I stood on tip-toes to kiss him. He leaned down so I could reach his cheek without a struggle. Breathing in his familiar scent, I blinked back my tears. I would stay strong. Josian was the toughest, most arrogant person I knew. That had to mean something.
He touched my face, and walked away to halt opposite Traktin. It was with a malicious joy that I noticed Josian was much taller and broader through the shoulders, and Traktin finally looked uneasy. A warm hand cupping my arm drew my attention. Brace smiled gently as he stared down into my face. My returning smile was a tad shaky.
“It will be okay, Red, I promise. Josian is tough and smart. You have nothing to worry about.”
“What about you?” I said fiercely. “I have everything to lose here today.”
He moved quickly.
I had no preparation as he pressed his lips firmly to mine. I opened my mouth, always needing more. He flicked his tongue out and, as I tasted that which was uniquely Brace, the rest of the world disappeared. All too soon he pulled away.
As reality returned I realized that the blond Walker was shouting. Josian held back Traktin as he attempted to charge down the beach.
“I’m not supposed to touch you until the challenge is complete. You belong to no one. The only reason that Traktin doesn’t already have possession of you is because we were still inside our ten-minute window.” Brace spoke low and fast. “But I cannot touch you again, Abby.”
“Do you fight now as well?” I asked, still a little shaky from the kiss.
“No, we issue one challenge at a time. The rest of us stand as witness to the winner and ensure that procedure is followed.”
I was starting to despair about these stupid Walker rules. They were unevolved Neanderthal children. No wonder there were limited Walker women; they probably drowned in all the testosterone.
“We aren’t human, Red,” Brace said, reading my expressions. “You cannot expect the same thought patterns or behavior. We are ancient creatures. The endless years have molded us.”
For the first time I could see the gulfing gap between my experiences and Brace’s.
“Don’t die, Brace. I want to know about your years of experiences. I want to see if our marks line up. I need ...” I hesitated over the last words.
I needed him. It was as simple as that.
He breathed in deeply. “I’ve searched for you forever, Abby. I will not cease to exist now before I even have the chance to ... give you everything ... the world.”
His hesitation was unusual. He seemed almost nervous.
I wanted to touch him. But a glance up the beach halted me. The blond Walker was staring in our direction, just waiting for us to break the rules again. I stepped back before my wandering hands moved.
“Well, in that case, go kick some butt. I’ll wait right here.” I crossed my arms over my chest.
He strode across the sand to Josian. They were joined by the black-haired Walker.
“We stand witness to these challenges and, as the original seven decreed, so shall we uphold.”
We had no problem hearing as Talina’s father spoke the formal sounding words.
They all nodded once and gripped hands in a strange type of handshake, crossed-arms thing before releasing their grip. And then the area was flooded with moonstale light as each of them produced a piece. I could see Josian flick open his flat ring.
I gasped, my nails digging into my cheeks, probably leaving crescent-shaped indents on my ivory skin. I was speechless. The sight of their marks left me shaking in awe, and something pressed me to step closer. I realized Talina was moving ahead of me. We stopped when we reached the edge of the sphere of moonstale light surrounding them. I couldn’t take my eyes off Brace. His marks were black, tribal like Talina’s, and amazing.
He wore a fitted black shirt so I could see them run down his neck and along his muscled bicep. Each mark wrapped around, hugging his skin, so detailed and bold. I wanted to run my fingers along them. I wanted to know their texture.
We stepped into the light. We couldn’t stop ourselves. The moonstale drew us like moths to a flame. The four men locked us in their gaze. Brace’s eyes narrowed. He shook his head, urging me back.
But our marks had other ideas.
The red of my marks began to dance along my skin. They glowed so brightly it was difficult to look at them. And then to my astonishment they started to bleed off me. Trailing away, they searched for something, and I knew exactly what it was.
They were going to connect with Brace.
I could see the edges of his marks along his forehead and down his cheek reach for my own. And then when the black collided with red, we connected.