by Dixon, Ruby
I’m touched by her words, and resist the urge to cry. Instead, I just squeeze Thrand’s hand harder. “Thank you,” I say, my voice husky. “I felt like I left my family behind but it’s nice to know I have a new one here.” I smile at Vordis, realizing that for all intents and purposes, he truly is Thrand’s brother. I do have another family. Not just a tribe, but real family.
The realization is humbling, and I want to hug both of them with all the emotions pouring through me. Thrand hugs my waist and holds me against his chest, tucking me against him. “You should not have volunteered it so quickly, my mate,” he says into my ear. “Now we will have to watch the baby for them when they wish to have time alone.”
I laugh, because the idea’s not repugnant at all. “I don’t mind. It’ll give me practice. And I love holding babies.”
“Yes, but I have seen what happens when that one needs to be changed. She has a rather fierce gut.”
“She does not,” Angie scolds, smiling. “She’s just a baby with normal baby diapers. Sheesh.” She shakes her head at me. “Ignore him.”
“Like that’s possible?” I tease back, and we all laugh like we’ve been family forever. Oh, my heart feels so full and we haven’t even gone to the party yet. I’m just…so happy. Brimming with happiness, really. Thrand touches my waist, and a new thought occurs to me. “Hey Angie, I wanted to ask you…”
“How long is a pregnancy?” She glances at Vordis. “Your guess is as good as mine.”
Vordis and Thrand exchange a look. “Our people—a’ani—are cloned in a lab under accelerated conditions. There have been no live a’ani births in centuries, perhaps longer. We all come from the same genetic ancestor and that information is used to print thousands of clones every year, more if the buyer is right.” He shrugs. “And there are no female a’ani left.”
“We will find out the adventurous way,” Thrand tells me, all confidence.
“I’m not worried.” I put my hands over his, resting them at my waist and leaning back. “Your people look close to human and surely it’ll be faster than the sa-khui pregnancy. Liz said hers last around fourteen months?”
Angie grimaces.
“We’ll just have to share information with each other and learn as we go for this first round,” I conclude.
“First round?” Thrand echoes.
“What, you think I only want one baby?” I look at him over my shoulder. “I had three sisters. My baby’s gonna need at least two other siblings.”
“Start with one. Trust me. Then you’ll want to space the others out.” She slides her finger against her breast, breaking the seal from Glory’s mouth and then lifting her daughter to her shoulder. “You can’t imagine how many sleepless nights there are until you have your first one.” She gives us a tired look. “And if you think I’m not going to take you up on that babysitting offer, you are absolutely wrong.”
“Starting tomorrow,” Thrand declares. “She is all mine tonight.”
And that makes me feel warm and full of joy.
* * *
After talking with Angie and Vordis for a little longer, the drums start up again and we all head for the main fire. Vordis takes Glory from Angie and we talk quietly about pregnancies and babies as we walk up to the fire, Thrand’s fingers interlaced with mine.
The moment we arrive, a wild cheer goes up and all eyes turn in our direction.
“About time,” Brooke calls out. “We saved you the seats of honor.”
“Seats of honor?”
“You think this party is for anything other than yet another resonance? What else are we celebrating?”
“Ashtar bringing down Old Grandfather?”
“Okay, well, there is that.” She grabs our hands and drags us over to the far end of the fire. “But this party is for a new mating!”
Flor is there, weaving something, and as we sit down, she immediately drops two leafy wreaths on our heads. “The bride and groom!”
I clutch the wreath, laughing, as Taushen wobbles forward, a waterskin in his hand. His eyes look oddly shiny and his expression is off. Brooke just giggles at the sight of him, sliding an arm around his waist and supporting her mate.
“Have some sah-sah to celebrate, my friend,” Taushen says to Thrand, flinging an arm around his shoulders. “But not your pretty mate, because it is…” He frowns and looks up at Brooke.
“Alcoholic, baby. The word you want is ‘alcoholic.’” And she winks at me, a laughing smile on her face.
“Yes. Alk-holl-lick baby.” Taushen nods and holds the skin out to Thrand. “Tonight we celebrate your mating. Sah-sah for all those that are not carrying kits.”
