Free Eden's Creatures by Valerie Zambito

pulled herself from his grip. “It is late, we should rest. The second trial will be held tomorrow.” With that, she moved to the corner of the room, lay down on a fur blanket and turned her back to him.
    Cal stood there a moment, suddenly cold. After the incredible moment they had just shared, it hurt to have her just walk away from him now. Emotion welled inside from the events of the past days. Getting kicked out of his house. Thinking he had finally made friends only to realize they wanted nothing more than to humiliate him. Incurring the wrath of the Faedin for trying to help.
    And now, Stassi.
    Just another rejection in a long line of them.
    He walked over to stand next to her, in need of her affection, her acceptance, and suddenly fearing that she would never be capable of either. “Can I lie by your side?”
    Her slim shoulders tensed in the darkening light. “No. It is not—”
    “The Faedin way,” he finished softly. “Yeah, I figured.” He went to the opposite side of the nest, curled up on top of his coat and went to sleep.

CHAPTER 10
Cries in the Night
    C al’s lingering kisses kept Stassi from sleep. Her skin felt hot to the touch, her thoughts restless. She sat up and looked over at him, his scarred back visible in the moonlight. His soft, even breathing told her that he was having no such trouble this night.
    With a soft snarl in his direction, she stood and flitted off into the night, in need of the rush of wind to calm her mind and cool her body.
    But why the anger at Cal, she had to wonder. She had asked him to make her feel , had she not? Still, he could have warned her how it would tie her stomach in knots. Fill her body with unfulfilled desires. Crowd her mind with starry-eyed notions. All this and they hadn’t even mated yet!
    She bellowed a scream out toward the stars as though they, and not Cal, were personally responsible for her frustration, and felt better for it.
    That is, until a pair of white wings and an angry scowl filled her vision.
    “Perstassia! Whatever are you doing?”
    Stassi pulled up short and hovered in the air before Julius’s mate. “My apologies, Caliphy. I could not sleep.”
    “And you wish to wake the entire village for it?” she reprimanded.
    It was then that Stassi realized she was directly over her sire’s nest. “I did not wake Julius, did I?” she asked fretfully.
    “A stampede could not wake your sire,” Caliphy replied with a snort. “Go on now. Return to—”
    “Caliphy, can we talk for a moment?” Stassi interrupted
    The older woman’s eyes narrowed with curiosity. “Of course. Walk with me.”
    Stassi followed her back down to the ground and they strolled together at a leisurely pace through the village. Several torches still burned, illuminating the trails in soft, flickering light.
    “Is there a problem?” Caliphy finally asked when Stassi didn’t speak.
    “No. At least I don’t think so.”
    “Where is Cal?”
    “Back at the nest.”
    “I see.”
    “Did you hear what happened today? With Gilad at the lake?”
    “I did.”
    “We cannot blame Cal for that,” Stassi said, hoping to get Caliphy on her side. “He only did what comes natural to him.”
    “Then he must be taught the ways. That is your responsibility.”
    “Yes, Caliphy.” After another moment of silence, she suddenly blurted, “We mated with our lips.”
    Caliphy inhaled sharply, but then quickly erased all emotion from her face. “Yes, I have seen humans do so outside of the veil. Such a barbaric custom, is it not?”
    “I would not say that at all,” Stassi replied breathlessly.
    Caliphy glanced sideways, trying unsuccessfully to hide her interest. “No? What did it feel like?”
    “I cannot describe it in words.”
    A delicate hand covered Caliphy’s breast. “Do try.”
    “Well, as soon as your mouths touch, a flood of pleasure surges through your blood, building and building until…”
    “Oh, my.”
    “…you think you might burst through your