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She sucks in a wild breath, her nostrils flaring. Tears spill down her cheeks and she gazes up at me with such anguish that I feel as if I am bleeding. I want to fix this for her. I want to make it better. I do not know how—in her eyes, resonance has made me the same as the male from her home. She thinks I will attack and claim, when all I want to do is cherish and support.
I need to make her realize I am her mate, not her owner.
"We breathe," I say to her calmly. "And when we can think straight, we talk."
Sam trembles all over, her eyes wild. I keep myself calm and take a deep, noisy breath, hoping it will encourage her to do the same. She does, her breath puffing fiercely. I nod approval and we breathe together, over and over, and there is nothing in the world for me but Sam and her breathing. I will stand here all day and all night if she needs it. We breathe together until the tears stop spilling from her eyes and she lets out a shuddering sigh.
"I am here. I will not leave you alone. Whatever problem is in that pod, we will solve this, together." I give her a firm nod to emphasize my words. "Understand?"
She swallows hard and then flings herself at me, burying her face against my chest. I wrap my arms around her, hugging her tight and wishing my khui (and my cock) would stop responding to her presence. If she notices, she pays no attention. Sam just clings to me, seeking my warmth and comfort, and I stroke her hair and reassure her that all will be well.
If I have to re-bury that egg and pretend it does not exist, I will do so. I do not care if there are handfuls of nubile females or special blades inside. Sam is the only thing that matters. I will drag it back to the great salt water and dump it under the waves if I must. She simply needs to tell me how to proceed, what will make her happy. I hold her tight, hating that I am so pleased that she has come to me for comfort. I should not care, but I like that she presses against me for reassurance. I am not the enemy right now, and it fills me with relief. "Should we turn around and leave?"
Sam shudders. "I would love that, but…what if it's another Daisy trapped inside?"
"Shall I go look?"
She pulls away from me, nodding. She will not look me in the eye, nor does she look at the egg. She just rubs her chest, directly over the spot where her khui sings, and moves to sit on a boulder a short distance away.
I approach the strange thing, eying it with curiosity. I have never seen anything like it. The Ancestors’ Cave, perhaps, but not so small and smooth. I hold my spear close, but when nothing opens or flashes, I set it down nearby and reach for the surface of the egg. It is frigid and smooth, my hands sticking to the surface like they do when it is too cold and one touches one of the special knives. What do they call it? Meh-tal? This is made of that same thing. I brush my hand carefully over the surface, scraping away crusted snow and ice.
As I do, a face stares back at me.
I suck in a breath. It is like nothing I have seen before.
"What is it?" Sam's voice is frantic behind me. "What do you see?"
The utter panic in her voice makes me gather my thoughts. I do not want her in terror any longer. "I think it is a snow-cat," I admit. "Not a human."
"A what?" She jumps to her feet, rushing forward. "Someone shoved a cat in there?"
"A cat with a face," I correct, turning to look at her. "A people-face."
"Oh," she breathes, moving to my side. Her hand clenches mine tight, her fingers cold against my larger, warmer ones. "I know what that is. Kind of like Gren? He said he's part cat-people didn't he? I forget what they're called."
"It does not matter. We are not opening it. He—or she—will continue to sleep." Normally I would insist on bringing such a person back to the tribe, but I do not like Sam's terror. Her fear—and her tears—have torn me apart inside. All I want to do now is get back to the fruit cave and comfort her. Even if she does not let me touch her again, I can stand guard and be her friend. "We will tell the others when we get back and Raahosh or R'jaal will decide what to do."
The thought of yet another male joining the tribe should upset me, because it would mean one more to compete with for a female, but I have resonated to Sam. That part of my life is gone, I realize…and I am glad for it.
