Bero followed her into the small room, aware of Furis close behind him as he stepped inside. The room was sweltering, heated by a large metal box in the corner that had pots sitting upon it, apparently a place for cooking. A table, much taller than the ones Ragoru used in their den, stood in one corner of the room. He watched as Alis crawled onto a wooden seat and patted the one beside her with a smile.
“Sit in the chair beside me, Bero.”
He gave it a worried look. Ragoru occasionally made sturdy benches, though they favored sitting and sleeping on thick cushions and piles of furs. He wasn’t certain this tiny human structure would hold his weight. He glanced at Furis. His brother had approached the other side of the table and was lowering himself into a chair beside Nik, who watched on with a grin. The wooden structure protested the weight but did not show any signs of buckling. Furis let out his breath and gave Bero a pointed look.
Flattening his ears nervously, Bero slowly dropped into the chair beside Alis. It groaned loudly, and he felt his blood turn to ice. He was certain it was about to collapse at any moment—but it held. Alis giggled and leaned against his lower right arm, cushioning her head against his fur. She petted his fur and beamed up at him.
“See? You did it,” she praised in her sweet little voice. It did not fail to elicit a smile from him.
The plate that was set before him had disappointingly little meat. It did have something yellow that smelled vaguely of meat sitting beside strips of meat crisped by fire, but he was more confused by the plentiful chunks of a soft brown substance that dented easily when he prodded it with his claw. Alis giggled as she picked up one from her plate and bit into it with obvious pleasure.
He lifted it to his own mouth and took a large bite. He froze as a dry, warm taste filled his mouth with a curious coarse texture. It wasn’t unpleasant; it was just strange.
“What is this?”
“You’ve never had bread?” Alis whispered in awe around a mouthful of food.
“No,” he admitted. “Ragoru are hunters. We fill our dens with plentiful meat throughout the summer to last the winter. Even then, we may have successful hunts of something fresh.”
“Wow,” Nik said from the other side of the room, tiny crumbs of food escaping from his mouth. “I wish I could eat meat every day like that!”
Betani grimaced as she sat down.
“Alis, Nik, don’t speak with your mouths full. I’m afraid that the Citadel doesn’t provide much in the way of meat in the rations they supply. I paid extra coin for larger portions of meat, but in hindsight it still seems laughingly small.”
A tired smile curved her lips, but Bero could see the embarrassment in her eyes and her face colored again, dropping with unmistakable shame as she busied herself with her plate. He frowned, swallowing back a growl of displeasure.
Her family needed more than what the Citadel was providing, more than what her coin seemed to provide.
They needed his triad.
Furis at the other side broke the uncomfortable silence with an exclamation of pleasure as he took bites of the yellow stuff and the strips of meat. Bero followed suit and soon he too was eating it eagerly, enjoying the unique flavors on his tongue. He glanced up to see Betani watching them with a bemused quirk of her lips.
“I guess you guys like bacon and eggs.”
5
After washing the dishes, Betani saw to the male on the couch, feeding broth she kept simmering on the stove between his lips. It used a decent portion of her supplies to make it, but she wagered that at that moment he needed it the most. She was happy to see him swallow it without any help despite his unconscious state. He still seemed weak and hadn’t roused again, but it was a good sign.
Whatever he’d been poisoned with—and she had no doubt it was poison—was working its way out of his system.
Carrying the bowl back into the kitchen, she made quick work of the dishes and stoked the fire in the stove as she added more wood to it. One of the Ragoru, Bero had followed after her and now watched with interest as she pulled out a bag of corn seed and measured out several scoops into a large kettle on the stove. Outside the kitchen, she could hear Alis and Nik regaling Furis with tales of the all-important solstice tree.
