Page 43 of Across the Stars (Cosmic Threads of Fate #1)
CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR
WATAI
Watai’s muscles locked tight, his eyes blazing with fury as he pressed the dagger to Oekan’s throat. Both his hearts pounded against his ribs, fueled by a storm of adrenaline and the fierce, unshakable protectiveness he felt for Mae.
The crowd around them had gone utterly silent, every eye fixed on the confrontation. Watai felt their fear and uncertainty pressing in, but he shoved it aside. His focus remained on Oekan, every fiber of him ready to strike the moment Mae was threatened again.
“You’ve overstepped your authority, Oekan,” Watai growled, his voice low and edged with danger. “Mae is mine. I will not allow anyone to threaten her.” He gripped the dagger harder, its edge kissing Oekan’s skin. “One mistake, and I’ll send you to Z’myu to face her wrath.”
“I was only putting her in her place,” Oekan spat, his smirk daring Watai to follow through. His eyes gleamed with arrogance. “If she’s skilled enough to fight a target dummy, why not let me test her capabilities?”
“Because that choice belongs to me and her teachers, not you.” Watai hissed, the tip of his blade nicking skin and drawing a bead of blood.
“The only thing stopping me from slicing off your tail and shoving it down your throat is the fact that my sister is bound to you. I will not cause her pain for your mistakes.”
“You wouldn’t dare.”
“Try it again, and I’ll—”
“Enough!”
His mother’s voice struck like a thunderclap, her presence a force that pressed against every warrior in the clearing. Watai didn’t take his gaze off Oekan, but he felt her aura closing in, a commanding weight that grew heavier with each step.
“Watai, what do you think you’re doing?” she demanded, her tone sharp enough to cut. “Release Oekan. Now.”
Behind her, his sister and father arrived, both tense and alert. Watai held his ground, the blade still steady against Oekan’s throat.
“Mother, he attacked Mae,” Watai said, voice flat with conviction. “He overstepped his place. She is mine. I warned the tribe—anyone who so much as endangered her would answer to me. If it wasn’t for Xarntu telling her threadmount to reach out to Iskzo, I might have been too late.”
His mother’s pale eyes narrowed, flicking from her son to Oekan. “This is unacceptable. Both of you are adults. Act like it.”
Watai eased the pressure of the blade, but he didn’t lower it. He refused to let Mae’s safety be dismissed as nothing more than youthful temper.
“Oekan crossed the line,” he pressed. “I won’t allow anyone—not even him—to touch her.”
“Watai,” his mother warned, her tone sharp, “threatening him before the younglings is not the way to handle this.”
Watai’s grip shifted to Oekan’s tail, squeezing until the male winced. “He acts like a spoiled youngling because of his bond to Darha. I won’t back down until he’s dealt with.”
His mother drew closer. “Then tell me, my son—what should we do?”
“Banish him,” Darha said before Watai could speak, her voice clear and fierce. She stared at her threadmate, golden speckles in her eyes blazing. “Send him to the Sacred Heart of Z’myu. Let the retired Z’Aymos and Z’Awnus judge him as they do all outcasts. He will not return to my hut after this.”
“Darha!” Oekan’s voice cracked, his head snapping toward her. Watai pressed the blade tighter, nicking his throat again. “You can’t be serious.”
“I am,” she spat, her golden speckles glowing bright.
“You shame not only yourself but me. How dare you think our bond gives you the right to act without consequence. Mae is not your responsibility. She has done nothing to you, yet you struck at her anyway. That was uncalled for, and you should be punished.”
“Are you certain, Daughter?” their father asked gently, his hand steady on her shoulder. “What about you?”
“It is Z’myu’s will,” Darha declared. She turned away, refusing to look at Oekan. “He has fallen from her light. Until he cleanses himself of this hatred and submits to Z’myu’s will again, he is unfit to stand beside me.”
Watai nodded grimly. “Banishment is the only choice. Oekan cannot control his temper. He endangers the tribe. If he stays, I will end him myself.”
His father’s jaw tightened, but he nodded. “Darha and Watai are right. Oekan has gone too far. He must go.”
At last, Watai lowered his dagger, stepping back but never letting Oekan out of his sight.
“This is your final warning,” he said coldly. “You will not speak Mae’s name. You will not look at her. If you so much as think of hurting her, I’ll make good on my threat.” His voice rose, carrying across the silent training grounds. “I swear this before the tribe and before Z’myu herself.”
A group of warriors surged forward, seizing Oekan by the arms and dragging him away. Watai kept his blade trained on him until he was gone. Only then did the iron tension in his chest begin to ease.
The crowd still buzzed with fear, younglings huddled together, wide-eyed. Watai’s sister stood rigid, but her strength bolstered him. For her sake—for Mae’s—he had done what was necessary.
Watai slid his arm around Mae and pulled her close, grounding himself in her presence. “Are you hurt?” he asked softly, lowering his head to hers.
She shook her head, a small, brave smile lifting her lips. “No, Watai.” Gratitude shimmered in her eyes.
His hearts swelled. He bent and kissed the top of her head. “I’m sorry you endured that,” he whispered. “But I won’t let anyone harm you. Not ever.”
Her eyes gleamed up at him. “Thank you.” Then, with quiet finality: “Sleep, Watai.”
Warmth spread through him at her words, a glow that calmed the storm still raging inside.
He touched his forehead to hers, then pathed to Iskzo: “Thank Fela for us. Tell her I owe her all the fish she wants. Mae asks that we return to our hut. She’s had enough for one cycle.”
“Your wish is mine.”
Watai cradled Mae’s face in his hands, lowering his lips to hers. He kissed her slowly, tenderly—savoring the sweetness of her mouth and the trust she gave him so freely. The world fell away until there was only her, only this.
When they parted, he gazed into her eyes and saw his future reflected there. He was her protector, her mate, her defender.
No matter what obstacles lay ahead, he would make sure that nothing would ever come between them.