Weaving Fate

by Octavia Kore

  A seer, his guardian hissed. What magic is she casting?

  Mothers and fathers warned their pups about the strange magic—an unnatural magic—that a seer could use to lure a pup away. Other Krunkeeli tribes celebrated them, but many of them worshipped in older, darker ways than his people did.

  “You have crossed into the Oparian tribe’s territory, seer. How did you come to be here?” Zaheer asked, pressing Clara even closer.

  “I have not crossed into any unfamiliar territory, Alpha. This forest is my home.”

  “Your home? Seers are not welcome in this part of the forest.”

  The female smiled, and the tips of her fangs appeared. “That sounds so similar to what Pumo said when he left me out here as a pup to die.”

  “You speak lies,” Zaheer said, but there was a small part of him that wondered if she was telling him the truth.

  The seer tilted her head and her smile softened. “You bring change with you, young Alpha—hope. May the presence of your tsa clear your mind of the lies and poison placed there by your priests.”

  “What are you talking about? Speak plainly.”

  “The guardians will return to their rightful place in this world, and all will be as it once was. Until then, follow me, Alpha. I believe I have something that belongs to you.”

  Zaheer hesitated, his eyes narrowed on her already retreating form as he considered what he should do. Her words had piqued his interest, but he was wary of who and what she was.

  Follow the seer, his guardian urged. I sense no deception.

  “Well?” Clara interrupted. “Let’s see what she’s got.”

  “Goddess save me from curious outsiders,” he grumbled. They moved through the trees behind the seer, keeping some distance between them until they reached what appeared to be a small hut made out of the very forest itself. Large sections of bark made up the sides, and moss and grass grew atop the roof. The entire thing was precariously slanted, and a thick mist hovered above the ground all around the little clearing it stood in. If he hadn’t been led here, Zaheer wasn’t sure he’d have noticed it at all.

  “Is this your home?” Clara asked.

  “Come along. Quickly now,” the seer said, pulling open the door to reveal a gloomy looking interior.

  “Stay here,” Zaheer set Clara on her feet and started toward the entrance where the seer had disappeared, but he stopped short when his female clutched his arm.

  “Yeah, no thank you. I’m not standing out in the forest while you go inside there.”

  “Clara, please. I have no idea what I’ll find inside. Stay out here where you can easily escape if you need to.”

  His mate huffed, but nodded. “Don’t leave me out here too long, okay?”

  Zaheer touched his fingers to her cheek before ducking through the entrance and was immediately assaulted by the odor of burning herbs. The air in the small room was thick with smoke and Zaheer waved his hand in front of his face, irritated beyond belief that his guardian had urged him to follow her.

  “Over here.”

  When he turned to the sound of her voice, Zaheer caught sight of a familiar black and white-striped body sprawled on top of a small bed. “Tratek!” He rushed forward, gently running his hands over the male’s multitude of wounds. The young guardian was barely clinging to life. “Did you do this to him, seer?”

  “I have been working to heal his wounds. I did not inflict them.”

  “Tratek?” Zaheer brushed his fingers along his packmate’s face, relief coursing through him when the male’s eyes fluttered open. “Who did this to you?” His bloodied lips moved, but nothing came out. Zaheer leaned closer, his ear brushing his friend’s nose.

  “Priest.”

  The fur on the back of his neck and arms stood on end. It was one whispered word, but he knew in an instant that it had changed his entire world, rocked it to its very core. Tratek’s eyes closed on a sigh, and his head lolled.

  “I’ve given him a sleeping draught. He will be unconscious for some time and if his guardian can recover some of his strength, your packmate may live to see his next rotation. May the goddess allow it.”

  Before Zaheer lifted his friend from the bed, he turned to the seer. “You had no reason to help him and yet you did. My pack and I are grateful.”

  “I had entirely selfish motives, Alpha,” the female said, placing a satchel on Tratek’s chest as Zaheer carried him to the door. “I would ask you to remember this favor.”

