by Octavia Kore
“How did he know?” Clara asked.
“Pumo accused me of reading it, and of course I told him I had no idea what book he was talking about. He was calm at first, telling me that if I told him the truth my punishment would be minimal, but there was something in his eyes, something not right. Eventually, he told me that he knew I’d had the book. Pumo said that by simply touching the book, he could see me with it.”
Clara’s brows furrowed and she sat up higher in Zaheer’s arms. “Wait a minute, Pumo can gain information from touching an object?” She turned to Zaheer. “Did you know that?”
“No. It seems like we know very little about our priests and even less about our own history.” So much secrecy and so many lies to wade through. Was there any truth in what they’d been taught? He glanced at Tratek. “What happened after that?”
“Pumo had me tortured for days on end.” The male’s jaw clenched, and he swallowed thickly, looking away from them. “He wanted to know who I’d told. He wanted to find out who else he needed to bring in, but I hadn’t told anyone. I hadn’t even told you yet, thankfully. If she hadn’t come and smuggled me out, I’m not sure I would be alive to tell you the story.”
“Who?” Maylu asked from his other side.
“Her.” Tratek jerked his chin forward and when Zaheer followed his line of sight, he was completely unsurprised to behold the seer standing on the path in front of them. Just like the first time, the female’s presence was immense. She commanded their attention without words.
“You’re going the wrong way, Alpha.” The whisper of a smile played on her lips, and she waved them forward with one hand. “Come along.”
Tratek followed immediately, but Maylu hung back, rooted on the spot until Zaheer glanced back at him. The male stepped into line beside them, but his eyes remained on the seer’s back as they followed the female through the forest.
“Why did you go to Pumo?”
Maylu’s head swung toward Zaheer at his question. “I was told Pumo had requested to see me.”
“Why was that?”
“He said that you’d gone to the temple and been given a blessing, but that you had removed the bond the moment you left. I tried to tell him that I was unaware of any of that happening, but he insisted something was wrong. He said they only wanted to help you, that they were worried about you and the rest of the pack. I didn’t want to help them, Alpha, and I would never have said anything, but they… Pumo kept making comments about having to handle you and Tratek himself. I didn’t know what that meant.”
Maylu looked down at Clara in Zaheer’s arms and frowned. “I didn’t want to tell them about the outsiders, especially your mate, but it was like having someone reach inside of me and pull things from my mind. The words came out before I could even stop them, and then someone else was there… and everything turned hazy. I swore that I saw her harm Tratek. I couldn’t remember when, but in my mind I knew without a doubt that all of it was her fault. Nothing made sense. Pumo told me the only way to save you and Tratek was to get rid of your mate. They wanted me to bring her body back, but…” His gaze met Zaheer’s, and he looked away. “I’m sorry.”
The forest gave way to the ramshackle home in the center of the same foggy clearing the seer had led him and Clara to before. She pulled the old door open and gestured for them to step inside, her milky gaze focused on the ring of trees behind them. Wisps of smoke rose up from the incense burning on the table, filling the room with the fragrant smell of pajoo. Zaheer set Clara down on the small bed at the far end of the room and crouched down in front of her, gently gathering her hair and pulling it to the side. River, who had apparently hitched a ride without him realizing, nipped at his fingers and chirped angrily, clearly upset with the entire situation.
“Don’t touch them.” The seer tsked when Clara reached up, brushing her fingers over the wounds. She closed the door and headed straight for a long table, gathering things as she approached. “The more you touch it, the worse it will be. And keep the tahi away from them for now.” The female smiled when River gave a disgruntled chirp.
Maylu watched them from his spot near the door, his dark eyes on the punctures he’d left on Clara’s skin. Although it was clear to him now that the male may have been under the influence of someone far more powerful than any of them, Zaheer’s guardian was still seething.
“Don’t linger by the door,” the seer said to Maylu as she dabbed a thick paste onto Clara’s wounds. “Come here and I will see to your wound next.”
His packmate stepped further into the home, taking up a spot next to Tratek, but he shook his head. “There’s no need. I’ll be fine.”
“You’ll do as she says.” Zaheer growled. “We need everyone ready for whatever is to come with the priests.”
Milky white eyes searched Zaheer’s face as the seer tilted her head. “I do hope you weren’t planning on barging into the temple and demanding justice.”
“I’m still processing the information I’ve just learned, but no, I hadn’t planned on confronting Pumo so recklessly.”
“Pumo believes he has the support of the people behind him, but perhaps if you spoke with them, you might find that many in the Oparian tribe have a very different opinion.” When she’d finished with Clara’s wounds, the seer gestured for Maylu to move closer. “I think you might already have an idea of where to start.”
Zaheer nodded as he tugged Clara back into his arms. “I’ll go to my mother first thing in the morning.”
“In the morning?” Clara cradled River against her chest and turned to face him. “Why not now?”
“You’ve had a long enough day as it is, and I won’t add onto it by taking you into the tribe. We don’t know how most of them will react and you need some time to heal before we deal with them.”
“It’s honestly feeling better already. My skin is tingly, but it doesn’t hurt anymore.”
