Chapter Six

KAEL

Kael stirred as the first light of dawn filtered through the cave entrance, and he tightened his embrace around Maya's smaller body. He breathed in deeply, savoring her scent now intermingled with his own—a testament to their night of passion and the consummation of their mating bond.

Maya murmured in her sleep, nestling closer to him. He gazed down at her, enjoying the peaceful expression on her face. In this moment, all the complexities of their situation faded away. There was only the two of them, together, as the ancestors intended.

Kael allowed himself a few more minutes of this blissful peace, knowing that soon they would have to face the realities of their world. He gently stroked Maya's hair, his touch feather-light to avoid waking her. But as the sun climbed higher, casting longer shadows across the cave floor, Kael knew their moment of solitude was coming to an end.

Just as he was about to wake Maya, a commotion outside the cave jolted them both to alertness. Maya's eyes flew open, confusion quickly replaced by recognition as she remembered where she was. Kael was already on his feet, his muscular body tensed for potential danger.

"Stay here," he rumbled softly to Maya, moving towards the cave entrance.

But before he could reach it, a group of Bigfoot burst through the veil of vines concealing the opening. Kael recognized them immediately—members of his tribe's foraging band. Their eyes widened as they took in the scene before them: their future leader in a hidden cave with a human female.

"Kael?" one of them, a grizzled male named Brokk, stepped forward. "What is the meaning of this?"

Kael straightened to his full height, instinctively moving to shield Maya from view. "This is Maya," he said, his voice steady despite the tension thrumming through his body. "She is my mate."

A collective snarl rippled through the foraging band. Brokk's eyes narrowed, disbelief etched across his features. "Your mate? A human? Have you lost your mind?"

Another member of the band stepped forward, holding something in his hands. With a jolt, Kael recognized Maya's scent on the backpack. "We found this," he said in English, "and followed the human scent here."

Brokk reached into the bag and pulled out Maya's journal and camera. "Your mate is here to expose us to the human world."

Maya, who had been silent until now, stepped out from behind Kael. "No, that's not true," she said, her voice trembling slightly but gaining strength. "I came here on a personal journey, prove Bigfoot's existence to myself. I would never harm Kael or his people."

Her words did little to soothe the agitated Bigfoot. If anything, they grew angrier. Brokk turned to Kael, his expression a mixture of disappointment and fury. "You've endangered us all. The council must be informed of this abomination."

With that, the foraging band turned and left the cave, their angry mutters echoing behind them. Kael stood frozen for a moment, the weight of what had just happened settling over him like a heavy cloak.

Maya's hand on his arm brought him back to the present. "What do we do now?" she asked, her eyes filled with concern and a hint of fear.

Kael took a deep breath, his mind racing. He knew what had to be done, even though every instinct screamed at him to take Maya and run, to protect her from what was to come. But he was a leader, or at least he had been raised to be one. He couldn't abandon his responsibilities, no matter how tempting it might be.

"We go to the council," he said, his voice heavy with resignation. "We face the tribe together." He had hoped for more time for him and his mate to get used to each other, to plan for their future.

Maya nodded. "Okay."

As they made their way through the forest towards the Tallstrider settlement, Kael's mind was in turmoil. Bringing a human mate into the tribe would be difficult. He glanced at Maya, walking beside him with a mixture of nervousness and excitement on her face, and felt a surge of protectiveness and pride.

As they approached the outskirts of the settlement, Maya's grip on his hand tightened. He could hear the usual sounds of tribal life—the low rumble of conversation, the laughter of young ones at play—but as they drew closer, an unnatural hush fell over the area.

The Tallstrider settlement was a marvel of natural engineering, seamlessly blended into the forest around it. Massive trees had been hollowed out to create dwellings, connected by a network of bridges and platforms high above the ground. It was a place that had always filled Kael with pride, but now he felt a twinge of anxiety as he led Maya into the heart of his world.

As they entered the main clearing, Kael saw that word of their arrival had spread quickly. The entire tribe had gathered, their expressions ranging from curiosity to outright hostility. At the center of it all was Kael's father. Ranak's face was a mask of barely contained fury.

"Explain yourself. Now." Ranak's voice boomed across the clearing.

Kael stepped forward, gently pulling Maya with him. He could feel her trembling slightly, but she held her head high, meeting the stares of the tribe with remarkable courage.

"Father," Kael said in English. "This is Maya. She is my destined mate."

A ripple of shock ran through the assembled Bigfoot. Ranak's eyes narrowed dangerously. "No. I forbid it."

Before Kael could respond, Maya stepped forward. "Sir," she said, her voice clear and strong despite her obvious nervousness. "I know this must be shocking for you all. But I assure you, I mean no harm to your people. I'm a journalist—"

Her words were cut off by a collective gasp from the tribe. Ranak's face darkened further. "A journalist? You bring a human information-gatherer into our midst, Kael?"

Maya quickly tried to explain. "It's not like that. I have a blog and a podcast about Bigfoot, but—"

"What are these things you speak of?" an elder called out, confusion and suspicion clear in his voice.

Maya looked to Kael for help, but he had none to give her. Those words didn't make sense to him.

"I share stories and information with other humans. But not about your clan specifically. About the Bigfoot legend in general."

Her words did little to calm the growing unrest among the tribe.

Ranak stepped forward, his massive frame towering over Maya. "This human cannot be allowed to remain. And you ..." He turned to face the tribe. "My son has betrayed us all. He is no longer fit to be my heir."

Kael felt as if the ground had dropped out from beneath him. "Father," he began, but Ranak cut him off with a sharp gesture.

"You are lucky I don't exile you on the spot for this betrayal."

At these words, Maya suddenly stepped forward. "Please," she said, her voice ringing out across the clearing. "I know you have no reason to trust me, but I beg you to give me a chance. Let me prove myself to you. I'll do whatever it takes to become a member of your tribe, to earn the right to keep your secrets. To remain with Kael here as his mate."

Her plea was met with incredulous stares and mutters of disbelief. Ranak looked as if he was about to dismiss her outright when another voice spoke up.

"There is a precedent."

All eyes turned to the source of the voice. Kael's mother stepped forward. "In our oldest legends, there are tales of humans who joined our tribe. It was rare, but not unheard of."

Ranak turned to his mate, surprise and a hint of betrayal in his eyes. "Asha, you cannot be serious. This human—"

"Has shown great courage in coming here," Asha interrupted. "And she is clearly devoted to our son. Perhaps we should consider the old ways, the trials that would prove her worthy of joining us."

A murmur ran through the assembled Bigfoot. Kael felt a glimmer of hope spark in his chest. He looked at Maya, seeing the same cautious optimism reflected in her eyes.

Ranak was silent for a long moment, his gaze moving from Asha to Kael to Maya and back again. Finally, he spoke, his voice gruff with reluctance. "Very well. The human may attempt the trials. But be warned," he added, fixing Maya with a steely glare, "they are not for the faint of heart. Many of our own kind have failed them."

Maya nodded, squaring her shoulders. "I understand. Thank you for this opportunity."

As the tribe began to disperse, discussing this unprecedented turn of events in hushed tones, Kael pulled Maya close. "Thank you."

"Of course," she said.

"Are you sure this is what you want?" he asked.

"Honestly, no, but I think I will."

It was more than he had hoped for, but less than what he wanted.

Asha approached them. "Come," she said softly. "We must get you ready for the trials, Maya. There is much to learn and little time."