Page 38 of Claimed By the Alien Barbarian

Although, I didn’t sport the same tattoo. What was up with that?

“She’s your true mate?” Heldwep snarled, glaring at me.

I lifted my bow to show her I wouldn’t hesitate to defend myself or Nevarn. “You’re damn right I am.” Maybe. What did it mean if I didn’t have the same mark?

“Did he tell you he murdered his first mate?” she asked with a sly twist to her mouth. “Murdered! You’ll be next. Wait and see.” She huffed at me. “Watch out or he’ll stab you in the back.”

“I didn’t kill Weela,” he said, his hands splaying wide. “You know I didn’t do it.”

“I know nothing of the sort,” she growled. “How dare you come back here and how dare you bring thisthingto our clan, as if you somehow believe either of you are welcome?”

He drew himself up stiffly, and only the twitch in his hard jawline betrayed his anger. “My banishment is over and—”

“It should’ve been for a lifetime,” she snapped.

“I’ve returned for one reason only. My home is now with the Celedar Clan.Myclan. I’m the traedor.”

Heldwep shook her head, her long silver braid twitching across her spine. “You should’ve died. You murdered my daughter, and you should’ve been made to pay with your life.”

“The gods know I didn’t do it,” he said stiffly. “And I’m going to expose the person who did.” His arm went around my back, and his posture only loosened a touch. “We’re taking a root to the top. Don’t try to stop us.”

Spinning, she dove into the sea.

“I’m sorry,” he said softly, not looking my way.

After lowering my bow to the top of the everlipe, I moved to stand in front of him, my heart aching for his loss. For her loss, too, but she was directing her anger at the wrong person.

I’d come with him because he offered me a new start in a turbulent world. A way to survive. I’d agreed to stay with him while we were here, and while I’d said I would do it to avoid being forced on someone else, Iwantedto stay with him. I’d even offered to help him discover who’d killed Wella.

But now, a fierce need to stand by his side from now until forever shot through me.

“We’re going to show them that you didn’t do this,” I said fiercely. “And then we’re going to make sure the new traedor banishes the one who did.”

He cupped my face and kissed me much too quickly.

I was falling for him. I couldn’t seem to hold myself back. Was this the will of his gods working on my emotions? They felt real, as real as he did.

“I’m sorry I didn’t show you the mating mark,” he said, turning his arm over. It almost glowed in the sunlight. “I didn’t want you to feel forced into this.”

“I don’t mind. I . . . don’t have one.”

He stroked my face. “You don’t need one to prove to me that we belong together.”

“Nevarn,” I breathed. Why did I doubt him when it was clear he felt the same way?

“I’ll take you up to the island,” he said, backing away from me.

“We’re in this together,” I said almost desperately. “Don’t forget that.”

His smile flashed much too briefly. “Thank you.”

“For being here with you?”

“For believing in me.”

How could I do anything else?

He eased around me and looked up, studying the roots dangling in the water. I didn’t see any posts or support system holding the island about three hundred feet above us. Huge, it blocked out the sun and created a dark shadow on the ocean that had to be miles across.

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