Chapter 10
Riley
Stella kicks and lets out a small whimper, breaking the hold Zalik has on me. I’ve never thought of myself as a jealous person, but hearing the way he talked about Astrid had a fire burning in my belly.
“Our kit is getting restless,” he says. “Let us take a walk.”
He helps me stand and takes my bowl from me. We stop at the fire and deposit our dirty dishes with the rest of them.
“Does someone clean those?” It feels wrong to leave them for someone else.
“Aye. We all end up on cleaning duty at some point. Usually once every moon cycle or so is my turn, along with one of the unmated females. Now that you and I are mates, we will perform this task together when it is my turn again.”
I’ve never been more grateful to do dishes. Suddenly a small Tavikhi kit, with an obvious human mother considering the way she looks, runs toward us on wobbly legs.
“Sella,” the little girl calls out.
On her heels is a pretty brunette who appears close to my age or maybe a few years older.
“Greetings, Dasha,” Zalik says.
So this is the shefir’s daughter . Which makes the woman approaching the shefira, I’m guessing.
“Greetings to you as well, Shefira.” He fists his chest in the sign of respect I’ve witnessed.
“Greetings, Zalik.” She turns a warm smile my way. “You must be Riley. Welcome to our village. I’m London, and it looks like you’ve already met my daughter.”
“It’s nice to meet you.”
She offers her hand so I shake it. “You as well. It’s so nice having another new tribe sister.”
Her daughter has stopped directly in front of me and pats my leg repeatedly. I kneel down and bring Stella to her level.
“Sella,” Dasha repeats. “Behbeh.”
I laugh at how adorable she is. “Yes, Stella is a baby.”
She leans forward—nearly tipping over in the process—and places a loud, smacking kiss on the baby’s forehead.
“Careful,” London cautions her, but she doesn’t pay any heed.
As for Stella, she just blinks and stares out at the toddler. I’m not sure I’ve ever seen her focus so intently on someone before, not even Maggie’s two kids back at the settlement.
“Sorry.” London picks up Dasha and balances her on her hip. “She forgets boundaries sometimes.”
I straighten. “It’s no problem. Stella clearly loves the attention. Plus, it’s cute how loving she is.”
“Weirdly, she’s only really this way with Stella. The rest of the kits don’t get nearly this much attention. My guess is because she’s different. Or maybe a little too similar to me and her Aunt Remi with our pale human skin, blue eyes, and dark hair.”
“That’s most likely it. Lara had the same hair and eyes.” It’s one of my favorite things about Stella. She resembles her mother. I can see some of Dane in her, but she’s her mother’s daughter.
“I’m sorry about your friend. Zalik told Zander and me what happened to her. Stella is lucky to have another amazing woman to be her second mother.”
London doesn’t even know me, but to hear her call me amazing still makes me feel good. I glance over at Zalik.
“I think I’m the lucky one.” I smile at him and he returns it.
“All of us mated to a Tavikhi warrior are lucky, that’s for sure,” London says. “Life here is better than back on Earth, which, when I left there, was not something I thought I’d ever say.”
Zalik steps close and draws me into his side. I lean more fully into him.
“If anyone is lucky, then it is I,” he says.
London and I laugh.
“Who would have thought we’d be arguing over who’s the luckiest?” she asks.
“No one back on Earth I bet.” At least not those in the upper tier.
Dasha shifts restlessly against her mother who adjusts her hold on her. “I guess I should get going with this one. We’re going swimming while it’s still reasonably warm enough.”
“Have fun.” I wave at Dasha, who mimics the gesture.
“Enjoy the rest of your day,” London says. “I’m sure we’ll see you at the evening meal.”
“I look forward to it.”
The shefira and her daughter leave us standing there.
“Everyone is so nice.” Not that the people back at the settlement aren’t, but the atmosphere is different here.
“Are you glad then to become an official tribe member?” Zalik asks.
“Most definitely.”
He grins. “I am glad as well.”
A loud commotion of some kind comes from the distance. Zalik stiffens and glances around.
“Come, keeshla.” He rushes Stella and me away from the central fire. Instead of taking us to his tent, we run into the healers’. Sage is already there.
He grips both my arms. “Remain here and do not come out until I return for you. Swear it.”
“I swear.”
“I’ll make sure they’re safe,” Sage says.
Zalik nods and then takes off out of the tent. The human healer closes the distance between us and puts her arm around me.