I watch as Angie and Vordis sit down closer to the fire, two of the Shadow Cat hunters making room for them. At my side, Thrand takes a large swig of the drink and then coughs. “It is gritty.” He wipes his mouth, grimacing.
“It is fermented from many, many things,” Taushen tells him in a singsong voice. “And it makes your head happy. Drink more.”
Thrand looks over at me and I bite back a laugh. “Go on and get drunk. I won’t judge you.”
“I am not sure I want to,” he says, but takes another drink anyhow. Taushen slings an arm around his shoulders and grins as if he approves.
“Sooo,” Brooke says, squeezing in to sit next to me. “How was resonance?”
She asks that in the same tone I’d ask one of my sisters about her date. I look at her in surprise. “Is no one interested in hearing about how Thrand managed to escape the skyclaw?”
“Nope. We want to hear all the dirty stuff.” She wiggles her eyebrows at me. “Besides, Ashtar’s been filling our ears for the last two days about how easy it was for him to take the bird down.”
“Two days. Has it been two days, then?”
“Judging from that comment, I’m going to guess that resonance is going swimmingly well.”
“No complaints.”
“Unless that’s your thing.” She puts her hands up. “No judging here.”
I laugh, glancing over her shoulder as someone approaches the fire. I don’t see Penny anywhere, and I’m dying to talk to her. She’s my best friend here and I want to catch up and see how she’s doing—and hear her thoughts on our resonance. I feel like I got engaged and I’m ready to show my ring off to my girlfriends.
Except my best girlfriend is MIA—the person approaching the fire is Raven, her long, silky hair swinging in a high ponytail as she moves toward the fire. To my surprise, she’s got a circular thing in her hand that looks like a wreath for a brief moment…and then I realize it’s a crude tambourine. She grins at U’dron and leans over his shoulder, whispering something, and the big alien has a look of utter devotion on his face as he nods and picks up the drum at his side and begins a steady beat. Raven gives him a sweet smile and then lifts her tambourine and starts to beat it rhythmically. A second later, she starts a lilting Beatles song that sounds achingly familiar and yet completely different coming from Raven’s soft voice. The rhythmic music feels comforting and a few people clap their feet as Raven moves around the fire, a broad smile on her face as she sings, moving from one familiar song to another, the smack of her tambourine and the steady beat of the drum making up for the lack of guitars and keyboards. She seems to be having a splendid time, glancing over at U’dron every now and then to see if he’s okay with drumming. The look on his face is downright reverent, though, and I suspect that if ethereal Raven told him to go jump into the ice-cold waters while drumming, he’d do it.
“Isn’t that cute? It looks like he’s got a crush,” Brooke gossips at my side, nudging me with her elbow.
“Let’s not jump to conclusions.” I feel a little guilty gossiping about the Shadow Cat tribe. Of all of the three tribes, they haven’t had a single member experience resonance, and that has to bother them. A lot. Still, as I watch U’dron stare at Raven instead of the drum in his hands, I wonder if one of them won’t be feeling the urge soon? If Thrand was able to will his khui to fa
ll in love with mine, then maybe U’dron can make his fall in love with Raven…but only if he wants her.
And if she wants him. I wouldn’t wish resonance on anyone that hates each other. I touch my softly purring chest, thinking about how resonance has felt with Thrand. It’s been the most intimate thing I’ve ever experienced. Every round of sex seems amplified tenfold just because of the khui, and the knowledge that we’ve made a baby is overwhelming. It’s a lot to happen all at once, and I can’t imagine doing it with someone who I wouldn’t want as a partner.
I think of Callie, and I’m not entirely surprised she’s not at the fire tonight. She avoids gatherings she might run into M’tok at. It’s kinda like hacking off your nose to spite your face—I know she’s social and loves to get together—but I also get it. Resonance changes everything.
“I’m not jumping to conclusions,” Brooke says in a low voice. “I just like watching the matchmaking happen. It soothes the romantic in me. I love that you resonated to Thrand and I’m excited to see the next one take place. I think it’ll be soon. There’s a vibe in the air, you know? If we were on Earth, I’d say it’s a full moon but here…?” She shrugs. “It’s just a weird vibe.”
