Page 14

Marron

M y eye is much more swollen today than it was last night. I was hoping it would look less like I was kicked in the face and more like maybe I was just a clumsy male, but instead, the bruising has darkened, and the swelling has reached what I am hoping is its peak.

Alice fussed over me all of last night more than she had to fuss over her own babe. It was embarrassing, but then again, I have never had someone to fuss over me. So maybe it also made my scales feel warm in a pleasant way.

I shift from foot to foot, refusing to pay much attention to any of the other males waiting in this sectioned-off part of the dining hall. We are all allowed to speak with the females tonight, though the females will approach us instead of us approaching them.

I would very much like to go to Tori as soon as I see her, but I am forced to stand in this little painted square on the ground. The rest of the unmated males feel as restless as I do. What keeps me calm is knowing Joll and those aiding him will not be allowed to approach my female.

"Remember, just because you like a female does not mean she likes you.

Some do not feel the calling as you do, so it may take them longer to feel comfortable around you.

This is the first night of many that you will be allowed to woo the females.

Do not feel despair if one does not show you interest tonight," Kal recites the words as though he has them memorized from saying them so often.

Considering his job in the tribe is to help with the mating ceremonies, I am sure he does.

I also wonder if he does not talk to himself with his words because he still does not have a mate either.

"Any questions before the females arrive?" Kal asks, looking around the area.

Each male in the ceremony stands in the center of his little painted square along the perimeter of the sectioned-off area. I do not know where Joll stands because I refuse to look around for him. He is to my left or right since I can see the three males standing opposite me.

I do not hear any males asking questions because I am too focused on watching the others around the dining hall.

The unmated females are being kept in another room while Kal prepares all of us unmated males, but still, I want to see my Tori as soon as she comes into view.

It has only been a day since I last saw her, but it has easily been one of the longest in my life.

Yesterday, she cried for me when she saw how I was attacked.

She did not say anything to me about it, and I did not dare tell her I would be okay.

When she bared her teeth at Joll as though she knew immediately who did this to me, I could not help but puff my chest in pride.

My fiery-haired mate is just as fiery in spirit.

I can only wish to see it more often when I am allowed to be near her without fear of breaking some arbitrary rule that should not apply to us.

The world seems to slow as a group of females emerges from one of the hallways.

I feel my chest expand, attempting to make me appear larger than I am.

My hands clench at my sides, and I hold my breath until I see her.

Tori looks around the room, her eyes not stopping until they land on mine, and then she smiles.

Of course, she takes in just how terrible I look.

Her smile turns into a scowl as she turns her head to the left, where I now know Joll is, and she bares her teeth again, just like she did last night.

Given how upset she seems, I would not be surprised if my little mate took it upon herself to find justice for me.

I know I should not take this much pride in how much she cares for me, but how can I not?

Many males dream of a female who would fight for them.

Diane guides the humans to the mating ceremony and explains the rules of the evening to them as they walk over to us. I am sure she is reiterating everything, just as Kal did for us. As soon as the females enter the sectioned-off area of the dining hall, they are free to approach us.

Many of the first females through are nervous and anxious. Not my female, though. Oh no. Her face is red, and her expression is furious as she walks past me, lifting one of her fingers as if to tell me she will be with me in a moment.

I bite my bruised lip since I do not want to start laughing. I am sure laughing is not against the rules, but I am not certain, so it is better to be cautious.

" I know what you did, you stupid fucking lizard man ," Tori hisses in English. She keeps her voice low, but Joll must be closer to me than I realize because I can make out everything she says.

A few of the females who wandered further into the area can hear her, and her insults have gotten their attention.

The other males might not know what is being said, but the humans sure do.

I look at where the human female in charge is standing and realize very quickly that she will allow whatever is happening to happen so long as Tori does not make too much of a scene.

" Did you really think jumping my mate would make me choose you? You force me into this mating ceremony, and then you try to make it so you're my only option? I would kill you long before I ever chose you. "

Tori's breathing is loud enough that I can hear it as she sucks in a deep breath and blows it out. I can imagine her steeling her back, forcing her gaze even harder.

"I will not mate you. I will not live in a tribe where you are. When this is over, you will be without a home, without a mate, and no one will pity you."

The male standing between Joll and me makes a choking sound, a laugh he is trying to force down.

I want to see if Joll looks chastised enough now that my female has spoken to him in a way he can understand.

If I look over and see him looking anywhere but at the ground in shame, I might be capable of more anger than I thought.

That keeps me looking straight ahead, waiting for my human to talk to me.

Or at least, I would if I did not see movement out of the corner of my eye.

It is small, just the flick of red hair that draws my eyes to where Tori is walking toward me.

