I peer up at the ceiling of the tent and the small indents the rain is making. “It is terrible.”
She bursts out laughing. “I agree. That’s why I need you to hunt down one or two of those bears and collect us some hides.”
“I plan to take Kodyx hunting tomorrow,” I tell her while opening my arm and pulling her down against my chest. I spread out her hair over her shoulder as she settles against me. “I will bring back what I kill and share it with you. You could use tools. Bones are useful for many things. Sinew as well. The hides will come in time. They will need to be tanned first.”
“That will be nice.”
For the first time since leaving Zaku’s with her, I find myself relaxing, fully, listening to the rain patter in waves across the tent. The lure of a nest, especially with my female tucked safely under my arm, draws a low, soothing hiss from my chest.
“But today…” Julia snuggles deeper against me, shifting her leg to drape it over my tail. “Today we let the water collect and hide away from the world…”
She is relaxed too, I can tell. She slides her chin up to meet my gaze with a soft smile.
“I love you,” I say, the building hiss inside exhaling at the same time.
It is what the other males say to their females, when overwhelmed with sensation and warmth.
Her smile twitches away as her lips slightly part. Bracing up on her elbow, she searches my face. I lift my hand to drift her hair off her cheek and hook behind her ear.
“I love you too,” she says as her smile slowly returns and she leans down to press her lips to mine. Leaning up to meet her halfway, I guide her back down into the crook of my arm.
For the rest of the day, and during the long hours of the storm, even when it goes late into the night and into the next day, we are not disturbed. No one ventures out into the open and neither do we. Though I am always listening, always guarding, we are left entirely alone. And I make Julia mine, ensuring that her newly built nest is marked by me and only me.
It may be her nest, but it is inmyterritory. Territory I plan on claiming once more, starting here and now.
With her.
We have gone through a lot, but it is only when together that we truly succeed.
Covering Julia with my body, I finally give into my instincts in every way possible.
Forever.
EPILOGUE
Julia
We—orI—trudge up the rest of the path, huffing out of breath, refusing to be carried, on our last hurdle to getting to Zaku’s. Having left three nights ago, and sticking to a solid but slow pace, we’ve managed to make good time, no thanks to me. Zaku leads the way with Krellix by my side and Kodyx behind. As we come up the steep, rocky path through the forest to his hidden home, I am thankful I didn’t have to climb up any steep cliff faces. Zaku has taken us up the mountain an entirely different way than the one Krellix led me down. In my condition, we’ve been trying to avoid the rougher terrain. Still, I’m lucky to not have sprained either of my ankles. I’ve done that before…
When I finally see the shiny glass exterior of Zaku’s house, it almost feels like I’m returning to a home-away-from-home myself. I’m elated. Ecstatic even. Krellix has to hold me back from scurrying the rest of the way to the front door and banging on it for Daisy and the children. Zaku hisses and disappears into the trees to the right before returning a few moments later.
“It issss clear. Since the arrival of the ships and your departure, those bothersome nagas have cleared out,” Zaku states, then heads across his grisly yard to his home. Krellix and I follow while Kodyx, choosing to stay behind, remains in the forest.
I barely make it two steps into the yard before some bone crunches beneath my boot. I pause to scowl at the dust on my sole, trying to figure out what I just stomped on, when the door to Zaku’s home crashes open—in his face, no less—and Daisy comes bursting out.
Zaku’s angry hiss follows her across the yard as she runs out and embraces me. “Julia! I can’t tell you how badly I’ve missed you.” She grabs my arms. “You don’t realize how badly you need another woman around until all you have is a naga and the kids to keep you sane.” Her eyes pop unusually wide. “I’ve gone insane. When Zaku told me you and Krellix were coming, I didn’t believe it at first. I thought I’d slipped into a fever dream.” She glances at Krellix, still wide. “Hi, Krellix.”
“Hi,” he responds with a smile twitching at the corner of his lips. “I am glad to see you are well.”
“It’s good to see you too,” I add, squeezing Daisy’s arms in return.
Daisy, her hair now mostly grown out to her shoulders, grins up at him and me. Zaku, on the other hand, appears entirely unhappy that she’s outside at all, especially since there are three small children banging on the front door trying to get at their mother.
“We can speak inside,” Zaku glowers, coming up behind her and wrapping his arm around her waist. He leads her back to the house, eyeing everything suspiciously as he goes. “It is safer and the young will not feel left out.”
“You probably want a bath,” Daisy calls to me over her shoulder. “A nice, hot soak for your back and feet.”
“Yes, please. More than anything,” I moan at the possibility that I could be lying in warm water soon. Not only warm water, but clean water I can drink. And I’ll be lying in it within a room with four solid walls and a door that shuts and locks.
