Episode Twenty-One Choices

N adira

Before we take another step, Azael stops us and reaches behind me to pull up my tunic's hood. He takes great care as he tucks my hair into it.

"The males are going to want you, Nadira. They'll smell you in a moment. I made certain to dress you in layers so your lush body would attract less attention, but your hair will be like a beacon. I'll stay on guard. I brought my sword and dagger."

"I thought a treaty made the rendezvous ground safe."

"Aye, but when a male has been so long without a female, he can do crazy things. Stick next to me. I won't let anyone harm you, but we both need to be vigilant."

We step into the thick of things, and I watch as my scent hits males' noses. One moment they're walking along, looking at wares, joking with each other, bargaining for goods and services, and the very next, their heads whip toward us with the force of a hurricane.

Many of them look as though they want to pounce on me, but they keep their distance, trying to be respectful.

"How about him?" Azael says, jutting his chin toward a hideous thing that is half man, half scorpion, complete with stinging tail.

"Gross! Why would you…"

It strikes me how this process is eating him alive. He loves me and doesn't want to share me any more than I want to share him.

"You want the rest of our mates to be ugly, Azael? So no one will take your place in my heart?" I smile indulgently at him. It actually makes me happy he doesn't want to share me.

"Yes. The more hideous, the better."

"Okay. But let's not pick something that can accidentally kill us in our sleep, okay?"

I look up at him and have to force myself not to press my palm to his dear face. We don't need to call any more attention to ourselves than we already have.

"And don't worry, love, I may leave here today with three mates, but I'll only love one of them."

I can feel the relief flow through him as he hears and believes my words.

There's now a trail of males following us through the trading grounds. Azael and his troop have reached out to many groups of different species since Alliana came to the Down Below and mated males of three different species about a month ago. Many of the males have heard of the agreement that humans should have at least three mates. Perhaps they know why we're here.

"It looks as if interested males are going to approach us soon enough. We'll set up there," Azael points to a spot just outside the ring of booths.

I try to push away the feeling that I'm a broodmare to be sold at market and focus on Azael's calming presence, but a knot of anxiety in my belly is growing steadily with every stare I receive from an interested male.

Before we reach our destination, an elderly feline humanoid approaches us. His posture is stooped and patches of fur are missing in the areas of his body that aren't covered by a tattered cloak.

"Will you be setting up shop here?" he asks.

"We have nothing to sell," Azael answers.

"Her?" The feline pointedly looks me up and down.

"She's not for sale," Azael growls as he bows up and thrusts out his chest.

"She needs more mates, no?"

Azael takes a long, deep breath, exhales, and says, "Yes."

"Follow me."

The feline shows us to an empty booth. It consists of two upright logs tamped securely into the ground. Between them is a flat counter. I like the idea of being on one side of the foot-wide counter, separated from my "suitors." It will make me feel a little less like prey.

I stick close to my mate as he carries three stumps to our booth. The ones for him and me are on one side of the counter, and the third faces us from the other side.

"Our first customer," Azael says as we sit down.

Dear gods, first the scorpion-male and now this? For a moment I wonder if my life was so terrible Up Above.