Mave walked into view, a smile brightening her face as she saw them. Rain grinned back. His father ducked into the kitchen, obviously to hide. Rain didn’t miss how Mave’s smile faltered a little at the behavior, then she sighed.
“I just spoke to Luykas,” she said, not elaborating further as she sat down. “You were investigating the gladiators without me?” She didn’t display any of the anger they thought she might.
“I thought it was for the best,” Rain answered. “No need to worry you with it when you had other things going on and still do.”
His father didn’t come back out of the kitchen, but Rain saw Mave’s face turn back into a very small, knowing smile.
She knew. They all knew. Rain wondered what her plan was. Now that he was over the shock, he liked the idea.
Rain nodded in the direction of the kitchen, and she shrugged silently.
She’ll figure him out and wrangle him into her bed. I have no doubt. If she makes him happy, and he makes her happy, it’s no one’s business. I’m glad. This is good. My families are finally coming together, and it’s going to be perfect.
“I have the day off,” he finally said, breaking the silence. “I came over to bother my father, but bothering you would work, too.”
“You’re always welcome to come over and bother me,” she said, the smile coming back fully. She reached out and pushed his hair from his face, then leaned forward and kissed his forehead. Rain felt like a boy at his family’s table again.
Rain leaned onto her, thankful for her and everything she did for him, even when it was just giving him silent approval of his choices. She meant the world to him, and so did his father.
Yes, they’ll be great together.
24
Mave
Mave was laughing as Rain heckled his father while the male tried to cook dinner. Mat walked in with Luykas, both breaking into smiles as they sat down. For all the pressure of the rebellion, being able to enjoy moments like this meant so much to Mave. Even with Bryn gone, she was confident in his skills to get back to her alive. She allowed herself this moment, even while she was missing him. She knew he wouldn’t want her worrying every moment until his return.
So, she laughed.
“Baba, no! Mat’s here. Don’t let him convince you to change the spices. Please!” Rain called out, grinning.
“I never let Mat tell me how to cook,” Zayden called back. “Now, why don’t you sit quietly with them and behave?”
“He’s an adult. If he doesn’t want to behave, we’re not going to make him.” Luykas winked at the table. Zayden stormed out, eyes narrowed on the lot of them. Mave covered her face to hide her grin. This was how dinners normally went when Rain was in attendance, similar to the dinners she had shared with Zayden and Rain her first winter with them. She treasured every moment she could, seeing the father-son duo get onto each other. She loved joining in.
Now, there was an added spice to it. She met the grouchy father’s gaze and watched his chest puff out instinctively, a male subconsciously trying to impress her, even if he wouldn’t talk about it to anyone. Everyone at the table knew about whatever was brewing between her and Zayden. Aside from Rain’s meddling earlier, no one was trying to bring it up or talk about it. She wondered if Bryn was thinking about them, wondering if they would get together, wondering if he would come home to a fourth male in the family.
No…not that fast. Eventually, but not yet. I think he and I need more time.
The attraction simmering in her made her see him differently every moment they interacted. Instead of seeing the surface grouchiness with Rain and her males, she saw a male who wanted everyone around him to be safe, happy, and pulling their weight, and he was willing to fight for those ideals. She saw a homemaker, a male who had helped raise Matesh, raised his own son, and had run a household for a wife. She saw the faults and the positives, saw more than she ever had.
She wanted him to stay in her home, which meant she had to be careful. He seemed skittish. In Kerit, he had been down and talking about leaving. She didn’t know what might set off that thinking again, so she didn’t want him to be bothered. She wanted him comfortable until she could claim him.
She could be patient with this male. If it made him want to stay, she would be the most patient she had ever been.
“Here, eat,” Zayden growled, placing the finished stew on the table. “You are all going to drive me to an early grave. That is if my flying doesn’t.”