“The herbs are working then. They should be closed before morning.” The seer dabbed paste onto Maylu’s wound despite his protests that he would be fine without it.
“Humans don’t heal that fast,” his tsa told them, wincing as River climbed to the top of her head. “Something like this could take a week or more to heal.”
A week or more? He knew Clara’s people were nearly defenseless and more delicate, but he had no idea they were so fragile. Goddess help him, Zaheer was in for a lifetime of worry.
Chapter 23
Clara
By the time the four of them left the seer’s small hut the sun was already sinking below the tops of the trees. Shadows darkened the forest beneath the canopy, and Clara was grateful to be cradled against Zaheer’s chest instead of trying to pick her way through the underbrush with no shoes and hardly any light to see by. She listened as the males spoke, watching their faces as they strategized and discussed their options. It was decided that Zaheer and Clara would go to the tribe in the morning to speak with his mother, while Tratek and Maylu would gather and debrief the rest of the pack. They all needed to be ready for what was to come.
Her stomach clenched as she thought about what that meant for them. She’d been taken from one war-torn planet, and now the world she’d escaped to seemed to be on the verge of their own, albeit on a much smaller scale. There were no guarantees in life—Clara was well aware of that—and she had no idea what tomorrow would bring. What if the people in his tribe turned on them? What if they sided with Pumo? She could lose Zaheer before they even got a chance at a happily ever after.
The thought of anything happening to Zaheer or anyone else in the pack had her guardian on edge. She was lua now, something she’d come to understand simply meant that she was mated to the Alpha. Clara wondered where the word had come from since no Alpha who Zaheer knew of had been allowed to take a mate. Maybe it was a term created by the guardians themselves.
Our tsa is fierce and protective. A good male… the best male, Clara’s guardian said, tail sweeping back and forth as she rested her head on her lo
ng front legs.
The fact that Zaheer had been more than willing—eager even—to spill blood for her had turned Clara on far more than she was willing to admit at the moment. Even after the attack, when she’d been shaken up and wanting nothing more than the comfort of his presence, his rage had fueled her body’s excitement to the point of embarrassment. River nibbled at Clara’s finger as she rubbed their head, settling the tahi on her belly.
You always refer to him as ‘tsa,’ and I’ve heard Zaheer use it a few times as well. Does it mean ‘mate’ or something similar?
Her guardian’s head lifted, canting to the side as she hummed. There is no real equivalent to tsa. Although ‘mate’ is close, it does not do justice to what we share with him. The Krunkeeli choose mates, bind themselves to one another for life, but guardians are bound from the moment they are born. Our souls know and long for one another. He has always been our tsa. In our mind, in our heart, and in our soul.
So much had happened within the last few weeks, and she was sure no one would blame her for feeling overwhelmed by the gravity of her situation, but Clara found that accepting all of this was far easier than she’d anticipated. People back home might think she’d lost her mind. This wasn’t just mating an alien—this was binding herself to one forever, and she’d jumped head-first into it without any real thought. Despite all of that, Clara wouldn’t change anything.
What she had with Zaheer felt right. They were still getting to know one another, still learning and growing, but Clara knew without a doubt in her mind, in her heart, or in her soul that she loved the male whose arms she was nestled within.
Is the bond like the one we use to speak? she asked her guardian, letting her head fall against her mate’s chest and smiling at the way his arms tighten around her.
Yes, only stronger. He heard you when we needed him today, despite the distance. Soon we will be able to sense one another’s emotions without effort. We will share pleasure and pain, happiness and sadness. There will be no secrets between us.
No secrets. It was both a relief and incredibly daunting to find out someone would know so much about her without her having to say anything at all, but she was looking forward to discovering the advantages of such a bond. Clara wondered what Layla would think about it.
Oh, God, she hadn’t even told poor Layla what was going on before they left and with no way out of the tree, her friend had been stuck there all day. She’s probably going stir crazy at this point. Clara could just make out the dark silhouette of the outpost, and she tapped Zaheer’s chest as they approached. “Can we stop and see Layla before we go back? I didn’t even think to fill her in or let her know everything was okay before we left.”
“If you wish, I could speak with her. It’s already so late, and you have been through quite an ordeal today, lua. I can update your friend and let her know you are safe.” Tratek looked to her for approval.
God knew she was exhausted. The adrenaline had worn off some time ago and left her feeling drained. Clara and Layla had known each other long enough to know that no contact wasn’t always a bad thing, but she couldn’t help the guilt that swarmed when she thought of how much alone time her friend had been getting lately. Clara would speak to her in the morning when her brain wasn’t so overwhelmed with all of the information Tratek had shared. “I’d appreciate that. Thank you.”
Tratek turned toward Maylu before looking back at Zaheer, and the question in his eyes was clear. What do we do with him? Zaheer stopped and looked at the other male, his jaw clenched so tight that the muscle began to tick. “Maylu, we don’t know what other memories have been tainted or what else the priests may have put in your mind. You’ll stay with Tratek for now.”
Maylu’s face fell, but he inclined his head. “Yes, Alpha.”
