26. Turren

After collecting supplies, the villagers refusing to accept payment—though they agreed I could come back soon to bring rare items from the desert and mountains—we went to Mavileen and Pulost’s home and ate.

By then, it was starting to get dark.

Because Airest wouldn’t arrive until the next day, we opted to stay with Mavileen and Pulost, though we shared a room with Brunnen.

I held my mate through the night, giving her chaste kisses after Brunnen finally fell asleep. I couldn’t wait until we were alone, which we would be while we traveled.

The next morning, Mavileen took us on a tour of the village. It was incredible to see all the progress they’d made in such a short time. When Dakur and I visited before the hunt, we’d only stopped briefly for introductions.

“And that’s it,” Mavileen said, her arm sweeping out toward the gardens. “We’ll have an amazing harvest and will be able to store a lot of food for the cold months. We hunt with the Matis Clan, sharing the kills, and I’ll honestly admit that they’re much better at that than most of us women. Some of us were allowed,” she scowled, “to do simple trapping or set snares, but most of us aren’t proficient yet with a bow or other weapons. The orcs are training us.”

Pulost’s chest puffed with pride. “That’s my contribution to the village.”

“Among others,” she said with a smile. “I’m caedos here, but that’s a new role for me as well. Pulost knows a lot about how to run a clan, and I’m incorporating a lot of his ideas into what we do in the village. We’re a blend of both worlds now that many of the women have found orc mates. I think the combination only makes us all better.”

We were having lunch with them when a few Matis Clan members arrived outside the fortress walls. They entered the compound, and I strode over to them.

“Dakur.” I braced his forearms. “It’s good to see you again.” I nodded to his new mate, Nia. Nia had lived with her stepbrother in a village deep within the desert, near an oasis. Her stepbrother had been a cruel person, and he’d purchased Dakur to use him in a fighting arena with the intent of making him battle until he met a match he couldn’t defeat. Nia and Dakur fell in love and escaped the compound where Dakur was being held in chains. They’d made it part way across the desert, and we saw them while flying overhead on our voxes. They’d stayed with my clan for a time after that, and then we flew them to their Matis Clan home.

“So nice to see you.” Nia gave me a hug before returning to the shelter of Dakur’s arms. She reached above her shoulder, and he took her hand, kissing it before resting it on her shoulder. They were happy together.

It used to make my heart hurt. Now I had Kaila. My own love. The envy had left my heart, replaced with pure joy.

I introduced them to my mate. My pendant blazed—again. The damn thing had been lighting off almost constantly. I understood why. I was supposed to claim her before someone else’s pendant did the same and they challenged me for the honor of becoming her full mate. That had happened to another orc, and he had to compete in a series of tests in order to solidify his claim to the woman he loved. Madr and his mate, Lyneth, lived in the orc city, and I’d met them recently. They were also incredibly happy.

A few other orcs came with Dakur—and a shayde.

The shayde loped forward and leaped toward me. I’d already been a part of that, thank you. Scooping up Kaila, I stepped to the side.

Brunnen laughed and rushed forward, tackling the shayde—mostly. He barreled into the beast who leaned a bit from the blow but didn’t fall. Soon the two were racing around, playing, with Brunnen’s laughter echoing around us.

“I still shudder when I see them,” Mavileen said. “I can’t tell if they’re one of the Matis Clan shaydes or one I have to run from.” She lifted her spear. “I keep this handy at all times.”

“You’ll eventually recognize them,” Dakur said. “They have distinctive personalities and coloring.”

“As you say.” Mavileen didn’t sound convinced of that.

“Taen will take Kaila’s brother to the edge of the desert,” Dakur told me. “He’ll meet up with whoever you send to collect him there. Taen can’t travel as fast through the forest as your vox will fly above, however, so plan to send someone once you reach the mountains.”

“He’s not traveling alone on a shayde, is he?” Kaila said with a touch of fear in her voice.

“While he could, I’m not sure that would be best. Your brother’s strong, and I know he’d do well on his own, but why risk him?” Dakur said. “One of my clansmen will travel with him and return on Taen.”

A smaller orc stepped from the woods, and I guessed he was a few years older than Brunnen.

“Reven is looking forward to the adventure,” Dakur said, putting his arm around Reven’s shoulders. “He’s seventeen and very good at not only defending himself and others, but hunting. He’ll make sure Brunnen reaches the desert safely and will wait with him until someone arrives on a vox.”