“Oh, don’t,” she said, reaching out to lightly slap his bicep. “You’re flying well, and you’ll be back to normal in a couple of weeks. Just stay low in case you have a crash landing. You’re too hard on yourself.”
He eyed her, and she knew she might have said too much, but instead of grumbling, he nodded.
“Thank you.”
She tried not to beam as she realized she had said the right thing. She knew from Senri’s family, sometimes a female needed to put her males in line, not just with discipline but to build their confidence. She couldn’t let Zayden begin spiraling down again, not when he was doing so well. When he was doing well, he was happy, and she liked seeing him happy.
She didn’t have much time to consider it as someone banged on the door. She was on her feet before her males, gesturing for them to stay where they were. She wanted to answer and give the fool a piece of her mind.
She yanked the door open to see Senri, upset and worried. She hadn’t seen the female for a couple of weeks because she had been fertile and her males had been with her, making sure they all did their parts. Mave’s stomach dropped. If anything had happened during that…
“What’s wrong?” Mave demanded. “What happened? Did any of your males—”
“It’s not about me. We’re fine. I just received word from one of my guard posts. Bryn, Nevyn, and Varon will be back when the moon is high overhead. They’re moving slow, but they’ll be back.”
“They aren’t due back for a week,” Mave whispered. Behind her, she heard the footsteps of the males currently in her home.
“I know. And there’s only five of them,” Senri finished. “Varon suffered an injury, but no one coming back is at risk.”
Mave let that sink in, nodding slowly. “But Bryn lost five of his hopefuls…”
“Yes. Confirmed kills,” Senri added.
“Are we meeting?” Mave swallowed.
“Yes. I sent Kian to Alchan, but I wanted to come see you.” Senri opened her arms, and Mave took her chance to step into them. The important information was passed, and now it was time to be comforted. Senri pulled Mave’s head to her shoulder, and Mave closed her eyes as horror ran through her blood. A gentle hand rubbed over her hair. “He’s coming back alive. They’ll have a lot to tell us, but he’s coming back alive, Mave.”
Mave nodded silently.
Again. She agreed to send him out again, this time with help and protection and still…still, she almost lost him.
She knew Senri understood. How many times had Senri watched Kian walk away, knowing he might not come back? Senri understood, and that was why Senri, her mother in the ways that mattered, had brought her the news.
“Thank you,” Mave whispered, pulling away again.
“Always,” Senri promised, touching her cheek. “They’ve given Bryn and the others their horses. That will speed them home to tell us what happened.”
“So, we need to go now,” Mave said, looking back at the congregation of males behind her. Mat and Luykas were both standing strong, ready to step up and help her if anything had happened to Bryn. Zayden, his face grim, held Rain’s shoulder, and Rain touched his father’s hand and squeezed.
“I’ll pack the stew,” Zayden said quickly. “I’ll meet you all in the war room. Rain, you should go to Alchan.” Rain only nodded and started walking. Mave and Senri made the space he needed to leave and take off into the glowing sunset.
“Let me help you,” Mat said to his friend. “Luykas, go with Mave?”
“O
f course.”
“I’ll join you two,” Senri said, jumping backward and hovering in the air. Mave and Luykas launched into the air, and Senri made a formation with them, flying as an obvious unit. They landed together, finding Alchan and Kian waiting.
“Rain?” Alchan said quickly.
“Is probably checking your home, then heading here,” Mave answered. “He was with us for dinner and left right before we did.”
Alchan nodded once and walked into the war room. Kian stopped Mave from following Senri and Luykas.
“Are you okay?” he asked softly.
“I am,” she answered. “Senri knew…”
“Good.” He reached up and palmed the side of her head, pulling her in for a fatherly kiss to her temple. “We figured…”
“You figured right. Thank you. How was the…other thing?” Mave had heard stories of the fertile cycle. She remembered her one experience with it, and she hadn’t been with a male during it, protected from it. Males, especially if they were a female’s mayara, grew demanding and edgy, wanting to ride their female every moment she was capable. A female naturally ran from it since pregnancy was a dangerous endeavor. A female going into her fertile time led to a sexual power exchange that could grow violent if there wasn’t proper communication.