“Weird like how?” I’m only half paying attention. Raven’s switching songs again and I clap absently, trying to enjoy the music as well as listen to Brooke. At my side, Thrand takes the skin from Taushen again and then thumps his chest, grimacing at the taste. I bite back a laugh at his expression, because I’m in danger of becoming completely besotted with this goofball. It’s just so stinking cute how he makes faces even as he chugs the sah-sah.
“I dunno,” Brooke says. “If I was Rokan I’d say it’s one of my feelings. But I’m just the gal that braids everyone’s hair. Maybe I’m wrong.”
I glance over at U’dron again, but he looks all right to me. A little overly focused on Raven, sure, but she looks pretty and ethereal as she moves around the fire, shaking her tambourine and singing. Heck, there’s a few of the unmated guys staring at her with unabashed interest given the sway of her hips. I don’t blame them.
Willa jumps to her feet, tugging Gren to his. She takes her mate’s hand and begins to dance, twirling around him and laughing. He looks uncertain at first, but when no one laughs, he gets bolder, pulling Willa against him and rocking with her in his arms. It’s terrible dancing, but Willa’s eyes are bright and she’s laughing with pure joy, and it looks like so much fun that my feet twitch, too.
“Ooh, dancing. That’s a great idea.” Brooke hops to her feet and moves to stand in front of Taushen. “Want to dance with me?”
He peers up at her blearily. “I think I have drank too much already.”
Thrand hiccups.
I look over at my man, laughing. “Maybe you both slow it down on the alcohol? It’s not going anywhere.”
Thrand loops his arm around my shoulders, pulling me close. “I like the taste now, I have decided.” His words are slow, as if it’s taking him a lot to piece together a sentence. “Even the chewy parts.”
“That’s great, baby, but maybe you drink some water, too.” I pat his knee. “We’ve got all night to get drunk.”
He gives me a broad smile and my khui thrums a little louder at the sight of it. His purr increases too, and his grin turns wicked as he leans in. “Perhaps not all night.”
Perhaps not. I smile back at him and watch as Brooke goes to take the hands of Liz’s eldest, Raashel, and she and the little girl dance. Aayla joins them, her dancing more hopping up and down than anything, and Gail moves out to join them, taking Rukhar’s hand and dancing with him.
“My mate is the best dancer!” Vaza calls loudly on the sidelines over Raven’s singing, bouncing Z’hren on his knee. “Everyone watch her!”
Gail just rolls her eyes and does a twirl, winking at Rukhar, who moves stiffly and with a shy look on his face.
Vaza’s words make Thrand sit up, alert. “The best?” He looks at me. “I think we would be the best.” He leans in so close his nose brushes against my cheek. “I know you can move gracefully.”
“Come on, then.” I grab his hand and tug him to his feet, only for Thrand to lean heavily on me. Laughing, I skirt wide of the fire and move to the far end of the gathering, and spend the next several minutes trying to show him how to dance.
Of all the things Thrand is good at, dancing is not one of them. It might just be the copious amounts of fermented sah-sah he’s downed, or that he’s never danced with a girl before, but the man has zero rhythm. He moves in jerky, strange motions that have nothing to do with a beat, and whenever I wander too close, his hands roam all over me in ways the children should not see. I crack up the entire time, though, because it’s hilarious to try and show him the simplest of dance moves and watch him mangle it.
After a while, I give up, sliding my arms around his waist and just swaying with him. “You know I love you, right?”
“I do know this.” He smiles at me, his eyes mere slits from the alcohol.
“You’re a terrible dancer.”
“No, I am the best.” He gyrate-sways against me, nearly knocking me off balance again.
“You really, really aren’t.” I’m chuckling as I say it, and put my back to him, pressing against his chest and locking his arms around my waist. We sway like this, and I just enjoy the sight of the celebration before me.
