She closed her eyes and felt Zehn’s kiss upon her forehead, Lore’s arms around her, holding her close to his chest.
“Be at peace,tonan.” Zehn stroked her hair. “We have you.”
“And we have you, mate,” Lore said to him. “You need healing.”
“I’m fine.”
“You will be,” Lore promised.
“I’m still mad at you two,” she said, her words slurring.
“Yes. You have every right.” Lore hugged her tighter.
“Something to discuss at home,” Zehn offered.
Then Mandy let herself go, this time ready to sleep in the safety of her mate’s arms.
Zehn watched his brethren cull the remaining Nasuhl. An effective battle that had seemingly cured them of their plaguing enemy. Skehl had finally finished beating his opponents to death and slumped down in the middle of the carnage. He looked spiritually bruised, though Zehn couldn’t have said why he thought that.
To several of the warriors watching the Nasuhl giant, Zehn ordered, “Bring him back with us. Have a care, but treat him with respect.”
They nodded. An able warrior, Skehl had fought against, not with, the Nasuhl. And Mother’s Moons, but the bastard was huge and skilled with his fists. Like most of those who’d come to fight, they’d used brawn over weapons.
But some, like Zehn, had brought swords and axes. He saw Arghet and frowned. “Shouldn’t you be back at the village?”
Arghet was frowning at Skehl. “I left Katan in charge. We have more than enough at home to protect our people. But what in the Hells of Fyanthul is wrong with the big one?”
“Mandy said he protected her.”
Arghet nodded, lost in thought. “Good. Still, he’s Nasuhl.” Arghet barked orders, and the warriors gathered the pulsers as they drew Skehl to his feet. The male didn’t offer resistance, and they took him with them as well.
Zhen and Lore followed the sound of cheering to see Talzec beating Morlo to death. When Talzec flashed golden, from his eyes to his chest tattoos, everyone knew to give their leader space. His battlelust was a thing of beauty, and seeing his prowess only added to their alpha’s mythic reputation.
“He killed a dozen while avoiding Morlo’s alien tech,” one of the warriors told him with a grin. “Then he took the pulser and started beating Morlo with it.” The male laughed. “Morlo’s not long for this world.”
He wasn’t. Zehn watched as Talzec choked the life out of what remained of Morlo, then dropped the body to the ground. Talzec turned to those around him. “The Nasuhl are no more. We will head back. Tomorrow, we scour for survivors.”
And they’d bring those survivors to the Cloud Council, where the tribal leaders would decide what to do with the clanless ones. Xav walked up to Talzec and said something, to which Talzec responded, “Exactly. Make sure every one of those cursed offworlder weapons comes with us. I want nothing left behind to poison the land.”
The Vyctore around him nodded. Of like mind, they detested most things alien. Except offworlder women, Zehn thought, and stroked Mandy’s cheek. She lay sleeping, trusting, in Lore’s arms.
Zehn leaned close to kiss Lore, for once ignoring Lore’s need to keep their love private. He saw more than one male smile at them, but his attention centered on his bond-mate.
“Why did you do that?” Lore flushed.
“Because I love you. And I refuse to hide it any longer. Not for you or Mandy or the clan. Our bonding is blessed, Lore. There is no shame in it.”Or in you, my worthy mate.
Lore studied him with those intense eyes, one green, one gold. And then he smiled, and the beauty in such open affection brought tears to Zehn’s eyes.
It wouldn’t do to cry like a female, so Zehn blinked to rid himself of the moisture. But Lore had seen. And he knew. That was enough.
***
Back at home, Zehn let the healers tend to him while Lore settled Mandy in their dwelling. They’d brought softness to their home, hoping their female wouldn’t be too angry with them when she realized they’d do anything to make her happy.
After cleaning the blood and dirt from his body, he dressed in a clean loincloth and headed in the direction of his mates. The bustle of his clan distracted him for a moment, men and women laughing and smiling and mourning the death of those who’d fallen in battle. A just and welcomed death, but a loss all the same.
As their people took care of one another, Zehn wished Mandy could see this. To see what she could be a part of if she’d just agree to stay. He could easily imagine her tending to the children with the other mothers, of being cossetted by himself and Lore, of being loved by them.
