Page 25

Chapter 25

Odik

A s I made sure our home could withstand the tempest, I did all I could to remove the idea of Trilden leaving from my mind. How many did that leave on the island now? I didn’t need to count in my mind. Three left the day my mate arrived. Now Trilden. Just twenty-six. How long until only me, my mate, and Madine remained?

When I entered our home, Eleri greeted me with a smile. “I’ve prepared a good meal for you, mate.” She gestured to the table.

It almost broke me to see she’d prepared my favorite dish. A small jar holding a scant bit of water and flowers sat in the center of the table.

“Eleri,” I groaned, lifting her up for a kiss that went on so long, I contemplated taking her to the bedroom before we ate. No, where I could eat her. But she’d worked hard to prepare something she thought would make me happy, and I wanted to savor each bite.

She slid down my front and sashayed over to the table, sending me a shy smile. “I collected wild greens to go with the meal and found some tubers I roasted in butter you keep in the cool box. I assume that comes from the mainland?”

“As Trilden pointed out, we don’t have enough fresh water to keep milk-producing beasts to make our own butter.”

“If we had more water, would we have enough land to support them?”

“Definitely. Despite our crops not growing well, we’ve maintained a balance of open fields and forest.”

“Why do you do that when you don’t have enough water?”

“Sometimes, we see frequent rain. Then our crops flourish. We’re always prepared for it to happen.”

We sat, and I dug in, groaning at how wonderfully she’d seasoned the fish.

“I used herbs I collected in the woods beside the house,” she said with a smile. “I suspect this land has everything we need to sustain life for many more than the few who choose to live here.”

“If only it rained enough to keep our barrels full all the time.”

Her smile widened. “It’s raining now and that will refill the barrels. We can bathe in salt water.”

“And boil it for drinking water.”

Her head tilted. “We don’t drink the rainwater?”

“We can, though we save most of it for our crops. If you boil salt water and collect the steam, it’s fresh and drinkable. Boiling leaves the salt behind in the pan.” I gestured to the small container on the table. “We then use the salt to season our food.”

“Is it possible to boil and collect enough clean water to feed a huge field of crops?”

I shook my head. “We’ve tried it with large kettles and big open fires, but it’s an incredible amount of work. Too much work when so few people live on the island.”

“I wish there was a way to make this possible for everyone. Then you could recruit people to live here with us. We need to grow the population to a level that will provide the services we all need to share our best lives.”

“I wish that was possible too, but it isn’t. The life you see here is fading faster than I ever thought possible. When my father took over the clan, there were over one hundred living on the island. Now we’re just twenty-six.”

“Twenty-seven.”

I frowned.

“Don’t forget me, love.”

“Ah, you’re right.” This time, my smile was true. Being with Eleri made everything better. “If only the Mate Hunt ran each month. We could bring woman to the island and match them with our males. Then our population would go up instead of down.”

“I’m not giving up yet.”

And I appreciated that. I took her hand lying on the table beside her plate and squeezed it. “Thank you.”

“For what?”

I gestured to my food. “This excellent meal. And for being here with me. For listening and loving me.”

“There’s no place I’d rather be and no one I’d rather be with.”

We ate, savoring the meal, then cleaned the dishes together in the sink.

After, I leaned against the counter, watching as Eleri puttered around the living area, tidying things that truly didn’t need tidying.

The wind howled around my snug home, seeking entrance it wouldn’t find. I expected the full force of the storm to hit just past midnight.

“I believe I owe you a song and a dance,” I said.

She stopped and turned my way, a throw pillow held against her body. “Remember, I’ve never danced.”

I stepped toward her. “Then it’s time you did, my love.”

“My leg may hold me back.”

Taking the pillow from her, I tossed it onto the sofa and tugged her into my arms. “If it hurts, tell me, and we’ll stop.” To make sure it wouldn’t ache, I lifted her. This also put us at eye level, which meant I could give her a quick kiss.

She moaned and clung to my shoulders.

Lifting my head, I grinned with happiness. “I believe I mentioned something about singing as well?”

“If I know the tune, I’ll hum it for you.”

“How about this one?” I started a robust song about females with skirts swirling about their ankles and a male’s intention to seduce her.

Eleri laughed as I twirled her around the small space between the kitchen and living area, her head tilted back, and her hair swishing across her back.

My life may be getting harder, and only the fates knew what the future had in store for my clan, but as long as I held Eleri, I could smile.