He pressed his mouth to the crown of my head. “Home. I love that word on your lips, my heart.”
Smiling, I admitted, “I do, too.”
He kissed me again at my temple. “As soon as we see the first sign of the snows melting over those hills, we will leave for Jôhl Tundra. I’ve sent word to Behrvyne of this. The other clans will likely join us sooner as well.”
“I think Tessa will fare better when we return to Vanglosa.”
“Indeed. In the meantime, she will find comfort with visits from her new friend, the light fae, who is soon to officially join our clan. When we are bound beneath the sacred tree.”
“Hmph.” I turned in his arms and set my hands on his broad shoulders, loving the mightiness of his figure. He made me feel safe and precious. “I do not recall you officially asking me to be your wife, beast lord.”
His smile was easy and mesmerizing, his fangs prominent. He wrapped his hands around my waist, spanning his fingers across my back. “Will you become my one and only mate before my clan, Jessamine?”
I smiled. “I will tell you at winter’s end. That was our bargain, wasn’t it?”
He slid his hands to my hips and squeezed, his golden eyes dancing with the knowledge that I would certainly say yes when the time came. “It was.”
Laying my cheek against his chest, I hugged him closer. “Now what shall we do to while away the winter?”
“I can think of something.” He pressed one last kiss to the crown of my head, then took my hand and led me back to our tent.
Chapter 30
REDVYR
The winter passed quickly.There were no more instances of danger, no sign of the golems or that fiend Selestos. The only excitement that stirred the camp was that of Dayn trying to court Shearah. He accompanied her into the woods daily to try and save the old oak tree.
I hadn’t entered Wyken Woods since that dreadful encounter with the grimlocks. Since I saw Jessamine get swallowed into that hole and feared I’d lost her forever, I refused to step foot in the place. But Dayn reported that the tree was indeed healing, the black fungus-like threads that had wrapped around every branch had been killed by Shearah’s tonic. They’d filled the hole in its trunk with nutrient-rich soil dug from the winter garden, and while that left less room to grow the winter vegetables, no one had minded. Actually, several clansmen had offered to help, but Shearah had taken on the task alone—with her one helper.
One thing about beast fae that perhaps other faekind didn’t realize was that our connection to nature wasn’t one-sided. It gave to us, so we gave back as best we could. The old treein Wyken Woods had sheltered children from our clan and innocents of our realm. In return, we would try to save it if we could.
As planned, when Bezaliel reported the first melting of snow in the valley of Ghasta Vale, we quickly packed up camp and caravanned south toward Jôhl Tundra. I’d never thought that the golden-brown prairie grass sticking out of the patches of snow across the valley would be such a welcome sight.
Winter had finally waned. By the time we reached the tundra, there was no sign of snow at all except on distant mountain peaks. Though spring wasn’t here yet, the temperatures were milder, warm enough to exchange our hide trousers for our leather skirts.
I walked beside Wolf who carried Jessamine. She returned my smile when I gazed up at her—still wrapped in her cloak—but there was tension around her eyes. It was to be expected. She would meet all of the beast fae clans at once. Even for those of our kind, it could be intimidating.
In these last months of winter, we had spent a great deal of it in our furs. While we enjoyed one another’s pleasure, it was the pleasure of her company and her laugh that I cherished the most. We often ate alone in our tent, with the exception of Wolf of course, and we shared stories of our past, both good and bad.
I’d learned that I would have considered her brother Draydyn a brother of my own. He had been a fae of honor. Jessamine had asked me to retell the story of how I’d found Wolf as a pup cornered by a barga and about to become the giant bear’s meal. I’d killed the barga of course and Wolf had been my companion ever since. Now, we both protected each other, though he seemed more intent on protecting her than me these days. I was grateful of course.
When I showed her which skin had been the one of the barga that had almost killed Wolf, she had made a show of spreadingit on the floor on her side of the bed as her rug to stand on each morning and night. She’d even stomped on it and muttered a curse under her breath, to which Wolf had barked in agreement.
These months had been nothing less than sheer bliss. So I could see why her face showed lines of tension, that our little paradise was seemingly over. I’d make it up to her when I brought her back to Vanglosa.
The festival activities of the winter gathering often took on a raucous and uncivil bent when beast fae males did their best to impress the females. And though Jessamine wasn’t beast fae, nor was she unspoken for, I could already imagine some of the males doing their best to garner her attention.
She had no tail or horns, but she was fair beyond comparison. Her hair, the color of spring red-berries, drew the eye, especially when she wore it loose and blowing in the wind as she did now. I was ready to proclaim to the other clans that she was my mate. Whether she had taken my bite or not did not change the fact that she was my gods-given mate. And that, I would make clear to anyone who questioned it.
As we descended the hill leading into the tundra, it was to see several clans already encamped and milling about the annual gathering place. We always camped close to the backside of the largest butte on the tundra. There was a small stream running between it and another cavernous rock on our western side, which gave us protection from the winds that gusted across the tundra. Especially at night, when the temperatures dropped.
As we approached our desired camping spot, some called out and waved, gathering closer as our long line—the largest clan of all—meandered into the shadow of the butte.
The tall figure of Behrvyne stalked closer to meet us, a throng of his young warriors at each side. His russet hair streamed down to his waist, his four black horns curling higher than most beast fae, and his dark brown tail lashing in the breezeas we neared him. Those who didn’t know him might think his demeanor aggressive and hostile, but I’d known him since he’d first begun to train as a warrior for the Bolgar clan. He was a serious male, that was all.
“Do not be afraid,” I whispered up to Jessamine as we came to a halt before they reached us. I helped her down off Wolf’s back. “He looks mean, but he always looks that way.”
She blew out a breath, holding onto my arms as I gripped her waist. “Good to know. I was about to ask if we could return to Ghasta Vale.”