Of course, Joll has to prove he is as desperate as his actions have made him out to be.

He disregards the rules for us and reaches out for my mate, grabbing her upper arm to stop her from walking away from him.

"Release my mate, or I will finish what you started." The hiss that leaves my chest is so loud it almost drowns out my words.

I do not step out of the painted square on the floor because Tori does not look like she is in pain. She is angry more than anything else. My female can handle herself, but I will not stand idly by and not at least threaten the male who is ignoring her boundaries.

Joll releases Tori as though she is too hot to touch, and as he does, Kal is between them.

His eyes are blazing red as he hisses something at Joll before grabbing one of his horns, dragging him through the area, and motioning for a different brother to escort him somewhere else.

I care very little about what they do with him tonight.

Tori walks toward me, and the fierceness on her face morphs into worry as she takes in my appearance.

"I am better than I look," I tell her with a smile. Or at least what I hope looks like a smile. I wince as my scales tighten, but hope it is small enough of a reaction that she does not notice.

"You are hurt," Tori snaps and then frowns at herself before repeating herself in a softer tone. "You are hurt."

"I have been hurt before. I promise this is much more bearable than other things I have dealt with." I say this to ease some of her worries, but the horrified expression that settles over her clearly shows that I have done the exact opposite. "I only mean that you do not need to worry about me."

When she still looks concerned, I open my mouth to say something more to try to ease her, but she holds up her hand and presses it against my chest. It silences me immediately and makes me want to step closer to her, wrap my arms around her, and tell her that I am ready to claim her as mine as soon as I am allowed tomorrow.

"I can worry about you," Tori says, her pale eyes staring up at me in a way that makes my beating feel like it will burst through my chest at any moment. " You're mine to worry about now. "

My hands twitch at my sides, wishing to reach out and touch her. I turn my head to the side, hoping I can find Kal to ask if I am allowed to touch Tori if she is receptive.

Tonight is about whatever the human female is comfortable with, and my mate is more than comfortable enough with touching.

I do not find Kal in my quick glance, but I do see the human in charge.

She gives me a reassuring smile and a thumbs up, which I have learned from the other humans means I have her blessing.

I need no more than that before I reach out and pull my mate flush against me until we are both inside the small square I have to stand in. Tori's laugh is a beautiful sound that bubbles up around us as she moves her arms around me and tries to hold me as tightly as I am holding her.

"You look so bad," she says, placing her chin against my chest and staring at me.

"You do not," I reply, loving how her cheeks seem to refresh their pink hue at my words. "You look very, very good."

Tori bites down on her lip before beaming up at me with one of the most beautiful sights I have ever seen.

Her beauty is always there, but it is even more pronounced when she is happy and smiling.

Witnessing her look as stunning as she does makes me feel like I am one of the most blessed males, even more blessed when I remember that she will be all mine.

" I don't know how to call you a flirt. " She shakes her head as she lets the words spill from her in her language.

For a moment, I think about the best time to make her aware of what I have been doing in my free time. I thought waiting until we were mated would make an excellent mating present. Right now, though, I cannot stop myself from replying to her.

" You just did," I say, keeping my words quiet, just for my mate's ears.

The words don't sound as fluid as she speaks them, and they sound a little funny since I cannot move my lips in the same ways she can.

I have been told I can be understood in English, which is good enough.

I can see on Tori's face as she registers how I just spoke to her that it is more than enough.

"Can you?" She pushes away from me, a glassiness in her eyes that makes me fear she might be close to tears. Her throat moves to swallow, and she tilts her head. " Can you understand me? "

" Most of your words, yes. Some of them no. "

Tori takes another step away from me, and I do not stop her. I worry for a moment that somehow I have overstepped, that she has not wanted me to learn her language, and that she does not find it as romantic as I want her to. I do not reach for her, but she does not keep me worrying for long.

She opens her mouth to say something but stops herself.

Instead, she throws herself back against me.

Her feet leave the floor so she can wrap them around me as she shimmies her way up my body.

I stumble back at her enthusiasm and then wrap her in my arms, holding her so she does not have to work to keep herself wrapped around me.

Her face is close to mine, her hands reaching up to grab my horns so she can hold me tight.

"Why?" she asks.

" You are mine. " I pause for a moment, wishing both of my eyes were working so I could appreciate how close she is to me. " I want to know you. So I learned to know you. "

Tori is crying now, but she does not move to wipe the tears from her eyes. Instead, she says something so beautiful to me, something that makes my beating quicken.

"I know you, Marron."

Her lips press against mine, and it takes everything in me not to mate her out here in front of everyone in the dining hall.