SUNG
He took a deep breath before continuing to speak to her.
"Everything happened differently than all of us were expecting yesterday. The Anima… we scent things, we know things, we are so used to seeing events ahead them when we are taken by surprise, it can take some time to adjust. Most of them have never met a pure human before. They do not understand the differences in our worlds. And many are also unaware of plots thickening in the wildwood today. So… give them time. Be patient; they will come around once they have a chance to see you as I do."
She tensed but nodded. "Can you tell me, though? How do you see me? I am afraid… Yesterday was such a shock… I am afraid I let you down. I didn't understand what was happening and-"
"Do not apologise, Joyce. We were both thrown into circumstances we had not prepared for. I should have explained better."
Her hand left his shoulder, and she shifted to sit cross-legged, just next to him, pulling the furs up until they wrapped her to her neck, which was something of a relief. Sung turned more towards her on the platform's edge, his knee pressed against hers, and held her gaze. He realised she probably could not see him. He was probably barely more than a moving shadow in the dark to her eyes. But perhaps that helped her. She seemed much more open tonight than she had been yesterday.
"Can you explain now?" she asked quietly. Sung sighed.
She looked at him so anxious that Sung wanted to growl at his stupidity.
"Yes, of course, I will explain." But where to start? He reached for her, then realised she could not see his hand, so he rested the back of his hand on her knee, palm up. "I always find difficult conversations easier when we touch. Would you… hold my hand?" he asked carefully.
She swallowed but pushed the hand, not holding the furs closed over her chest between the edges, and laid it on his. Sung wanted to groan. Her skin was so soft, and her hand so tiny. Anima females were smaller than the males also. It was not that he was unused to it. He was just affected by his mate in new ways. He cleared his throat and closed his fingers to hold hers, letting his fingertips trace the underside of her wrist as he spoke. He felt her shiver, but her smell indicated she enjoyed the touch, so he did not stop.
"There were many, many forces at play yesterday, Joyce. You were caught up in a political plot. And I am sorry I did not explain, but it was so critical that I appear untouched by what the wolves were doing… the thing I need you to know, to be certain of, is that I had no idea you were the chosen pure one. When a blood rite is called, the ruler is at the mercy of the people. Each tribe chooses a sacrifice from their ranks that they believe is their best chance of victory. It is a great honour for the tribe whose sacrifice wins. They gain great standing among the other tribes. Because I had ruled for nearly a decade without finding a mate, the tribes were beginning to wrestle for that position, so they demanded a rite. To keep the peace," he swallowed, looked at her tiny hand, and noticed how her skin was paler than his own, so to his eyes, she almost glowed. "It is one of the few calls I cannot refuse as king," he whispered. "I wanted to. The blood rites are ancient; I believe we have evolved beyond them. They turn my stomach, frankly. But the people… the people called it as their due, and I could not refuse. So, it was up to them to identify the sacrifices, choose their own and a pure one."
"Why do you call me a pure one? Is that the… virgin thing?" She asked, and her scent increased as the blood rushed to her cheeks. Sung wanted to stroke them.
"In part," he said, his voice rough. "The Anima are originally descended from humans; you hold a fascination for us. Our races are… cousins, I think you would call them. We call you the pure ones because your bloodlines were never combined with anything else. Your race is pure, but the human sacrifice must be untouched, never mated. And without family ties. So, their disappearance will cause the least amount of concern."
She shifted her weight, and he could feel her disapproval. "This idea that just because I do not have family, I won't be missed… you do not understand human life very well," she muttered through her teeth.
He sighed. He knew it better than she thought. But he also knew there was little point arguing. The real problem was that Anima did not value human relationships and believed them to be shallow and confusing. There was some truth in Sung's experience. But those living in Anima simply didn't understand that relationships developed over time and by choice. They had a unique flavour of intimacy the Anima had never experienced because their very existence was so automatically intimate and established at birth.
Sung cursed under his breath and ran his free hand through his hair. "I can't possibly explain all of it now, but I will, I promise. You need to know why you were chosen by the wolves. It is because their power had grown amongst the tribes during their reign. They were viewed as the strongest tribe. So, their elders were given a choice of human sacrifice. I had nothing to do with it. I did not know you would be there when I walked into that clearing; you must know that, Joyce."
"Okay," she said, sounding confused.
"I think… I think they were deceptive in their choice," he said.
"How?"