  If Tratek lived through this, Zaheer would give this strange female anything in his power. Clara rushed toward him as he drew in lungfuls of fresh air, trying his best to purge the overwhelming smell of herbs from his sensitive nose.

  “Oh my God.” Her fingers brushed over Tratek’s swollen and bleeding cheek. “This is the friend you’ve been looking for?”

  “We need to get him to the outpost where he’ll be safe. We must hide him from the priests. Stay right next to me.” He felt her hand slip into the crook of his arm and started for the outpost where he hoped Ivnalth would still be waiting with Clara’s friend.

  Priest.

  They harmed a member of our pack, his guardian hissed, rage leaking into his words.

  Pumo and all of the others had lied to him, and although he’d suspected it, their betrayal pierced his heart like a dagger. He’d been so anxious and troubled lately, agonizing over his desire to break the vows he’d taken, but it was clear that vows and loyalty did not matter to the priests. They lied. So many of them had looked him in the eye and lied.

  We owe them nothing. We have never owed them anything, his guardian said. Our tsa wears our mark now. When we claim her fully, she will be our tsa in the truest sense.

  Tsa is a mate, Zaheer whispered, understanding finally dawning on him after all this time. He glanced down at Clara and felt his chest tighten with the realization that he’d somehow always known she was theirs.

  Our tsa is more than a mate. She is in our mind, in our heart, and in our soul. She was created for us just as we were created for her, his beast whispered reverently. She will carry our pups within her body and bring them into a world we have helped remake.

  Chapter 13

  Zaheer

  Despite the way the male’s head lolled against his arm, Tratek’s solid weight and the rise and fall of his chest were reminders that Zaheer’s packmate was still alive. His guardian was pacing within his mind, pushing against the mental walls that restrained him. The attack on one member of the pack was an attack on them all, and his beast was more than ready to go after anyone who had dared to hurt Tratek.

  I will crush them in my jaws, he hissed. I will tear the flesh from their bodies. The pack will consume them!

  No, they couldn’t rush into this because of one word spoken by an injured male. In his delirium, Tratek could have misspoken or simply not understood the question. Zaheer didn’t believe that possibility for a moment—not after dealing with Pumo and his priests over the last few days—but attacking without more proof could get his entire pack killed.

  His best bet was to get Tratek back to the outpost where he and Ivnalth could see to his wounds. As much as it pained him, Zaheer would not alert the pack yet. If the others found out, their guardians would seek the same vengeance his did, and he couldn’t risk that. Especially with Maylu. Zaheer knew that out of all of the others in the pack, Maylu was closest with Tratek and would be likely to kill without waiting for the whole story. Once the male recovered, they would find out exactly what had gone on and who had attacked him. Then, and only then, would they seek their justice.

  Unless, his guardian tilted his massive head as an eerie smile curled his lips, we might ask our tsa to use the ability she displayed earlier.

  He’d nearly forgotten about that. If Clara could touch Tratek and see into his mind as she had done with him that morning, then maybe they could get some of their answers sooner. The muscles in Zaheer’s legs quivered under his friend’s weight, begging for a reprieve. He stumbled ove
r something on the ground, knees slamming into the soil and rocks. He was barely able to keep himself and Tratek from falling face first into the underbrush.

  Clara’s hands were on him, running over the fur on his shoulders and chest as he attempted to get back to his feet. “Stop. Take a moment to catch your breath.”

  Zaheer didn’t want to sit there on the forest floor with his injured packmate in his arms, but this might be the perfect opportunity to ask for his mate’s help. “Annih?” The flash of annoyance in her eyes nearly brought a grin to his face.

  One delicate brow arched as she met his gaze. “Mr. Big-Bad-and-Shifty?”

  Although he was sure she’d meant for it to annoy him, Zaheer found that he quite liked this name she’d chosen. Some dark part of him hoped that the priests had in fact betrayed them so he could claim her without guilt.

