Chapter 16

Kyler

The energy of the village is buzzing like a horde of mushkanja. It is always an exciting turn when the Bohnari visit. I leave the healer’s tent where I have been since I tightened Zara’s splint and gave her more burim root. She did not stay long, but instead, after a lingering kiss that set my mind at ease, went to go find her tribe sisters.

The scent of the midday meal sweeps in on the breeze, and I head for the central fire in search of my mate. The village is teeming with activity. Females and males—Tavikhi and humans alike—wander around. Some carry animal skins or food while others carry weapons. Kits race around, chasing each other, their laughter adding to the sounds of sparring that carries in from the training arena at the bottom of the rise.

It is easy to forget that only a few turns ago, a battle occurred, until my gaze sweeps side-to-side and takes in the burnt patches of land that spot the ground and the missing number of tents. A celebration of life was scheduled for tonight for those we lost in the Njeri attack, but it may be postponed until the Bohnari leave.

A small number of tribespeople gather around the central fire. Most of them attend the meal that will be served soon, but my eyes land on my mate. She sits with the shefira, who has one of the implements that Benham has been crafting for her to use to teach the kits how to read and write. I am not sure how useful this skill is, but London says that eventually, as the kits grow older, they will be able to carve stories of Tavikhi and Earth history on them.

As though sensing my gaze on her, Zara lifts her head and looks directly at me. A large smile blooms on her face like the petals of the trendafili flower opens for the sun. My soul light surges brightly within my chest and warmth spreads throughout me as I close the distance between us. Love fills my heart to nearly bursting.

I come to a stop in front of them and fist my chest. “Greetings, keeshla . Shefira.”

Zara stands and kisses me. Her fingers slide through mine. I am pleased that she does not hide her affection. I wrap my tail around her waist. Unlike earlier, this is not a show of possession, but rather my own affection for her. When she smiles up at me, I would like to believe it is because she understands the difference.

“Hi, Kyler,” London returns my greeting. “How are the injured warriors doing?”

“They are healing well. Several are anxious to leave and return to training, although it will still be at least two turns before I will release them. I do not want them to injure themselves again by sparring too soon.”

She nods. “I’m so glad to hear that. Zander has been worried.”

I glance around. It is not usual for the shefir to not be by his shefira’s side during meal times. As though hearing my unasked question, London speaks again. “He’ll be here soon. He and Alik are talking about whatever tribe leaders talk about.”

Footsteps approach. As if conjured by her words, Zander and the Bohnari walk toward us. Zara squeezes my fingers and leans into me. I glance down at her and she rises up to press her lips against mine. She draws back, closes one eye before opening it again quickly, and turns toward the two males. I will have to ask her about this gesture when we are alone.

The moment Zander is within reach, his tail wraps around London and he greets her with a kiss and whispered words. My gaze is on Alik and for beat, I am almost certain a flash of longing crosses his face, but it disappears so swiftly, I must be mistaken.

“Shefira,” the Bohnari greets London with a bow when she finally turns to face him.

London nods.

“Greetings, Kyler.” Zander fists his chest and I return it.

“Healer.” the Bohnari leader dips his head and his gaze shifts to my mate. “Zara.”

“Alik,” she says, but her tone is neutral and I try not to gloat.

“The rest of the Bohnari should be arriving soon and then the celebration will begin,” Zander announces. “We will be celebrating not only our allies, but also our fallen tribe brothers and sisters.”

“My people are honored to be included in celebrating the lives of yours. Thank you for allowing us to be a part of it. No doubt they will be missed by all.” Alik displays a far more serious demeanor than I have witnessed from him before.

Perhaps there is more to the Bohnari than I previously thought.

“Many thanks.” Zander fists his chest and Alik does the same.

“I will clean up in the river while I await the arrival of the rest of my crew. Shefira.” He bows at London and then turns and walks away.

“I’m going to take this back to our tent.” London holds up the clay implement. “We’ll be right back.”

She and Zander depart as well.