“Why don’t we have a seat.” She guides me over to a curtained off section where a cushioned bench sits beside a padded raised platform.
“This is our female treatment area. Jodah built it for me after I asked for a private area where women can feel more comfortable. The Tavikhi don’t understand the concept of modesty, I’m afraid. ”
She laughs. I appreciate what she’s trying to do. But all I can think is that somehow Dane is trying to get into the village.
“Why don’t you unwrap the little one and lay her on the bed? You both might be more comfortable that way.”
I don’t want to let Stella even get that far from me, but I’ll admit she’s gotten heavy after carrying her for so long, even inside the sling.
“Thanks.”
I let Sage help me unwrap the unfamiliar material. I’m sure I’ll get the hang of it the more I put her in it. Once Stella is free, I lay her down on the bed.
“She’s probably going to need changing soon.”
“No problem. I keep a stash of diapers in here for all the babies and moms, since there are getting to be so many of us and you never know when an emergency will hit,” Sage says with a grin.
“You have one of your own?”
She nods and her smile widens even further. “A daughter. Which seems to be the norm around here. Well, except for Benham and Maeve. They have a boy, which Benham makes sure to remind everyone of.”
That’s the large, scarred warrior. “His mate is human?”
“Yeah. They became mates shortly before Jodah and I did. Gosh, it’s been three years now. Give or take, I suppose, since time moves differently here than it does back on Earth.”
“Do you ever get used to it? The long days and how time passes differently here?” Even after a year, I haven’t fully acclimated.
“It took me about two years, I think. Then it all went to hell when I gave birth.” She chuckles. “So if you and Zalik decide to have any more, be prepared.”
My stomach flips at the idea of having kids with Zalik.
Not that I’m opposed to them. It’s just surreal to be talking about them when I’ve only come to terms with the fact I have a…
mate. Husband. Whatever he’s called. We’ve done nothing more than kiss.
Not that I haven’t thought about what sex between Zalik and me would be like.
Because I have. Frequently. In fact, my face grows hot even now.
I cough. “We haven’t really talked about that yet.”
Sage waves me off. “There’s plenty of time.”
I look down at Stella. She’s fast asleep with her hand in her mouth and drool spilling from the corners.
She looks so peaceful and without a single care in the world.
Like she knows Zalik and I will keep her safe and protected.
No one will bother her on our watch, not if I have something to say about it.
At the sound of a disturbance outside, I dive in front of the raised platform where Stella sleeps to block any view of her from the door.
The flap swings aside, bringing daylight with it, and Zalik steps inside.
He carries a sword that isn’t bloody, and he doesn’t have any visible wounds, but still, I run across the tent and fling myself into his arms. He holds me tightly and I breathe in his scent, letting the heat of him seep into me, warming me from the inside.
“All is well, keeshla,” Zalik’s voice soothes me.
“What happened?” I don’t release him yet. I’m not quite ready.
He hesitates and stiffens.
“It was Dane, wasn’t it?” I’m not sure why I ask, since I already know.
“Aye,” he says. “He and some of the males he traveled with attempted to enter the village. They did not take well to being turned away.”
I squeeze Zalik even tighter. “He won’t give up.”
He draws back and cradles my face between his large, calloused palms. His gaze bores intently into mine. “It does not matter how often or how hard he tries, he will not succeed.”
He keeps saying that and I’m desperately trying to believe him. It’s just hard when I know how powerful Dane is. He’s someone who’s used to getting what he wants. I just need to have more faith in my mate. With a deep breath, my resolve hardens.
“I trust you.”
“That is all I need to know.” He kisses my forehead, the tip of my nose, and then my mouth. “Let us take our kit home and we will all take a short rest.”
Nothing sounds better than that, actually. I haven’t truly rested since before Stella was born. Zalik picks up our sleeping daughter, and I grab the length of cloth I’d had her wrapped in. Before leaving, I turn to Sage.
“Thank you for everything today.”
“You’re welcome. Feel free to come by any time if you ever want to just chat. I’m here most days.”
I wave at her and slip my fingers through Zalik’s.
We leave the healers’ tent and walk the short distance to our own.
It’s exactly how we left it not that long ago and yet it feels more like my home now than it did when I first stepped in here a few hours earlier.
Nothing’s really changed in that time and yet as I watch Zalik lay Stella in her bed, it’s as if everything’s changed.
The prospect is both terrifying and yet exhilarating all at once.