Chương 78: 078

Dura dropped the last slab of meat onto the pile and rose to her feet, wiping her hands on a rag.

"And that's all there is to it," she said, satisfied.

"This should keep us fed a few days. Next hunt, you can try butchering." I smiled, hoping the unease prickling under my skin wasn't as obvious as it felt.

"Great." With any luck, I wouldn't fumble it completely. It had looked easy when she did it, but she'd also been doing it her entire life. Dura beamed and stretched, the newly scraped pelt draped over one arm and a jar of something pungent in the other.

"Since you're handling dinner, I'll start prepping the hide. It'll take a bit before it's ready for a bedroll, but the sooner I begin, the sooner you're off the ground." She turned toward Time.

"Did Henry agree to let you use the spare bedroll?" Time nodded, producing it from behind him.

"He did. Until Nikolas's is finished, we can alternate." I was halfway through nodding when Dura shrugged casually, splitting her attention between us and the jar in her hands.

"You could," she said.

"Or he could use mine."

"Not happening." The refusal came out sharper than intended.

"I'm not leaving you to sleep on the ground. I refuse. Karma would descend from the heavens just to kick my ass, even if I was willing." Time snorted.

"She absolutely would." Dura raised a brow at my firmness. Then, slowly, she grinned.

"I never said I'd be sleeping on the ground, Nik." It took me half a second longer than it should have for understanding to dawn. Heat surged up my neck.

"Oh." I cleared my throat.

"You meant… sharing it." She nodded, utterly unbothered.

"You can say no. I won't be offended, but I think it's a good solution. Neither of us would be sore, you'd definitely be warm..." Time gave a low chuckle.

"And your interest in Nikolas played no role in this decision?" Her grin turned wicked.

"I wouldn't say that." The look she gave me wasn't subtle. It skimmed quickly, assessing and appreciative. Awareness followed in its wake, a tingling sweep that made my pulse jump. I swallowed.

"You noticed I was cold?" Her smile dimmed a hair.

"Hard not to. I could practically hear you shivering. Truth be told I was tempted to offer this earlier, but I didn't want to scare you off." Her gaze drifted briefly.

"Orcs are blunt. If we want something, we go after it. I'm not much different." A small exhale.

"But I know that can be… a lot." The moment of vulnerability passed as quickly as it came. She straightened.

"Like I said, you won't hurt my feelings if you refuse. No pressure. I'm not gonna hump your leg or anything. I just figured I'd offer." A smirk tugged at her mouth.

"And if I get to cuddle a man I happen to find attractive? All the better." She may not be offended, but it was clear she would take it as a rejection and back off. And I... didn't want that. I wasn't ready to dive headfirst into something deeper, not after barely a few days of knowing each other, but I wasn't blind either. This wasn't nothing, and if it kept unfolding like this… If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it's taken without permission from the author. Report it. It could become something.

Besides, waking up beside her this morning, and the quiet, unexpected tug when we'd separated, had said more than I'd wanted it to. My stomach flipped once, before settling again. I nodded.

"That sounds good to me." Her smile turned radiant, and she shifted on her feet, a barely contained shimmy of excitement.

"Perfect. Then it's settled." She turned back to the pelt, whistling under her breath.

"I'm sleeping good tonight." I wouldn't have caught the whisper without my new ears. The sheer, jubilant glee in it warmed something low in my chest and quietly reaffirmed my decision. When I turned back to Time, I nearly choked. He was watching me with an expression far too knowing for comfort. Instead of speaking, he reached out and squeezed my arm. Karma will be delighted with this development. She does so enjoy playing matchmaker. Heat flooded my face so fast I had to resemble a strawberry.

I scrubbed a hand over my cheeks as if friction might erase the flush. Something tells me she won't need to interfere, I replied. Dura's made her interest clear since the start and I'm... not against it. I just want a bit more time to adjust to Nexus and my role before I add a possible relationship into the chaos. Time gave the slightest nod, eyes glinting with that ancient, unnerving awareness. A wise choice. Though I sense you have a question. Ask it. I stared, stunned. I… hadn't even consciously formed one.

Time's lips curved faintly. I have had centuries to refine my Perception. Even in mortal flesh, the stat remains quite… reliable. Now. Your question? My thoughts drifted back to Dura's earlier explanation. Soulbonds, feral devotion, scattered limbs as warnings. I replayed the conversation for him in brief flashes of memory. When I finished, he inclined his head. You wish to understand how soulbonds function. I hummed in agreement. The bond manifests differently depending on race, he began.

Those born to Nexus are guaranteed at least one. You, being from Earth, may or may not possess one. I raised a brow. Do you? A pause. Of a sort. His mental voice softened. Karma is my soulbond. As she is part dwarf, she bears a mark, an hourglass wreathed in sand, upon her skin. I, however, possess no answering symbol. Spirits rarely do. I tilted my head. You sound disappointed. His mouth twitched. I am. Though I have long since accepted it. Karma delights in showing her mark. A faint exhale.

It irks me that I cannot reciprocate in kind. For all his composure, the sentiment felt achingly human. He straightened slightly. But that is not your concern. What would you ask? Where did I even begin? Dura mentioned different kinds of bonds. Time nodded. There are romantic bonds, familial bonds, and others we do not yet fully comprehend. Mortals may form several across a lifetime. Curiosity pressed harder. If I have one… what would it look like? At that, he grimaced faintly. That is… difficult to answer.

As a beastkin, you would likely feel it as a pull. A gravity that defies reason. I arched a brow. But? He sighed. Bonds are reciprocal. If your bonded were human, you might bear the first words they ever speak to you, etched somewhere upon your body. If they are of mixed heritage, like Karma, the manifestation could reflect either lineage. Or yours. My thoughts stumbled. So… nearly anything is possible. Precisely. He inclined his head. The bond may be beastkin, or their heritage. Or both of yours.

The latter is rare, but not unheard of. The implications rippled outward like a stone dropped in still water. Holy shit. A thin smile touched his lips. An eloquent summary. Do you have any other questions? No more questions. Not yet. I'm sure I'll have plenty later. He nodded once. Very well. I turned toward the firepit and the waiting meat. For now, I had dinner to prepare. And an unsettling amount of information to simmer alongside it.