Page 13 of Keeping His Mate

Ah, there it is. “Am I your first bisexual friend, Chloe?”

Her cheeks and neck turn bright red. “No!” she scoffs. “Well, possibly. Sorry, am I being an ignorant dipshit right now?”

I laugh, letting her know she’s off the hook. “Nah, it’s fine. Don’t ask me if it’s just a phase, like my mom did when I came out, or demand that I list the women I’ve been with as proof of my bi-ness, and we should be fine.”

She lets out an exaggerated sigh as she covers her heart with her hand.

“And no, there’s no one I’m currently interested in,” I finally answer. It’s not the whole truth, but it feels like a safe answer to provide. Bruvix has certainly caught my eye, but I’m more curious about what’s going on inside his head than anything else. At least I hope that’s all it is.

Ahlvo and Ava find us in the crowd, and Ahlvo whispers something to Varrek as the girls chat about Chloe’s pregnancy. I try leaning closer so I can hear what Ahlvo is saying, but the noise from the clan drowns it out.

“Where are Kay-teh and Nee-roh?” Ahlvo asks.

“At the caves for the night,” Chloe replies.

“Um, guys?” I say, waving a hand in front of Varrek. “I’d like to investigate. That creature sounded like it was in excruciating pain. I can help. I just need to borrow some medical supplies from Kaiva. I know the woods aren’t safe at night, though. Can someone come with me?”

Varrek and Ahlvo exchange a wary glance before Varrek’s eyes land on me again. I wait longer than I normally would, letting the silence get almost too awkward because I know Chloe is talking to him through their mental portal, or whatever, and I stay quiet.

Eventually, Varrek says, “I understand that you are trained as a healer for Earth creatures, but the only ones in this area of Oluura are tr’gorys, which are extraordinarily dangerous.”

“If one is dying, or dead, it is a good thing for all of us,” Ahlvo adds.

I know I’m new around here, but that seems unnecessarily cruel. “Okay, I get that,” I begin, trying not to sound combative, “but if it’s suffering. It’s probably not in a position to attack me. And if it’s beyond saving…” I swallow the lump forming in my throat, “I’d like to put an end to its pain.”

Just as I finish speaking, the howl rips through the damp night air once again, and it’s so achingly pitiful that I have to pinch my eyes closed.

“Please,” I beg. “I can help.”

Ava puts a hand on my shoulder. “That’s really kind of you, Eleanor. I realize it’s the humane thing to do, but it’s too dicey. The clan lost a member to a tr’gory attack not long after they settled here. Then there was the incident with Varrek and Chloe at the falls…” she trails off, looking at Chloe with concern furrowing her brow as if reliving the memory.

“The risk is too great, Elle-noor,” Bruvix says in a low rumble from right behind me. I whirl around to face him, and his gaze is unyielding and intense like it usually is. His silver hair is a messy mop that curls around his pointed ears, his pants are untied at the top, and his tunic is on backward. It’s almost cute how disheveled he is. Did he get dressed in the dark?

Focus.

“A look. Just let me take a look. Please. If it's surrounded by other tr’gorys, or looks too angry to approach, I’ll haul ass out of there,” I promise as panic rises in my chest. They’re not going to let me do this, are they? They’re about to let that poor thing die out there, all alone. “I just need to see it.”

“I told you how big they are, didn’t I?” Chloe asks. “Like a fucking minivan, Eleanor.”

I’m not concerned about the size of it, but if that’s the issue, shouldn’t that indicate how badly it’s injured? Thus, how incapable it is to attack anything right now? “I know, bu–”

“Girl, this is not like helping a Labrador that’s been hit by a car,” Chloe interrupts. “It’s like… like helping a rabid fucking polar bear that’s been attacked by I don’t even know. Something even bigger!”

“Okay, I hear you,” I reply, quickly losing my composure, “but I’ve treated everything from a hamster to a horse. I can handle it.”

Varrek sighs, his shoulders falling as he offers me a sympathetic smile. “I am sorry, Elle-noor. I cannot allow it.”

Huffing a breath, I rub circles into my temples, trying my hardest not to lose my shit. I’m hanging on by a thread though, and if that poor creature screams again, they’ll have to physically hold me back from running toward it.

“But,” Varrek adds, and hope fills my heart, “if you wish to check the area in the daylight, I will have one of my warriors accompany you. Just not while the skies are dark.”

It’s not ideal. Not even a little. The thought of that creature unable to move and lying there in pain through the night is enough to send me to my knees. However, if this is the only way I can help it without putting the clan or myself at risk, I’ll take the win. “Okay. Deal,” I reply. “Thank you, Varrek. I really appreciate it.”

“I will go with her,” Bruvix offers immediately.

Varrek tilts his head as he looks at his cousin. “Bruvix, are you certain you wish to–”

“Yes,” he interjects, clearing his throat. “I am certain.”

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