Free Web NovelChapter 53: Episode 053: The Choice is Yours.
Caius simply reached out and took Rue by the arm.
He did not squeeze hard enough to hurt her, but he held her tight enough to make his point. He steered her away from the open doorway.
They moved into the cabin. Caius reached back with his other hand and slammed the door shut. The loud sound echoed through the small living room. The thick wood completely blocked out the sight of the panther and the dark jungle silk.
"Caius," Rue said. She looked down at his hand on her arm. "You are acting like a territorial animal."
"I am a territorial animal," Caius corrected flatly.
He did not let go of her arm. He guided her past the wooden dining table and past the stone hearth where the morning fire was slowly burning down to ash. He did not stop until they reached the quiet, dim space of their private bedroom.
Caius let go of her arm. He took a step back.
He looked annoyed. His golden eyes were gone. His eyes were entirely red, burning with the sharp, defensive instincts of a snake guarding its nest. His long, thick black tail uncoiled from around his waist. It dropped to the wooden floorboards. It began to swish back and forth. The heavy scales made a soft, scraping sound against the wood.
Rue stood in the center of the room. She held Knox’s box in her hands. The box was heavy. It represented a massive political alliance. It represented safety in the middle of a chaotic market.
Caius looked at the box. He sneered. His upper lip curled back, showing the sharp tips of his fangs.
He turned away from her. He walked over to a large ironwood trunk sitting in the far corner of the bedroom. The trunk held their extra blankets and winter furs. Caius knelt on the floor. He flipped the heavy metal latch. He pushed the heavy wooden lid open. The smell of dry cedar filled the air.
He reached deep inside the trunk. He pulled out a bundle.
The bundle was wrapped in soft, white linen cloth. Caius stood up. He turned around and walked back to the stone bed. He looked at Rue, then he looked at the dark box she was holding.
"Put his box down," Caius instructed. His voice was low.
Rue walked to the edge of the stone bed. She set the box down on the thick furs.
Caius stepped up to the bed. He set his own bundle down right next to the panther’s box. He reached out with his large, calloused hands. He carefully untied the thin string holding the linen cloth together. He pulled the white cloth back.
Rue looked down.
She expected to see something dark, leather or thick, protective scales. She expected Caius to offer her something that looked too covered.
It was not.
It was a dress woven from the softest, lightest material Rue had ever seen in the beastworld. It was a beautiful, delicate mix of pale pink and white. The colors blended together perfectly, looking like the sky right before the sun completely rises.
The fabric was thin. It caught the dim morning light coming through the bedroom window. It shimmered softly. The dress did not have thick belts or heavy metal buckles. It was designed to flow. It was designed to be soft.
Rue stared at the fabric. She was silent.
The pale pink color was an exact, perfect match to the unique pink color of her own eyes.
"This is not a political statement," Caius said. His red eyes slowly started to fade back into their normal, warm gold color. "The panther wants to wrap you in jungle silk. He wants to put his mark on you. He wants every beast in the Convergence to look at you and see his territory."
Caius reached out and brushed his fingers against the pale pink fabric.
"This does not mark you as mine," Caius explained quietly. "This does not offer you the protection of a jungle army. It is just a dress. It is meant to show the world exactly who you are. It honors your form."
Rue frowned. She reached out and touched the dress. The fabric felt like a cloud against her fingertips. She traced the delicate white stitching along the collar.
"Did you go to the rabbit beast tribe?" Rue asked. She looked up at him. Her pink eyes were full of confusion. freewёbn૦νeɭ.com
Caius stiffened. His shoulders locked into a rigid line. "No."
"The rabbit tribe is located across the deep canyon," Rue pointed out logically. "It takes days to cross the river and climb the rocky paths. If you left the cabin to go there, I would have noticed you were gone."
Caius looked away. He stared at the blank stone wall. He crossed his thick arms over his chest.
"I did not go there," Caius said quickly. Dismissing the idea. "I went into the convergence and found a rabbit seamstress who handles trade. I told her the exact measurements, and told her to prepare this specifically for you."
Rue felt a wave of relief wash over her. It was a very practical, clinical relief.
I am glad he did not go, she thought to herself. Traveling across the canyon is dangerous. The weather is bad. The paths are steep. If he had gone all the way there just to buy a dress, it would have been a massive waste of energy. Doing it this way saves him from distress. It is a very smart use of local trade routes.
Caius frowned.
He was standing right next to her. The mate bond was fully active. He could hear every single word she was thinking. He could hear her perfectly logical, completely emotionless breakdown of his romantic gift.
He wanted her to be touched. He wanted her to feel a deep, overwhelming sense of affection. Instead, she was praising him for his efficient use of local trade routes to avoid physical distress.
Caius let out a long, slow breath. He did not say anything out loud. He just kept his arms crossed. His tail gave a slow, unhappy thump against the floorboards.
Rue did not notice his annoyance. She was too busy looking at the dress.
She picked it up. The pale pink fabric unfolded. It was perfectly sized for her small, petite frame. It was beautiful. Back on Earth, she had spent her almost her entire life wearing ugly, faded hospital gowns. She had never owned anything this pretty. She had never owned anything that was made specifically for her.
How did he know? Rue thought. Her eyes went wide. How did he know these are my favorite colors?
She felt a sudden, sharp spike of joy in her chest. She squeezed the soft fabric in her hands.
This is perfect. I love it. I absolutely love it, Rue squealed inside her mind. Pink and white. He actually paid attention. He really paid attention to me.
Caius froze.
He heard the squeal in her mind. He heard the pure, unfiltered joy. The heavy annoyance he had been feeling a second ago completely vanished. It was replaced by a massive, rushing wave of warmth.
Caius felt his face grow hot. The heat started at his neck and rushed straight up to the tips of his ears. He was blushing.
Caius quickly turned his head away. He looked at the floor. He tried to force his face to stay blank and cold. He uncrossed his arms and let his hands drop to his sides.
"The choice is yours," Caius said. He kept his voice completely flat to hide his embarrassment.
He laid his hand flat on the stone bed. He tapped his fingers next to the dark mahogany box from Knox, and then he tapped the pale pink dress from the seamstress.
"You have the jungle silk," Caius stated. "And you have the rabbit weave. You must decide what you want to wear to the market tonight."
He did not wait for her to answer. He could not stand there any longer while his ears were bright red. He turned on his heel, and walked out of the bedroom.
He walked straight through the living room and went out the front door to stand on the porch.
Rue was left alone in the bedroom.
She stood holding the pale pink dress. She looked down at the box sitting on the bed. They were two completely different choices. They meant two completely different things. frёeωebɳovel.com
She took a deep breath. She had to use logic, and weigh the pros and cons.
[Well yea, the choice is yours now.]
