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Because I didn’t want to push it, I eased backward and stood, watching as the chall licked the plate. It looked up at me in thanks before it spun on its hind legs and bolted from the building.
Shaking her head and smiling, Jessia strolled toward the front door.
“First step accomplished,” I said. “Actually, I’m surprised it tolerated me touching it. What do you think about calling him Franklin?”
“Franklin?”
“That’s the name of my old boss.”
“We don’t name challs.”
“I do.” After returning the plate to the kitchen, I linked my arm through Aizor’s and tugged him toward the door. “What’s on the agenda for today?”
He shot me a tusky grin that made my insides do a little dance. “Besides seducing my pretty mate?”
“Where would you do something like that?” I was truly curious how far he’d take this. It was clear he’d seen my seven-day ultimatum as a challenge, and from the heat coiling from my belly to between my legs, my body was quite eager to see what plans he had to convince me to stay.
“After I speak with my second, Krute, I believe we should bathe in the pools.”
Warm water. Sitting inside a pool with Aizor?
Sign me up.
Chapter 24
Aizor
Ihad six days left, and I wasn’t going to waste any of them. I would win Vanessa’s heart, and she’d tell me she wanted to stay.
With a plan in mind, I sought out Krute to get our talk over with, though we didn’t have much to discuss. His scouts had spied a herd of bribards in the small valley adjacent to the one with the island housing our gods, and he thought we should put together a hunting party to take down three to cure. We stored dried, smoked meat for the cool, winter months, and with fall approaching and the nights getting chilly, now was an excellent time to do it.
“Anything else?” I asked him. We sat at the central firepit in the middle of our ring of homes, though the fire wasn’t lit.
“Muzzire swears he found footprints in the woods above our village.”
“Nevarn’s clan?” I asked sharply.
Vanessa, who was studying the wooden chair I made Jessia, even sitting in it and rocking with a big smile on her face, paused to look our way.
Krute shrugged. “He said the footprints were big. Much bigger than any Zuldruxian he’s seen before. I suppose they could be from the Celedar Clan.”
“Our males chased them away a few days ago. What reason would Nevarn, or his males, have to keep coming this far from their forest home?”
We both looked at Vanessa.
A growl rumbled in my chest. I’d slice Nevarn through, sew him back together, then slice him all over again if he so much as touched my mate.
“Post more guards,” I said.
Krute nodded, and we both stood. “I’ll do so right away.”
“Also send two males to look for a woman like Vanessa.”
Her smile widened, and I loved seeing the thanks in her eyes.
Krute’s thick brow ridge tightened. “A female?”
“Yes.” I explained about the women inside pods on the island and how Vanessa noted one of them was missing. “If they find her, bring her to us. We’ll keep her safe.”
