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“Gods, no. Father, I don’t want to hear about you and Mother,” Kyx said, sending his father into more laughter.
“Sometimes you sound more human than Ragoru when you speak,” his father observed, his eye gleaming.
He bristled. “I am Ragoru.”
“You are,” his father agreed. “But you are also part human, even if it is hard to tell. The shape of your head is a bit rounder, your cheekbones more prominent. Even your eye color is atypical for our species. It is okay to be both. Your mother is human, as is your mate. That doesn’t lessen our love for them.”
“But I am smaller than my triad brothers,” Kyx grumbled as he sank down beside Korash. “Sometimes I worry they see me as less. I am not as brave as Warol or dominant as Rager.”
“Yes, you are leaner and smaller in stature, but you have a big heart. You are also very smart and perceptive. You can track better than any of your fathers,” his father admitted. “Regardless, I do not think your mate is complaining.”
“What if I can’t protect her?” he blurted out. It was his worst nightmare.
Korash tilted his head to one side. “What do you mean?”
“What if something happens and I fail to protect her? What if she’s hurt or killed? I will never forgive myself if that happened.”
“And you think this wouldn’t be possible under the watch of any other Ragoru?”
Kyx indulged in a human shrug. It seemed the most appropriate for communicating his uncertain feelings.
He heard his father sigh and shift closer to him. Korash’s larger muzzle rested against his shoulder; one hand stroked down his mane. Kyx leaned into the comfort.
“No one can protect those that they love all the time without fault or error. You have said before that Warol and Rager have no family. I am assuming this is due to huntsmen. Do you think their fathers were weak, and that this made them fail to protect their families?”
He looked over at his father in abhorrence. He would never dare suggest or even think such a thing. His sire gazed at him kindly.
“You see? Bad things happen, and no matter how big you are, there is no guarantee that they won’t. Besides, it’s wise to never underestimate a smaller being. Your mother is small and—just between us—I am afraid to sleep with all four eyes closed sometimes.”
“I heard that,” his mother called from inside the antechamber.
Korash winked one peripheral eye at him, and surprisingly he felt better. He watched his father roll to his feet and stride inside the den before he shot to his own feet.
“Oh, there was something I wanted to talk to you about,” Kyx called out as he followed close behind. His mother turned from where she was stacking some boxes that looked suspiciously like merchant’s wares. He frowned down at them, losing his track of thought. Emala followed his line of sight and gave him the same exasperated look that he remembered from his youth.
“Don’t look like that. Vordri found an abandoned wagon near the mountains and pulled it home. It took him three days to return. I was about worried out of my mind, but it was a thoughtful gift,” she admitted. “I couldn’t get too mad about it even if his antics did take years off my life. Here is a piece of advice, Kyx: if you want a happy family, make sure you communicate with them. All of them—including your mate. Don’t just send a howling message to your brother and trust him to pass it along, when you know your triad brother has the memory of a flea,” she said as she narrowed her eyes at Korash. She sighed and raised an eyebrow. “Kyx, was there something you wanted to talk to us about?”
“Uh, yes. We will be going deeper into the eastern forest as soon as the thaw comes, and?—”
“And you want us to come as well. Of course. With huntsmen spotted lurking about and crazed Ragoru—what could possibly happen next? Your fathers and I discussed this at length during the Withering Days.”
He gave her an arched look, and she flushed.
“Among other things. Believe it or not, we do find some time to talk. We aren’t young and able to rut like you can.”
“Mother!” he groaned, covering his ears with two of his hands while the other pair waved frantically.
His father Korash grinned but his mother merely rolled her eyes, her lips twitching as she pulled his hands away.
“You are not a rog anymore. You know very well by now what happens between mates. As I was saying, we agreed it is time to settle farther away from humans. We love this den, but your older brothers all went east. We don’t expect any of our young to return here after all these years, but we wouldn’t mind reuniting with our family. Also, it would be nice to be there when your rogs come,” she admitted.
She sighed again, heavier this time. “I never could get used to the way so many Ragoru live disconnected from their families when they are grown. It broke my heart every time one of you left to build your own triad. Malu will be leaving us in a few years. It would be nice to be nearby for your family and to encourage our other offspring to visit. This winter has proved that we can live comfortably together in the same territory, and it would be beneficial for all of our safety.”
“And my fathers all agreed?” he asked, looking in surprise at Korash. He had assumed his fathers would have been the most difficult to convince. All his life they had taught him that a Ragoru should seek to rely on no other but his triad and mate as he worked to establish an isolated territory and defend it. He’d prepared him for the day when he would be an adult and leave his whelping den and the knowledge that he would soon be apart from them. This change of heart was a surprise.
“Yes, we are agreed,” Korash said. His eyes slid over to his mate and softened. “Sometimes it is good for old ways to change and adapt to new situations. I will miss this den but not as much as I miss my young. We leave at the first thaw.”
Chapter