She bit her lip, blinking back tears as she covered the kettle. She hated the guilt that seized her. It seemed that no matter how hard she tried it wasn’t enough. She was exhausted. Even with the help from the Citadel, she struggled, often staying up into the early hours of the morning to work on mending for the few coins customers paid her. She worked and it was never enough. She still had to cut corners and sacrifice so that they could have basic things. Though she comforted herself with the knowledge that at least they were no longer living on the streets, her desire to give them the simple joys of childhood and her inability to provide it hung over her like a terrible specter. It ate at her continuously, without reprieve.
Betani jumped when a clawed hand touched her arm and she looked up into Bero’s concerned face. His ears were tilted toward her, his brow raised. The thick pads of his fingers caressed the exposed skin of her lower arm as he stared at her.
“Is all well, Betani?”
She squashed the desire that skittered through her at that simple touch. Since when did Ragoru casually touch others? She’d never heard of anything of the sort. In fact, citizens were cautioned against uninvited touching. Swallowing nervously, she pulled her arm free. His fingers tightened for a moment but then allowed her to retreat, his eyes never leaving her face.
Mustering a smile, she turned back to the kettle as the sound of popping began to ping inside it.
“Yes, of course. Sometimes it is difficult to do everything alone. There’s never enough to give my kids everything that they should have.”
He cocked his head. “This solstice tree is important to them?”
“They seem to think so,” she said with a laugh. “I guess in some ways it is a symbol. It doesn’t last long before it has to be taken back outside again, but it represents all the good things of Mother’s Night and the festivity of the birth of the sun.”
A contemplative look crossed Bero’s face. “We do not have this Mother’s Night, but I understand wanting to share the best of things with your family. You aren’t alone… if you would allow it.”
Betani glanced up from the kettle as she gave it a good shake. She opened her mouth to ask what he meant but he paced away from the stove. His jaw dropped and his lips pulled up in a lupine grin.
“I will return.”
“Where…?”
Her question hung unanswered in the air. He had already left. Betani blinked in surprise. Ragoru certainly moved quick. Turning her attention back to the kettle, she attempted to dismiss the whole conversation as she gave it another shake, the popcorn rattling against the metal.
But what had he meant about not being alone if she allowed it?
A warmth settled into her belly. Maybe he meant just that. She wasn’t alone. She had the Ragoru with her. It was a temporary situation, but maybe he implied something more. She flushed and removed the popcorn from the heat before pouring it into a bowl. By some miracle, she’d managed not to burn the puffed kernels in her distracted state.
Carrying them out to the living room, she set the bowl between Nik and Alis. They had already strung a long rope of red berries that they’d spent the better part of the afternoon before collecting. They held it up proudly for her inspection before handing it off to Bero to admire. The Ragoru touched the delicate berries with his claws, his eyes focused on the brilliant berries with fascination. Betani froze, every rumor surrounding the Ragoru’s fascination with the color Red rushing back to her. The Citadel had put much time and energy into dispelling such rumors but, in that moment, she worried that perhaps it was true. Would he turn into a monster before her eyes? Yet his expression held nothing more than curiosity as he tapped it with one claw.
“What is the purpose of this?”
“It is just decora
tion,” Nik scoffed, his eyes sparkling with boyish amusement as he took up a needle and string and poked it through a kernel of popped corn.
“It may not have another purpose, but it has much meaning,” Betani corrected, a small disproving frown on her face. Nik offered a sheepish smile. “The red of the berries represents the blood of our ancestors and the lifeblood of the Mother herself. We hang it to honor her.”
“And that?” he asked, jerking his muzzle toward the popcorn.
“That… that is just for fun,” Betani admitted, laughing as she walked away, drawn to the door by a light rapping upon it.
Inching the door open, she was surprised to see her neighbor on her stoop.
“Grandma Rose, what are you doing here?”
The elderly woman pushed her way in, leaving Betani no choice but to pull the door open wider and step back as Grandma Rose bustled in with a basket over her arm. Her wrinkled face crinkled with a smile when she caught sight of Furis crouched between Nik and Alis. The male crouched over them, his ears tilting back as if preparing for any sign of aggression. Betani stared at them but Grandma Rose wasn’t the least bit intimidated by his raised hackles. Peals of laughter shook her.
