“Why here and not on your land? Why are we here if not to spy?”
She chews on her lower lip. “Why are you here? They will see you are far from home because of your markings?”
I draw in a breath, sure I am going to regret my next sentence, but if we are all killed at least I won’t regret it for long. “I am traveling with my mate.”
13
ALISHA
For several seconds I have nothing to say as his words rumble through me. Hrad has agreed to be my mate. While it is a good idea, and the only one that protects him, it means that he will be my mate for life. And I his. We barely know each other. “Are you sure?”
Am I sure?
“No. But it is the option most likely to lead to success. After the mission…” he shrugs.
“I understand the seriousness.”
He pins me with his amber gaze. “This is a mating out of duty.”
“That is my life, regardless.” But at least I got to choose him. Kind of. He was out on the mission because he’s unmated. I doubt anyone expects him to return mated. I did not expect to return with a mate. I place my hand over his because I don’t want him to think I don’t care. “You are honest and have shown yourself to be a valuable team member, someone I would willingly work with on other missions.” I give him a small smile. “There are plenty of people I never want to work with again, so you’re on a very short list.”
He doesn’t return my smile. “This isn’t work, though. It will put me into rut. It changes me.”
I’ve read about it, though I wasn’t aware of the changes to his dick—though there was a mention about pleasure bumps—as that was not in the information provided about the Honey.
“It also means they will see I am in rut and that we have only just mated. Which is another lie we need.”
I exhale as ideas tumble through my mind.
Hrad gets there first. “It is tradition that the first mating takes place on the Honey homeland.”
“Meaning?”
“That those who crossed the sea for a human mate are allowed to return for the first mating.”
I start to see where he is going with the lie. “Something about the union of our people and a chance for the warrior to go home if they both agree?”
“And so far none want to return to their tribe,” Hrad adds, building on the lie.
“So we don’t land near their home tribe for the mating.”
“And while we are here, we play hunting games with the drone.”
“And I bring other women from the colony so they can seek their own mates.”
“Perhaps the drone is how the human womenhunta mate? Only this time the tribe responded violently to women seeking a mate. That will put them on uncertain ground because allowing a woman to choose a mate is not something they will want to interfere with.”
I like the way he is crafting a tale around our needs. “That doesn’t explain Hugh and Charlie.” I need to cover all my people.
“Every tribe has brutes. People repaying debts or working off a crime.”
I shake my head. “Charlie is going to hate that.”
“Charlie will keep his mouth closed if he’s smart.”
Charlie is smart with his science, but how will he react while captured? “Let’s hope he does. For his sake and ours.”
“They may ask you why you chose a banished warrior.”
