12. Chapter 12

I watched Willis and his men retreat to their part of the camp, aware that Amber had used the moment of distraction to slip away. It wasn't her occupying my mind despite the mind-boggling sex we had shared earlier. As much as I wanted to dwell more on it and her refusal to share my tent, my mind centered around Willis.

Tzar-Than had warned me about him and the other humans. They didn't pose a threat to my warriors and me; they wouldn't be able to take us down, not even outnumbering us. So why, then, did Willis act as if they could? He was either an arrogant idiot, or he had a plan. Considering he was the leader of their group of warriors —a title I bestowed on them loosely—he had to be smart enough to know he couldn't take us down. Not without weapons. Weapons Tzar-Than had taken from them.

"They're trouble," Dhor-Van observed .

"Keep an eye on them," I cautioned. "I want a guard up all night. I'll take the first shift."

"Sa, Khadahr," he acknowledged with a slight bow of his head.

Already knowing that I wouldn't be getting a lick of sleep tonight, I stalked over to the cooking meat. Gripping a slice, I surveyed the camp. I didn't see a trace of Amber; she must have entered one of the gallies' tents.

Why had she told me to call her Amber? All the others called her Dawn.

These humans were an enigma to me, mysterious and full of puzzles. Had it not been for the incredible sex with Amber, I wouldn't have been sure they were worth the trouble. I had given my word that I would see them safely to the red fog and intended to keep it, but it looked like it would be more of a chore than I had originally assumed.

I found myself a spot by a large narran tree and leaned against its hard trunk, eating my meat and surveying the camp once again. Both parties, the human gallies, and warriors, made their way to the fire to claim their share of food. Tzar-Than had warned me about that as well and advised me to send the warriors hunting instead of feeding them, but under the circumstances, I would rather keep an eye on them than have them roaming Vandruk's wilderness unsupervised. It didn't matter to me anyway; we had enough meat, and my warriors and I could always hunt for more. I would rather fill the humans' bellies and have them at least content that way than add to their cantankerousness .

It didn't take long for the camp to settle down and quieten. The humans moved to their tents, and surprisingly, the human warriors even set up guards.

The quiet of the night was one of my favorite times. Finally, when everybody else was asleep, I could allow my thoughts to drift and go over the events of the day, make plans for the future, and allow myself to relax. That night wasn't any different; other than that, I stayed more vigilant, listening for noises that could mean danger while reliving the incredible sex Amber and I had had.

My interactions with gallies were limited, but by the gods, she was the most infuriating, fascinating gallis I had ever met. Mostly, I didn't understand her refusal to use my tent. I began to wonder how different human gallies were from ours. No Vandruk gallies would have been as forward as Amber had been. And would have definitely not refused my tent after. If a Vandruk gallies would have offered herself up for sex, it would have meant she was in need of a protector; she would have expected to share my tent after.

Not Amber, though, oh nek. I massaged my chin and lifted my gaze up to the sky, where I found Koronae above us, with its shifting colorful clouds, and realized that I wasn't hurting as much as I usually did. A slight sensation of peace was even coming over me. Which I figured was partially probably thanks to the sex Amber and I had shared.

What do you want me to do, Vorag? Which path do I take?

I needed a khadahrshi. It was one of the reasons I went on this trip. A khadahrshi had to be strong, physically and emotionally, she had to be able to support her khadahr, advise him, be his confidante. All things Majiil would have never been able to shoulder this young, bringing up an interesting question. Were the priests actually working on weakening us?

Would a human gallies be able to do this, though? They looked fragile.

A sudden itch by my neck made me finger my xythrax necklace, bringing back memories of Tzar-Than's story about Gwyn's part in killing the xythrax, which he believed Vorag had put into his path—an interesting notion.

We had several days ahead of us, which I would use to get to know Amber better; my blood was already stirring at the thought of having her as my khadahrshi. Unfortunately, as a khadahr, I had more things to consider in a mate than her heating my blood and stiffening my cock. If I was going to take a human khadahrshi and side with Tzar-Than, risking a civil war, I better make damn sure that the human gallies were the answer to our prayers.

Movement by one of the gallies's tents caught my attention. The light of the moon highlighted red strands, and I curiously watched Amber as she snuck out. Stealthily, like any warrior I had ever seen, she moved through the darkness, straight for the males' tents.

A surge of anger rushed through my loins at the idea that she might be searching for another sexual encounter. She had surprised me in the wilderness earlier. The thought of her seeking out another didn't sit well with me. I forced myself to stay rooted to my spot and not to betray that I wasn't asleep as I watched her approach the guard on duty .

They exchanged a few quick words, too softly spoken for me to make out. Even if I had, I wouldn't have been able to understand them. I cursed myself and vowed to learn their language.

The guard disappeared inside a tent. He looked hesitant, and his head moved to Amber for an assuring nod before he entered. Even before Willis emerged, I knew it had to be his. Otherwise, the guard wouldn't have been so indecisive about entering it.

My body tensed when I watched Amber and Willis retreat away from the camp into the darkness.