Page 24

Delilah’s lips twisted in a faint smile, but news of the hunter just days south of their village sent an uncomfortable feeling creeping over her. It had to be a coincidence, but the quicker they were out of the area, the more comfortable she would feel. Despite all her questions, the last thing she wanted to do was run into the male who abandoned her and would likely try to kill the only people who gave a damn about her. And she wasn’t about to let that happen.

Chapter

Seventeen

Their mate was a bundle of nerves. Something had put her on edge, and it was not the Ragoru, of that much Gehj was certain. Nor was she concerned over a frightened nestling since Lily was currently climbing all over Zemb with rampant curiosity. Not only did she greet him with the excitement of a curious nestling, but the young male had an eager-to-please personality and overall genial bearing that seemed to both welcome and encourage her immediate fascination.

At least that had worked in their favor. He was certain that if Lily had been awakened by the fight and had been frightened, Agrel would have insisted on removing the Ragoru from their midst. It was not that his ahaku was unsympathetic, but he tended to be led by strong emotions. What made him a loving and genial ahaku and mate was risky toward anything or anyone that potentially threatened those he considered his family. And Agrel was still twitchy as he was coming down from his state of heightened aggression that had been triggered in protecting their mate. A frightened nestling would have likely pushed him too far despite Zemb’s innocence and pitiable situation. Hedoubted even Delilah would have been able to talk reason into him before he chased the male off.

“Lily, Zemb is not a tree. I’m sure he doesn’t enjoy being climbed on,” Delilah gently chided.

Lily’s little face peeked from around the male’s ruff to pout at her mother. “But he’s so fluffy. Even more than Nimh!”

Gehj chuckled quietly under his breath and discreetly refocused on his cooking. The Ragoru was definitely that.

“I do not see what is so great about fur,” Agrel commented as he dropped an armful of firewood beside him. “My crests are far more impressive.”

Gehj smirked up at his ahaku but offered no comment. It was such a silly thing to be jealous over. “You know Lily loves your feathers… and more importantly, our mate appears to prefer them,” he casually replied as he turned the spits over the fire.

“You do not have to always be so reasonable,” Agrel replied, but it was said without heat and an easy smile slipped across the male’s face. “Very well, you are correct. And he is useful. He does not shirk from anything asked of him and is even happy to keep Lily entertained. Few males his age are so affable.”

Nodding in agreement, Gehj glanced toward their mate. Her gaze was attentively trained on the Ragoru, her expression thoughtful. He doubted that it was because of the male’s geniality.

“What are your plans now, Zemb?” Delilah asked.

Zemb glanced up with a mild expression of surprise and shrugged as he gave her a lopsided smile, his left ear lowering ever so slightly with his good humor. “I was thinking about heading to Ragoru territory in the northlands. My parents chose not to settle there as they did not wish to set aside the life they were accustomed to in order to live closely among others, but it does not sound so bad to me. I did not have any siblings and withmy mother and fathers gone, it would be nice to have some kind of family.”

Delilah’s brows knitted in confusion, and even Gehj paused to glance over at the male. They had traveled south for a great many days before even encountering their mate’s village and since then have traveled many days more. And this was without ever setting eyes on the northlands of the Ragoru territory. It was much further north, further beyond where they had started before heading south.

“Zemb… do you know how far that is?” she gently queried.

He shrugged again but looked away, distracted, as Lily tumbled over his shoulder, dropping into his lap. Agrel started forward, but Gehj thumped him on the leg with his tail feathers. His ahaku gave him a questioning look, but Gehj shook his head in silent warning to cease hovering over their nestling. Agrel frowned back at him, ruffling his wings briefly before joining Delilah and dropping to the ground to sit at her side. His wing curled around reflexively, his eyes never straying far from Lily as if afraid to let her out of his sight in case she might bruise. Gehj snorted quietly to himself. Gods forbid that happen, the male would probably lose his mind. He would be a nightmare to live with if they ever had any more.

Now why did that make his heart squeeze with longing?

Glancing over at Zemb, he smiled as the male released a rough chuff of laughter and carefully set her back on her feet again.

“The northlands are many weeks’ journey through thick forests and mountain passes,” Delilah continued. “The huntsman won’t let you get that far.”

“I have outrun him this long,” Zemb cheerfully reminded her, but Gehj saw the shadow of doubt in his eyes.

Evading anything that hunted one was often more a matter of luck than anything else, and with a cunning predator, that luckwould never last long before one was forced into a confrontation. It was better to take control of the situation and turn the hunt back around on the hunter, but Zemb was young and inexperienced. And given how thin he appeared, he was likely not a successful hunter himself to even make it that far, much less fend off an attack. He did not wish to hurt the male’s pride, though.

“Can you hunt?” he inquired casually

Zemb hesitated. “Some,” he reluctantly admitted, his eyes drifting longingly toward their meal. He swallowed thickly, betraying his hunger. “I had only recently become old enough to begin hunting with my fathers when the huntsman came. But I have managed to catch some game, small animals mostly.”

Delilah expelled a sharp breath and shook her head. “I imagine that they haven’t taught you how to protect yourself, either.”

“They taught me some,” Zemb replied with equal reluctance. “I just need to get to the northlands and then?—”

Agrel snapped his wings impatiently, startling the young male enough that he drew his attention to him completely. Agrel met his gaze firmly. “You cannot defend yourself, not from predators or these huntsmen… whatever they are. You are not only very vulnerable, but you cannot even feed yourself. How do you imagine that you will evade the huntsman long enough to even try? And if you, by chance, get lucky, do you imagine that you will get far before you starve to death?”

The Ragoru wilted and Gehj’s heart ached for him. Such truths were not uncomfortable to face, but it was better for him to confront it than be taken by surprise by the reality of the situation.

“That was harsh, Agrel,” Delilah chided with a sharp shove at his wing to emphasize her point.

His ahaku grunted in assent, but he offered no apology. He stood by his words, and the direct look he gave the young male conveyed as much. Their mate sighed and shook her head at his stubborn silence before addressing the Ragoru again.