8. Yva

8

YVA

I place the tray of food on the table with a disgusted sigh and complain silently to Edilk. We cannot continue eating this. It is not enough, and it is awful. We should have agreed to live near the colony, but not in the colony. Then we could’ve caught our own food. If we do not eat meat soon, we will become sick.

We have some jerky. Edilk gives me a disgruntled glance, unimpressed with the offering on the tray. Perhaps we should teach them how to cook.

Are we teaching them how to hunt? If the humans don’t trust us with weapons, I don’t understand how we can help them.

We are helping them with the farm. With plants.

They might be able to exist only on plants, but we cannot. One bitter winter we ran out of dried meat, and we couldn’t hunt because the snow was too deep. After three weeks, the hunters were almost too weak to go out. Some of the elderly died.

Edilk nods. I am aware, but I also do not want to make too many requests too soon.

I tilt my head, acknowledging that in that part he is correct, as we are untrusted guests. However, there is a way to get what we want without appearing to ask for it. The humans are very interested in us and our culture. Tiril has been teaching them. Perhaps now that we are all here, we could show them a traditional celebration…perhaps to honor those who have been chosen.

Edilk smiles. Your mind is as sharp as your sword.

I placed my hand over my heart, thanking him for the compliment. It is not often I receive them. And even less often that Edilk and Sunif listen to me. It has caused friction between us many times, but I am not foolish enough to walk away from my brothers, not after we have shown that we can work together and survive. It’s why I sailed with them…and it seemed a worthy trip to make and less dangerous than remaining on the continent with the rest of the tribes live.

You led us here, kept us together when we may have fallen apart, and for that I am grateful. But I learned how to negotiate with other tribes, something he has never done.

Edilk grunts, pulls a face and swallows whatever was in his mouth. But we are no longer dealing with a tribe of hungry banished whose only worry is survival.

I exhale, relieved that he understands the problem without me needing to push. You treat us as a family. We are your brothers. But now we are a family in a much bigger tribe.

And we are of the lowest standing , he adds, staring at his tray. Admitting the truth silently and only to me is much easier than saying it aloud.

We are. You will always be the leader of our family. I do not want that role. I could not do it as well as Edilk. But dealing with others is a different matter.

He nods. When the others arrive, we will discuss your idea, plan it, and then make the request. He casts his gaze around the rapidly filling dining room. There are so many humans here, I doubt there are enough animals to feed them all.

We would need many hunters. But we do not need to feed them all. Not all will come, and not all will want to eat meat. The human woman who took my brothers as mates did not want to eat meat at first.

True. Perhaps we will allow them to watch but not join in.

Sabine sits next to him and places her handover his. My kams tingle as they talk, but I do not listen in on the frequency they are using. The others trickle in and join our table.

The women are much more accepting of the food on their tray, but then that is what they have been eating their entire lives.

All of my brothers grumble, some silently buzzing my kams, others with noises of disgust.

Sabine leans forward and whispers, “This table is getting quite a lot of attention. There is a woman with short dark hair who keeps looking over.”

I glance over my shoulder, even though I can guess who she is. Harper is sitting several tables away with her friends, but our gazes catch for a heartbeat before she looks away.

“That is Harper. I am working with her in the laundry,” I say aloud.

My brothers joke about me finding a mate already. I shake my head. And respond silently. We are working together, and I am not sure she even likes me. She is…too much like me…prickly.

Aldit laughs and places a kiss on the top of Ruby’s head. Even the prickly ones are soft inside.

That comment was just for me. He’s not brave enough to say that out loud so she can hear him. Probably because she’ll punch him in the arm.

Harper taught me the human numbers. I am going to show her ours tomorrow.

We will all be learning English tomorrow. Vari says.

We learned some because my brothers’ mates taught us. And while living in our little village, we tried to speak English. Though too often we defaulted to our silent communication, as it is easier and faster for us.

Vari and Orik talk about trying to teach the humans to make the fiber they have been making socks out of. The humans expected to sit in a room and be told what to do while Vari and Orik wanted to take them outside to gather the grass stalks and show them how to strip them and turn the fibers into a fine rope suitable for hooking into garments. Ruby is now helping them and Bridget with making clothing, as it was decided it is no longer appropriate if she is a soldier. She does not seem pleased.

I tell them a bit about the laundry set up, but also how they allocate the jobs to humans, depending on how well they do in their classes.

“It is no wonder the food is so bad if it is made by people who do not enjoy cooking.” Edilk says, causing some more laughter.

“I’m not sure even Orik could make this edible, and he has worked some wonders,” I add.

Orik grins and places his hand over his heart. He is the best cook we have.

A human man stops at our table. He wears the black uniform of the soldiers. Most humans walk by our table without stopping. They stare but try not to be caught.

Annoyance radiates off this man, like he’s looking for trouble.

We all ignore him, not wanting to be drawn into whatever argument he wants to create.