“My, my. I know I said to find you a triad, but I never imagined you would go out and do it.”
Betani laughed. “It is more a matter of them finding me.”
Grandma Rose snorted and swung around, heading toward the couch.
“So it seems. Now that good-looking male who left moments ago said something about having a sick brother. I have some good tonic with me to flush his system. Ah, this must be him here.”
Betani watched Furis slide closer, his expression wary as he kept his bulk between their guest and the children. With a gentle nudge, he pushed her behind him too as he drew up to his full height and glared at the elderly woman who stared back up at him. Rather than be cowed, Rose prodded him with her cane until he stepped back.
“Sorry, handsome, but you are in my light. These old eyes don’t see as well as they used to.”
Furis looked down at her neighbor with an expression caught somewhere between bemused and irritated. Betani decided to intercede before the male took exception to anything her overtly opinionated neighbor said or did.
“Furis, this is my neighbor Grandma Rose. She is here to help.”
Her words fell flat as she watched Rose pull out a bottle of questionable cloudy liquid. She cackled to herself as she sloshed it around.
“Yep, this stuff will do the trick. He’ll be right as rain by morning.”
She pulled the cork free and a pungent odor filled the apartment. Furis growled, his nose wrinkling in distaste. He looked as if he were about to knock the bottle out of Rose’s hand but the moment he started to lunge for it, she shoved her bag into his arms.
“Hold this, hot stuff.”
Rose worked Yeril’s mouth open and dumped the contents into his throat. Yeril choked and swallowed, and then gagged and coughed while Furis dropped the bag and raced to his brother’s side. Betani hoped that it did as Rose said and that she wouldn’t be complicit in killing the Ragoru.
Furis snarled at Rose—not that she paid him any mind. She merely stuck the bottle back in her bag, brushed off her hands, and then stooped to scoop her basket back up. Betani turned away and ran her fingers through the thick fur along Yeril’s jaw, admiring the softness of it coupled with the strong lines of his face. She wondered if he would be just as protective and patient as his brothers.
She spared a glance to Nik and Alis, who were crawling into Furis’s arms. He hugged them to his chest, his breathing calming as he embraced them and edged toward her until his flank bumped against her leg. He never glanced up at Betani, despite the way he leaned into her. His eyes watched Rose with blatant suspicion.
Rose hummed to herself as she tottered back toward the door. At the doorway, she shouted over her shoulder, “Do let me know if there isn’t any sign of improvement! Sometimes a second dose is called for.”
She didn’t acknowledge the threatening sound issuing from Furis as she left with a backward wave.
The moment the door was shut, one of Furis’s arms snaked around her and jerked her into his grasp, pulled tight against Nik and Alis. His muzzle nudged them inquisitively as he sniffed them. The kids laughed, but Betani felt a wholly different reaction to his tight hold and the feel of his body pressed so close to hers. The only thing that would make it more awkward was if Bero had joined in.
That reminded her...
Betani pulled back, her brow furrowing as she asked, “Where did Bero go?”
6
Bero walked through the snow, one claw raising to finger a small pouch hidden in the thick scruff of his fur. While his triad rarely traded for coin, for the reason that it held little value for the Ragoru, they’d accepted some and Bero kept it on him in case it was needed. There wasn’t much left in the bag and he almost regretted the coins they’d spent in the human gathering place. He couldn’t entirely regret it though. If Yeril hadn’t fallen ill, they never would have met Betani.
He was certain that his brother would agree that such an event was worth it.
His eyes scanned the street, falling upon a woman whose eyes widened with obvious appreciation as he neared. She wiggled as she leaned toward him as if to touch him, which made him back away. His hide shuddered at the thought of another female touching him now that he set his course on Betani. He would settle for no other. Unfortunately, the scent of the female’s interest was so strong that Bero fought the urge to gag. He settled for wrinkling his muzzle and breathing through his mouth alone. Even that did little good.