Kaila nodded, giving me a quick smile, and I was grateful to Dakur for thinking of bringing a traveling companion. Reven and Brunnen would get along well, and Brunnen could continue his training with his staff when they stopped to rest at the end of the day.

“We’ve gathered our things,” I said. “We’re just waiting for . . .”

I heard the wing beats before I saw him.

Kaila gasped as my vox flew overhead, calling out when he saw me. He circled the village and landed on a hill off to the side in the open area between the fortress and the forest.

“There he is,” I said. “We’ll make sure he eats and has plenty of water, plus enough rest, and then we’ll start our journey.” I squeezed Kaila’s hand. “Are you ready to travel on a vox?”

“It’s enormous,” she said in breathy jerks. “Incredibly big.” She grinned my way again. “But yes, my mate, I’m looking forward to our journey.” From the heat in her eyes, I suspected she was looking forward to the times when we’d stop more than the travel itself, but she’d soon be savoring the wonder of flight just like I did.

“Would you like to meet him?” I asked.

She sucked in a breath, and her eyes widened. “Yes, I actually would.”

We left the others, Brunnen still playing with Taen like he was a shayde kit, and walked up the hill to where Airest waited. I took Kaila to Airest’s head.

“Airest? This is my mate, Kaila,” I said solemnly. “My strong, adventurous mate. The woman I adore, and who I’ll love forever.”

“I still can’t believe we’re together,” she said, though with a happy sigh.

“Always.”

“Should I bow or . . . I don’t know voxes at all. How should I greet him?” Her voice came out a bit shrill, but that was understandable. Until a short time ago, she’d never heard of, let alone seen a vox. At first sight, they could be intimidating.

“Airest would love to sniff your hand, and have you stroke his face,” I said. “He loves having his ears scratched in particular.”

“Truly?”

“Truly.”

I showed her what I meant, rubbing the side of Airest’s face while he purred. When I reached his ears, he stretched out his neck and groaned, his eyes closing while I rubbed. “I believe my brave mate will enjoy it when I rub her like this.”

“Do you plan to rub her ears?” Kaila asked with a snort.

“I intend to nibble on her ears, her neck, plus many other areas as soon as we’re alone.”

“I can’t wait for that,” she said in a dreamy voice.

When Airest nudged her belly, she sucked in a breath before tentatively touching the vox’s face. Airest continued to purr, and my mate became the bold female I’d named her. She walked to the side of Airest’s head and started scratching the vox’s ears to Airest’s delight.

“He’s amazing,” she said in awe. “I’m stunned. Will I bond with my own vox one day?”

“If you wish.”

“I want to. I don’t know what to do with one or how to train it, but I sense this would be a highlight in my life.”

“Most of my clan have bonded with voxes. There are many who travel with us. Sometimes, we walk to our next destination, but more often than not, we load our things on voxes and fly.”

“Then it probably doesn’t take long to go from one destination to another.”

I shook my head. “Sometimes only a day or two. We enjoy stopping. When we’re out in the open like that, there’s less light, and the stars . . . Well, you’ll have to see them to believe it yourself. I’ve tried to find the right words to describe the feeling in my heart, to share my words, but the best way is to show you.” Which I would very soon. I couldn’t wait to show off every bit of my life with Kaila.

“You’ve mentioned not being comfortable speaking before.”

“I learned to be quiet when I was young. It was hard at first, but I soon saw that when I didn’t speak, things . . . went better. But I need to find my words and give them voice, especially with you, Kaira.”

“You have.” She came over to lean against me. “I love hearing words from your heart.”

Then I’d find the way to say them often.

“I assume Airest is tired. I’ll help you bring him food and water.”

“He’ll drink from the river. Fish, too, because he loves them, but I’ll bring out a few haunches of meat for him later.”

“How long will he need to rest?”

“A few hours. We should be ready to leave at dusk.”

“I’m ready now.” Returning to stand in front of me, she wrapped her arms around my body as far as she could reach. “Soon, we’ll be alone. In the village, when a couple married, they would have time alone in their home before others started visiting. They called it a honeymoon.”

“We’ll have our honeymoon while traveling,” I said. “But know that it won’t stop there. I intend to show you that you made the right choice in joining with me. I’ll make sure you never have regrets.”

“I love you,” she said simply. “You love me. And that’s all that matters.”

Would she still love me when she discovered what I was holding back?

Soon, I’d have to tell her.

There would be no hiding this from her for long.