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He released me after a few seconds, his snake-like, split tongue shooting out to give the back of my hand a quick lick. Straightening, he turned to the side as if waiting for us to mount him.
“My goddess,” Ravik whispered with possessive pride, “you were made for me.”
Surprised, I looked up at him. I couldn’t define the expression on his face, but before I could ask any question, he drew my face to his and crushed my lips with a hunger that left me reeling and weak in the knees. When he released me, his eyes clearly said that, if not for the hunt, he would be dragging me back to his bedroom right now and keeping me there for the foreseeable future.
I slipped my armband back on. Under the heavy stares of his men, Ravik helped me up onto Voltar’s back and then climbed behind me. Something more than the karvelis accepting me had just happened, but I couldn’t figure out what. The animal’s broad back forced me to spread my legs wider than any other mount I’d ever ridden. The lack of reins or saddle unsettled me. The rider needed to learn to move in harmony with the creature to keep his balance. The only means to stabilize oneself was to lean forward and hang on to some of the horns on the side of his neck. It further drove home what Ravik had been saying about the dangers of riding the racing breed for non-Braxians. My overall shorter height and arm-length meant stretching further to get a grip on them, which would destabilize my seat on the beast.
The rest of the men mounted their karvelis, and we set off. Wonder and a sense of surrealism washed over me. Here I was, light-years away from my home world, surrounded by feral-looking giants, and riding on the back of a fearsome beast while snugly held against the Braxian ruler’s strong body. The men looked awe-inspiring clad in their black, form-fitting, combat uniforms. Each of them had a blaster hooked to their hip, but the spears, swords, battle axes, and bows strapped to their back made me tingle with anticipation. The Braxians’ reputation on the battlefield remained unrivaled.
A massive, older Braxian with greying brown hair and green eyes rode up to us, followed closely by approximately twenty men. He nodded respectfully at Ravik before slightly falling back, although remaining in close range. I assumed him to be Elder Pattel, whose arrival we’d been awaiting before setting off. I noticed then that all of their uniforms had a colored patch on their shoulder with some kind of symbol matching the banners I’d seen hanging on the walls of Ravik’s Hall; their clan sigils.
Due to our large numbers and the size of the karvelis, we moved at a fairly slow trot and would only speed up once we’d cleared the sprawling village outside of the city walls so that the riders could spread out and avoid unfortunate accidents. That gave us a few minutes to talk before the thundering sound of our mounts’ clawed hooves—and the need to hang on for dear life—would make it impossible.
“So what was that about back there, with Voltar?” I asked. “Why did everyone look at me funny? Did I do something wrong?”
Although I’d read plenty about the Braxian culture before my arrival, and even more so after discovering through the Tuning that Ravik was my soulmate, many subtleties of the dos and don’ts escaped me.
“No, little bird,” Ravik said. “You did nothing wrong, quite the opposite. It was bold of you to present your hand to Voltar. Worst case scenario, he would have rejected you, like he has many others in the past.”
My stupid jealousy instantly reared its ugly head. I didn’t know what was up with me. I’d never been so ridiculously territorial. Then again, I’d never met my soulmate before.
“Other females?” I blurted out, kicking myself immediately for it.
Ravik chuckled smugly. “No, silly girl. That was the other part of why what you did turned out to be such a good thing.”
I cast a questioning look at him over my shoulder.
“Females do not present their hands to karvelis,” Ravik explained. “They’re too scared. The rare few who have attempted to do so over the past century were all rejected. And I mean females who tried with karvelis other than mine,” he specified with a mocking tone.
That earned him a playful elbow jab in the ribs, which made him chuckle further.
“Like all those of his kind, Voltar respects strength. He would not pledge his life to one he feels wouldn’t do the same for him. He deemed you an equal, a hunter, and a protector.” The seriousness of his tone made me realize this was far more important to him—maybe evenforhim—than I thought. “My people obsess with purity of blood. To have an alien female by my side, one of mixed blood herself, is ruffling feathers.”
I stiffened. It didn’t surprise me, seeing how they treated half-breeds like Anton. Still, it stung. Obstacles just seemed to keep piling up against us.
“Tell me, Ravena, what are your intentions?” Ravik asked, the tension in his voice subtle, yet unmistakable.
My heart skipped a beat, uncertain how to answer. I’d always been the one avoiding commitment. A Seer had warned me that I wouldn’t meet my soulmate until after my brother’s death, so I didn’t see the point in getting attached to someone I would eventually end up leaving. The occasional affair, no strings attached, no complications, had suited me perfectly. With his current situation, strong sense of duty, and the burden of the Braxian culture, I feared he might reject anything beyond a temporary fling.
For a second, I considered playing dumb, pretending to have no idea what he was referring to. But we were both grown adults, and I wasn’t a coward.
“I thought you said that I belonged to you, and that you’d kill any other man who touched me?” I said, testing the waters.
“I know my own stance and made it clear,” Ravik said, his tone hardening. “I asked for yours.”
His stance implied keeping me, in spite of all the adversity he’d face—I hoped. Licking my lips I braced myself and took the plunge.
“How much do you know about Korletheans?” I asked, hoping he’d play along until I got to the point.
He narrowed his eyes at me. “As much as everyone else; mainly that they’re powerful psychics, Seers, and Oracles.”
I nodded in response. “They have something they call the Tuning.”
Ravik recoiled, his eyes widening.
He knows what it is.
I licked my lips again, my eyes flicking between his, trying to assess how much of it he understood.
