Page 29 of Mated to the Alien Warlord

"Last time was different," I tried. "We didn't have a choice. Riding with us was the safest option. This time it's merely because we don't want to be apart."

The moment the words left my mouth, I knew I made a big mistake.

"We?" As expected, she latched on to that word. "So you don't want to be without me any more than I want to be without you?"

I sighed. "That's not the question. Of course I don't want to be without you, I—"

"See? It's settled then."

I shook my head. "Nothing is settled, czira. We are going to engage in battle. There will be no stopping until Fionbyr is dead."

"The Vandalls could attack in your absence, and I would be all alone and undefended." She cocked her head and fluttered her eyelashes. "You don't want me to be killed by Vandalls."

I closed my eyes and prayed for patience and a good argument to deter her from her course. Unfortunately, shy of locking her into our chamber, I couldn't come up with anything. And she would be safe with the army and me.

"You have to promise to return home if I tell you to. No argument."

She slung her arms around my neck. "I will be the ever-obedient mate, I swear."

"Hah," I exclaimed. "As obedient as when I asked you come to bed and leave the foaling to the handlers?"

"That was different. They didn't know how to—"

This timeIinterruptedher. "They are called horse handlers for a reason. Anyway, as obedient as when I asked you not to jump into the lake?"

"You didn't tell me it was full of leeches," she protested.

"Exactly my point," I said, nuzzling her neck. "You need to promise me to leave when it's time, no arguments. There might be no time for explanations."

"I swear," she said, rising on her tiptoes and kissing me so hotly, I forgot about everything but her.

Two days later, we were on our way. The weather was still nice, the cold season still another month or so away, but the mornings and evenings held a little nip in the air, and at night we needed two braziers up in the tent, but we had each other to keep warm, and I was glad she talked me into taking her with me.

On the third day of traveling, I ordered to set up camp early in the afternoon. The horses needed as much of a good night's rest as the warriors and camp followers.

We camped in a large clearing I knew well, and once I was sure Damaris had found some time to rest and nourish her body, I asked her to take a walk with me.

"This is so beautiful," she exclaimed as we walked through the forest. Taffy—deerlike animals—had foraged a path through the underbrush wide enough for us to use.

"Close your eyes," I said, placing my hands around her waist to stop her from walking further.

"Alright," she said immediately, leaning into me and astonishing me again with how much she trusted me. A trust I vowed I would never abuse.

I took her hand and led her the last few paces until I was satisfied she would have the best view upon opening her eyes. "Alright, open them."

Greedily, I watched her face and wasn't disappointed to find the delight I had hoped for.

"Oh, Vandor, it's beautiful," she exclaimed.

Before us lay a large body of water, so large actually that people argued whether it was a small lake or a large pond. It didn't matter though. It was beautiful either way.

The pond was surrounded by large macay trees, thick and ancient looking. Some were so old they were hollowed out, big enough for two people to sleep inside.

In between the trees grew blue fern, found only in this forest. The leaves were so fine, they could have been mistaken for spider webs. Neon flies—named so because each glowed neon in a different color—buzzed across the lake.

They stopped by the ferns to drink their nectar which they used to create a syrupy sap. Once they returned to their nests, they turned the sap into the strongest spirit known to any Thyre: sapbuzz. Harvested by us, the sapbuzz was used to make the best grog in all the khazar's territory.

The water inside the lake itself was a deep, dark blue, as blue as the rarest lazulite and reminded me of Damaris's eyes and one of the reasons why I brought her here.

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