“Come, let us sit.” Without removing my tail from around her waist, Zara and I move to one of the carved wooden seats near the fire. “How was your visit with your tribe sisters?”

“Good. After what happened to me, we needed to spend the time together. It really kind of hit us how lucky I was you guys found me. It could have been so much worse.” She shudders.

I do not want to even consider any other outcome.

“How is your arm feeling?” It is the closest I can get to acknowledging what happened between us in her tent without asking outright if Zara regrets what we did. I am not sure I could handle her saying yes.

“It constantly aches, but most of the time it’s better than not.” She bites her lip. “What did Alik mean when he said their healer can repair it?”

“I am unsure.” One of the things we trade with the Bohnari is kanet. It is nothing more than a basic plant that grows deep in the forest, but according to their healer, they use it for healing. Except it is entirely useless as nothing more than vegetation on Tavikh. “But I will take you to their ship when it arrives if you wish. If the Bohnari can do something to heal it, I believe it is a good thing.”

“You’ll come with me then?”

The hope in Zara’s eyes is nearly my undoing. The fact that she wishes for me to be at her side means everything to me. “Of course.”

She loops her arm around mine and leans her head on my shoulder. “Thank you.”

As we sit there, more and more tribespeople arrive—including the elders, who tend to stay near their own group of tents—and soon the midday meal is well underway. Her tribe sisters and their mates join us and the females talk and laugh with each other. Alik sits with several unmated warriors. I observe him several times watching all the mated humans, and the same look I’d witnessed earlier crosses his face, but when our eyes meet, his expression clears.I sympathize. They do not worship the same goddess as we do, but I pray to Deeka that their males are able to find their own mates.

Slowly, people finish eating and drop their vessels off at the fire for washing. Throughout the meal, Zara has touched me often. Not all of them feel purposeful. Often her thigh would brush against mine. Or her arm when she leaned forward to speak to Remi who sat on my other side. Whether intentional or not, each touch sent pleasure straight to my cock.

I have just emptied my vessel when a sound reaches me. Conversations halt and heads lift toward the sky. A shadow appears through the clouds growing larger with every beat until, at last, it breaks through to expose the Bohnari ship. All eyes observe it as it floats through the air, drawing closer to the earth, until it disappears behind the trees outside of the village borders to land in the large bari field that lies beyond.

“Whoa,” Zara exclaims. “That was nothing like the ship that brought us here.”

The human’s transport ship is more than three times the size of the Bohnari’s, but that is because the smaller of the two is built for only a few warriors. She would be even more surprised to see Alik’s shuttle. It is sized to hold only a single warrior.

“I wonder if they’ll let us have a tour,” Eloise says. “I’m curious to see the inside.”

As someone who traveled the stars before crash landing on Tavikh, it makes sense that she would be interested in the interior workings of the Bohnari vessel.

“I’d be down for a tour,” Remi proclaims.

“Me too,” the shefira says.

“I want to visit their med bay,” Sage adds.

The only one who remains silent is Maeve.

Zara chuckles. “Sounds like we might all be making a field trip.”

“’Field trip’?” That is not a term that translates.

“It’s an old Earth thing. It was when a group of people, usually students—children—traveled together to visit a particular place.”

“I see.” It is an interesting custom of humans to come up with odd names for things.

Alik approaches and comes to a stop before Zander. “I will greet my brothers and return with them.”

Zydon rises. “I will accompany you if that is all right. I have been looking forward to speaking with Horek again.”

“He will be glad to see you.” With a fist to his chest, Alik turns away and he and Zydon head for the main entrance of the village.

I face Zara. “Once the Bohnari returns and brings his tribe brothers back, we can go to the ship and meet with the healer. He most often remains aboard.”

“Okay.”

Normally, the tribespeople would have all dispersed by now to go about their day, but not this time. Only the few whose task it is to clean up after the meal have left with all the eating and drinking vessels to head for the river to wash them all. They will return though. It is a day of celebration and rest for everyone else.