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“Hakoa…” he whispered. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean it. I saw you on top of her and I just…”
Hakoa stepped forward and offered a hand to Ryker, helping him to a stand. I stood and stepped back to give them space. He patted Ryker on the shoulder.
“I get it. No hard feelings. If it were my mate, you would have been drowning in your own fluids.”
“And I probably wouldn’t have stopped him,” Mavris huffed a laugh which caused Hakoa to laugh harder with Ryker following.
I gaped in confused astonishment at how they could find anything about this situation humorous. Ryker turned toward me. Noticing my expression, he pulled me into an embrace.
“I’m sorry to you as well,” he said into my hair.
“It’s okay,” I whispered. I wasn’t even remotely upset that he had entered my mind. I tilted my head back to look at him. “And I’m not the one that almost died over a clumsy run-in.”
“No. But I did lose control when I tried so hard not to.” He brushed a hair behind my ear. “And you had to find out about Mav’s abilities in such an abrupt way.”
“I had planned to speak with you about it after you two were fully mated, hoping that you’d like me enough by then to not have me killed,” Mavris said.
Ryker turned so I could look at his brother.
“How have you kept it hidden all this time?” I asked.
Mavris just shrugged. “It’s a long story. And one for another time.” I took the hint and let the matter drop.
“And how many people know?” I looked between the three of them before settling back on Mavris.
“Just us plus Arra and my father.” Mavris stepped forward and placed a hand on Ryker’s shoulder. They both nodded to each other before he and Hakoa walked away down the corridor I had come from, leaving Ryker and I standing alone.
“Are you alright?” He traced his fingers down my arm, looking into my eyes with concern.
I smiled up at him. “Yes. I’m fine.”
“I was coming to find you to see if you were hungry yet. Where were you headed?”
“To meet with Odarum then to speak with you. But now may not be the best time.”
His eyebrows creased. “How come?”
“We’ll talk later. During dinner,” I said as Ryker bent down to grab the book from the floor, checking it for any damage before tucking it under his arm.
“I can go with you.”
“No. I’d like to talk with him first, then you.”
He stared at me for a few moments. His lips were pressed into a thin line.
“Alright. I’ll see you soon then.” He kissed me on the forehead, then we turned and went our separate ways.
“That took much longer than expected,”Odarum said with his ears perked forward in interest as I entered the training area outside the palace.
“Sorry. Ran into some trouble along the way.”
The sun was just beginning to set over the mountains and I could feel the temperature dropping in the air, the sky turning a burnt orange color with hues of pink. Despite the cold, I was starting to love being here. Which brought my thoughts back to the matter at hand.
“I need you to take me and the other Roav back to Morah in themorning. Would you mind?”I asked.
“I do not mind.”Odarum relaxed his ears and lowered his head in a slight nod.“But first, I request that you practice more with your shifting. You assured me that you will work faster in honing your gifts.”
He had every right to call me out. I had promised him that I would work on it. He warned me that he learned that I needed to do it quickly. I was struggling to find the time for it all. But going back to Morah and getting the help from the Scholars would have freed me up so I could train more.