  His guardian huffed. We don’t need their approval or any excuses to claim her. She is our tsa, and these vows they forced on you mean nothing now that she has been found. There should be no guilt over something as sacred as this.

  While he felt the same way deep down, Zaheer was finding it difficult to reconcile his heart and his mind in this matter. Zaheer fell back against the trunk of a young tree with an exhausted grunt and shifted Tratek in his tired arms. “I have a request to make of you. After you nearly killed yourself—”

  “Oh my god, seriously?” Clara rolled her eyes.

  Zaheer opened his mouth to respond, but shut it, reminding himself that his mate was unable to hear him when he spoke aloud. It was something he’d never experienced before, but being able to speak along the bond made it feel as if she were part of his pack already.

  Part of his pack? It was a ridiculous notion—one he was sure wasn’t even possible—but it sent a thrill through him all the same.

  “After you nearly died, you displayed an ability to see into my mind–to access memories of events from my life. Could you do this with Tratek?” His mate glanced down at Tratek and rolled her lips between her teeth. “We need to know who did this to him, Annih. I need to know who we can trust.”

  “It feels a little bit like a violation of privacy with him unconscious,” she said, catching her lower lip between her teeth.

  “Before Tratek fell into this sleep, I asked him who had done this to him and his answer was troubling. I need to know if it really was who he said.”

  “All right.” After assuring herself that the little tahi was secured in her hair, Clara shook her hands, rolling her shoulders and wrists as if she needed to dispel the tension from her muscles. Her pink tongue darted out to swipe across her lips before she placed her hands on either side of his mangled face. “I need to know what I’m looking for.”

  For a moment, he debated describing Pumo and asking her to look for him, but he didn’t want to make suggestions that might influence her sight. “Look for anything that might indicate how he was injured.” He tried to remember the things she’d seen in his mind. “Describe anyone he has seen within the last week if possible.”

  With a nod, Clara closed her eyes and drew in a deep breath. She was quiet for many minill, and the forest around them seemed to echo her silence. No animals called out, and no breeze disturbed the leaves above them. Everything was still, awaiting Clara’s answer.

  “There’s someone with Tratek… a male, I think.” She wet her lips as a tear escaped the corner of one eye.

  “Describe him for me, Clara.”

  “He’s wearing a necklace of some sort… a talisman? It looks like your webs, but it’s almost like it’s been bronzed. His fur is silver, and he’s got blue and orange stripes. The hair on his head and around his neck is a lighter orange… brighter.”

  Zaheer’s guardian snarled in recognition. Pumo.

  “Zaheer.” A distressed whine slipped from between Clara’s parted lips. She was breathing fast, her hands trembling against his friend’s body. “Something awful happened… that male did awful things to Tratek.” Her eyes flew open, and when their gazes locked across Tratek’s body, Zaheer made a silent promise to tear Pumo apart for the things he’d done. “I can’t watch anymore. I can’t do it. I’m sorry.” She ripped her hands away and clutched them to her chest as she closed her eyes.

  “You did very well, Clara.” Reaching out to rest a hand on his mate’s cheek, Zaheer brushed his thumb over her speckled skin. “I am more grateful than you will ever know for the information you provided.” While it wasn’t much to go on, his female had at least confirmed that the High Priest was involved.

  When Zaheer had regained some of his strength, he pushed himself to his feet and they continued on, his senses open and searching for any of his packmates so they could easily avoid them. Anxiety and anger swirled in his belly. He was going to be forced to make decisions that would impact his people’s lives. Pumo was well loved by the tribe, and Zaheer doubted they would accept the accusations of the High Priest’s betrayal so easily. The outpost came into view, and Zaheer called out to Ivnalth, his shoulders sagging in relief at her snarky response.

  His cousin stepped out onto the landing of the outpost where Layla was being housed, her mouth set in a firm line that told him she was still angry, but her expression instantly changed when she saw who he held in his arms.

