Enthralled (The Spider's Mate, #2)

by Tiffany Roberts

He wanted others to see her—to see her radiance, her otherworldly beauty, her kindness.

“You are welcome to spin fresh strands to repair it, my nyleea.” “Sorry. Humans don’t spit webs out of our butts.” “A flaw I will overlook considering how good a handhold your butt makes,” Ketahn said, dropping a hand to her backside and squeezing the plump, rounded flesh.

“I do not ask this lightly, my friends,” Ketahn said, meeting the gaze of each of his companions in turn. “I need your aid.” Those words came out dry and raw; they had been expectedly, disappointingly difficult, because their simplicity was deceptive. They felt like an admission of weakness, an acceptance of inadequacy.

He felt the queen as surely as though he were bound to her by a silk rope around his neck; he was being drawn toward her.

Ivy hadn’t even considered what the others might think about her interactions with Ketahn. But no matter what they thought of her in that instant, Ivy refused to feel ashamed of what she felt for Ketahn. They didn’t know him like she did. They didn’t know the things he’d done for her, the things he was willing to sacrifice. They didn’t know the things he was willing to do for them.

good shit Ivy, idk if I'd been able to do the same in that situation but I sure hope I would

I know we’re not close friends or anything, that we hardly know each other, but me and Ketahn are just trying to help everyone.” Ketahn’s stride was slow and heavy as he moved to Ivy; it was always a deliberate choice when he walked like that, because normally his steps were silent no matter how quick his pace. He stopped beside her—in front of Ahmya—and eased down, folding his legs to drop his underside onto the floor. Though that didn’t mask his size, it put his head far closer to the level of Ivy’s. Ahmya sucked in a sharp breath and drew her legs to her chest. “I do not want to scare,” he said with gentleness in his deep voice, “only to protect. Ivy is my mate. You are her kind. So you are my kind, too.”

Urkot grunted. “A hyu-nin?”

Ivy had assured Ketahn that she belonged to him. He did not doubt her, but all the same he could not stop the thoughts from coming. What if she wanted broodlings—babies? What if she wanted to be a mother? She could only bear young if she mated with one of her kind. He could never fulfill that desire, should she have it.

The thought of her being with another male—touching, kissing, mating—lit a fire in his chest that made his body tremble with rage. He clenched his jaw and let out a huff. This was jealousy, ravenous and aggressive, flowing to his core like rainwater along the strands of a web.

She leaned her torso further over him, increasing the pressure on his arms and altering the angle of her gyrations. The new angle threatened to pry his slit open. “I am the conqueror. I am the queen, and you are mine until I have tired of you—or broken you beyond repair.”

she's so sweet, am I right?

Ketahn struggled against the hand on his shoulder. “I must go. Must return to…” To Ivy. Only she could fix this. Only she could make it better. Only she could make him forget the taint the queen had left upon him.

:(

“Our heartsthreads, our spirits, are all that matter, and they are bound. Fate brought me to you, my heartsthread, and even if it tried to turn me away, I would defy it. Nothing will come between us. So long as the sun, moons, and stars make their treks across the sky, you will be mine, Ivy.”

“It did not fall into the pit,” Ivy said gently, speaking slowly to make the vrix words clear enough for Ahnset to understand. “It crashed and made the pit.” “A…shit,” Ahnset said with equal care, unsurprisingly failing to pronounce the p sound. “A shit is a very different thing, broodsister,” Ketahn said with a chitter.

Ahnset stared at Ivy. “She is…so different. Small. Soft. Hyu-nin males must be small enough to hold in hand.” To demonstrate, she raised one of her hands, palm up.

Ketahn wasn’t sure how he felt seeing her in the jumpsuit and the foot coverings she said were boots. Yes, the human garments offered her delicate skin more protection than the dress, but he preferred seeing her in his silk—and he liked having an unhindered view of her little feet and shapely legs.

Seemingly oblivious to everything else, Telok walked toward Lacey, never once looking away from her. “Are they about to start…” Lacey’s words trailed off as she realized Telok was approaching her, and she turned her attention to him. He stopped a full segment in front of her, his green eyes sharp as he studied her. Looking uncertain, she raised her hand and waved. “Um…hi?” Telok’s eyes flicked to Ketahn. “She said hello,” Ketahn said. Telok lifted a hand to copy her gesture. “Uh hi.”

“It makes sense,” Lacey said, reclaiming her composure. “For a lot of insects and spiders, females are larger and stronger.” Reflex nearly had Ketahn insisting that he was not a spider,

He felt the fear in her cry. He felt the defiance, the anger, the passion, the selflessness. And he felt his failure.

Ketahn couldn’t help chittering when she came to him during one of those stops and said, “You do realize I have no idea which way to go either, don’t you? I’d get us lost.”

then it's a test for you too, get to work

“That he might fix it if he had the right tools, but he does not.” “If we have to tear that shit apart to find those tools, Ketahn, I will⁠—”

“Broodbrother, I⁠—” “I know what it means to lead,” he said, his raw voice emerging like a frightened beast clawing out of his throat. “I know what it means to see those following me suffer. To see them die. I know how it feels to have their blood on my hide, on my hands, overpowering every other accursed scent. “I was out here”—he jabbed his spear into the ground and released it, leaving it to stand on its own—“with our friends, with our broodbrother, leading them against an enemy she provoked.”

Ivy placed her hand on Ella’s. “I’m so sorry, Ella. I didn’t mean for this to happen.” Shivering, Ella turned her hand over and clutched Ivy’s, giving it a weak squeeze. “I know. I just…” She turned her head and looked at Ivy, her tears spilling. “I wish I had been able to see more of this world. To explore it. I wish I could have known more about the vrix. I want to learn their language, their culture, to just…get to know them. They’re so, so fascinating, Ivy.”

the one person who embraced it all just dies

Ella smiled in return. “I can see why you care for him. I’ve seen how protective he is of you, the way he looks at you, cares for you. I guess deep down, we’re all the same. Our souls see what our eyes can’t, and they connect no matter what’s on the outside. Our bodies…they’re just shells.” Our souls see what our eyes can’t.

“You kissed me! You put your hands on me and forced your mouth on mine. That’s assault, Cole.” “I thought you might like to be with a real man. I wouldn’t have told him.”

he would have smelled you on her fella 😂

a weighty feeling that something would go wrong, that all this would be for nothing, that Zurvashi would have her way in the end.