167 Perfect Promises

RETH

The night was surreal. Reth danced with Elia, he danced with Aymora, he sat with Elia—even pulling her onto his lap at one point late in the night, though she went beet-red and struggled to get off almost immediately. The Leonine greeted her as one of them, though she didn't always recognize the signs, and Reth made a mental note to let her know the very subtle signs the Leonine used to communicate in mixed tribes.

He watched Elia glow. She was so happy—so happy it brought her to tears more than once, which made his own throat pinch. And his body ache.

He longed to hold her, to whisper to her, to comfort and encourage her, and to bring her close, as close as they could be. He yearned for it. He always yearned for her, in truth. But since he'd seen her in that dress that afternoon he'd been able to think of nothing except to get her out of it. More than once that'd evening he'd had to shift himself to hide his arousal.