Page 78 of Romancing Rem'eb

“I am here because things must change,” Rem’eb continues. “We are stagnating, even as we scramble to save ourselves. But I have been above. I have been told all my life that it is forbidden, that those that live above ground are not to be trusted. That they are cursed.” He pitches his voice louder as he speaks, ensuring that those men that continue to creep forth from the huts can hear him. “I have lived amongst the people above for many hands of days now, and they are good people. They are not cursed, they do not wish us evil. They greeted me and met me with joy in their hearts. They fed those of us that left the caverns and clothed us, and gave us a home with them. They wanted nothing more than for us to flourish. To flourish, just like their people do.”

He gazes out at everyone.

“And they are flourishing. Their village is full of small children. Resonance is common amongst them. They happen more and more frequently amongst their people, and some couples are on their second or even third resonance amongst themselves. When was the last time that has happened amongst us?”

The village is silent. I can feel all eyes on our group, and I wonder what they think of Lauren and K’thar, here with their small son. I wonder if they even realize how much bravery it took for them to come with us to live with a potentially hostile people.

Rem’eb shakes his head and steps forward, addressing his people. I release his hand so he can go, and he pauses, turns back to me, and takes my hand, lifting it to his lips for a kiss. He smiles at me and then drops it again, turning back to the village and the men that watch him.

“We are stagnating,” Rem’eb tells them. “We have only a handful of small children in our village. Few of us resonate. We are doing something wrong. And we are going to change things.”

“That is what we have been trying to get you to see,” So’ran hisses at Rem’eb as he moves to his side. “Your father?—”

“My father is chief, but even chiefs can be wrong,” Rem’eb continues, unruffled by So’ran’s anger. He gives the other man a friendly touch on the shoulder. “He has tried to protect us, but in doing so, perhaps he has caused us even more harm. Who worked with Kin’far the Exile to steal the people from above and smuggle them into our home?”

The men glance around, no one speaking up. Some of them look shocked.

“No one will speak up? Admit that they let the exile speak poison in their ears?” Rem’eb turns toward me and holds a hand out. I want to burst with pride, because he’s so damn sexy when he’s in charge. I love it. I step forward and put my hand in his again, and he gives me a heated, possessive look as he draws me forward. “This female was kidnapped and hidden away in the village. I was told that only I could see her. It was in the hopes that we would resonate, yet our khuis did not speak. They would not.”

He turns and faces the village once more.

“This was wrong,” Rem’eb continues. “And so I put sleeping leaf in the stew and stole her away once more. I returned her to her people, and the moment we were above, we resonated. It is as if our spirits were waiting for something. I think they were waiting for me to see the truth of how our people should live. Intermingled. Together. As families.”

And Rem’eb strides forward through the village, tugging me along behind him. He’s in full Badass Mode, being the leader he was born to be. I glance at the others as we leave them behind, but Noj’me has stepped forward, standing in front in case anyone gives them grief. Lauren shoots me a thumbs up from afar, grinning.

“Where are you going?” So’ran demands, jogging at Rem’eb’s side as we make our way deeper into the city.

“We are going to the wall,” my mate explains calmly. “And we are going to smash the doors open. And then we are going to live as we should.”

Hope flares in the other man’s eyes. He shoots a look at me, suspicious, and then back to Rem’eb. “The chief?—”

“Has not stepped out of his house since I left,” Rem’eb says. “And in times when the chief cannot lead, his Fist must do so. And I am the Chief’s Fist.” He turns to me. “Now, my mate, would you like to destroy the doors or should I?”

Damn. This man is soaking my panties with his decisiveness. I love it. How did he doubt himself for a single moment?

This is what he was made for, and I’m so glad I’m here to see it.

Epilogue

TIA

As we head into the city, triumphant, the door to the women’s quarters is the first thing to go.

Just seeing it with the bar across the door makes me angry. No one should be locked in. If they choose to keep themselves separate, that’s one thing. Locking them away like they’re prisoners? That’s wrong. I’m the loudest to cheer as Rem’eb smashes the door open with the heavy hammer he takes from a work station nearby.

Then, the entrance to the other side of the wall is open, and a woman steps forward. She looks a lot like Noj’me, her build delicate. She blinks at us, her gaze lingering on me, and then on Rem’eb. Another moves forward behind her, and it’s clear they don’t understand what’s going on. Neither one approaches the now-open doorway.

A choked sob echoes in the cavern, and a third woman races past the other two. She barrels her way through the gathered group, looking for someone. When she finds him, she squeals and dives into the arms of a man waiting nearby. He picks her up and races away with her, as if he thinks someone’s going to steal his mate back from him, and it just reinforces the feeling that this is right.

It doesn’t matter that Rem’eb’s father separated everyone with the best intentions. It was still misguided.

After that, Rem’eb explains to the women that they are free to move about as they please—that they could remain behind the wall if they were comfortable, or they could join their fathers, brothers, or mates. That no one would be forced to hide away again. Several of the women surge into the city, reuniting with family, and the cavern fills with joyful cries.

Some of the women and young girls choose to stay behind the wall, uneasy. That’s fine. I just want it to be their choice. I touch my stomach as I watch the joyful reunions, thinking. I want our baby to have choices. If they want to live down here in the village under the mountains, that’s fine. If our kid wants to become the Chief’s Fist just like their father, that’s fine, too. If they want to go visit everyone on the beach, they’re welcome to. I just want my child to feel as if they’re loved and accepted and wanted wherever they go in life. No one should be made to feel like an outcast, or unwanted, even amongst their own people.

After the doors that blockaded the women behind the wall are smashed, Rem’eb sweeps on to his father’s home. To my surprise, the chief’s house is a mini-palace, with multiple rooms and its own private gardens. It’s a far nicer home than anything on Icehome beach, or that I’ve seen on this planet at all. No wonder Rem’eb wanted to return, if this is the sort of living he’s used to. It’s not nearly as primitive as life on the beach, and the garden is lovely and artistic. I’m starting to look forward to what kind of house we’ll have here, too.

Cas’zor the Loyal meets us, relief on his face. “You have returned. I am so glad. Welcome back, Chief’s Fist.”

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