Chapter 11

Again, I led my mate through the wilderness, but this time, I led her away from her people. She clutched my hand, gripping so tightly that I feared she might do damage, but I didn't complain. Only moments before, I had feared my Eve leaving me, and now she was by my side. I only wished she were happier about it.

"That male… Do you want me to deal with him?" I began, but Eve waved a hand, cutting me off.

Her face screwed up tight, a scowl marring her soft features. "Let's report him to the commander. He won't get away with this. We'll show him that we're better than him and follow the proper channels."

"Eve." I stopped. Since we were holding hands, I pulled her short. She was forced to look at me.

She took a deep breath, looking at her feet. Then another. She looked up at me with tears in her eyes. "I owe you an apology, Balroth."

"You have nothing to apologize for, Eve."

She shook her head fervently. "I totally disregarded the fact that you have a family here on the planet. You called them your tribe. You have an entire life, Balroth. I can't expect you to just put everything on hold for me."

I reached out and cupped her face, wiping a stray tear away. "I will do anything you need of me, Eve. You are my mate. And our mating will surely bring great joy to my tribe. I will happily live by your side, no matter where you go. If you wish to stay with your tribe, then I will join you there."

"This whole time, I kept thinking about living with the humans. Somehow it never occurred to me that I don't need to. That I don't want it." Tears rolled down her cheeks freely now as she looked up at me with a heart-stricken expression. "There are good people there, people I love. My friends… But I was being pressured into a life I didn't want. I kept telling myself that I had to do it, that I had no choice."

"You always have a choice."

Eve's hand clasped over mine. She gently kissed my wrist. "Thank you, Balroth. You gave me that. You taught me that I have a choice. If you'll have me, I'd like to choose you. I'd like to meet your family, to live with you. You keep saying that you want to make me happy every day, and I want to do the same for you."

Eve wiped her eyes. Then she surprised me by kneeling down at my feet. "Usually, it's the male that does this, but what the heck? Balroth, will you marry me? Be my mate, I mean! Balroth, will you mate me?" She was blushing furiously, the color slipping from her cheeks right down to her chest. She looked up at me with such vulnerability that my heart clenched.

I wasn't sure how to respond to this situation, but I wanted to do right by her. I knelt in front of her too. Her eyes widened, but she didn't object. "I will be honored to be your mate. Will you be mine too?"

Eve laughed. Actually laughed. She threw her head back, her body shaking with mirth. "Yes! Yes, Balroth, I'll be your mate. We both totally messed up the tradition, but honestly, who cares?"

Looking into her glowing eyes, I leaned forward and kissed my mate softly on her lips. She moaned and leaned against me, her arms reaching up and around my neck to pull me closer.

I pulled back to ask her, "Will you teach me your customs and traditions? I wish to make you happy."

Eve nodded. "As long as we are together, I will do anything with you."