“That’s not my fucking fault,”Ravikgrowled to himself, as he climbed into the shuttle.“They’reasking too much—Ican’t fucking do it.”
He thought about what his family and clan would say back onRageronif he showed up with two mates—one of them male—and admitted he shared a female with him every night.Hethought of the shame his parents would feel—the derision he would get from otherBeastKindredmales.Hethought of the pointed questions—no doubt asking if he letSeverinbite him and fuck him the same way he fucked their shared female.
No, it wasn’t fucking possible, he decided.Hecouldn’t do it—couldn’t stand the shame.
He started the engines and lifted the craft into the air.Hewould call theMotherShipand ask them to send another ship forSevandCassie.Theycould leave whenever they wanted.Theycould leave together.Hell, maybe they would bond and getJoinedin a big ceremony.Hownice for them.
He made himself picture the scene—his best friend and the woman they both loved standing in the middle of theSacredGrove, pledging their love before theGoddess?—
“Warrior!”
The voice came out of nowhere so suddenly thatRaviklost his grip on the steering yoke and nearly crashed the shuttle.Hehad to grab for it quickly to keep from going nose-first into the ground.
As he scrambled to keep the ship aloft, his brain was racing.Whatthe fuck was going on?Washe imagining things?Hallucinatingbecause he was so upset?
“You are not hallucinating.”
It was that same voice again—strong and feminine and not very happy.
“Goddess?”he asked uncertainly.Hehad heard other warriors say that theMotherofAllLifehad come to them and spoken to them directly but he had never dreamed it might happen to him.
“You are correct—it isI, theMotherofAllLife,”the voice told him.“Putyour ship in autopilot—Ihave something to show you.”
Ravik did as he was told—he didn’t dare to do otherwise.
“Speak,Goddess,” he said, once he was sure he wasn’t going to crash and burn.“I’mlistening.Whatdo you want to show me?”
“I am here to show you two different futures,”theGoddesstold him.“Watchand then choose which shall be yours.”
Ravik had been watching the viewscreen as they spoke, because theGoddesswas a presence and a voice—not a physical person he could look at.Now, as he watched, the golden skies ofCherubinThreefaded and he saw something new instead.
It was theSacredGroveand there—just as he had been picturing them—wereSevandCassie.Theywere dressed in formal wear—a flowing white dress for her and the traditionalBloodKindredfur leggings and boots forSev.Thetwo of them were standing before a priestess with green-within-green eyes, saying their vows.
Ravik felt his heart twist in his chest.
“So they getBondedand stay together,” he muttered.
“They try,”theGoddessmurmured in his ear.“ButtheBondthey form is incomplete.Alltheir lives they feel something—someone—is missing.Theyare never truly happy.”
The scene changed andRaviksaw himself going back to his clan onRageron, theBeastKindredhome world.Hesaw himself welcomed by theClanElders.Noone laughed or made fun of him for having another male for a mate.Noone turned up their nose in disgust when they learned he andSevshared a female.
He saw himself respected and esteemed…and always alone.
“DoInever find a mate,Goddess?”he asked, his voice hoarse.“Oranother friend?”
Her reply was brutally honest.
“Never,Warrior.”
“But…Ilive a happy life?”he asked.
“It is fulfilling, in a way.Youare successful in your profession—you rise high in your clan.Butit is a lonely life and you will die alone.”
The words cut him to the quick and he found he couldn’t even answer.
“Now see another way,”theGoddesssaid, speaking in his ear.“Watch,Warrior, and see what you are giving up.”
The scene on the viewscreen changed.
