Instinctual (Rise of the Iliri, #2)

by Auryn Hadley

She traced the lines on his bicep, sharp edges branching away from the swirling pattern, trying to ignore the hard muscles beneath. Her finger followed the words and she smiled, entranced with the art of her native language while her hand made its way to his chest. She reached the new lines, and his hand covered hers, stopping it. That one, he said, is what ya will learn first. His face showed no expression, but he held her gaze easily. What does it mean? It's yer name, kitten. It was written over his heart.

"Corvae. It's the happiness ya get with a true bond. The harder they push, the more we decide ta fight fer it."

"Bite me again, baby," she said, clutching her stomach in her mirth. "I mean, sir!"

"Better to die for what you believe in than waste away trying to hide from anything you could change,"

I can't make you love me. I can only be the best man to you that I can.

"I'm not beautiful, Jase. I'm a midget, built like a stick, with a head like a mouse and the ears to match!" "Nah. That is na what I see." He pulled her hair away from her neck and kissed the thin edge of her ear. "Ya look deceptively fragile, like a deer, but yer solid muscle, a perfect predator.