60. Naughty Hands

“My soul shivers when I’m with you.”
Taos’ words rang in Sona’s head for hours after that. It beat like a second heartbeat as they both came down from their frenzied state. They smoothed their clothes and hair and worked to sweep up the shattered glass in silence.
She could feel his gaze burning her skin the entire time; she avoided meeting his intense stare. If she couldn’t think straight not looking at him, how was she supposed to make sense of things when he was looking at her like he still wanted to devour her?
Or say something else to rock the ground beneath her feet.
Taos dumped the last shards in the trash while Sona straightened up the jars that were still intact, purposefully putting her back to him. The silence stretching between them felt tangible—just like his anticipation. He wanted to talk, wanted her to talk, but he didn’t want to bring it up.
Finally, she sighed and turned around. He was leaning against the counter—his eyes on her ass. “If you want to say something, Taos, say it.”
His eyes flicked up. Voice low and serious, he said, not unkindly, “I already said what I needed to. I’m waiting for you to say something back.”
She swallowed hard, but she could only manage a whisper, “Say what back?”
“How your soul reacts. What your soul feels when you’re with me.”
“Taos…”
He pushed off the table and stalked into her personal space; she didn’t back down even if she quailed at his size—it would never get old, being surprised by his height and breadth. “Sona,” he challenged without malice.
“I don’t…” She cleared her throat. Just minutes ago they were ready to fuck and now there was a wall of awkwardness—built by her. Because she was a coward. “Taos,” she rasped. “I don’t know what I feel. Not just about you, but about…a lot of things.”
His jaw grated and for a moment he just kept staring unable to comprehend her rejection. Then he nodded. “Right. Of course.” He nodded again and abruptly made for the door.
Sona’s heart lurched. Don’t leave! she thought desperately. But he stopped on the threshold and glanced over his shoulder. “Taos…”
“Take your time, trinket. Feelings are… Fuck feelings. Fuck emotions. But…” Taos’ smirk returned slowly. She almost sighed in relief; if nothing else failed… “If you want to get that ‘something is off’ feeling lifted from those slender shoulders, come with me. Come see the real Redtown.”
“The real… Wait, how did you know what I—”
Taos gave her a certain look. “What don’t I know about you, trinket?”
“Lots of things,” she quipped back.
“Like?”
She spun around to idly straighten the jars to avoid that sharp gaze. Could he fucking see her soul? I learn you, you learn me. “What do you want to know?”
“Anything. Everything.”
Sona fought a smile. “Narrow it down.”
“Alright,” he purred. Floorboards creaked as he approached her once more. A moment later, his hands wrapped around her torso, pulling her back against his cheek. “I can’t keep my hands off you, trinket. What do you like to drink?”
“Honey ale,” she said immediately.
Taos’ mouth brushed her ear. “You’re favorite instrument?”
“Harp.”
“A harp… What about drums?” His fingertips teased her waistband.
“Drums are…fun.” It was hard to think when he could just slip his hands into her loose pants. “At night…dancing to the beat.”
“You like to dance in the streets, tipping back honey ale, taking in the torchlight and the stars?”
“Yes—” Sona gasped as Taos slipped one hand into her pants and palmed her right between the legs. “Oh fuck. Taos—”
He was kissing her neck with the clear intention to make a bruise. “What if I could make that happen? Who knew Moonvalley had night revelries?” Taos’ index finger stroked her slit. “They can’t be compared to Redbone festivities, of course. Want me to prove it?”
Sona wasn’t quite sure what the question was, but she gasped, “Okay,” anyway. “If…if you tell me what…what…why I felt something off. Flanna said—oh.”
Quick as a striking snake, Taos’ finger slipped inside her.
He chuckled low in her ear. “How does that feel, my trinket?”
She could only whimper. Pleasure, pain, surprise, release, relief… All of the above, sure. “Taos…”
“Flanna said what?” he purred, stroking her.
“Because you’re preparing for the wedding. What are you doing here? Shouldn’t you be in the Inner?”
“What’s…the Inner? Why’m I not helping in…in the wedding?”
“That’s being taken care of, Sona.” Taos’ other hand had slipped under her waistband too and was fondling the flesh of her ass. “Unless you’d like to be more involved? I can arrange that.”
Sona had been minimally involved in her first wedding. She and Conri hadn’t cared for anything big like Amaris wanted to plan. It ended up being perfect: just the wolves they cared about in a garden in Goldwater, permitted by Eldor, who presided over the ceremony.
“Okay,” she breathed, tilting her chin up, eyes closed in pleasure. A moment later, she felt Taos’ lips brush her forehead. “Oh,” she whimpered.
A moment after that, they touched hers. She smiled and hummed. Yes, she liked kissing him—like him kissing her. But she still needed answers. “And the Inner?”
“Exactly where our wedding will be. Where the revelries happen.” Taos withdrew his hands much to her hazy disappointment but used them to grip her hips and turn her around, immediately kissing her full-on. “Drums, lights, drinks, and stars. All in your honor.”
“Hm. Okay.”
“Great. Shall we?”
Sona’s eyes flew open as he broke the kiss gently. “What? Right now?”
“What, don’t you want to see what I’ve been hiding?” he asked with a smirk. “You’ve been confused about the empty streets and sad buildings and sick wolves. That’s not the Redbone pack you’ve heard about is it, trinket?”
Yes, where were the naughty revelries?
She shook her head, trying to bring reason back. “No. Okay. Take me there.”
Taos’ smile broadened further. “Let’s have some damn fun, shall we?”