Chapter 31 Six Will Rise Under The Crescent’s Watch #2
Her mother prepared her well. I can see it in her strength, how her body can bear such power. After the bonding ritual, when her spiritual awakening is complete, Noel will be so powerful that all living beings on earth will kneel before her. I do not doubt it.
Tomorrow, we’ll leave ávera and enter the forest. I’ll teach her the routes and lands she must know as a leader. If she can keep up, I’ll take her to the vólkin house the day after. But not yet. She needs time to heal mentally before she sees what I saw there.
“We should build shelters,” Noel says suddenly.
“Shelters? What for?” I watch her feet carefully as she steps over the uneven stones.
“Humans have developed strong weapons over the centuries you’ve been locked in ávera,” she explains. “The basic weapon of any soldier is a sword. It’s sharp, deadly at close range, and lethal in the right hands.”
A hum rumbles in my chest. “So, like our claws?”
She smiles, stretching her human lips. Those reddish human lips that I can’t stop staring at. “There are also bows and arrows. Archers can strike from a distance—longbows, short bows, even crossbows. With enough archers, you can darken the sky with arrows.”
I nod, her words painting a picture in my mind. “An attack from afar? That is clever.” Humans are indeed resourceful, capable of creating tools I could have never imagined. “But such weapons would not harm a vólkin, even if they outnumbered us.”
Noel’s expression darkens. “There are also the ballistae.”
I tilt my head. “Ballistae?”
“They’re like giant crossbows,” she explains, making their shape with her hands. “They fire massive bolts that can pierce walls or armor. Some of our engineers even modified them to launch fireballs.”
“You mean humans launch fire?” My fur bristles at the thought. Such a weapon sounds like something only a goddess could command. “Why would humans go so far against nature?”
“Because we’re not all built like mountains on legs, Theron. We have to be smarter.”
It flatters me when my mate says I’m big, but I fall silent. Humans are fragile compared to vólkins, though their ingenuity is something I can’t deny.
The sun dips below ávera’s trees as we make our way back home. My mate walks beside me, her round, muscled hips swaying with each step. I glance up at the darkening sky and take a deep breath.
You’ve battled for so long, you can battle more.
As we pass the gathering area, I spot Kael sitting with the growlings, listening intently to Elder A?na’s lesson. To my surprise, he looks focused—truly focused. Good job, Kael.
Noel stops at the sight. “Isn’t that Kael?”
I nod, suppressing a grin.
She frowns. “What’s he doing there?”
“Do you want to join their lesson?” I offer.
“Can I?”
This is going to be fun.
We approach the gathering area where Elder A?na stands tall in the center. The growlings sit cross-legged around her, and Kael leans against his thigh, though his eyes locked on Elder A?na are unusually serious. I’ve never seen him so . . . studious.
“The knot is an essential part of our mating process,” Elder A?na explains. “You must understand it well, as your future mates will be human, and they likely will not be accustomed to it.”
Oh, Elder A?na’s lesson today is about knots? I glance at Noel to gauge her reaction.
Her brow furrows as she looks up at me. “Knots? What knots?”
And there is my answer.
I gesture toward Elder A?na with my snout, biting back a chuckle. Noel turns her attention to the lesson.
“Vólkin males possess a knot,” Elder A?na continues. “It is a swelling at the base of their anatomy that locks them to their mate during mating. Its purpose is twofold: to strengthen the bond and to ensure the semen stays inside the female.”
Noel freezes, her mouth drops open, and her wide eyes snap to mine. “You have a knot too?”
“Of course,” I reply, grinning broadly. My knot is big and round. Will fill my mate properly.
Around us, the growlings blink in confusion, some muttering among themselves. “Locked? Like . . . stuck?” one of them asks.
“Precisely,” Elder A?na confirms. “This is part of our biology and cannot be avoided. For human females, the experience may be . . . unfamiliar.”
Noel sputters, choking on air. “I’m sorry, what?”
All eyes swing toward us, and I have to press my mouth to keep from laughing. Her face burns red, and I swear I hear her whisper a human curse under her breath.
“My apologies. Please, continue,” she says, her voice higher than usual.
Goddesses, thank you for this moment. I will treasure it for the rest of my life.
If I didn’t know Elder A?na so well, I might have missed the half-hidden grin on her face. She’s enjoying this as much as I am.
Elder A?na clears her throat and continues, still perfectly composed. “A human female must be prepared before receiving the knot. There is an important ritual that ensures her body is ready. But that you will learn as you grow older.”
Kael, predictably, can’t help himself. “So, we’re supposed to prepare them? Like . . . explain beforehand? That’ll go well. ‘Hello, my mate. I’m going to get stuck for a while.’”
The growlings hiss at him to be quiet, but Elder A?na answers. “Talking about it in advance is both good and preferable. However, I am referring to physical preparation, stretching the body so that the knot will fit inside.”
Noel’s face turns an even deeper shade of red, her wide eyes locked straight ahead. I can see her lips twitch, caught somewhere between disbelief and sheer mortification.
And me? I’ve never enjoyed a lesson more.
“Ethereal Leader, would you like to explain the mating process to the next generation?” Elder A?na asks, her expression calm but teasing just beneath her fur.
Before Noel can respond, I step in. “I think our leader is tired after a long day, Elder A?na. How about letting Kael explain what he’s learned so far?”
Kael shoots me a murderous glare, his brows pulling into a scowl that promises revenge. I meet his eyes with a smug grin. My mate, however, turns to me with grateful eyes.
I’ve done my part today.
“Shall the leader lead by example,” I say, grinning wider, “and show the growlings how important it is to rest?”
Noel straightens and nods with an air of authority, though her voice betrays her relief. “I . . . shall. Yes.” She looks toward the group and offers them a tired smile. “Have a great night.”
The growlings bow their heads, murmuring their respect as we turn to leave.
I glance at Noel, whose face is still flushed, and a satisfied warmth settles in my chest.
One victory at a time.
We arrive home, and I can feel her exhaustion settling in. The weight of the day is finally catching up with her.
“I owe you for that save.” She sighs as we pause behind the door.
“Owe me?” My head tilts on its own. Why would my mate owe me anything?
She hesitates, her voice quieter. “I don’t know much about . . . sex. If I had to explain it to them, I—”
I assume sex is how humans say mating?
In a few steps, I close the distance between us to trace my paw along her jawline. Her skin is soft under my touch as I tilt her face upward. “My beautiful dove,” I begin, my thumb grazing her chin. “You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to. Ever. And you certainly don’t ‘owe’ me anything.”
Her brows knit, and she leans into my touch, her tired eyes searching mine.
“I will always be there for you,” I continue. “Whether you’re in danger or just uncomfortable, it is my honor—and my greatest desire—to do anything for you.”
She blinks up at me, her wonderful eyes, so wide and clear, shaped like pointed berries, like leaves after rain.
“You are my mate, just as I am yours.” My chest tightens as I lose myself in her stare.
“Thank you.” Her voice is so soft it melts me.
“Tell me,” I murmur, my gaze moving over the lines of her face. “Humans do not have mating lessons?”
She shakes her head in my paw. “We do not. You probably know more than I do.”
I tilt my head and allow my thumb to brush over her lower lip. “How about Mina rests tonight.” My voice drops lower, softer. “And I bathe you instead?”
Her breath catches, her eyes widening as I lean closer.
“And while I do,” I continue, “I’ll teach you what I know.”