“Where is the rest of your triad?” she purred as she slid closer.
“With our mate,” he bit out defensively. As predicted, her face immediately fell, and she backed away. She recovered from her disappointment and gave him a small, polite smile.
“Oh, sorry, it’s hard to tell which one of you guys are available. No harm meant. Every single woman in town, of which there are far too many, wishes for a good male on Mother’s Night. If you are mated, what are you doing out here then?”
“I would like nothing more than to pass the Withering Days of my species with my female, but first I am seeing to a task. I wish to procure a thing for my offspring. They call it a solstice tree. Where might I find one?”
The female brightened. “You have little ones—how sweet! Yes, all children ought to have a solstice tree. It makes a very special memory for them. My mother owns a small plot of land between her siblings where they grow all manner of flowers, and even trees for the solstices. My uncle is selling trees in the square. You can’t miss him. He has the best deals in town.”
He turned to proceed when she called out to him.
“Wait! Perhaps you would care to purchase something for your female? Some flowers and sweets?”
His ears perked. Turning his head, he peered down at the female. She held a small bundle toward him with several red flowers tucked into a brown sack. Curious, he turned to inspect her offerings.
“I’ve never seen flowers in the winter,” he murmured.
The female puffed her chest out with pride. “We have one of few working greenhouses in the Citadel. We often grow flowers for the wealthy families, but we also like to set up our own street vendors too. I like coming out and making sales personally as it gets closer to Mother’s Night.”
“And females like this as a gift?”
“Well, sure. It’s not just the flowers. The small bag it comes with has candies my mother makes.”
“What about meat?”
She looked at him blankly, her hand dropping before he rescued the small bundle and flowers with one of his lower hands.
“Meat?”
“Yes. My mate did not procure enough for our den. My offspring need more meat. We all do.”
“Oh, well, sure. Umm, there is a butcher at the further edge of the square. You should be able to catch him as it’s still early in
the day if you have adequate coin.”
Bero huffed. It bothered him having to purchase meat when his nature demanded that he hunt and provide for his den through his own efforts, but it would have to do. He nodded and pulled a silver coin from his pouch. He immediately dropped it in her hand.
“Is this sufficient coin for the flowers?”
“It is actually too much. I’m not certain if I have enough change,” she whispered, her cheeks flaming.
“Unnecessary. Keep it with my gratitude for your help.”
She clutched the coin to her chest with a happy smile.
“Thank you. Have a blessed Mother’s Night—or Withering Days, I guess.”
He inclined his head but didn’t waste further time for discussion. He was already heading toward the square as he acknowledged her gratitude.
Although it took him little time to locate the butcher, convincing the male to deal with him had been an exercise in patience that he cared not to repeat. The male hadn’t seemed to know where to look and shrank away from Bero’s four hands as he gathered supplies into the crook of his free lower arm and fished out coins from his pouch to drop on the table between them.
Despite the unpleasantness of the transaction, Bero’s spirits were high. His ears and nose twitched at the new sounds and smells in the square that had been absent the night before when they’d concluded their trading. The sharp, astringent smell of pine led him to a rosy-faced male with a cheerful disposition. This male didn’t shrink away from his claws or show any kind of discomfort in dealing with a Ragoru. Accustomed to male merchants treating him poorly, Bero took an immediate liking to him.
Following the jovial male around the selection of trees, Bero eyed them all critically, wishing to get one that was grand in appearance but still a suitable size for his mate’s small den. She may not be his mate yet, but as far as he was concerned it was as good as done. Now he just had to win her affection and cooperation. Thoughts of Yeril lingered in the back of his mind but he pushed them away. Surely Yeril wouldn’t mess things up for their triad.
Stars, Snow and Mistletoe: A Holiday Naughty List Collection Page 9