Page 5

Tori

T onight, we're celebrating mine and Jen's first full year with Beren, Lyath, and Nia. It's an excuse for everyone to get together and have a little party, but Jen and I have no issue with being the stars.

Beren finally got around to making the pathway from the house to the tribe, so I'm allowed to make trips up to the tribe to grab supplies on my own.

If any males approach me, I have to tell them I'm an unmated female, not in the mating ceremony.

So far, that's only happened a couple of times, and the males immediately apologized and went on their way.

Today hasn't been any different. Most of the demons know who Jen and I are at this point since we've been here for a year.

Some of them still think I have no idea how to talk with them, but for the most part, they treat me like a regular tribe member.

The only ones I ever need to remind to follow the rules are newer tribal members who come from other tribes in search of mates.

But, again, they're always respectful when they're rejected.

The screening process is thorough for males who come to see if their mates are here, so I would hope they're all respectful.

"Tori!"

My stomach tightens when I hear a male call out my name, who I don't want to say my name.

My shoulders rise, and the pack of alcohol skins shifts uncomfortably on my back.

I grip the strap tighter and keep walking, hoping that there is another Tori in the tribe that's mated to whoever just called her name.

I'm not that lucky because I can hear the sound of footsteps approaching me, and then someone much stronger than me grabs the pack from my shoulder.

"Let me carry this for you. Are you going to the farm?" Joll asks, giving me a smile that feels icky as he talks.

I reach for the pack, but he moves it to his opposite side and starts walking. I stand in place for a second, debating my best course of action here.

I just left the tribe, and it's only a five-minute walk to the farm's gate.

Then again, lots of stuff can happen in five minutes.

I don't think Joll would do anything to me because I've known him for a year.

Well, known in a very loose sense. His mother used to come to teach Thro and Jen's lessons.

She kept bringing her sons up too often, and they kept antagonizing Thro and Marron whenever they came to escort their mother home, so she was asked not to return anymore.

Since then, Lyath has been helping with their lessons as best as he can.

"I can walk on my own," I tell him, crossing my arms over my chest and planting my feet. I don't want to cause a scene, not when I'm pretty sure Joll's just eager for female attention. The problem is, I'm not interested in letting him woo me.

"I can also walk with you," Joll says, facing me, the pack still on his shoulder. "Your wardens would not want you walking alone in the trees."

"There's a path. I walk it a lot. I do not need help."

I can feel my nerves kicking in because my words come out uneven and not as crisp as I would like them to.

I'm still self-conscious about my ability to speak the same language as the demons.

I've worked hard, but it's obvious that I'm not like the other women here who can speak it fluently, thanks to the translator device.

Joll's smile takes on a cruel edge. "I did not understand that."

My blood rushes to stain my cheeks bright red as tears of irritation prick my lashes. Worst of all, I can tell that Joll wants me upset. For what reason? I don't know.

Most of the demons I talk to have a decent understanding that I'm like one of their young when it comes to talking. They might speak a little too slow and a little too loud in an effort to help, but none of them have ever purposefully misunderstood me just to deny my wants.

"I said no," I say, mustering up a bit more of an edge in my words.

My eyes harden as I stare up at Joll. If he thinks I'll back down, he'll learn quickly that I can be stubborn. His smile falls, his brows pulling together, and then he's rubbing the back of one of his horns.

"Me or any male?" he asks.

My face screws up at his question, and then the realization hits me. He's trying and failing miserably at wooing me. A part of me feels bad because some of the males don't know how to interact with females, but Joll grew up in a tribe with them.

"One male," I tell him, holding out my hand for the pack with the skins of alcohol.

His eyes narrow before he removes the bag and hands it back to me. His jaw clenches as he goes to move back around me to the tribe, but he stops short.

"What are you doing out here?" he asks.

I frown at him, thinking he's talking to me when I just made it clear that I have no interest in him or having a conversation with him. He's not talking to me, though. His gaze is firmly planted on someone else who's walking down the trail toward us.

"I was told to help set up the farm." Marron's words are clipped and harsher than I'm used to hearing from him since he usually speaks slowly and softly to me. "You were not invited."

I clear my throat to hide the laugh that tries to escape.

Then, because I don't need to be here if there's an altercation between males, I start my way back to the house, knowing that even if Marron follows me, he won't do anything that could get him in trouble with the rest of the tribe.

At least he won't when anyone could stumble on us.

He's returned to watch me bathe a few more times, each time stripping his tunic from his body and offering a trade.

I blush, but I always agree. He leaves his tunic on my stack of clothes and takes the underwear I was wearing that day.

I haven't worked up the courage to ask him what he does with them again because I can understand him better now.

I don't know if I could handle knowing without burning up from the inside out.

"Do you wish to be alone?" Marron calls after me after I've been walking for a couple of minutes. Whatever he talked about with Joll didn't take long, and he doesn't sound like he got into a fight.

I flick my hair over my shoulder and let my eyes trail over his body. I don't miss how he falters in his steps for a moment and then walks faster to reach me.

