Total pages in book: 81
Estimated words: 75388 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 377(@200wpm)___ 302(@250wpm)___ 251(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 75388 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 377(@200wpm)___ 302(@250wpm)___ 251(@300wpm)
I feel eyes on me and scan the cave.
There, off to one side. It is the human Mah-dee. She is looking in my direction. I catch her gaze and give her a challenging look, daring her to continue staring at me. Does she think her distaste for me will make me scurry away like a diseased metlak?
To my surprise, a strange expression crosses her face and she quickly looks away again.
Curious. Her response reminds me of when Jo-see first resonated to Haeden. She chattered on and on about how much she hated him…and yet could not stop watching him when she thought no one paid attention. The hunters noticed, however. It is our job to be observant of our prey, to notice the behavior of others. Jo-see’s lips said one thing, but her body said another.
Could this be the case with Mah-dee? Is she attracted to me?
I feel a surge of pride and run a hand down my chest. My body is a fine one, and I am strong. I am a tireless hunter, and I am sure that if I were given the chance to test my skills, I could be equally tireless in the furs to please my female.
But it does not matter. I can take no mate because I am exiled. I have no cave to call my own. Until the brutal season arrives, my bed is the snow outside, and my task to bring in as much food as possible. Once I have worked hard enough, I will be forgiven for betraying the rules of the tribe.
Until then, I have nothing and no one.
My mood bleak, I toss the kill down in front of Hemalo. “Meat for you and your—” I stop, because Hemalo has broken the bond with his mate. They do not speak, and now he beds with the hunters. It is unthinkable to me—to have a resonance mate and choose to leave her. I do not understand him. “Meat,” I say gruffly.
“My thanks,” Hemalo replies, ever mild. “Will you join me by the fire for a bit? Rest yourself?”
I hesitate. I would like to join him by the fire. I would like to share a cup of sah-sah and laugh and eat. I would like to sit amongst my tribe and enjoy the evening, even if it is to celebrate the joining of another male to the female I stole. I would like to see if Mah-dee looks my way again.
But Vektal is sitting nearby, his daughter bouncing on his knee as his mate, Shorsie, shares a piece of fruit with other humans. He is watching me.
And his rules must be obeyed if I want to win my place back amongst my people. “I must not.” I touch Hemalo’s shoulder and then head off, back out into the snow and the dark.
Alone.
I have not yet earned the right to return. But I plan to.
2
Maddie
One Week Later
“What do you mean, you guys are going out?” I stare at my sister like she’s grown a second head, and then sign my question to her. Sometimes I forget that her cochlear implants are gone and she is now deaf again.
I mean, we are going out, Lila signs to me patiently. A journey. The others want to see the fruit cave and harvest some of the fruit there, and grab a few plants to see if we can’t grow some in this cave. Rokan and I are the only ones that know where it’s at, so we’re going to take a few of the others and show them.
When do we leave? I ask. I’m not keen on trotting around in the snow again but if it must be done, it must be done. Plus, staying around the cave all day with no one to talk to has been a bit boring. My cave-buddy Asha doesn’t do much more than eat and sleep, and my sister’s been holed up in her cave making babies with her man. Stretching my legs with a walk sounds like a good idea.
Lila tilts her head at me, curious, and then begins to sign again, slow and deliberate. It’s going to be a very small group going.
Okay? I’m not sure what that has to do with anything…and then I realize. I’m not invited, am I?
Lila looks pained. It’s not that. We’re going to be traveling fast and it’s going to be a hard push. And when we come back, we’re going to be carrying a lot of weight in our packs.
I see. And they don’t want the fat chick slowing them down. The only thing that stops me from lashing out in a bitch-fit is the obvious pain on my sister’s face. She’s clearly torn between sticking up for me and being one of the cool kids.
That’s fine, I sign to her and put a bright smile on my face, even though I’m not feeling it. I rolled my ankle the other day anyhow, so I might as well stay close to the cave.