Although Clara felt sympathy for the male and didn’t blame him for what Pumo had forced him to do, her guardian—much like Zaheer—wasn’t so quick to forgive. The beast in her mind hemmed and hawed. The attack had occurred during her guardian’s first meeting with him, and it was clear she was going to require some more time in order for her to be comfortable around Maylu.
A lot of time, the beast growled.
They stood there for a moment, watching as his pack members disappeared into the night, before Zaheer rearranged her. River clambered back into her hair as Clara wrapped her legs around his torso and looped her arms around his neck, praying to whatever gods were out there that her aching limbs could hold on long enough to make it inside the treehouse.
She closed her eyes as he began the climb. His fur tickled her face when she nuzzled into the crook of his neck, and she swiped the tip of her nose along the underside of his strong jaw, dragging his scent into her lungs. There was something about the way he smelled that was both peaceful and exciting. It was earthy, but light and airy, like breathing in the fresh dew of the morning up high in the mountains. It made her want to curl up on top of him in her little makeshift nest at the same time as it made her want to beg him to fuck her into oblivion.
Zaheer’s chest vibrated against her when she clenched her thighs around him. The long dress his mother had made her was bunched up, and since Ivnalth hadn’t requested matching undergarments, Clara’s bare sex was no more than a breath away from him. God knew she wanted so badly to press it against the hard muscles of his abdomen to relieve some of the mounting pressure, but with Zaheer currently making his way up to the outpost, she settled for trailing kisses up and down his neck.
His body shook, and Clara grinned against his fur as she felt him growl again. “Keep doing that and we just might not make it into the outpost, Aanih.”
Clara wished they were anywhere but halfway up this damn tree so that she could show her mate all the things she wanted to do to him.
Scenting him won’t hurt, her guardian purred. Just a little bit.
I prefer to stay alive long enough to act on the things I’ve got planned. Scenting can wait a few more minutes.
Clara’s stomach churned when Zaheer dropped onto the platform a few moments later, but when he stepped through the barrier into the small treehouse she’d been calling home for the last couple weeks, she felt the tension in her shoulders ease. The moment River realized where they were, the tahi scurried down Clara’s hair and hopped onto the floor, making a beeline for the stack of baskets.
“Don’t eat those,” Zaheer reprimanded the tahi as he set Clara on her feet beside the pile of blankets that made up her nest. “My tsa brings home a pest and yet I’m the one feeding it.” He glanced over his shoulder at her, a smile tugging at his lips as he wove the delicate threads around his fingers before dropping them into River’s basket.
“Admit it, you like River.” A laugh spilled from Clara’s lips, and she watched his eyes go unimaginably darker as he focused on her mouth. “Pretty sure they like you and your webs too, Mr. Spider.”
Zaheer turned away from the baskets as River collected the threads and shoved them into their mouth, his predatory gaze locked on her. “You called me that on the day we met,” he said, reaching out to skim his knuckles over her jaw. “What does ‘spider’ mean?”
It was so hard to focus on what Zaheer was saying when he looked at her that way. Combine that with the teasing touch of his hand and Clara was a goner. She didn’t want to talk about spiders; she wanted to press her face into his chest and neck again and breathe in that earthy scent.
Her tongue darted out to wet her lips, and Clara’s belly tensed at the way his nostrils flared. “A spider is an arachnid on my homeworld,” she said, tilting her face up as Zaheer slowly lowered his. Their lips were so close now that she could feel his breath on her skin. “They spin webs too, and while many people appreciate them for the good they do, others consider them to be pests.” The indignation on his face when he pulled away from her had Clara biting her bottom lip to keep from laughing.
“You’re comparing me to one of your pests?” he asked as his brows knitted.
God, he was so
handsome when he frowned. Honestly, he was handsome when he did anything, but that scowl did something to her insides that Clara wasn’t sure she’d ever be able to put into words. His presence was so dominating, so consuming, and she loved that about him—that he could be sweet and gentle one moment and then demanding and rough the next. Clara slid her hands up his chest, carding through the white fur as she stood on her tiptoes to press a kiss to his chin.
“Does the Alpha not like that?” she asked, lowering her head to press her lips to his chest as she trailed her hands down his body. Her fingers lingered over his abdomen before dropping to the hidden slit where his cocks were still tucked away. They pulsed beneath her questing hand, and she smiled, feeling the thundering of his heart beneath her lips.
“No,” he growled, tucking his finger beneath her chin and tilting her face back up. Bottomless black eyes stared down at her. “Your Alpha does not like that.”
Ours, her guardian purred, her long body stretched across whatever served as the floor within her mind. Claim him.
A shiver worked its way through her body, gliding down her spine and radiating through her pelvis. Already, slick was pooling between Clara’s thighs and her clit throbbed in time with her frantic pulse. She wanted him to touch her, to bind her in that deceptively delicate-looking webbing, but even more than that, Clara wanted to touch him.
Her fingers itched to stroke her mate, and the thought of getting his cocks into her mouth had her moaning as she swayed toward him. She wanted to give him pleasure so sweet and fierce that the memory of it inspired heated glances for years to come. Clara didn’t want him to merely want her; she wanted him to crave her. The black dress pooled on the floor around her feet when she slid the straps from her shoulders and wiggled it off of her hips.