“I think it’s disgusting,” the man says.

“I agree, the food is terrible.” Edilk says without looking at him, even though we are all aware he is not talking about the food.

The man snarls. “Not the food, the way you took our women.”

“No one asked you.” Edilk sets down his fork. We do not want a fight. He adds silently to us.

We may not want to fight, but if it is brought to us, I will take the challenge.

“Are you upset that no woman has chosen you?” I ask, knowing that is not how the humans go about mating, but I don’t care. “Perhaps you need to show them why you would be a good mate.”

“What are you talking about?” The man snaps. “There are plenty of women. I don’t need to be picked by one.”

Edilk considers him for a moment. “Then why are you interested in our mates?”

“You took them and they didn’t have a choice and now you won’t let them go.”

I stand, towering over him, but keep my hands lowered even though my figure tips burn with the charge. All the humans are watching, and some of the other guards stand as if to back up their ignorant friend. “Choose your words with care, as accusing a Honey warrior of forcing a woman to be his mate is a very serious matter.” I take a step towards him. “It is our most serious crime.”

And very rare. Because what warrior wants to be bound to a woman who doesn’t want him, who will leave him to die painfully? It is why even a banished warrior is tasked only with bringing a woman back to the tribe, not returning with a mate.

“Uh.” The man steps back. His gaze darts between my brothers and their mates.

Ruby stands. “I chose a man who wanted to be mine. And I’d choose a Honey warrior over a man like you every time.”

“You’d rather have alien di–”

“You are on our world, human. You are the alien here.” I cut him off. I don’t care what he has to say. But I do care that he isn’t the only one thinking these things.

“I’d rather have a loving mate,” Ruby says. “Than a human man who is only interested in how many women he has slept with. Yeah, I know some of you are keeping tally. We all know.”

The human man swallows. “It shouldn’t be allowed. That’s all I’m saying.”

The others are buzzing comments in an effort to help, as if I do not understand diplomacy. “Are you suggesting that a woman shouldn’t be allowed to choose a man?”

He glares at me. “They shouldn’t be allowed to choose aliens.”

I smile. “Are you worried that if given the choice between a Honey warrior and an alien , the woman will choose a Honey warrior? If that is so, you have proven yourself unworthy.”

He drops his tray of food on the floor. “You make me sick. We don’t need your kind.”

The human man stalks toward the door, almost running into Tiril, Sunif and Chloe. From the silence in the dining room and the way the human guards are standing instead of sitting and eating, it’s pretty clear something was going on.

Is everything alright? Tiril asks.

He took offense to human women choosing us as mates. I bend to pick up the tray. None of the food fell off and I’m not letting it go to waste. “Extra rations?”

“They are yours,” Edilk says.

They are ours. I did nothing but what was required. As an unmated warrior, it is my responsibility to protect my tribe. As the son of a chief, I was taught to put my point across without starting a fight. But I crackle with energy, and I want nothing more than for some of the other human guards to try something. It has been a long time since I’ve fought anyone but my brothers, and I have learned all their tells.

I want a new challenge.

I sense all the rapid heartbeats of the fearful humans, and also those quickened by desire. Some of the human women liked what they saw. My gaze lands on Harper. With so many people between us, I’m not sure where she fits.

Once again, since meeting the humans, I wonder if there is a chance for me to have a mate. But do I want to live in the human colony when there are so many who hate us and who do not want to learn from us, even though that is their reasoning for inviting us to join them?

Harper glances away, and I return my attention to my brothers. “That sentiment will be shared by others.”

“Until you guys came along, we didn’t have a choice,” Sabine says. “The men could promise one thing and then change their mind next week and move on to the next woman.

“They aren’t all like that.” Chloe pulls out a chair and sits. “But less than half have settled down.”

“Do they also threaten the human men who have found a mate?” Sunif asks.

“No, but there is some sneering. Some see no point in staying with one person. They’d much rather bounce from woman to woman, as there is always someone looking for a man.”

I take some of the food off the tray—I have no idea what it is, though I am sure it isn’t meat—then push the tray over to Edilk. “They want sex, not a mate.”

Because the bond with our mate is permanent, and there are not enough women, it is expected and encouraged that unmated warriors find pleasure amongst themselves. That has always been enough for me because I never expected more. Surrounded by the scent of so many women, my body craves more.

It was easy living in the village with my brothers, as the only women were their mates.

Now there are hundreds of women.

Some of them smile as they walk past our table. Eyes bright and teeth showing as though they are feral and about to attack. They are trying to be friendly, but I do not like it. It is unsettling.

Ruby touches my arm. The human women need to touch us to communicate silently. Usually, they only touch their mate. They are checking out you and Hrad. You’ll be mated in no time.

And how am I supposed to know if it is a good match? I do not want to accept the wrong mate. I do not want a woman who doesn’t understand the mating bond.

But I don’t know how to share my fears with anyone. Not even my brothers.