Lauren, the big goofball, is trying to show K’thar how to do something that looks a lot like the running man. She’s kicking sand as she does, and K’thar just frowns at her, scratching his head at her movements. His fat bird-bat thing sits atop his head, which just makes his puzzlement even more funny, because it looks like both of them are staring in consternation. Off to the side, Hannah slow-dances with J’shel, his long braid wrapped around her wrist, her head pillowed on his chest as they sway together. She looks blissfully happy, her expression one of pure contentment.
Devi sits next to Harlow, who has taken upon herself to do face painting. The pots of color have popped up during another celebration, and the sa-khui have explained in the past that when they are feeling festive, they draw symbols on each other’s skin. Rukh holds their newborn while Harlow paints a yellow sun on Devi’s cheek. Devi has one hand resting on her knee, her body still, and her other hand is in N’dek’s as he leans over and watches Harlow work. A few others watch the painting, waiting for their turn, and I see Tia—whose own face has been colored with a bright blue bar across the eyes — grab I’rec and coax him into the dancing circle. She gives him a flirty look and slides her arms around his neck in a way that is far too adult for a seventeen-year-old.
Damn, but that girl likes playing with fire. I automatically look for Sessah, who normally shadows behind Tia adoringly, and see him off to the edge of the group, behind those sitting at the edge of the circle. There’s a dark glower on his face, his jaw set. That’s not good. As I watch, R’jaal puts a hand on Sessah’s shoulder and murmurs something quiet to him, and they both turn and leave. At least someone’s trying to defuse the situation. I make a mental note to talk to Tia tomorrow. She needs to let Sessah down easy or stop flirting with every man like she needs to make all of them fall in love with her.
Sam joins the circle and grabs Flor’s hand, and they bump hips, being silly. A few of the other single women dance with each other, too. I can’t help but notice a lot of men are watching them as they dance. Boy, some things change, and some things stay the same.
“You are quiet.” Thrand presses kisses to the side of my neck, sending ticklish shivers up and down my spine. “Is it my turn to sing songs for you?”
Now there’s a terrifying thought. “Let Raven keep the spotlight,” I whisper to him. “She’s having so much fun.” Plus it keeps the others from joining in, and the sa-khui are the nicest people but their idea of singing is more like whale song—loud and random. “I was just enjoying how happy everyone is.”
“They are all celebrating our resonance,” he tells me proudly. “As they should.
We will make the best babies.”
I bite back a groan of laughter. “It is far too early to turn my womb into a contest.”
“Never too early.” He presses another kiss to my neck. “Are you hungry? Thirsty?” Across the fire, Veronica and Ashtar sit down in the seats we vacated, Veronica’s eyes alight with happiness at the party. My a’ani is not so pleased, though. He makes a noise at the sight of them in our seats. “Shall I steal it back from them?”
“Nope. We can keep dancing. You’re finally starting to get a groove.”
He nips at my ear, and I feel his cock growing hard against my backside. “I told you I would be the best.”
I’m getting all distracted from the party, my focus turning to the man in my arms and how good he feels against me. I smile to myself as Bridget dances past with Aayla, doing a ridiculous shimmy, and it reminds me that I’ve missed seeing Penny’s smiling face here tonight. I glance around the fire for her, but she’s nowhere to be found. “You haven’t spotted Penny, have you?” I ask Thrand.
“I have not.” His arms tighten around me. “But I have not been looking for her. Shall I go find her for you?”
He straightens and stumbles, and I laugh, turning in his embrace and wrapping my arms around his waist. He holds onto me tightly, squashing my face against his chest, and I try not to laugh at how ridiculous a drunk a’ani is. A moment later, Sam dances past, and I get her attention. “You haven’t seen Penny, have you?”
She shakes her head. “Haven’t seen her all day.”
Just then, R’jaal returns to the group and moves toward T’chai and Mari, who are sitting quietly on the sidelines. His expression is hard, and a moment later, Raahosh moves to his side. Both of them are frowning.
I remember what Brooke said about her weird feeling and I feel weird, too.
“Come with me,” I tell Thrand, and take his hand, dragging him over to where the others sit. “What’s going on?” I ask R’jaal.
“Have you seen P’nee this day?” he asks me. “Or C’lie?”