My cheeks feel like they're on fire when I look back at Jaxyn. "Sorry about him," I say, picking up my clay pitcher of water. "Drink?"
Jaxyn shakes his head. "Do not apologize," he tells me. "The Second Spear is only doing his duty as your Protector and mate."
I don't correct him. Our 'not-mate' situation is far too complicated to explain. And besides, that's not the purpose of these sessions. "What can I help you with, Jaxyn?" I ask, smiling before taking a sip of water.
He furrows his brow as though it's an effort for him to find his words. My eyes stray to that one awkward-looking wing before darting away again, cursing myself for staring.
"I would like for you to help me to be worthy of a female."
Woo-boy...
"What do you mean?"
Jaxyn shifts in his seated position a little, holding his lame wing out from his body, inviting me to look this time. "I will never fly," he says. "But I can train. I understand why I was overlooked for training before, and the Elders all dissuaded me from asking. But you could ask for me." I open my mouth to ask more, but he continues. "Things are different now there are females. I wish to be worthy of one of my own."
"I'm not sure it works like that, Jaxyn."
He wets his lips, hope shining in those pretty purple eyes. "Even if the Goddesses do not grant me a mate, I would still like to train, lame wing or not, I can be of use to the tribe on foot."
"What do you do for the tribe now?
"Errands," he shrugs. "I fetch water, I set fires, I skin the hunter's kills, I help prepare the foods-"
Reaching over, I place my hand on his arm. "Those are all important tasks," I tell him before he pulls away, no doubt remembering my not-mate's menacing threat. My hand goes back to my swollen stomach. "But I understand," I say. "You feel unfulfilled and undervalued. You want to achieve more than those tasks -bemore than those tasks."
"I just want the opportunity to try."
I can understand that. I think anyone can. "I will ask my mate," I nod before freezing completely. What the fuck? How didthatslip out?!
Outside, it sounds like Mavyx is choking on that cup of water that was meant for Jaxyn.
"Mavyx!" I add hastily. "I will askMavyxto add you to his training roster."
Jaxyn is looking at me with a puzzled expression, no doubt confused at why I've suddenly become flustered as Mavyx appears at the door.
"You can start training this next day," he tells Jaxyn, though he's staring right at me while he talks. "If you are finished with your dropping session, then I would like to speak tomy mate," Mavyx says, his golden eyes practically glowing as he says those last two little words.
The other Trixikka scrambles to stand and bows first to me and then to his Second Spear before murmuring his gratitude and leaving.
"He seems nice," I say, trying to deflect from what had just slipped from my lips.
"He is a good male," Mavyx agrees, watching me intently as I stand, looking for all the world like a predator about to pounce on his prey the moment said prey makes a wrong move. "You called me your mate."
"It was good of you to let him join your training sessions," I respond, completely ignoring that last part while I dust off my butt with my hands.
"I see the merit in it." Mavyx, jerks his chin and steps closer. "You called me your mate."
"What happened to his wing anyway?"
"The Goddesses gave him to us like that," he explains, barely letting a single breath leave his body before he repeats, punctuating each word, "you... called me... your mate."
Oh man, he's really not going to let this go. I bend to pick up the furs from the floor but Mavyx comes to me, taking them from my hands to dust them off and fold them into a bundle to be stored away again. "You never thought to offer to train him?"
"He never asked," Mavyx shrugs before inclining his head and smiling. "You called me yourmfff-"
I'd reached up to shh him with my hand. "Do you, or do you not want me to do the things I was describing to your tribemate this morning?"
"The blowing job?" he mumbles from behind my hand before I remove it.