"They were supposed to find the strongest bloodline, the best warrior, the best candidate among the humans for our queen. But the truth is, a human sacrifice has not won the rite for twenty generations. A rite has not ended in a ruler's choice in even longer, perhaps almost fifty generations. Your kind is generally much weaker than ours and taken by surprise. The wolves… They attempted to bring someone to the rite they measured as an easy target, someone their sacrifice could defeat quickly. They did not anticipate your intelligence or your willingness to truly sacrifice. But even if the wolves had known that was coming, I do not think they believed I would choose you. We, Anima, are arrogant regarding our bloodlines and the weakness of the human warriors. They believed you would die quickly and without a fight. And even if you did not, they believed I would have killed you rather than mate you."
"Wait, what?" she gasped.
Sung swallowed. "Last night, when you and Lucine were final combatants, one of you had to kill the other by the terms of the rite. If you both refused or could not fight, I should have killed one of you myself and mated the other. But with Lucine defeated but not dead… you shamed her, Joyce. I know you did not mean to. I understand your heart in it, and I applaud you for it. But our people do not understand. To them, death at the hands of an enemy is an honourable way to die. In our culture, if you meet an enemy in battle, the only time you would refuse to kill would be if they were incapable. There is no honour in killing a child or someone mentally touched. To refuse to kill in our culture is to say that something wrong with her made her an unequal opponent. The Anima know that was not true, so it was an offence to the wolf tribe."
Joyce looked at him in horror, and her mouth dropped open. "I did not know!"
He squeezed her hand. "I know that, and most tribes know it too, even if they disagree. But this is where the responsibility is mine. I had a choice when Lucine was knocked out. It was my choice, you see. My choice was to either kill you and declare her the queen. Declaring her the queen would remove any doubt amongst the people of her strength and capability or to mate you, leaving her alive but shamed. And… I chose you."
Joyce blinked. "That is why wolves keep following me, and… that is why they are so angry."
"They are following you?" Sung snapped.
She nodded. "Everywhere I had gone today, I would turn around and find some guy watching me like they were guarding or following me. Talia said they were from the wolf tribe. She said they were angry about Lucine and watching me for mistakes. But I did not realise…."
"The same male every time or different ones?"
"A lot of different ones," she said. "I did not realise they were connected until Talia told me."
"Those vicious, evil bastards," Sung cursed, raking a hand through his hair again. "It is treason to threaten the queen!"
His hand tightened on hers.
"They did not threaten me. They were just… watching me, glaring."
Sung snorted without humour. "And the tribes allowed it. This is worse than I thought," he muttered.
"What? What is wrong?"
Sung blinked and realised he was frightening her. He squeezed her hand gently, and her fingers tightened on his. "Do not worry. I will handle it."
"But what is wrong?"
"I knew the tribes were unhappy that our mating was still uncertain, but I never imagined they would allow a threat against you."
"What threat? They did not say anything. They were just watching me."
Sung sighed. "Wolves are predators. Pack hunters. They stalk their prey in groups. Confuse them, turn them around and wait until they can separate themselves from the den or herd. Then they attack," Sung growled. "If they watched you all day today, it means they made an unequivocal declaration to the rest of the tribes of their intentions towards you, and nobody stopped them," he shuddered with rage. Joyce swallowed audibly, and he remembered himself again. "Don't worry, Joyce, I will protect you; we shut down all their attempts to undermine me today. I just had not realised they were attacking you directly. Tomorrow… tomorrow I will take care of it. Do not worry. I will allow no harm to come to you."
Joyce stared at him in the dark, her breath picking up. At first, he thought she was afraid, but then something else twined into her scent, and he snapped his head to look at her and measure her desire.
She swallowed again, then said quietly. "That woman was right."
"Which one?" his voice was hoarse.
"The one who kept holding onto you last night."
Sung let himself chuckle. "That was Judhay. She is a dear friend. Her aggression last night was all show."
Joyce shook her head. "No, it was not. She might not have wanted you for herself, but some things between women are no different here or at home. I noticed it last night. She was protective of you. She wants what is best for you. She wants you to be happy. She was afraid I would not give you that," Joyce said. She sounded uncertain not of the truth of her words but of what they meant for her.
"Then she was wrong," Sung said simply. He lifted his free hand to comb Joyce's hair back from her face so it hung behind her shoulder.
"No, she was not. At least… she said you are a good man. What if I did not appreciate that? Other women here would. She was right."
Sung's breath came faster, uncertain of her meaning. "Right about what?"
