11. Harper

11

HARPER

I hadn’t intended to stay and watch the fight, but I followed the others who were expecting a brawl—I was hoping Yva wasn’t involved. After watching for a few seconds, it’s clear they are training like any soldier with only two fighting at a time. They are all stripped down and only wearing the pants they arrived in—not their new colony clothes—tattoos glowing blue.

They train so differently to human soldiers. I see them running laps around the colony, or doing push-ups, or wrestling. I don’t see them train with their weapons very often.

The Honey didn’t train with weapons either. And at first when they paired off, it appeared as though they were doing nothing despite the concentration etched on their faces. It was also the first time I’ve ever seen them lift their hands and extend their fingers.

I’m glad one of the warriors took the time to explain what was going on, as the fighters stood as if ready to launch into a fight, but barely moving except to take the occasional step to distract their opponent. It’s only when sparks burst from one of their hands that the fight begins.

They fight harder than the human soldiers do.

I’m surprised bones are not broken.

The gaggle of women grew with each passing minute. It is hard to ignore their whispers as they admire the warriors’ bodies and their tattoos even though I do the same as Yva gets up for the last fight. His attention is on his opponent, as they battle for the first spark, and he is mesmerizing. I gasp when Yva makes the first spark and then makes the first attack. The fight is rough, and I bite my lip to stay quiet. He must be hurting.

But he wins.

I grin wanting to say something, but other women surge toward the fighters. The women smile and flutter their lashes.

Yva nods in my direction then walks away before I have a chance to talk to him. But he saw me. Or at least I think the nod was for me. I don’t want to be an alien groupie, desperate for their attention. I wonder how many of these women understand what mating for life means, and that they have the power to really fuck these guys up.

How many care about the consequences, or is this a game for them?

Of course, if I say anything, they will accuse me of trying to get a mate for myself. And from the talk I hear, some of them aren’t happy that he’s working with me and that I have an unfair advantage. Or that it’s not fair I spend so much time with him because I’m too old.

I snapped at one woman over dinner. If I’m too old, then he won’t be interested so what’s the problem? She didn’t have an answer for that.

Part of me wonders if bringing more banished warriors into the colony might be better, that way they’ll be less competition, but the human men wouldn’t like that.

I’m about to leave, prepared to talk to him tomorrow and apologize for being a prickly bitch, when Sabine walks over. Her man is the leader. She’s a scientist studying mushrooms and the food situation. No doubt she’s learned a lot about what is edible from her mate.

“I saw you looking.” She gives me a smile, as if she knows why I was looking. “You work with Yva, right?”

“Yes. Harper.”

She draws me away from the rest of the crowd. “Were you waiting to speak to him?”

There’s a glint in her eyes, as if she expects me to announce there and then that I want him to be my mate. Which I don’t. I like being on friendly terms with my coworkers. “He’s gone, so it can wait until tomorrow.”

I shouldn’t have stayed, but I was unable to resist knowing a little more about them.

“They all find the crowd overwhelming. They aren’t used to being around so many people after so many years away from their tribe.”

I hadn’t considered that. I try to imagine living with the same handful of people for several years and then suddenly being surrounded by several thousand humans. They aren’t even your people. We are as strange to them as they are to us.

“It is a lot of attention,” I say carefully, now that we are away from the gaggle. Sabine has led me closer to where the warriors are sitting. Their human mates are also there.

“It is,” she agrees. “Even for those with mates.” She turns to the warriors. “This is Harper. She works with Yva in the laundry.”

They all greet me, the men with their hands over their heart as they give me their names. The women with a nod as they say their name. I can see that they are all assessing if I am a worthy mate. I want to tell them I’m not interested in that…but I do enjoy spending time with him, which is why I don’t want the argument to fester.

But when out of the entire crowd it was me he smiled at, my heart might’ve given a flutter. If I ignore the large eyes, which are all oranges, yellows and reds, and the orange teeth, and the claws, then yeah, they are attractive in a large, muscled way.

“Hi…” I’m not sure what I’m supposed to say. “I was hoping to catch Yva?—”

“So were half the women here,” one of the men says with a laugh.

My cheeks heat.

Sabine puts her hand on my shoulder. “For them, being chosen is a big deal because there are far fewer women than men.”

“I know. Yva has been talking about his tribe and childhood as we work. Does he really win all the fights?” I thought he might have been boasting about being the champion.

“Yes,” they all answer.

“Then why do you keep fighting him?”

“Because it makes us better and stops him from getting lazy. He saved my life when we were attacked.”

“Mine as well. And he will never let me forget.”

There is more laughter, but they aren’t laughing at him. There is an affection because he protected them, the same way he did in the dining room when he stood up to the soldier. “He never mentioned that. Only that he never learned a trade, so didn’t have much to offer the colony.”

“He comes from a wealthy and powerful tribe. If he were a third born son, he would have found a mate in another tribe, strengthening alliances. As fourth born, he can’t offer his tribe’s wealth, and it is true his only skill is fighting. But that is a valuable skill to us, as banished,” Edilk says.

I feel as though I’m missing something, even though he offered an explanation.

Some of the human women walk over, hoping to join the conversation.

Ruby, the woman with hard eyes, gets up and confronts them. “Can I help you?”

“Um…we thought…” She looks at me as if wondering why the fuck I’m talking to the warriors’ mates.

“This is a private gathering.” Ruby crosses her arms and looks as though she’s ready to fight them—and win. She was a soldier, and she’s not someone I want to piss off.

The women glance at me again, knowing I don’t belong in the group. “But she’s here.”

“Harper? She’s a friend of Sabine and me. She is invited.”

I wasn’t their friend until a minute ago, and I only knew their names from gossip.

The woman tosses her hair and glances at the other warriors. “How do we get invited? We’d like to meet the unmated ones.”

“I’m sure you do…but they don’t want to meet you.” Ruby smiles and there’s no kindness in it at all.

“How do you know that?” the woman presses, ignoring Ruby to talk to the warriors still sitting on the ground.

A warrior stands and puts his hand on Ruby’s shoulder, towering over her. “Because Honey warriors choose who they want to talk to, and neither of the unmated approached you for a conversation.”

The woman cocks her hip. “I heard it’s the women who choose.”

“It is, but a warrior does not need to accept. The mating bond is permanent, so we only accept after great consideration.”

Ruby smiles up at him and her gaze softens. I’m sure an entire conversation passes between them in a few seconds. “Are we done here?”

“Fine…I’ll introduce myself in the dining room.” She turns and struts away with her friends.

I hope she doesn’t introduce herself. Not that it matters. I don’t have a claim on Yva even though the other warriors and their mates suspect there’s something going on. What has Yva said about me?

“Ugh…they just don’t give up.” Ruby says.

“This isn’t the first time?”

“They are always approaching us,” Tiril says. “But they can’t tell us apart because they will walk over and try to make conversation as soon as they see one of us.”

They all look different, from their eye color to their hairstyles and decorations and tattoos. If those women were interested, they’d know exactly what Yva and Hrad look like.

“That must be tiresome.”

Tiril smiled. “We are quickly learning who not to recommend.”

“What do you mean?”

Ruby tilts her head. “We aren’t going to let Yva and Hrad accept any old offer. And some of those women will move on once the initial interest dies away.”

I nod, glad that they are looking out for each other. Then I realize they must approve of me…

“Yva says you can see him now. Do you know where to find him?” Edilk says.

“Yeah, thank you.” It isn’t lost on me that they aren’t worried about sending me to Yva’s quarters.