From the way her lips were parted, the intense way she watched from across the circle, I suspected she could.
“Now,” Giza said more quietly, slowly lowering his hands to his belt. “The final tradition of the Solstice Circle is even simpler. This is mistletoe.” He lifted a branch about the size of his forearm and flourished it, ensuring thecrowd could all see. “It fruits from fall into spring. This means we see the white berries in the bleak heart of winter, and is important to our people, who called itvakkalt.” He inclined his head to Korrad. “I had to consult with our new friends to discover the human name for it, but we both agree we have the right plant.”
Without hesitation, he tossed it into the fire. “At the solstice, we ask for the gods’ blessings in the coming year and give praise for surviving through the darkest part of the winter. We offer them greens and life to remind them what we value, our sacrifices showing our intent.”
Everyone watched as Korrad and Jay approached, tossing two fir branches onto the fire, and I wondered if I should have put aside some for offerings.Oh well, make a note for next year.
Memnon, Abydos’s younger brother, whom I’d never met before arriving on the island, stepped up to the fire with his Mate and tossed hollyon the fire. Memnon’s twin, Simbel, followed with his family.
When it was clear no one else was prepared to throw green growing things on the fire, Giza stepped forward again. “The mistletoe we can get here on Eastshore isn’t the same variety that most of us remember from our childhoods, but it turns out that humans have similar myths surrounding it.” He winked at his Mate. “Apparently, if you catch a willing female under a bough of mistletoe, you’re allowed to give her a kiss.”
“A kiss?” an unseen male called out from the crowd. “I remember it being a bit more than akiss.”
The gathered group laughed and called out suggestions and nudged one another, and I watched Mates give eachother knowing looks or slip their arms around each other. And my chestachedas I caught Brooke’s gaze again.
Had she ever thought about kissing me?
“If your Mate is willing to let you catch her beneath the boughs of mistletoe hung throughout the trails,” Giza announced, “then you two can do whatever you’re comfortable doing.”
A satisfied roar rose from the opposite side of the circle, and my eyes widened when I realized it had come from normally taciturn Abydos. It was quickly picked up by the other males, and even I felt myKteerurging me to join in.
“What are we waiting for?” bellowed Cairo, swatting his Mate—the perpetually cheerful baker from town—on the butt. “Get running, Mate!”
Laughter rang out as the females around the circle sprang into motion, some faster than others as they ducked into the dark woods. And I stood there, rooted in place by the bonfire, digging my claws into my palms, staring at Brooke, and doing everything I could to tamp down on myKteer’surgings.
Chase claim taste Hunt pin taste CLAIM.
Brooke
Well,I couldn’t deny that the solstice ceremony was a little…intense. EvenIcould feel the charged anticipationaround me. It seemed to skitter across my skin like little prickles. Or perhaps that was Sylvik’s gaze.
If so, what was I anticipating?
All I knew was that I’d felt as if I’d been holding my breath all evening. Then, when grumpy Cairo declared the Hunt started, and everyone around me sprang into motion, I found myself wrapping my arms around my middle, trying to stay out of everyone’s way. One moment, Riven and Abydos were at my side, and the next, she was gone with a lingering laugh, and Abydos disappeared a moment later.
Mom chuckled and patted me on my shoulder. “I love their attachment to nature, but I’m not sure I could be quite the exhibitionist your sister is.”
Exhibitionist? I squinted, but couldn’t see or hear anything from the dark woods around us. There were plenty who still stood around the bonfire, including most of the unMated newly arrived orcs, but everyone laughed and joked and pretended they didn’t know what was going on beyond the shadows.
“I’m going back to the house to enjoy those heat lamps and another cup of that chowder,” Mom said. “Do you want anything? There’s hot cocoa.”
The reminder of Deb’sMistletoe Mistakebriefly caught my interest, but I realized my stomach was too knotted to appreciate it, even if there was a chance I could replicate the flavor combination.
I found my gaze flicking across the fire to land on Sylvik. His body was rigid as he faced the darkness, and Iwondered what he was searching for. “Um…no, but thanks. I’ll hang out here.”
Mom waved goodbye, and I drifted toward a few of the women I recognized. Harper and Rissa were both Mated, each of them holding one of Tanis and Olivia’s twins, and I raised my brows as I approached. “Why aren’t you running around out there, trying to break your legs?”
Harper, the town’s lawyer, laughed and jerked her free thumb toward her Mate, Giza, who was crouched down, allowing two little girls to pat the baby he wore on his chest. “We volunteered for babysitting duty so the parents could have a bit of fun. That’s Aswan’s daughter and Sakkara’s daughter—they’re best friends.”
Rissa was busy cooing at the wide-awake toddler in her arms, but she glanced at me with a smile. “Andwe’renot out there because Simbel is trying to set a good example for our son.” She jerked her chin toward the clean-cut orc who had his arm thrown around a tall teenager’s shoulders and appeared to be lecturing the kid. “About the line between primal urges and respecting women.”
“Oh God,” I groaned good-naturedly. “That must be embarrassing for both of them.”
“It is for Patrick. I think Simbel gets a kick out of going into excruciating detail about consent—comes from years as a New York City detective. I told himhe’spaying for future therapy sessions.”
I chuckled, but as the conversation continued, my gaze sought out Sylvik. There! He was pacing just outside the circle of the fire’s light, his movements tense, strength barely contained. Tonight he wore a fleecepullover—at least he wasn’t in danger of freezing to death—but he’d pushed the sleeves up to reveal those forearms I loved so much. His hair seemed mussed, as if he’d dragged a hand through it, and he kept having to remove his glasses to wipe the lenses, as if they were fogging up.
Why was he so agitated?
