Chapter 29

Drovo

CW: kidnapping

The light of the morning sun was an unwelcome sign. I had wanted our night together, our first luminescence to last forever.

With the sunlight came the diminishment of our glow. We’d have to wait another thirty days for the bonds of luminescence to take us once again.

I looked down at my mate in my arms and a smile spread across my face. My mate. I couldn’t be happier. Kayla would wake up in my arms from this day forward.

She stirred as the sunlight hit her face.

“Mmm,” she whined and turned her back to the bright light coming through the cracks in the ceiling.

I run my knuckles along her cheek. “The sun has risen. We need to head home.”

“Home,” she sighed. “I’d like to go back to the mountain. I’m assuming I’ll be staying in your private cave.”

She looked up at me with a sleepy smile.

“Our cave,” I corrected.

“Our cave. That sounds nice.”

I had just pulled out a fruit bar from my bag when I heard the scraping of stone. Someone was moving the boulder, blocking the entrance to our cave. I stood up and tucked Kayla behind me. She was standing now, too. I readied my vines for attack and produced two wooden spikes from the palms of my hands. I was ready. No one was taking my luna moth from me.

To my relief, it was Brexl who stood before us after the boulder was removed. Blood dripped from his temple, and he looked distressed.

“What’s wrong?”

“They took her,” he growled. “Scaron and two of the other hunters took Taylor.”

“They what?!” Kayla stepped out from behind me in dismay. “We have to go after them.”

“I will go after them,” Brexl cut in. “You two will go back to the mountain and tell Tarak what has happened here. If I am not back in five rotations, send help.”

Brexl did not wait for a reply. He turned, shifted into his beast form, and left, running south toward the beach.

I stepped outside and sniffed the air. Brexl was correct. Taylor’s scent had mixed with three others. Did Scaron think he could force her to mate? Then what? Return to the valley once she carried his young? I shuddered at the thought and found myself moving back to Kayla’s side.

“Come, let’s get you home.”

Jelly was tied up to a tree nearby, along with the chariot I had made. My brothers must have brought him here for us.

Kayla sat down in the chariot, and I placed my pack in the storage compartment. “Ready?”

“Ready,” she smiled at me and I was mesmerized by the beauty of her brown skin shimmering in the orange glow morning sun.

I nodded and turned to lead Jelly toward the trail that would take us home.

It was a long journey, but as the sun set on the second day, we crossed into the clearing that surrounded our mountain.

“Kayla?” Hai’s voice could be heard from the ridge. “Kayla!” The small human disappeared into the mountain, then re-emerged from the entrance.

“You’re back!” Hai jumped onto the chariot and hugged her friend. Kayla laughed and hugged Hai back.

“What took you so long?”

My mate’s smile faded as she took my hand and faced her friend.

“Let’s go inside. There’s much to tell.” I lifted my mate from the chariot and for a moment I was tempted to carry her in my arms, but Kayla wouldn’t like that. She liked to appear strong on the outside, even if that wasn’t how she really felt.

Instead, I took her hand, and we braced ourselves for what was to come.

It was nice to be back in the safety of the mountain, back home.

Gabby stood up as soon as she saw us. Her rounded belly had grown even in the short time we’d been gone.

“You’re back!” Gabby strode up to us and gave Kayla a hug.

Tarak must have heard her announcement. Shortly thereafter, he entered the main cavern and joined us.

“Wait, where”s Taylor and Brexl?” Gabby looked behind us as if she might see our missing friends walk in at any moment.

“They took Taylor, and Brexl went after her.”

“Who took Taylor?” Fatima asked, sounding alarmed. A crowd had gathered around us, and it looked like nearly the entire dekes was in the main cavern now.

“The other dekes,” I supplied.

Tarak wrapped his arm around Gabby as if the mere mention of the other dekes might put her in danger.

“We ran into them exploring the spaceship. They forced us to go to the valley with them,” Kayla added, and filled in the rest of the details. Everything from how they didn’t believe we were mates to them tying up me and Brexl.

“Wait, but you”re not luminescence mates, so how did you get away?” Talia asked jumping, ahead of the story.

I wrapped my arm around my mate and proudly announced, “We are now.”

Everyone gasped.

“We’re mates.” Kayla added, and my heart swelled.

Congratulations sounded from around the room until Kayla added, “Taylor and Brexl luminesced too.”

Tarak looked pained at this news. He and Brexl had always gotten along well. They both shared a quiet disposition that complimented each other. So he knew all too well the inner struggles our friend faced.

Brexl had been quiet before, but after he started shifting, he withdrew even more. I always got the sense he was protecting us from himself. If he struggled to form friendships with us shifters, how much more would he struggle to form a relationship with a hu-man?

“That rat Scaron took her.” Kayla frowned.

“Humph, doesn’t surprise me.” Axon added.

Scaron was only slightly taller than Axon, but because Scaron was so insecure about his height, he constantly made fun of Axon for being short. It made no sense to me, but actions driven by insecurity never did.

“Two others went with him.”

“Brexl against three hunters? Should we send help?” Gabby looked to her mate.

Tarak shook his head. “Three hunters against Brexl, is an even match, but they’ve never seen him in action before giving him the edge.”

“He said if he wasn’t back with Taylor in five rotations to send help.”

All the hunters nodded their heads in agreement with this timeline. No one was as fierce as Brexl.

“Well, I’m happy you two are home, and I’m sure Brexl will bring Taylor back soon.” Gabby tried to lighten the mood. “I’m sure you two need some rest. No more questions, everyone.” She addressed the room. “We’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Actually, I’d like to stay out here. After spending a few days with the other dekes, I really need some time with my friends.”

Gabby smiled and nodded and Hai grabbed her friend’s hand and led her to a pile of cushions on the floor.

I sat down next to her, and a fulfilling peace washed over me. We were home.