12. Nevarn

Chapter 12

Nevarn

" W e should sleep," I said. Walking over to the tree near our fire, I placed my palms on it and spoke in my mind. While a hum worked well back at my clan, adding touch seemed to solidify the bridge between me and the gods living within and below the forest in this area.

Would this one listen?

Removing my hands, I turned back to Kerry, finding her staring at me with wide eyes and a mouth part way open.

"The trees speak to you," she said.

"Mostly," I said. "We don't talk with words like me and you but in impressions. I asked the tree god if there was a good place to find shelter for the night, and it told me we were welcome to rest on its limbs."

"Just like that." She sounded more weary than skeptical, and that concerned me. When I met her, she was fiery and strong, and now . . . This woman would never be weak, even if she was beaten back and exhausted. But I sensed she was sad and that she felt vulnerable.

It was my role as her mate to try to cheer her, but I wasn't sure how.

"Yes, just like that. I also asked it to watch for my attacker, but it didn't reply, so I believe we must do this for ourselves."

"Why won't it protect you if it's a god of your clan?"

"I'm not sure." I scanned the bit of sky I could see peeking through the canopy above. "It's going to rain tonight. The tree agreed to shift branches above us to ensure we're covered by the canopy."

"That's amazing."

I wrapped our leftover fish and roots in a scrap of cloth and placed them in the crook of a tree branch to keep predators from stealing it. We'd eat this for breakfast. Tomorrow night, we'd dine with the Dastalon Clan, and while I looked forward to getting there and clearing my name, I was unsure how I'd be greeted. Kerry would be welcome, partly because she was female but also because she was a visitor to the clan, and no one was ever turned away.

If nothing else, we should be safer there than in the forest on our own.

"I should be freaking out about this. Why aren't I?" She wrapped her arms around her waist, hugging herself.

Molly looked up at her and reached out to tap her leg. She stooped down to pat the grundar, and I adored the creature for trying to cheer Kerry.

"You're not worried about it because you're tired," I said.

"I've barely slept since I got here. I didn't dare." Straightening, her teeth chattered. I doubted she was cold. The air felt balmy on my skin, but I reminded myself that she wasn't from Zuldrux, and it could be much warmer where she'd come from.

"I'm sorry. Let me help you." I brushed against the tree, making a request, and a blanket oozed out of the trunk, falling by my feet. I lifted it and approached her cautiously, wrapping it around her shoulders and tucking it together beneath her chin.

She gazed up at me with so much trust I lost the ability to breathe. "Thank you. You're treating me better than anyone else ever has."

"As you deserve. You healed me," I said with a smile. "You protected me until I could do the same for you." I'd remain awake all night if it ensured she felt safe, though I never slept heavy enough that someone could scale the tree beneath me without hearing them coming.

Biting down on her plump lower lip, she nodded. She'd been strangely quiet after she left the water, and I suspected all she'd been through was beginning to wear her out. How frightening to be stolen from the only world she'd ever known and left somewhere new and dangerous. Only to have an injured male stumble upon her and announce she belonged to him. It was a wonder she hadn't left me while I slept.

Raw longing shot through me, but I bit it back, unwilling to beg her to care. She'd only recently met me. She trusted me, but it took time to develop a caring relationship.

Would she eventually reject me like Weela had?

My deficiency wasn't something I could easily bring up, but it was a fact I needed to face.

I could only hope Kerry didn't scorn me when she found out.