“You still haven’t told me aboutDothik,” I reminded him before he decided to distract me.Again. We’d taken a break from our lovemaking to wash, but it had been hours since Seerin arrived back at the tent and he’d managed to avoid every single one of my questions about his journey.
He sighed and leaned back. “I am happy and relieved to be back at my horde, Nelle. That is all.”
“It went that poorly?” I chanced.
His lips pressed together. “There were many meetings with theDothikkarand the otherVorakkars. None of them ended well. We will reconvene after the thaw comes.”
“You have to go back so soon?” I asked, frowning. The thaw wouldn’t happen for another couple months, but itstillseemed too soon.
“Lysi.”
“And what of your mother?” I asked after a brief pause. “Did you see her?”
He inclined his head, but his eyes flickered slightly. His hands roamed down my body again and I knew what he was doing…he was trying to distract me. I caught his wrists below the water when he reached between my thighs.
Seerin made a sharp exhale. I remembered what hispujerakhad told me…that Seerin’s mother was calculating and ruthless. I wondered if his words painted her accurately, but asking him would have revealed that hispujerakhad spoken to me. And, for some reason, I didn’t want Seerin to know about that night. I had a feeling it would only anger him.
“Lysi, I saw her the first night and again the second night,” he said.
“How is she?” I asked softly.
“She is how she always is,” he answered, but his words didn’t satisfy me. They told me nothing.
“And how’s that?”
His eyes came to mine. “She is theDothikkar’sfavored concubine. Apart from when he needs her, she is free to do what she wishes. She is dressed in the finest clothes, adorned with the finest jewels, and is satisfied with her position in his court. To my mother, status is important. Hers is as high as it could be.”
“And her son is aVorakkar,” I said softly. Hesitating, I added, “TheVorakkarof Rath Tuviri. You took her name.”
His gaze sharpened, though he ran a gentle hand down my bare back, settling his palm over the swell of my buttocks.
“It is the only name I have,” he said. “It is my name too, not only hers.”
Because he’d never known his father.
“Do you ever wonder about him? About your father?” I whispered, tracing a path down his chest, following the golden markings inked into his flesh. “About who he is or where he is?”
“Nik,” he said. “I have not thought about him for a long time.”
I nodded, though I frowned.
“Do you ever wonder about your parents?” he murmured.
My brow furrowed. “More so when I was younger. I used to wonder what my life would be like with them. I used to think we would be happy together if they were on Dakkar and not…gone.”
“And now?”
I sighed. “Now I think it was better that they never reached Dakkar.”
“Why?”
“It would’ve been difficult to feed three,” I said simply.
My father would’ve needed to spend long hours hunting. I thought of Grigg and how he offered extra credits for sexual favors from the females. I wondered if my mother would’ve given in to feed her family. I wondered ifIwould’ve eventually given in if I’d stayed.
No. Even then, I would have rather starved.
I’d always been so relieved, so happy to know that my parents had been a love match. I was glad to know that the hard years in our village wouldn’t have diminished that love.