"She was right that you are good," Joyce breathed. "And I cannot explain it, Sung. I do not know how it happened… but I do not want to lose you to one of them."
He had leaned in without thinking, her scent drawing him. He cupped her face and stared into her eyes. "You won't," he said softly.
Her breath caught, and she leaned closer until their noses almost brushed. He thought she would kiss him momentarily, and his entire being lit up. She licked her lips and swallowed, and he silently pleaded with her to cross that final inch between them, yearning for her to do it. The choice had to be hers!
But instead, she searched his eyes. "How can you be sure? I have done nothing to earn this loyalty from you; you saved me yesterday. Made me queen instead of killing me! And upset an entire tribe to do it, I don't understand, Sung. Why?"
"Because I want you," he admitted. "I want you the way I have never wanted anyone, Anima or human."
He brushed her cheek with his thumb and sighed, his breath washing over her. She inhaled, and his spear of desire was reflected in her eyes. She leaned in closer and started to close her eyes. But Sung, cursing himself for a fool, stopped her.
"And because I will always be grateful to you, Joyce."
She hesitated, blinking. "For what?"
Sung steeled himself. He had to tell her. She had to come to him knowing the whole truth. He knew that. He prayed to the creator that she would believe in him and started talking.
***
JOYCE
"Sung?" She said, her voice too high. "Grateful for what?" He sighed heavily and sat back so they had more room. Inside she cursed he had been about to kiss her! But that feeling inside her was churning again. As if she had been here before. As if she had seen him in the dark before. "Sung, what is going on?"
He still held her hand, and his fingers trailed up and down under his wrist, lighting shivers and goosebumps up her arm. It was unfair that he could make her tingle just by touching her lightly. So, she pulled her hand away so she could focus. Even in the dark, she could see his silhouette. His shoulders sagged.
"Joyce, there is a reason the wolves chose you."
She nodded. "Because I am weak, they thought Lucine would beat me easily."
"Yes, but there are many weak, virginal orphans in the human world. They looked for you because they knew it would unsettle me."
She frowned. "Why?"
Sung ran a hand through his hair, and then his shadow lifted as he got to his feet and stepped onto the floor. Joyce did not move, but she pulled his furs closer around her, suddenly cold.
"When I was a child, there was a battle for the crown, my father's," he said. "I was only eight years old and had not reached physical adolescence. I was a weak point in their armour. They feared our enemies would use me against them. So… they sent me to the human world with a guardian to keep me safe. To hide me from the Anima until the mutiny was defeated. They thought it would be a few months, but it was almost two years." He swallowed and pushed his hands through his hair, took a deep breath before turning to her and speaking again. "It was a very difficult time for me," he said. "Anima live in family groups, especially when there are still young in the home. I was used to being surrounded by people I knew who would help and teach me. Suddenly planted in this cold, distant world, with only two teachers and… the customs were very different. I was old enough to know I must not tell people what I was, not show them the differences between us. But I was not yet old enough to truly understand the differences. Or the impact my instincts would have on humans. I was… noticeably different. I frightened people, though they did not know why." He stood up abruptly and started to pace. He stopped walking and turned to face her. "Except one person. One girl. A neighbour. She shared my love for animals. She was two years younger than me and still interested in games. She would pretend to be an animal, and oddly… it comforted me. She did not question my instincts; she admired them. And when others became suspicious or uncomfortable… she defended me. Even to her parents."
No, it could not be. Joyce's mouth dropped open.
"Gareth?" she said in a strangled voice.
He nodded. "A few weeks before I left the human world, I was ten; by this time, and she was eight, there was an… incident. We were playing in the forest behind our homes. Just the two of us, as usual, because the other children did not like to be around me. I frightened them. But that day, we were not alone in the forest. But she did not know that. She did not think I always scented other living things when we played. Usually just wildlife or the occasional dog. But that day, I smelled humans, males. Older than us, though still adolescents themselves. They watched her, and I could hear their whispers. I knew what they wanted to do though I was still young to understand why. I could smell the predator in them and the desire. I heard how they planned to split us up. So, I grabbed her arm and pulled her out despite her protests. She did not understand, and I was too immature to explain; in Anima, when someone warns you, you know their instincts and follow. Assume they have scented something you have not. But she fought me, which made me angry because I was trying to save her from the youths. But I was about to hit my own maturity season. I was far stronger than her. So ignored her fighting hand-pulling and just dragged her out. By the time we got to the backyard of my home, she was crying. I had taken her there because I knew my guardians would help. Would go find the youths and make sure they did not harm anyone. But she was upset; she started screaming at me, calling me names, and accusing me of hurting her. And she was holding the wrist I had used to pull her out. I had not realised. I had been so afraid of her and frustrated that she fought me… I had almost… I had left cuts on her wrists with my nails," he swallowed.
