I am not sure what has gone wrong, but it is clear something has.You must not push.
“Come, then. We will return to the settlement.” I stand and help Piper to her feet. “Hold tight.”
She gets on my back and I brace her with my tail as I climb down. The moment we reach the ground, she releases me and puts distance between us. I open my mouth to ask what happened, but just as quickly, close it. Instead, I take the trail that led us up here. Piper follows closely. We go slow and I am glad the downward trek is far easier on her than the upward one had been. She does not need me to carry her, but we do pause twice to eat and drink.
The silence is heavy and uncomfortable. I do not like it. I especially do not like the sadness that radiates off her The need to take it from Piper is great, but until she opens herself up and shares with me her troubles, there is nothing I can do.
The trip back to the settlement is a long one, but we finally reach it. We reach the gates and at first I believe she will walk through without saying goodbye or speaking to me at all, but at the last moment, she stops and turns.
“Thank you for the best day ever. Truly, it was.” Piper swallows. “Please be patient with me. I know it might be a lot to ask, but…please.”
“It is never too much to ask,keeshla. On my honor, I will be as patient as you need me to be. You are my mate and for you, I will do anything.”
She nods, shakily. “Thank you.”
Her lips brush my cheek so quickly I do not have time to react before she rushes through the gated entrance away from me.
I do not lie. My patience is a never-ending well that I will continue to fill. The next turn I must join Benham and Talek on a hunt, but I will ask one of the females to visit Piper so she does not think I have changed my mind and no longer wish to be patient. With that thought in mind, I turn and head back to the village where I will continue to pray and thank Deeka for the blessing she has given me.
Chapter 8
Piper
From beneath the shade of the tree, I glance up at the sun that’s high in the sky. The sound of the running river doesn’t drown out the voice inside my head telling me I should have known better. For all Katem’s talk of patience and wanting to spend all his time with me, he sure has been absent today.
“Shut up. He has important things to do like hunt for his people and keep them safe. It’s not like he can spend every second with you. Stop being so needy and trust in him.” Everyone always looks at me strangely when I talk to myself, but it helps when I say things out loud. Most of the time I can quiet that negative voice inside my head. Most of the time, anyway.
“I talk to myself as well,” a female says from way too close.
My screech is a bit unladylike, as is the, “fuck”, that slips from my lips and I slam my hand over my racing heart. The pretty brunette holds up her hands in surrender.
“Shit, sorry. I thought you heard me approach.” She winces. “I didn’t mean to scare you.”
“It’s fine. I was distracted so if it’s anyone’s fault, it’s mine.”
“Still, Katem would be extremely upset knowing I scared you. I’m London, by the way.” She waves. “I assume you’re Piper? Alice told me where to find you.”
“That’s me.”
“Nice to meet you.” London gestures to the ground near me. “Mind if I sit?”
“Go ahead.”
She sits close, but not close enough that I feel crowded.
“Astrid and Abby were supposed to swing by this morning with a message from Katem that he had to go hunting, but that he’d see you later this evening when he returned if you wished. Today, however, did not go as planned, unfortunately. I said I’d come in their stead, but suddenly one thing after another needed my attention. All that being said, I’m sorry I’m so late.”
See? Katem did think of you and tried to send word. You should have trusted him.
“I appreciate you coming. Is everything okay?” I’m not sure what the protocol is here. Am I being rude or nosy by asking?
London grins. “Well, we now have a new Tavikhi-human who decided to arrive much earlier than she was supposed to. That’s why Astrid and Abby weren’t able to come. Just as they were about to leave, Astrid’s water broke. I considered sending Abby alone, but, well, she’s not really a people person.”
Abby? Isn’t she one of Katem’s friend’s mate? The prickly one?
“Congratulations to the new parents.”
“Thank you. It’s so exciting having all these babies being born. But that’s why I was late arriving.”
