Free The Breeder by Eden Bradley Page B

only certainty she had at the moment was her love for Akaash, her trust in him. And his love for her. But Dhatri seemed kind and strong, and if Akaash trusted him so utterly, then she could too. She knew they would care for her. Still, there was so much about the world that would be new. Her mind was spinning with every step.
    The tunnel narrowed as they progressed, until they had to walk close together, and when she stumbled Dhatri took her free hand and didn’t let go. The last hour they walked side by side, the two men holding her up when she would have faltered, her bare feet torn by the rough surface, littered with rock and other debris.
    Finally there was light ahead, just a small pinpoint. Akaash’s grip tightened on hers.
    “We’re almost out of this dank place,” Dhatri said, picking up his pace.
    Soon they were approaching a small opening, and Nitara could smell the sharp scent of salt. It was strange. Wonderful. When they got there Dhatri went first, having to bend almost in two to slip through. He held his hand out for Nitara, and she bent her head and went into the sunlight.
    She blinked, dazed by the brilliance of the sun, something she had been exposed to only rarely. She could feel the warmth on her skin. There was a strange roaring, a heavy white sound, and fear was a rumble deep in her body, her heart fluttering.
    Akaash stepped through, pulled her close to his side, and she felt for the first time the full impact of his embrace. It chased away her fears, her doubts. She pressed her face to his bare chest, inhaling the scent of his skin.
    “Don’t be afraid, Nitara. The ocean is vast, powerful. Beautiful. Open your eyes and see.”
    She did so slowly, keeping her head close to the safety of his beating heart.
    The sight astonished her. Overwhelmed her.
    She’d heard of the ocean, certainly, but had never hoped to see it. It seemed as endless as the night sky. Gray and blue and green, a moving, glorious entity. She felt its power, saw it in the waves that crashed on the shore.
    “It’s so…enormous.”
    Dhatri laughed. “Yes, it is. It’s the home of the pirates and fishermen. Not for the people of the Wasteland. But we can use it as a guide to tell us where we are, by measuring the sun’s position on the horizon.”
    Akaash nodded. “We head north. There’s a rocky incline farther up the beach. We can find a place to make camp for the night. Our day has been long enough already.” He bent and laid a kiss on the top of Nitara’s head before pulling up the hood on her tunic. “Keep this on always during the day, Nitara.”
    “I will.”
    Akaash took her hand, and they moved over the sandy beach. She’d never felt anything like the fine graininess sifting between her toes. It was a wonderful sensation, sensual.
    “Akaash…”
    “Are you all right?”
    “Yes. But…I want to touch it. The ocean.”
    He grinned, and Dhatri, coming to stand beside him, grinned, as well. She had a moment now to see how beautifully made Dhatri was. A few inches taller than Akaash, his skin was a gorgeous, smooth brown, as dark as the earth. His hair hung in long, flowing dreadlocks. It was woven through with metal wires, studded here and there with beads made of clay and bone, some of them intricately carved. His smile was lush and wide, a short goatee surrounding his mouth. And his eyes…they were a stunning hazel. Silver and gold and green all mixed together, framed by long, curling lashes. His smooth chest was crossed with long scars that ran down over his ribs, but did nothing to lessen his masculine beauty.
    “You should touch the ocean,” Akaash said to her. “You should experience everything you’ve been denied.”
    Dhatri tugged on her hand. “Come on, girl. Let’s touch the ocean together.”
    The two men led her to the water’s edge, and her pulse sped as they neared it. They stood at that point where the water reached its foaming fingers onto the sand, and it was surprisingly warm as it