"Hey, Xiviyah, are you alright?" Luke said, gently shaking my shoulder.
I huddled against Fable, eyes wet with gathering tears. My face burned as I remembered the silky strands of Luke's hair between my fingers and his grin as he gazed up at me from my lap. He'd been awake the whole time!
A small whimper broke from my lips, and I squirmed closer to Fable, tail lashing. There was no way I could face them now. The best I could do was try to ignore them and hope it all went away.
"Look, I'm sorry already," Luke said, "And I really was unconscious for a second. It's just, well, people of my strength don't stay down for long. But after the sunpurge, it felt so good, and I…I couldn't help it."
His hand rested on my shoulder, his thumb caressing my shoulder blade. The rough, calloused fingers sent tingles racing across my flesh, driving me deeper into Fable's fur. His tail curled tighter around me, and his breathing was a low, comforting rumble against my cheek.