  “Tratek!” She descended the tree quickly before bounding across the distance that separated them. “What happened? Who did this to him?” She reached out to cradle his face in her hands as her tails whipped around behind her.

  “We need to get him into the outpost as quickly as possible. He was found by a seer living in the forest. She cleaned and tended to his wounds as best as she could, but he needs rest and time to recover.”

  “A seer?” Ivnalth’s head jerked up and she stared at him, her mouth dropping open for a moment before she recovered. “You conversed with a seer? Are you trying to break every rule or only the most important ones? Did she at least know how this happened or who was responsible?”

  “She didn’t, but Clara knows.”

  “The outsider knows?” Ivnalth’s gaze jumped to his mate and she frowned. “How does she know?”

  Zaheer’s guardian bristled at the hostility in his cousin’s voice, growling out a warning that rumbled up his own throat. “You’ll speak with respect or not at all, cousin.” He looked down at his mate and noticed she was watching them speak, her eyes bouncing back and forth as she tracked the movement of their lips. She was attempting to understand them, and guilt ate at him when he realized he’d unintentionally left her out of their conversation. “Clara has the ability to see memories.”

  Ivnalth’s jaw clenched, and her pointed eyes twitched in obvious annoyance, but when she spoke again, it was with far less venom. “And what is it she saw?”

  “Clara saw Pumo injure Tratek.”

  “Pumo? You trust that she is telling you the truth about what she saw?”

  “You know Clara cannot hear you when you speak aloud, Ivnalth,” he reminded her gently. “This way is best for now. We don't know who else might be listening.”

  “Why should I––” Ivnalth broke off, pressing her lips together and taking a deep breath through her nose. Her tails twisted like vines around her calves, a gesture he’d come to associate with her nervousness. “I apologize for my rudeness and am thankful for your help.”

  Clara seemed to be able to do no more than blink up at his cousin as if she’d uttered the most shocking thing.

  “We need to get him into the outpost before anyone else sees him. I want this kept between us until we can speak with Tratek and hear the truth of it from him.”

  “You don’t trust the others?” Ivnalth followed on his heels as he moved toward the tree.

  “It isn’t that I don’t trust them. I can’t risk them acting on their emotions and attacking the priests.” Zaheer sighed. “I have no idea who might be working with Pumo, and I cannot risk Tratek when he is so vulnerable. We say nothing for now.”

  “You’ve carried him all this w
ay, Alpha, let me.” His cousin lifted Tratek from his arms, but her eyes caught on Clara and she frowned. “Are you aware that something has nested in your hair?”

  His female reached up to brush her fingers over the hatchling and smiled. “We made a new friend. This is River.”

  “River?” His cousin made a curious noise before turning back to Zaheer. “I’ll keep Tratek with Layla. I’ve kept Maylu away from her since the moment I suspected she was learning our language because he has a tendency to speak when he shouldn’t, so we won’t have to worry about him showing up unexpectedly. You take her and River back to the other outpost so he doesn’t suspect anything.”

  Ivnalth didn’t wait for his response, but began her slow climb back up to Layla. He needed to get Clara back to her outpost. It had been a long, hard day and he was sure she was just as exhausted as he was. Once she was settled in—and he’d removed all of that damned webbing she’d used to make her rope—he would take a moment to clear his mind and decide what in the goddess’s name he was going to do about everything.

  Chapter 14

  Clara

  For what must have been the hundredth time since returning, Clara glanced at the entrance to the treehouse and sighed. After leaving Tratek with Ivnalth, Zaheer had brought her back to her little room, setting her gently on her pile of blankets. He’d reminded her not to mention that they’d found the injured male in case Maylu came to check on her before turning tail and disappearing through the barrier.

  Curled up in her lap as if they didn’t have a care in the world, River napped. “What a rough life,” she said, stroking the tahi’s downy belly. It occurred to her that the tahi might not be able to receive her speech like other beings could, but she grew excited at the thought that she could potentially train the little one using sign language. “I wonder if you eat anything other than webs.”