“If you would like to walk with me, I am ready,” he breaks the charged silence between us.

“Yes.” I take a couple steps back. “I’m ready.”

Jodah gestures for me to take the lead, so I head for the door. Before I can push the flap covering aside, he reaches around me—his chest brushing across my arm—and does it for me. I pause and glance up at him. The sunlight shines directly on him and his vertical pupils shrink. This is the first time I’ve been this close to him in the daylight. It’ll be the first time we’ve stepped outside of this tent together. The rest of the village will see Jodah’s mating marks. A flare of pride sparks in my chest that I was the one who triggered them.

“Sage?”

I blink.

Jodah stares down out me with his head cocked slightly off-center. “Is all well?”

“Oh, yeah, it’s fine. Sorry. I just kind of spaced out there for a second.” God, I can feel the heat rising from my chest and into my face. “We can go now.”

I quickly step past him and into the sunshine. Jodah immediately follows and comes to a stop. His head tips back and he inhales another deep breath before blowing it out. “I have missed the pure scents of the village.”

He remains that way for nearly a minute before finally straightening. We both move and walk forward. I discovered where he lived while he was recuperating, but for some reason I don’t want him to know that I asked someone to show me. Jodah is my mate. I shouldn’t feel weird. Yet I do.

“Can you smell the cold dust?” Remi has said she can. It’s something Zydon taught her.

“I do. It is fully in the air. In fact, it would not surprise me if it does not start falling more heavily within the next few turns of the sun.”

Am I ready for a couple feet of snow? Absolutely not, but we aren’t going to be able to hide from it, so I better get ready. We continue our leisurely stroll through the village. Several tribespeople stop us and offer words of gratitude that Jodah’s healing well and walking around. The sense of family and community are one of the things I love most about living here with the Tavikhi. That and over the last few months I’ve noticed that no matter the interest the unmated warriors have shown us, none of them have ogled me—or the other humans—beyond a general curiosity.No lewd stares at my breasts. It makes me realize how often the men back on Earth did it.

“You appear deep in thought,” Jodah notes.

“Just appreciating the differences between here and Earth.” I debate my next words, but figure why not. “And the differences between Tavikhi males and human ones.”

“Good differences?”

I smile up at him. “The best.”

Chapter 9

Jodah

Seeing Sage light up with joy makes pride swell inside me that I am the one to make her feel this way. I have enjoyed spending time with her the last seven turns of the sun. She has a way of putting me at ease now that the original awkwardness and tension between us has left. She has been much more open with her laughter. Her words. Her thoughts.

As have I.

I did not realize how much I have craved the companionship of a female despite my frequent prayers to Deeka since the humans arrived in the village.

Several turns ago I decided to stop wondering why my soul light has not ignited. My mating marks have shown me that Sage is my mate, and I am listening to Kyler’s words ofwisdom that a bond may grow. In fact, I believe the seed has already been planted. I will do what I can to cultivate that growth. She has a kind heart and any male would be proud to call her his mate. Over the past seven turns I have also become increasingly more aware of her beauty despite her not resembling a Tavikhi female. I too am coming to appreciate the differences between her and them.

Sage’s skin is far softer than I had anticipated when I held her hand, an action I had surprised myself with. But the sight of her standing there had proven impossible to resist. I have never reacted to a female the way I react to her. She smells of the nenuphar blooms of this ‘lotion’, but beneath it is another scent. One that I can only attribute to the female herself. It is a light, spicy fragrance unlike anything else. I find myself wanting to explore more than just her hands to discover if the rest of her smells this way.

We are not far from my tent, but I am not ready yet to part company with Sage. However, she has pulled her hands within the length of cloth that covers her arms and tucked them in the space beneath her shoulders. Benham gifted his Maeve the fur of the first luani he brought down. I do not have a luani fur, nor do I know what became of the one that nearly killed me, but I have plenty of other furs, including one from a dhembe.

“If you will accept one of my furs for warmth, I would like to continue with our walk. I have been stuck within the healer’s tent for too long, and find I am not quite ready to confine myself to another just yet. Not even my own.” We come to a stop next to my dwelling and I cast a questioning,and perhaps hopeful, glance at Sage. “Unless, of course, you are needed at the healer’s tent.”

She shakes her head. “No, I’m not needed. You were Kyler’s last patient, and I made sure all the supplies were replenished and restocked. I’d love to go for a walk, and I’d definitely be grateful for a blanket. Hopefully, one day I’ll get used to the cold season.”

“Wonderful. Give me one moment to grab a fur.” I duck inside my tent and drag the one I seek from my sleeping place. My baba took down the beast when I was a kit and gifted it to me when I reached my maturity.

I step outside with it and Sage’s gaze widens. “Oh wow, that is so pretty. The colors remind me of the fiku trees. I’ve never seen a fur like this before. What is it from?”

She reaches out and strokes the hide with a sound of delight. I drape it over her and tug it tightly around her shoulders. “It is a dhembe. Because of its color, it hides well within the forest where it makes its home. They live within the trees which camouflage them.”

“It’s so pretty. Purple and black are two of my favorite colors.” Sage strokes the fur again.