Gripping Soren by the mane, Balar got a firm hold of him. “What is there to fight for if notkigara?”
To both of their surprise, it was Kiri who spoke up next—delivering the killing blow.
“You have to stop believing you’re unworthy,seska-ab. Before Maeve starts to believe it, too.”
The breath hissed out of Soren, and it was only Balar’s grip on him that kept him upright.
“Bintur…” Confronted with Kiri’s young face, even his thrashingturukquieted. Kiri was their flesh, their cub—they could never hurt him.
Nodding, Kiri’s face fixed into a brave glare even though his eyes glittered with unshed tears. “You’ve sacrificed for everyone, Soren. Never thought of yourself at all. But it’s your time now. Don’t throw aside the gift you’ve been given.”
A guttural keen hollowed out Soren’s chest. “She means toleave,” he murmured.
Kiri shrugged.Shrugged. “Then go with her,hurum-tu.”
Soren’s ears rang, and he couldn’t help a gasping inhale, as though he’d been struck. “I-I can’t leave you.” His brothers, their pride, it was all he had.
“I’m grown now,seska-ab,” said Kiri. “I want to see more of this land. Perhaps even go to university. Can you imagine it—the first mantii in a university?” The boy grinned cheekily. “You don’t have to sacrifice for me. For any of us.”
“You know I’d choose Imogen over any of you in a moment,” Balar chuckled.
Soren gaped between the two of them.
“I can’t wait to find a mate and never hear any of you snoring ever again,” declared Diar, coming to stand beside Kiri.
“We came to this land looking for mates. All of us.” Akila shrugged, although something about his manner felt false. “Not just for Balar.”
“And isn’t that just the way of it, you two old bastards finding yours first.” Diar groaned, rolling his eyes as Kiri often did. “At least we’re still young and handsomer.” He ribbed Akila with his elbow, earning a grin that seemed forced.
Soren’s knees finally gave out from under him, and he slumped to the ground. Digging his claws into the dirt, he was left shaking, realizing…everything was quiet.
Histurukhad lain down, content to laze. It’d only ever acted that way with Maeve.
What is this?
They’re right,said theturuk. Listen to the pride.
Thelukanhad never once thought such a thing before.
Descending to his knee, Balar grasped Soren’s shoulder to steady him. “We’ll always be brothers,” he said, “no matter what our pride becomes or where our paths may lead.”
Kiri squatted down to grin at Soren. “We’re out of your waynow, Soren. Don’t you think you should get out of your own way, too?”
Such a wise cub,purred theturuk. We raised him well.
Together, his brothers pulled him up by his arms and set him right. With his feet under him, they pushed at his back, urging him up the slope.
“Go on,” Kiri laughed, “sha-het takal.”
24
“I know you’re awake,” Sofie called from the kitchen.
Grumbling, Maeve sat up, her legs tangled in blankets and skirts. Shifting her breasts back into her stays, she turned to face the new day.
She’d barely slept at all last night, and although Sofie had been up preparing for the day for over an hour now, Maeve had resolutely refused to get up until called out. She didn’t want to wake and face everything that had happened, everything that had been said.
So much had been said.
