And when I laughed, the early tension eased out of me. Sylvik might be treating me kindly because he was a nice guy, not because he wanted to kiss me…
But I liked him. I liked being here with him, sharing the magic of Christmas, and I was going to treasure that as long as possible.
Chapter Five
Sylvik
December 21st wasthe shortest day of the year, and it didn’t help that I felt like I had a million things to get done that day. When Abydos had learned of the plan for the Solstice Circle—despite not having ever participated in one before—he demanded I take the day off from my work with him and focus on that.
Jess Miller, the Community Development Coordinator, had been a big help. She pointed out how successful the first twoKap’paralcelebrations had been, and how members of the community came to both. While I wasn’t so sure about planning an event for all of Eastshore, I told myself that there wasn’t enough notice for anyone but the orcs and their families to bother coming.
No matter how many flyers Jess posted.
By the morning of the twenty-first, I had all the permits I needed, and Brooke had arrived to help arrange everything. My backyard was mostly wild, melting in with the woods behind. But there was a large clearing a few lots away where we’d heldKap’parallast month, and Abydos agreed that it was the perfect place for the Solstice Circle.
We spent the day clearing the space, dragging underbrush and logs into a neat pile to burn later. Korrad and his son showed up, and I found myself watching Brooke surreptitiously as she worked with the boy.
She was just as cheerful and outgoing with him as she’d been with me last week, and I found myself jealous. Of achild.
I should have kissed her last week. I wanted to, the gods of the ancestors knew. I held her hand when I wanted to be holdingher. I wanted to taste her, to pull her flush against me, to claim her mouth and then her body and?—
Fuck.
Groaning, I turned away, tugging my leather gloves into place before bending to grab another large log.
It was bad enough myKteerkept me up most nights, growling and whining in frustration…I didn’t need to be distracted during the day now too. I had to assume this itchy, irritable feeling was due to a lack of sleep…and the fact that whenever I tried to eat, my stomach was too knotted to eat much.
StupidKteer.
Stupid biology.
I tossed the log on the burn pile with a faint grunt, then stalked into the underbrush to look for more. There were trails throughout, and Karnak had dropped by yesterday with two dozen lanterns to place along the said trails, for the females participating in tonight’s Hunt. The males’ heightened senses guaranteedtheywouldn’t need the extra light, not when searching for their Mates.
MyKteergrowled in need at the reminder of what would happen after the Circle, and I swallowed my groan of frustration. Any time I allowed myself to think about the Hunt…
Claim Mate taste claim Hunt bite CLAIM.
Gods below, my fuckingKteerjust would not. Shut. Up.
Scowling in frustration, I scratched my chest, my claws trying to dig through my shirt into my skin. Skin I wanted to press against Brooke, skin I wanted to?—
You’re doing it again.
How was I supposed to make it to December 22nd?
But the hours passed, as they always did, and soon enough the sun was setting.
Karnak and Jess volunteered to set the lanterns through the trails, and when they returned—her lips were swollen and her hair mussed—I could smell their arousal and assumed they’d gotten a head start on the night’s festivities.
It didn’t help my concentration, especially not with Brooke prancing around in those tight jeans and high boots, welcoming everyone so enthusiastically. Her braids might make her look innocent, but I wanted to run myclaws through them, spread her silky hair out around her shoulders, lay her down on a bed of fallen leaves and?—
You’re doing it again.
Right. Focus.
I stomped back to the patio, where she’d set up the buffet Riven and Aswan—who used to have his own restaurant in Bramblewood—had provided. It was easier to pretend to check each of the large heat lamps for the fourth time than have to focus on why I couldn’t seem to concentrate when Brooke’s scent was in the air.
Apparently, the true Solstice Circle was supposed to occur in the middle of the night—the longest night. But in deference to the young kitlings running about, and after a discussion with Giza, we’d decided to hold the event at eight. He was the oldest orc I’d seen since leaving Alaska, and it made me—made us all—feel…I dunno.
