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“Oh… right!” A look of embarrassment came to his face, and he readjusted to his grip to a firmer hold as he grinned sheepishly at her. “You cannot blame a male for wishing to care for his mate.”

And that was another reason why she loved him. He would have shamelessly ditched the wagon altogether to carry her if he thought she was in pain. And though Gehj was glancing back at him with exasperation, she knew that he would also do the same.

“I can make it for a little while yet,” she assured him. Long enough to give the wagon some time to cool off, anyway.

“Are we almost there?” Lily asked plaintively. “I’m hot and I’m bored. I want to swim in the big lake again.”

“You and me both,” she mumbled, a blush rising in her cheeks as she recalled the activity that she had done at the lakejust hours before taking Lily down there to cool off and bathe in the water.

Agrel—damn his sharp ears—grinned at her slyly. It didn’t help that he also seemed to see everything and was no doubt taking note of her flustered state.

“I do as well,” he said aloud, making her cheeks burn even hotter, though it took some effort not to grin like a crazy person over just how pleased he sound.

Tonight. I will tell them my decision tonight.

Anticipation filled her as some of her worry receded. True to his word, they arrived in the foothills a short time later. The sun beat down on them mercilessly as the forest began to thin out as they moved up into the higher elevations, but she was grateful to catch the first cool breeze she’d felt in days. Sighing happilyy, she loosened her hair from the braid she had it in, allowing the breeze to cool her scalp. She shook her hair out and from the corner of her eye, she caught Gehj watching her. He had slid into Agrel’s place, giving the male a break, though her mate had promptly used it to chase Lily around until she got good and tired, only for him to carry her back to the wagon and hop effortlessly into it with her daughter in his arms.

Knowing him, he probably wouldn’t leave her side until Lily was asleep. He was a good father… they both were good fathers and mates in their own unique ways, fulfilling different things that she and Lily needed.

Picking up her pace, she fell into step beside Gehj and craned her neck to look over at the Ragoru on the other side of him. “How are you doing with the incline, Zemb? Not too much, is it?”

The young male shook his head and grinned. “Not at all, though I do not think your wagon will make it very far up into the mountain.”

Gehj tipped his head back to peer up the mountain and nodded. “It will not, but the higher we get the wagon up, thebetter. It will be easier to guarantee that nothing will disturb you while we scout for our nesting ground, nor the wagon we are forced to leave your belongings behind to carry you up to the high ground.”

“I will not need to be carried,” Zemb scoffed, but Gehj merely smiled in reply.

“If you are certain,” he said cryptically.

Delilah glanced at him quizzically, but she didn’t get the opportunity to ask what he meant since Agrel chose that moment to jump from the back of the wagon and swoop over ahead before dropping beside her with a flurry of wings.

“Show off,” she teased.

Agrel grinned back at her, his crests lifting flirtatiously. “It is so good to be out of the forest and able to really stretch out my wings again. What male wants to walk everywhere?”

“Perhaps those born without wings,” she countered drily, and he laughed, directing an apologetic look toward the Ragoru.

“I would not wish to fly anyway,” Zemb pointed out. “I prefer my paws solidly on the ground where they belong.”

“You are going to live among Atlavans and you do not wish to fly?” Agrel sighed heavily when the younger male nodded in agreement. “What will you do when peers your age are flying over the tops of the mountains?”

“Walk,” Zemb rejoined, and Delilah muffled her laughter behind her hand, winning an amused smile from the young Ragoru.

“Walking is perfectly nice… and safe,” she added.

“Ah, but unlike the Ragoru, you won’t have much choice but to be carried. Your only option will be the one you fly with.”

“Right,” she scoffed, but his sly smile made the back of her neck prickle, and she discovered the reason for her mates’ commentary toward her and Zemb just as the sun was going todown and the wagon rolled to a stop at the side of a steep wall of stone.

Delilah’s eyes drifted upward over the sheer cliff side with shock. That wasn’t at all what she expected. Even Zemb looked aghast as he stepped closer to the rock and smoothed his hand over it.

“Here we are at last,” Agrel said cheerfully. “We will make camp here and then tomorrow we will ascend—after Gehj and I have a good look around.”

Her other mate narrowed his eyes as he peered up at the cliffs above them. “From this vantage point alone, I have a good idea of some spots to scout early in the morning. We can leave just before dawn so that we can make the most out of the morning light.”

Delilah followed their gaze to the cliffs and mountain peaks above. Try as she might, she couldn’t imagine an entire civilization of people living in those heights, even if they were winged Atlavans.

As Agrel walked away to tie down the wagon with several stakes, she sidled over to Gehj’s side to peer up at the mountaintops with him. “Are you certain it is safe living so high in the mountains?”