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“I remember the first human I met,” I tell her. “I was not much more than a cub. There was a gathering of the Zvori tribes. I was allowed to attend for the first time.”
“I didn’t know there were tribe meetings,” Sierra interrupts. “I thought you were quite solitary. Gradius was the first other Zvori I’ve met other than you.”
“Normally we are, in our day-to-day lives. But we’re also part of a tribe, and we have a council that meets regularly to sort out problems or come together when there is a fight we cannot handle alone.”
“But your tribe didn’t help when you had to fight the dark elves,” she points out.
“No,” I admit. “That’s what Gradius came to tell me. The tribe elders wanted me to give you back to the dark elves.”
“You walked away from your tribe to protect me?” she asks incredulously.
“Of course,” I reply. “You are mine.”
Sierra goes still at my side. I can barely even hear her breath.
“Thank you,” she says eventually. “I have never had anyone look after me like you do.”
I kiss the top of her head and hold her tight. Again, I want to tell her I love her, but the words don’t want to come out.
“You were telling me about your human obsession,” she prompts.
“Yes,” I reply. “It was at the gathering of the pack.”
“What’s that? Is it different from the council?” she asks.
“Yes. The gathering of the pack is where tribes come together from all across Kaynvu.”
“Wow, that sounds amazing. Does that happen often?”
“About once a year. It’s a big thing to host the gathering. There is normally a lot of information exchanged. We learn of goings on from all around Kaynvu, and there is a lot of trading, too. Often, Zvori will find mates from outside their own tribe. It keeps the blood clean.”
“And that’s where you met your first human?” she asks.
For a moment, I am back in the clearing. She was dressed in winter furs with long dark hair tied up in a braid.
“Hello,” she’d said, smiling and showing no fear.
I was young and impressionable, and she was different, exotic. I could tell by her scent that she was mated to a Zvori and pregnant with his child.
“She was beautiful,” I tell Sierra. “But not as beautiful as you,” I add.
Sierra laughs and turns so she is leaning on my chest, her head in her hands as she looks into my eyes. “Are you sure about that?” she asks with her eyes shining in the light of the fire.
“There is not a creature on all of Protheka as beautiful as you,” I tell her sincerely.
She laughs. “Go on with the story,” she says. “You met a beautiful human woman and naturally wanted one of your own?”
“Pretty much. She was mated to one of the tribe leaders. I remember wanting to go and join their tribe, just so I could be close to her. I even petitioned the leader of their tribe to see if they would have me. When he found out it was because I was infatuated with his mate, he cuffed me around the ear and told me I was a cheeky pup.”
“I bet he did,” says Sierra, smiling.
“Yeah, looking back on it, I guess he had a point. I was devastated at the time. I spent the rest of the gathering trying not to get caught as I spied on her.” I laugh as I recall the memory.
“I take it Gradius found out about it?” Sierra wants to know.
“The entire tribe found out about it,” I tell her. “But I didn’t care. I was always one of the strongest and fastest, and Gradius was always weak and sour. I didn’t care what he or any of the others thought. I made it no secret that I wanted a human of my own.”
“So I take it your tribe doesn’t live in houses like the one you were living in?”
