Page 68 of The Warlord's Survivor

“Enlighten me.”

“Someone overheard three of your men talking about cannibalizing Fiona.”

“Is it surprising that my men would want to mate your women? Especially one so fierce?”

“They literally thought they’d intended to eat Fiona. Not in the sexy way.”

For a moment, I sit in shocked silence, then I too break out in boisterous laughter.

“Tell your men to be careful with what they say. My women were plotting your murder.”

Again, I am stunned. “They were planning to usurp us?”

Elena’s face grows worried. “It’s nothing you should worry yourself about. I explained what your people meant. Some are even interested.”

“I am impressed. This would be the second group of men you’d have tried to take out in a very short time.”

“I guess I’m strangely honored by your pride.”

“Our councils should meet and we will discuss such things.”

“Yours and mine? Together?”

“You brought to me an important issue. We must also solidify expectations of the men and women going forward.”

“This all sounds so…constructed. Like back at home.”

“Isn’t that what tribes are? Constructed? Don’t you wish it to be like back home?”

Elena shrugs. “Yeah, I guess…but I don’t want to take choices away from my people.”

“What choices do you speak of?”

“Like…who we get to bed or marry or have babies with. I’m aware that your men might demand such things, but it feels like we actually have some say here. We didn’t back home.”

I nod. Back on Tempest, women had complete say in their mates.

“Why haven’t you spread your legs for me yet?”

She giggles. “Were you this insatiable on Tempest?”

I frown and let out a frustrated grunt.

“Did I say something wrong?”

“I would rather not speak of mating on Tempest.”

“Oh...”

It’s easy to see that I’ve made Elena nervous, which was not my intention. Her ways are so different from mine, and perhaps since she has been so open, I should be too. After all, we are both chieftains.

“As I’ve said, the women of Tempest pick the men they choose to mate with, sometimes ten at a time.”

“Yeah, that’s…impressive.”

“We competed to please the woman, sating her every need. It can all be very demeaning.”

“You don’t have to tell me these things.”

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