Joyce's head spun. This was a side of the story she had never known.
"I have always been an alpha, even back then. I was often aggressive and commanding. I had been raised to rule. But humans do not appreciate that in a child. She was used to me ordering her around, but I was usually gentle. I would never hurt her. She had always been able to tell that to people when they voiced their suspicions of me. She was proud of me. Of my strength and the fact that I had never used it against her."
He turned then, and his eyes seemed to glow in the darkness as they met hers. The intensity in his gaze stole Joyce's breath.
"She ran home crying, and her parents came to my guardians that evening. They… set boundaries. We were never to be alone again. She would never be at our house, and I would only be allowed at hers when the parents were there to supervise. The cuts on her wrist were not deep, but they bled. She stood, red-eyed, next to them, her little wrist wrapped in a white bandage that made my nose wrinkle because of its very sharp smell."
"The iodine," she breathed.
He nodded. "But her parents thought I was making faces, that I disrespected them. I had been entirely unaware of how I looked. I had only been trying to scent if she was okay. I tried to explain to them, but my guardians understood better than I did. They knew humans would never believe I had known the plans of people we never even saw, interrupted me and made apologies. To say that angered me is… an understatement. I was confused by the entire episode. I had been working to help her, to protect her. Why was everyone acting like I had done something wrong? Like I had hurt her, I cared about her, and I knew she cared about me. She was the only person I could confidently say about in the human world. To see her crying and accusing me… to see her unable to meet my eyes… it frightened me. I did not want to lose her, but I was also arrogant and angry. I knew I had done the right thing. I could not understand why no one else saw that," he swallowed hard. "It blew over, mostly. But the rules remained. We were never alone. So, I could never explain. I missed her a great deal. Before, we had played together every day when she returned home from school. But often now, her parents said no, or only allowed us to play for an hour and never outside. I struggled to stay always between the cramped, unnatural walls of human houses. So… sometimes, I did not go to her anymore. Sometimes I went into the forest on my own," he paused and took a deep breath. "But I always wished she was there."
Their eyes met again, and Joyce swallowed, her breath catching. "You never told me."
"I did not know how," he said simply. "I still had not understood the differences between humans and Anima. I still thought you were stubborn, refusing to believe I had tried to help you. It hurt me that you would believe I wanted to hurt you. My pride was wounded… " he looked away, down at his hands. "Then there was the night your parents fought. About me."
"I tried," she gasped. "I tried to tell them I knew you would not hurt me again, and I missed you."
He nodded, but his eyes, still alight with that odd glow, only flicked up to meet hers, and then he dropped them again. "I did not understand them. I had never heard your family shout like that before. I thought you were in danger…." She brought her hands to her mouth, seeing that night so differently. "When I went to your window that night, it was to make sure you were okay. That they were not harming you. I could hear you crying, and I was worried."
"I knew you just wanted to talk. But when my father found you at my window-"
"He called me a pervert. I did not know what that meant for years. When I found out, it made me sick."
"I always knew he was wrong about that, Gareth. I did."
He nodded, his eyes glowing even brighter. Joyce could not believe it was him. Could not believe he would come back at her. She had always wondered what happened to him, always wished she could see him as an adult. She had known he would be strong. Knew he was not what her father had accused him of. But she had also wondered… he was very different to the other children. Sometimes… sometimes she had wondered what was wrong with him. The thought made her sick to her stomach. She was about to throw herself off the bed and jump into his arms to plead with him to forgive her for questioning when she blinked. Because… he had broken his promise. It had been hard for him; she could see that now. And it was forgivable, she supposed. But…
"You never even left me a note," she said, the anguish of her eight-year-old self in her voice. "You just disappeared. I thought you were angry and-"
"No, Joyce, no," he shushed her, stalking back to where she sat and kneeling in front of her again and now, she knew.
Now she could see. This was what he had always done back then, too. He had always been so much bigger than her. Whenever they worked on something together, he brought himself down to her height and made himself smaller. It was what had tipped her memory the day before. She realised why she had been so sure she could trust him. Something in her had known, even though she had not recognised him. He was so much bigger now, handsome, and… so vital. When she looked at him now, it was almost impossible to reconcile this beast of a man with that child. And yet, it made complete sense too.
