In that moment, everything felt exactly right.
Chapter 10
Diarvet
Thorny vines snagged at my scales as I slugged through the jungle undergrowth, each step releasing the earthy scent of crushed vegetation and damp soil. The maramount hung over my shoulder—its heavy, lifeless weight a testament to another successful hunt. Though the creature’s blood had long since cooled and dried in sticky patches against my back, the satisfaction of the kill still thrummed through my veins. I felt proud, my chest swelling with the knowledge that I could provide for my females.
And they were my females. Mine to care for, mine to protect, mine to cherish.
Two days had passed since the last nightmare. Two days of knowing everything in my world had fundamentally changed.
I no longer slept alone. Every night, Jolie’s warm, soft body lay pressed against my side, her breath tickling my skin, while little Lilibet nestled safely between us. Their presence formed a barrier against the demons that had haunted my dreams for so long, as though their very essence possessed some healing magic that soothed the jagged edges of my soul.
Every moment with Lilibet delighted me. Watching her laugh, seeing her play, hearing her small voice call my name filled me with a warmth I’d never known. Yet, I longed for time alone with Jolie. Time for more lingering kisses, exploratory touches, and a chance to discover where such intimacies mightlead. Yet, I felt content waiting. For now, nurturing our small family, cementing the bonds between us, and ensuring Lilibet felt truly safe and loved seemed far more important than my own desires.
Zeihava.
Mate.
My scales hadn’t shifted the way Vraxxan’s had when he’d found Lucy, the unmistakable sign of a goddess-blessed union. Jolie might not be my true mate, but it mattered not one bit to my heart, which beat solely for her.
I wanted her with every fiber of my being with a hunger that went beyond mere physical desire, a yearning that consumed my every waking thought.
Still, I felt broken, too scarred by the horrors I’d endured, to imagine a future without the shadows lurking in the corners of my mind. Yet Jolie and Lilibet’s presence slowly stitched my fractured spirit back together. Each moment with them became another fragment of my soul, carefully mended with threads of hope.
I was not whole. Not yet. The cracks still showed. The wounds still ached in the quiet hours. But for the first time in countless cycles, I dared to hope that wholeness might be possible.
Jolie and I hadn’t been able to steal another kiss, not with little bright green eyes always watching us, but there had been countless moments of stolen touches—fingers brushing, hands lingering when they met, the deliberate press of her palm against my chest—and smoldering glances that heated across my scaled skin like fire, holding the same intoxication as the most passionate kiss, perhaps even more potent for being restrained.
Ceeka had noticed the tension that sparked between us whenever we drew near. So much so that the Peecha healer had suggested that she and Numa could take little Lilibet to theirvillage for a night or two. The offer would grant Jolie and me the tantalizing possibility of finding where the attraction between us might lead.
I hadn’t yet broached the subject with Jolie, knowing how fiercely protective she was of Lilibet. But we’d been on Eden for over a week now, and I’d witnessed the bond that had blossomed between her and Ceeka. Despite the language barrier, they’d discovered their own way to communicate through elaborate hand gestures, exaggerated facial expressions, and shared laughter that needed no translation.
Perhaps Jolie’s growing trust in the healer would make her amenable to the idea of letting Ceeka care for Lilibet for one night. One night where we could finally explore the magnetic pull that drew us together like twin moons in orbit. One night to perhaps surrender to the desires that simmered just beneath the surface of every stolen glance, every accidental touch, every breath we shared in the darkness.
I emerged from the thicket into a sun-drenched clearing the Peecha had carved from the wilderness decades ago, where blooming kipawa trees dotted the landscape. The air here was lighter, perfumed with the sweet, honeyed fragrance of ripening fruit that hung in heavy clusters, their fuzzy skins catching the filtered sunlight and glowing like amber jewels. Carefully shifting the weight of the maramount from my shoulder onto a moss-covered boulder, I stretched my muscles before turning my attention to the orchard.
My fingers plucked the plumpest fruits from their stems, stuffing them into the leather pouch hanging at my side. Lilibet’s delighted squeals echoed in my memory as I remembered her first taste of the fruit, sticky juice running down her chin as she giggled with delight, her eyes sparkling with wonder.
Ceeka taught Jolie a way to transform the fruit into something she calledjam. A thick, glossy concoction Jolie wouldspread across broad, fleshy dotvas leaves, creating what she fondly referred to asjam and bread. The sight of her face glowing with quiet satisfaction as she shared the simple pleasure with Lilibet, both of them humming contentedly, warmed something deep in my chest.
I continued gathering the fruit, imagining how its natural sweetness would complement the rich, savory taste of roasted maramount for tonight’s dinner and how happy my females would be with the treat.
I’d just hefted the maramount’s weight back onto my shoulder when an eerie transformation crept through the jungle.
Eden’s wilderness usually rang with a chorus of familiar sounds. The chittering of small creatures, the haunting, warbling calls of birds echoing from distant treetops, and the gentle rustle of leaves as unseen animals moved through the undergrowth. But suddenly, as if someone had drawn a curtain across the jungle, the sounds began to fade. An unnatural silence crept in, making every scale along my spine prickle and stand on end. The air itself seemed to hold its breath, as though the jungle waited for something terrible to unfold.
Every instinct I possessed prickled with an overwhelming sense of danger. My senses heightened to an almost painful degree, my focus sharpening to a razor edge. Something was wrong—deeply, fundamentally wrong.
I increased the pace of my steps, my pace just short of an all-out run, intent on keeping my movements silent as a shadow. The air thickened, heavy with tension. Even the ever-present buzz of insects vanished completely. Every creature in the jungle, from the smallest beetle to the largest predator, seemed to have gone into hiding, burrowing deep into whatever sanctuary they could find.
I shifted the weight of the maramount across my shoulders, redistributing the burden, and let my free hand driftpurposefully to the worn leather grip of the blade at my hip. My nostrils flared wide, searching for any scent that didn’t belong to this place, anything that might explain why the jungle had gone as silent and still as a tomb.
The treehouse was still a good distance ahead, but my females were there, waiting for my return. Jolie and Lilibet, vulnerable and unprotected while I’d been away on the hunt, save for young Numa.
My blood turned to ice in my veins, cold and sluggish with dread.
Danger.