“It ended a couple of nights ago, and we got through it. We’re all walking on eggshells for a few days, but everything is fine.” He awkwardly patted her shoulder. “Thank you for asking, but we’ve done several of these now. Let’s get in. I’m more worried about you.”
She walked in with him, glad she didn’t just have Senri. Kian was obviously also keyed into her life now in ways she didn’t quite understand. He was a busy male, much like Matesh, always off training someone, but in the moments it mattered, he’d made a moment to check on her.
Mave took her position beside Alchan, and Luykas flanked her.
“Here we are, wondering what the hell might have happened,” Alchan said loudly as more people strolled in. Senri and Kian must have sent people out to collect the unit captains because even Yenni strolled in with the other female unit captain. Mave saw them nearly daily, but with the bustling activity of their valley, it was hard to catch a moment to really talk to anyone, and when people had a chance, they all decided to spend time with their closest friends.
“What did your guards tell you exactly, Senri?” Luykas wasted no time in getting into the thick of it. Mave sighed, considering what they were there for and trying to beat off the horror.
This was the second time Bryn had a mission go wrong, and this time, there would be no pleasant surprise. This had gone very wrong, and if he had lost five of the team, the chances he could have died were high.
It made her bloodthirsty, but it wasn’t her time to join the fight—not yet. She respected the males who were in charge of positioning and planning. They hadn’t wanted her out there to begin an assault. They had wanted information, and Bryn could get that for them with the help of Nevyn and Varon.
And look how that’s gone.
“The five remaining parties of the scouting expedition walked into view around midday. They were moving slowly, on the ground, saying they had been flying hard for several days—”
“If they had been flying hard for several days, they would have gotten back even sooner,” Alchan growled.
“If you give me a chance to finish, I’ll explain,” Senri snapped back.
Even Mave winced at her tone, knowing a chastisement when she heard one. Even Alchan was smart enough to look away from the female and wave a hand for her to continue.
“They arrived exhausted. They’ve taken a very long route to get home because there’s a belief they were being tracked, and they couldn’t take any chances. It’s standard protocol for anyone who is caught out and needs to get back to us. They couldn’t lead our enemies straight here, so they made the call to lead whoever might follow on a winding chase around the mountains before heading toward us. They’re coming in from the east, way off their projected path home.
“They were given fresh horses and should be here soon. One of my males flew ahead of them to let me know they were on their way so we could prepare for their arrival.” Senri finished, looking around at the others at the table. “Varon is the only one who has suffered a noticeable injury. My guard noticed it and decided we needed to know to have a healer on standby. I sent Willem to fetch one, so everything is ready.”
“What’s the injury?” Luykas asked.
“One arm was bandaged and put in a makeshift sling. The details of the injury, he didn’t ask. The scouting group didn’t seem to be in much of a good mood, and he knew better than to test them.”
“Survivors? Nevyn, Varon, Bryn, and?” Alchan looked up again, seeming tired.
“Cydrev and Tyvria,” Senri whispered. “The others are confirmed dead. No captures.”
Half of the Andinna in the room cursed. Mave rubbed her face. She recognized the names, looking at Yenni across the room. Both females had come from Yenni’s unit, wanting to be more like Bryn and scout. They had been small and fast enough to manage it, and Mave had tested their skills with the morok before signing off for Yenni to let them go.
“His best two hopefuls are gone then,” Rain said, walking in and talking from the back. He pushed through and made his way to Alchan’s other side. “Sorry, sire.”
“It’s fine,” Alchan said softly. “Unit captains, you’ll all come in for a meeting tomorrow morning, but the room is too crowded, and I’ll need to have some peace to talk to the survivors. Company, stay. Kenav, stay. Senri, stay.”
