her shoulders slumped, and she stared at him a moment longer before mumbling, “Fine.”

He didn’t wait for her to change her mind; instead, he scooped her up so quickly her weathered shoes remained stuck in the mud. He bent at the knees, waiting until she plucked them from the muck, then sprinted down the hill, sliding and jumping along the shoreline expertly.

A small, vain, desperate part of him hoped she’d be impressed. When he peered at her face, though, he only saw resigned misery.

***

Lily clutched Verakko’s neck, trying to breathe through her mouth so as not to become confused by his increasingly smoky scent. After a few remarkable leaps and bounds, he landed near the base of the mountain, skidding smoothly to a stop. He set her on the soft ground.

“I don’t remember exactly where the entrance is. Can you wait here while I look for it?”

“Could I use the knife to leave Alex a message?” She avoided eye contact, but after he failed to reply, she glanced up at him, gritting her teeth against the sight of rainwater streaming down his bare chest. “In case she comes back this way for some reason.”

His vivid eyes stayed glued to hers, then after a long, silent moment, he held out the knife. With a final inscrutable look, he stomped off toward the mountain, glowing eyes running over the vine-encrusted rocky base. The rain had calmed a fraction, but Lily’s head was in more turmoil than ever.

She made her way to a smooth log a few feet away from the river and began to carve a note to Alex.

Back and forth, back and forth her brain went on. There must be a way. There is no way. But surely there could be a way. It was no use! How could she even consider being a side chick? Was this half-minded simpering woman chasing after a man, truly who she wanted to be? She’d never felt so out of control or reliant on another person. Not even her parents.

They’d always made sure she’d pulled her weight. Looking back at the last few days, Lily realized she’d become dependent on Verakko. She’d boil the water, he’d start the fire and gather the wood. Rough terrain? No problem, he’d carry her. A little cold? She’d expect him to give her his warmth. Before, if she’d been cold on a hike, she’d have erected a trash mound of leaves and branches and burrowed into the insulated mess until morning.

Was this how it’d be with a true partner? With him? Would she always feel this sense of fat, lazy, safety and stability? God, she wanted that. She wanted it more than she’d ever dreamed she could. That damned balloon of emotion expanded in her chest again, pushing against her ribs angrily.

Tears welled in her eyes as she gazed down at the weird note she’d scraped into the smooth bark. “Getting help. Stay put. P.S. Boyfriend trouble.” She chuckled humorlessly and wondered how insensitive the note might seem to a starving, cold Alex if she happened to come across it. Jabbing