He put a hand on her knee and stared up at her. "The timing was unfortunate," he said quietly, his eyes pleading. "Right after your father found me at your window that night, my parents called for us to return to Anima. We had known it would happen soon. It is why I was so determined to spend time with you while I could. I was a child being groomed to be king. I did not know… I thought my father ruled all worlds. I'd written to him and asked him to order your parents to allow you to return to Anima with us."
She gasped and clapped her hands to her mouth, half in delight and half sad for the child who had been so naïve. "I didn't even know about this place."
"I wanted to tell you. I had even practised writing down everything I wanted to say. Then there was the fight with your father, and then my father said safety had returned. They decided to get me out of there without warning so I would not risk sharing our secrets with you. I… was furious." A shiver rocked through him, and his fingers tightened on her knee. "I knew, I think, even back then," he said, his eyes on where his hand touched her. "I was too young to understand what it meant and would become. But something in me knew that you were the one for me," he breathed, awed. Then he looked up at her, a question in his eyes.
Joyce's eyes widened, emotions chasing themselves through her so she could barely keep them safe. She had felt the same if she was honest. She had never met anyone who made her feel more comfortable or safe than her little friend Gareth. She had been so angry when he left, and she felt betrayed. And that coloured her memories. She had told herself he was a strange boy and was lucky he had disappeared. Her father continuously questioned her judgement and reminded her of those events; it was his way of proving she was too trusting. And his insistence had made her question everything around her. Too innocent to know what the world might do to her.
But then again… then again…
"You should have told me. You should have told me this last night, Gareth! Hell, you should have told me before they even put me in that clearing!"
Sung stared into her eyes. "I did not know, Joyce. I swear. I had no idea you would be there last night until I walked and saw you… scented you…" he said. She blinked. He had to be lying, surely? But he held her gaze unwavering, his fingers warm on her thigh. "Please, Joyce," he whispered.
She almost gave in to it, leaned in to take his beautiful face, and then remembered. "But…I asked you outright at breakfast! I asked you if we had met before because I kept getting this feeling… like déjà vu. Like I had been with you before, I asked you, Gareth!"
He dropped his head to her knee, and she pushed him off, scrambling up from the bed, carefully keeping the furs wrapped tightly around herself.
Sung sighed. "Joyce, I could not tell you any of this in the middle of the market with everyone around; they would have heard. None of them knew-"
"If they didn't know, you must have brought me here!"
"No," he was on his feet, following her as she darted around the floor, trying to find some focus for this buzzing anger that threatened to choke her. "No, Joyce, please, listen to me. I knew how scared you were that night; you needed to focus. And I knew you would think I would bring you here and just throw you into this battle. I would never do that to you. If I'd had any clue they were coming for you, I would have found a way to stop it. I did not think anyone knew about you except my parents and guardians. It never even crossed my mind-"
"And yet, there I was! About to die. And you just… stood there!"
He stopped mid-step, his shoulder heaving with his breath. "You do not understand the rite-"
"I could have died!"
"But you did not!"
"Would you have stopped it?"
He did not answer, which was answer enough. Joyce scoffed and turned away from him, pacing the floor next to the bed.
"I can't believe you just stood there while I – people were dying, Gareth. Killing each other! They would have killed me!"
He dropped his face into his hands. "I know. I was taken so off-guard. But you have to know, Joyce, if I had stepped in, they would have killed you anyway. And me as well. The wolves would have taken over. I knew all that. It was not just shocking when I walked into the circle and saw you there. I grieved! I felt trapped, and… it seemed inevitable. Then you survived and…."
"And then you chose me."
"Yes!"
She shook her head. "After I got out. After I lucked out. Then you chose me."
"No, Joyce, no, the creator made sure."
"Bullshit. I see you, Sung; I see your power, strength, and the way people submit to you, and you want me to believe that if you had stepped in for me, they would have turned on you? I do not buy it!"
"Do not buy it? They are already turning on me, and at least we finished the rite!" he snarled. "You have no clue what I faced today because you turned me down!"
"Turned you; what are you talking about?"
"You refused me! You completed the mating ceremony, then did not accept me, and they all know it, and now they think their king is not enough! That somehow I am so weak that I can not even tempt you into my bed after you declare yourself for me!"
Joyce stepped up to him. "What are you talking about? You rejected me!"
His eyes went wide. "Are you still high from the smoke? I kissed you! I carried you out! I brought you here, and… you just sat there! You did not want me!"