With a chorus of different affirmatives, the unit captains left. Mave found an empty chair and pulled it up to the table, swinging in place right next to Alchan.
“Sit down,” she growled. He sighed and did as she asked. Before she could get another chair, Luykas had one behind her. Everyone was now fumbling to get into seats. There was no reason to wait outside, though Mave felt antsy. “We need to start making plans.”
“We need to know how this mission failed so spectacularly first,” Luykas retorted, “so we don’t send Bryn back into another potential death trap.”
She growled but knew he was right. She wanted to go out and slaughter her enemies, wanted more battles like the reclaiming of Kerit. She hated this quiet scouting and talking to spies as Alchan and Luykas were doing. She wanted more.
“I’m with Mave,” Kian said with annoyance. “We need to establish ambush zones. We need to hit them.”
“Bryn was supposed to bring us that information,” Alchan growled. “Why don’t all of you be quiet? We have a death procession coming home.”
Mave leaned back in her seat, using her tail to keep her from falling on her back on the ground. Most Andinna seats didn’t have proper backs, thanks to their unique anatomy compared to the other races.
Mave kept her mouth shut, waiting like the rest of the room while Alchan looked over maps and mumbled to himself. When Luykas reached out to grab something, Alchan growled, and her husband pulled his hand away. Rain hovered behind Alchan but did nothing to stop their king, who was apparently in a bad mood. He shook his head when Luykas opened his mouth, and her intelligent husband leaned back in the seat, choosing to remain quiet.
What felt like ages later, someone entered.
“They’ve reached the edge of the valley,” the guard announced, looking around in confusion at the silent group sitting in the war room.
Alchan left first, Mave, Luykas, and Rain following him in their designated and official spots. Mave knew better than to break protocol now. This wasn’t the exciting and surprising return home she once had with Bryn. Alchan was going to want order, and she would give it to him…for a time.
They stopped in the center of the village as she saw them, her male, her friends, and the two poor survivors. They looked like they hadn’t stopped for a bath in a stream their entire trip. Mave didn’t know what was dirt and what was blood. Together, they got off their h
orses, Nevyn moving to help Varon before even Bryn got off his horse.
“What’s the news?” Alchan asked softly.
“They’ve trained the gryphons to track our scents,” Bryn answered wearily, the exhaustion evident in every line of his face and the posture of his body. “Maybe they always could but weren’t comfortable tryin’ it. They can now, and that’s all that matters.”
Alchan nodded, looking at the Andinna beginning to congregate in silence around them. Mave should have known this would draw in a crowd, but her eyes were mostly for Bryn, who held his horse, unmoving.
“Remember the fallen. Remember those who won’t touch our mortal skies any longer. Remember those who will fly with dragons beyond this world,” Alchan said loud enough for it to echo off the buildings around them, clear and strong. “This is war, and lives will be lost. Remember them.”
The crowds dispersed quickly as if they had been waiting on what Alchan would say or do at the news of their scouting party coming back in such tatters. The small party drew closer as a few Andinna dared to come and take their horses, keeping their heads down and their eyes on the dirt.
“It’s good to see you alive,” Alchan said, reaching to shake each hand of the survivors. “We need the full report now. I’m sorry.”
“Aye, it’s fine,” Bryn said, looking past Alchan. She met his summer-sky gaze and finally stepped forward. Alchan shifted only a little for her to maneuver around him and embrace her husband.
“Thank the Skies,” she whispered, holding him tightly.
“I’ll never die on ya,” he said back, a hushed oath. “Ya can’t get rid of me that easily.”
“I don’t want to.” She pulled away and touched his face, glad to see nothing was damaged. He felt solid, even if he reeked from weeks of dirt and sweat.
“Healer here!” someone called. Mave didn’t turn, knowing the healer was for Varon, who was busy talking to others. Mat and Luykas stepped forward to escort Bryn with her, and they went back to the war room together.
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