She snorted, pushing against my hand.
“You did well with the bells. The children loved you. Carla was impressed with how you handled the noise.”
Peeka’s ears perked at Carla’s name. Even my sorhox had fallen under her spell.
“I think I’m in trouble.” I fed Peeka an apple from my pocket. “She’s not like Wexla. She makes me feel…”
Alive. Like the male I’d forgotten how to be during those dark months after losing my mate.
“She’s leaving tomorrow. Her contract ends, and she has no reason to stay.”
Except the golden marks that connected us in ways neither of us fully understood.
“Talking to your sorhox about female troubles?”
I spun to find Ruugar leaning against the fence nearby, an amused expression on his face. How long had he been standing there? The knowing glint in his eye suggested long enough.
“Checking on Peeka,” I said gruffly. “Making sure she’s not sore from the parade.”
“Of course.” My cousin’s knowing smile broadened as he pushed off the fence and strode closer. “It has nothing to do with avoiding a certain human consultant who made you look like you’d been struck by lightning during the tree ceremony.”
“I’m not avoiding anyone.” The denial sounded weak even to my own ears.
“So you’re not hiding out here at dawn because you’re afraid of running into Carla at breakfast?” He stopped beside me, reaching up to scratch Peeka’s jaw. “We’re meeting up in the saloon. It’s open only for us; the tourists will dine in the restaurant. Jessi made sure Carla knew she was invited. She couldn’t take her eyes off you during the parade. She watches you all the time, actually.”
My heart flipped over, though her watching might not mean a thing. “Does she?”
“She loves you. Wants you to be happy.”
I knew that. But everything still…hurt. “How’s Beth?”
His expression softened. “She’s still sleeping. The youngling has been active, kicking her all the time. She says it feels like sorhoxes are racing around inside her belly.” His voice held such tenderness when he spoke of them. “I thought I’d give her some peace.” He stepped closer, studying my face. “Something’s different about you.”
Heat crept up my neck. “I can’t imagine what.”
“Your ears are darker than usual.” He circled me, his appraisal uncomfortably thorough. “You look stunned and scared and?—”
“Enough.” I said with a sigh, turning to focus on Peeka.
“Ah.” The single syllable contained volumes. His voice lowered. “When did the mating marks appear?”
I stared at him, my jaw dropping. “How did you?—”
“Your sleeve rode up when you were scratching Peeka.” He nodded toward my wrist. “Plus, I know what a newly mated male looks like. I’ve seen this expression in every one of my brothers except Dungar, and I’m sure his time is coming.” A gentle smile spread across his face. “Welcome to the club, cousin.”
“Not everyone’s experience is the same.” I kept my voice carefully neutral. This was too new to discuss like this.
“True. But when a male looks at a female the way you look at Carla, mating marks or not, it means something.” Ruugar leaned against the fence rail, settling in for a longer conversation than I wanted. “Fate doesn’t make mistakes, Becken. When the marks appear, there’s a reason.”
“I can’t?—”
“Don’t insult my intelligence.” Ruugar’s voice remained kind, but firm. “The whole town sees the way you watch her. How you’ve softened around her. The sorhoxes respond to her because you do. This only confirms what we all suspected.”
There was no point denying it. Not to Ruugar, who knew me too well. The evidence was literally branded onto my skin. “It’s complicated.”
“Love usually is.” He leaned back, studying the clouds drifting across the sky overhead. “I thought I’d never find a mate. Then Beth came along, a human female fleeing her own wedding.” A smile touched his lips at the memory. “She drove me mad from the first moment. And terrified me just as much.”
“You didn’t have Wexla before Beth.” I shoved the words out with everything I couldn’t quite articulate.