"Are you crazy, Sung? I gave you every signal I knew how to give! I touched you, looked at your mouth, and leaned on your chest; I did everything short of grabbing your ears and pulling you in myself! You treated me like a child who needed to go to bed!"
"I treated you like the woman I love who had just been through something horrific! I put my own needs aside-" he stabbed a finger at his chest as he loomed over her "-because I did not want to scare you!"
"Then do not lie and say I rejected you!"
"You did not offer yourself and said you were tired!"
"Are you blind!" she shrieked. "I did offer myself, then I told you I was tired when you didn't make a move because I was embarrassed!" She shoved his chest with her free hand. Sung froze.
She stood before him, her eyes ablaze with the fur wrapped tightly around her, her lips pressed to thin lines, and her hands on his chest. She could not move him, which was the most frustrating feeling ever. He was so freaking big and strong that she could not even rock him back on his heels.
Then his hand wrapped around her wrist gently, and he said her name, all anger gone from his tone. "Joyce," he breathed.
"Don't! Do not talk to me like I am a child. I am not a child Gareth!"
"Oh, I know that," he said in a deep, rich voice that made her stomach flutter. But she shoved the feeling down because she needed to be mad at him. "Listen to me, Joyce, please. Just for a moment. I think I know what happened."
She stopped shoving at his chest, but he did not let go of his wrist. His hand was warm and made her skin tingle. She swallowed and tugged at it until he opened his fingers and let her go, and then she drew the hand back under the furs. She never took her eyes off his and saw them glowing distinctly now. She swallowed. "What?" she said through her teeth.
"I should have seen it. I am sorry. I am so sorry, Joyce; you are right. I should have found a way when I realised you were here. Just… know that no part of me ever wanted you to come to harm. And I had nothing to do with bringing you here. But the moment I saw you… I ached for you. You are a beautiful woman, and I want you the way I have never wanted anyone ever."
She swallowed again, folded her arms under the furs, and carefully kept them closed. "I am listening," she said.
He chuckled. "It's culture shock," he said, almost laughing again.
"What?"
"I forgot… the human traditions. I remembered that choosing and coming together was different for humans. I remembered that you had reason not to trust quickly. But I forgot… I forgot about chivalry."
Joyce frowned. "What do you mean?"
"Your signals. By Anima's standards, those are… very subtle, very. I am sorry, but I did not recognise them."
She blinked. She had not thought of that. "So… what would you have recognised?" she asked carefully.
Sung laughed. "How did you put it? Grabbing my ears and pulling me in?"
"You are joking, right?"
"No, I am not. Joyce, understand; I know things are very different in the human world. But in Anima, rape is virtually unheard of. The sexes relate differently here. If Anima wishes to have another Anima, we make it very plain. But in the end, the choice is always the female's (even for a king). We, males, make intentions clear through demonstrations of our prowess and, strength, ability to provide. When the females decide to accept us, they… offer themselves. Openly."
"But what do the women do if the guy rejects them?"
Sung frowned. "Why would I demonstrate my desire to mate you, then turn you down when you accepted?"
Joyce snorted. "I believe they call it the thrill of the chase? I would have thought that you predator people would be all over that," she said cynically.
But Sung shook his head. "No, Joyce, I would never trick you about my feelings or desires. Any male that would do that to you is not only selfish, but he is also imbalanced. He should be avoided. I would never do that; you understand that I could have had virtually any female in Anima if I chose?" She folded her arms tighter and gave him a flat look, so he hurried on. "By that, I mean, when I chose you, I chose you knowingly. I chose you because I wanted you more than anyone else ever; I mean it."
"How could you possibly know that? We have not seen each other in what? Fifteen years? More?"
Sung gave a lopsided smile. "People grow up but do not often change," he said softly. "I could smell you, and I could feel you. Joyce, you are only more of what you were as a child. When I saw you there, scented you, I knew the seedling had blossomed into a full tree. I gave myself willingly. I want no one else."
'Then… then why didn't you kiss me when we got back here?"
"Because I was waiting for you to kiss me. The choice is yours, dear one. And it always will be. I will never fear that."
"But you were not unwanted, Sung," she said through her teeth. "That is what I am saying. You did turn me down. I was… ready."
A smile grew on Sung's face, and he stepped closer. "And now?" He breathed.
Joyce blinked. "Now, what?"
"Are you still ready?"
Joyce sucked in a breath.
***