Page 73

“Then I welcome you.”

“You are as gracious as rumor paints you.”

She snorted at that. “For a human?”

“For anyone. Zoran’s instincts chose well.” His gaze drifted to the women gathered near the center of the pavilion. “I confess, milady, that I stood in opposition to your mate on this matter.”

“What, bringing humans here?”

“And mating them. Intermingling our blood, perhaps weakening our species.”

“I think even the people who supported the measure were concerned about that,” Mia said, picking her words as carefully as she could.

Look at her, playing diplomat. Her parents, at least, would be proud.

“Yet must we follow the Fates to our destinies.” Kaelen touched the middle two fingers of his right hand to his forehead, mouth, and chest, then lifted his hand to the sky, palm up. “Humans may appear weak, but they are not. To hear others tell it, you singlehandedly battled avyirkolenin defense of your mate, then pulled him to safety through the wilderness on a stretcher made of rope and saplings felled by a single bite of your human teeth.”

She blinked at him blankly for a moment, then doubled over, laughing so hard tears rolled down her cheeks. Some of the women looked askance at her. Kaelen merely stared, his head cocked curiously as she’d seen so many other Xeruvians do, watching as her laughter spent itself and she dried her eyes.

“No,” she said, when she could catch her breath. “That’s not even remotely true.”

“I have the truth of it, and it was no mean feat. One day, perhaps, I shall win a mate as fierce and devoted as you.”

“So you’re here to find a mate?”

His gaze drifted over the women again. Mia followed his gaze, wondering if his mating instinct had risen for one of her friends, wondering if he’d abide by Zoran’s strict courtship rules or simply steal his human mate away like warriors of old. None of the women looked their way, though they had to be curious.

As a reply, Kaelen dropped to his knees in front of her and clasped his hands in hers, bringing her fingers to his forehead in a shocking act of supplication. “I have come to beg for your intercession on behalf of the northern clans.”

“Intercession?” she said slowly.

“Zoran’s hatred of me is well-known. He and I have clashed on more than one occasion, and now I fear that he will deliberately thwart any affiliated warrior from claiming his human mate.”

“Oh. I see.”

He remained as he was, kneeling before her, his hands clasping hers so gently, she barely felt the pressure of his touch. After a moment, he added, “What would you ask of me in return?”

“Nothing,” she said, appalled at the very idea. “I won’t stand between these women and a chance at happiness.”

“Yet you will not soften your mate to our plight.”

“I don’t think he’ll listen to me.”

“Then we are lost.”

His quiet confession made her heart ache. She tightened her grip on his fingers and was about to speak when a warrior’s roar ripped through the air behind her.Zoran, she thought, her heart tripping again. The women gave startled screams and scrambled aside as Zoran’s arms wrapped around her and lifted her bodily away from Lord Drexus.

Zoran drew his sword and roared, “How dare you touch my mate!”

Kaelen laughed and drew his own sword. “I will dare as much as needs must,LordZoran.”

Mia groaned. For a guy who wanted Zoran’s help, Kaelen sure knew how to push her mate’s buttons.

Hard hands wrapped around Mia’s arm and yanked her backward, and Mother Alara said, “Run, my daughter.”

“I’m not afraid of him.” Though a shiver of that very emotion ran down her spine.

“This is not the mating frenzy, child. It is pure rage. He cannot temper himself so long as he believes you to be in danger. Run, now.”