Chapter 4
Riley
Dane arrived far sooner than I expected.
I thought for sure I’d have another few weeks to prepare.
I follow all the men—human and alien—toward the large community building in the center of the settlement.
We use it for storage as well as a place where we hold settlement meetings.
Like when residents have various concerns
My gaze lands on a specific Tavikhi male.
The one who found Stella. I’d climbed a nearby tree and had remained there for half the day, hoping a few of their hunters would pass by and find her.
If he hadn’t shown up when he had, I would have returned to the settlement with her and gone back the next day and the next, and every day after that until someone found her.
I’d been too far away to hear him and his two friends, but when he’d taken Stella and headed in the direction of their village instead of the human settlement, I’d been relieved.
One of the human mates would know how to read the note I’d pinned to her shirt, since I doubt the Tavikhi warriors do.
I’ve been anxiety-ridden everyday, praying they didn’t try and locate her family. Locate me.
For the four months since Lara’s death, I’ve checked for messages to come through on one of the data pads. Every single day was silence until a week ago when I received a transmission from Lara’s cousin Rachel warning me that Dane had found us and was on his way to Tavikh.
I’d panicked. In the end, I’d gone with Lara’s deathbed suggestion to take Stella deep into the forest, leave her there, and wait for a Tavikhi to find her. Once that happened, I was supposed to come back here with the story of her being carried off by wild animals.
Of course, it hadn’t been difficult acting distraught. I’d cried so hard and so much I vomited. My heart had already been cracked and missing pieces from Lara’s death; it completely shattered having to give up Stella.
We reach the community building and Gary holds open the door for everyone to walk through. To my surprise, he doesn’t follow us in. I thought for sure he’d want to hear all the details so he could repeat them to Adam, the guy who thinks he runs this place with Gary.
The door closes sharply. I jump.
The only person’s attention on me at the moment is the same Tavikhi who not only found Stella, but who threatened Dane. No matter how hard I try, I can’t drag my eyes away from his. At least not until Dane steps in front of me, blocking my view.
“You should be rotting in prison,” Dane sneers.
“I’ve done nothing wrong.”
“It’s your fault Lara left.” He jabs his finger in my face.
“Don’t blame me for the fact you’re an emotionally abusive, gaslighting narcissist.”
Dane swings his hand back and I brace myself—but nothing happens. I open my eyes and gape. The Tavikhi male has a sword at Dane’s throat. All the others have withdrawn their own weapons.
“You will not hit the female. Is that understood?”
When Dane takes too long to answer, the warrior flicks his wrist and a small amount of blood runs down Dane’s neck. He turns white as a ghost and swallows hard.
“Understood,” he finally croaks out.
Slowly, the Tavikhi lowers his blade but doesn’t sheathe it. The other warriors put away their weapons. I’m not a violent person, but that was kind of hot.
“Tell us of his mate and child,” the largest Tavikhi demands.
He’s terrifying, with his scar-covered body, not to mention the one that bisects the whole right side of his face from hairline to chin.
I’m not sure how far back I should go, but I guess I can start at when Lara found out she was pregnant.
“Lara was so happy she was going to have a baby. It was the best day of her life, in fact. The first person she told was Dane, and do you know what he did? He asked Lara whose it was.” I look at the man in question with disgust. “What kind of husband asks his own wife whose baby she’s having?
He was furious. Threw things around the house.
Accused her of fucking other people. He threatened her with an abortion. ”
“What is this abortion?” The Tavikhi who found Stella asks. I wish I knew his name.
“It’s a medical procedure that destroys the cells that eventually grow into a baby.
Abortions are done for various reasons, but a woman being given the right to choose to have one or not is a battle we’ve fought for centuries and finally won.
Lara wanted this baby and Dane was going to make her get rid of it.
He told her if she didn’t and ended up giving birth, he’d drown it. ”
All the Tavikhi warriors stare at him in disgust.
“You would murder an innocent kit?” a different warrior asks in horror.
Dane doesn’t even have the nerve to act ashamed. He only sneers. “I’m not raising some other man’s bastard. I have a reputation and a family name to uphold. I’m not going to let some mongrel that isn’t mine inherit my money or do anything to sully the Winslow name.”