"Is that a yes or a no?" he asks with a laugh that makes me blush harder. I avert my eyes, but I know his full attention is on me.

"Yes," I say, chewing on my lip as I try to think of what else to say.

We've had a few conversations when I've bathed, but they don't usually last very long. If he gets caught, there's a good chance he'll be kicked out of the tribe. I don't want that to happen, but I also want him to keep watching me bathe because it's the only time we get alone.

"Do I need to speak with Joll about you being alone?" Marron's words are slower than normal, like he's having to choose specific words he knows I know. I appreciate it, but I also want to know what he would say if he wasn't filtering himself.

"No." I shake my head. "He wants to woo me, I think."

Marron hisses low in his chest, his eyes flickering red for just a second before they return to their normal black state.

I don't think I've ever seen Marron angry.

I kind of thought he was always just kind of happy since he always seems to be smiling at me or at Thro or Lyath and Beren when Thro is bothering them.

"Easy," I murmur under my breath, looking up at him through my lashes, hoping he knows I'm teasing. "I said I have a male. Or I think I did."

I shrug. Joll asked me if I had an issue with him or all males, and I didn't exactly answer it, but he should be able to piece together that there's only one male I want to pay me any attention.

"You told him you have a male?" Marron's voice sounds surprised, and all the lingering anger vanishes. "You said that?"

I shift the pack on my shoulder as an excuse not to have to look at Marron while we're talking.

It's too intense because any time I look at him and see how he looks at me, I want to do things we aren't supposed to do.

We aren't even supposed to be walking alone right now because I could lean into his chest just right, take a single deep breath, and be ready to ride him all day into the night.

That's also one of the reasons I don't look at him when he's this close.

The temptation to prove that we're mates is too much.

I switch to English and hope that I can admit to some things to get them off my chest, so I can act somewhat normal when he's around.

" I want to tell everyone that you're my mate.

I want to claim you and mark you, and make sure everyone knows I only want you.

But I don't know how to say that in your language yet.

Or not all of it, and I really want to say that to you so that you understand how serious I am about you.

" I take a deep breath and spin around to face Marron, who has stopped walking.

I look up at him, a new fire inside me. I didn't realize I needed to say all this because I've kept it bottled up for almost a year.

"One day, I'm going to tell everyone that you are mine, and then you're going to fuck my brains out.

And then you're going to tell me what you do with my underwear. "

I put my hands on my hips, let my eyes fall down the length of Marron's body, and smirk when I see his cock straining against the fabric of his pants.

He doesn't hide it from me. If anything, he seems to stand a bit taller as I speak, and he waits to know what I'm saying.

He must know that I've said quite a lot that he wants to hear because his breathing is hard, and his hands are clenched next to his side as though he's stopping himself from reaching out to me.

My fingers tighten on the strap of the pack.

"Okay?" I ask, knowing he can't really answer my question.

I just want to hear him agree with me, even in a false way.

I want to believe this is as difficult for him as it is for me, but I also need him to be on the same page about us not being able to work when we can't even talk with one another.

I want to know the male I'm going to mate.

I want to know him better than anyone else. To do that, we have to be able to talk.

Marron nods, "Okay."

I smile even brighter and then skip back to his side, nudging his hip with mine and walking back to the house.

We walk in silence until the house comes into view.

Marron stops walking, hidden by the trees from everyone else at the farm.

It's for the best since we shouldn't be seen alone with one another.

Nia wouldn't care since she's aware of my growing collection of Marron's tunics.

"Are you staying for the party?" I ask.

I might not want to tie myself to him entirely until we can talk, but that doesn't mean I don't want to be near him as often as possible.

I would love to wrap my fingers in his and drag him to the house just to see what everyone's reactions would be.

If it wouldn't lead Marron on, I'd do just that, but the others would expect us to go through the mating ceremony if we were that close.

"I do not know," Marron says, his lips in a flat line as he looks anywhere but at me.

"And if I say I want you to come?" I try not to sound too hopeful in my request because, for all I know, he hates the idea of parties. When his eyes fall on mine and shine a little brighter, I realize I asked the right question.

"If you want me here, I will be here," he says, taking the bag of alcohol from me and walking out of the shadows of the trees straight toward the house.

My mouth pops open, and he makes it pretty far before I register that he wants us to show up together. I school my features so I don't look so surprised and run to catch up with him.

"I believe this is for you," he says to Nia as he hands her the pack of alcohol.

She quirks an eyebrow at me before taking the pack.

I'm huffing and puffing and trying to catch my breath from running.

I shake my head, holding up a hand to Nia, saying it's not what she thinks, but before I can do that or she can ask a question, Marron's moving over to where Beren's working on setting up some sort of group seating, and Lyath's building a bonfire.

Beren gives me a look that tells me we'll be having a conversation tonight, and Lyath smiles and laughs at something Thro is telling him. I can't help the smile that splits my lips.

How could I not be happy when I was just caught alone with the male I want to be my mate, and the worst my family has done is give me are-you-kidding looks?

It's great. It's made even better because in just a few short hours, the party will be getting going, and I'm going to find a way to sneak away and flirt with Marron.