“Then why come all the way here looking for Lara? Why couldn’t you have just let her stay gone?” We were happy here. Or we could have been.
Dane throws his arms out. “Do you know what kind of laughing stock I’ve become? Everyone is making jokes that my wife ran away.”
I scoff. “This is only about your pride, then? You don’t care that your wife was so afraid of you and for the life of your child that she tried to disappear? You only care how it’s making you look?”
“No one runs out on a Winslow.”
“Well Lara did.” Not caring about any potential consequences, I step into Dane’s personal space and get directly in his face. “And now, because of you, she’s dead, and so is your daughter. So fuck you and every other Winslow.”
I should have seen the blow coming. One second, my chest heaves with rage, and the next, I’m stumbling to the ground with my cheek on fire and the taste of blood in my mouth.
A roar of fury follows, along with a solid thud.
I lift my head, cradling my cheek, and find Dane on the ground near me.
A hand appears in my line of sight and I raise my head farther to meet the eyes of one specific Tavikhi.
I glance around and, once more, all the humans have a blaster or sword trained on them.
None had time to unholster their own weapons.
Carefully I place my hand in the Tavikhi’s.
A spark of electricity stings my fingers, but I don’t draw back.
Not even when he hisses and strange designs appear out of nowhere on his body.
The lines travel along his shoulders, upper arms, and across his chest. They begin light-colored—a soft, purple-hued gray—but slowly darken.
Murmurs of conversation reach me, but I don’t bother trying to decipher any of it.
Rising to my feet with his help, I still can’t take my eyes off the markings.
Because I know what they mean. Alice pointed out that the Tavikhi males with the black markings all over their bodies are the ones with wives—mates.
Fated, if that sort of thing is to be believed.
“My keeshla,” he whispers in awe.
“What the fuck is going on?” Dane—who’s finally gotten to his feet—exclaims.
The warrior releases my hand and moves to block me from Dane’s view. My gaze instead locks onto the rippled muscles of his back and shoulders. As well as the tail that thrashes in obvious agitation. A part of me wants to reach out and stroke it. To know what it feels like.
“The female is my mate. She is now under my protection. If you ever lay hands on her again, I will end you and then there will be no more Winslows. Do you understand me?” The warrior growls.
Oh God, I don’t even know his name.
“You dare to threaten me?” Dane straightens his shirt. “Do you have any idea who I am or what I can do to you?”
Seemingly unfazed, the warrior stalks forward—it’s the only word I can use—and doesn’t stop, causing Dane to back up several steps before catching himself.
“I do not care who you think you are. On Tavikh, you are nothing more than another human.” The warrior leans in even closer. “I suggest you get back on your ship, leave this planet, and never return.”
Dane swallows, and I can tell it’s taking all his effort not to cower. Somehow, he manages to not flinch.
Finally, the battle of wills ends with a clear winner when Dane wilts where he stands. He backs up a few more steps and walks around the Tavikhi. He pins me with a death stare and jabs his finger in my direction.
“You just made a big mistake.” He glances at the rest of his men and gestures for them to move. “Let’s get out of here.”
They storm out of the community building, slamming the door behind them. An awkward silence lingers now that they are gone, and it’s only me with ten Tavikhi warriors, including the one I’m supposedly mated to.
He shares a look with the enormous, terrifying warrior, who waves everyone else out the door. I stand there—silent—even after the last of them departs and it’s just him and me.
“You are unharmed?” he asks.
I almost forgot about Dane hitting me and absently touch my face. “I’m fine, thank you.”
“What is your name?”
“Riley.”
“Riley,” he says it slowly like he’s savoring both syllables. “I am Zalik.”
Zalik.
“It’s nice to meet you.” What an innocuous thing to say.
Still, he gives me a small grin. “You as well.”
A lull falls between us, as does his smile.
“It was you who placed Stella in the bushes to be found, was it not? She is safe, but perhaps you wish to tell me everything?” Zalik asks, although it feels more like a quiet demand.