I want a cuddle party with the guys. I want to reconnect and figure out what the next move is, between orgasms and lots of sleep.
I release a deep breath, sit up and push up off of Ryn. He slips out of me, and I turn to help him get to his feet. He kisses me slowly, and then we both clean up. We’re practically dead on our feet by the time we’re done, so we both zombie-walk over to the cot and then get our spoon on. Ryn’s out before you can say forking is better, and his deep breaths on my nape soothe and relax me in ways I never knew they could.
I close my eyes and just float in the feel of his arms caging me in while his body curls protectively around me. I can’t help but think about our first encounters in the Eyrie, the cleansing and air tackles, the training and evasiveness. I would have never guessed that I would be where I am right now and certainly not feeling the way that I do. But it’s more than I ever hoped for, and I can’t wait to see how we all grow together.
24
My stomach growls so hard I can hear it over Ryn’s soft snores. I look down, almost offended by the rude demand it just gave, but more gurgles fill the quiet tent, and I accept that I need to eat. I give up on trying to fall asleep in Ryn’s arms even though I feel beat. Maybe it will be easier to pass out on a full stomach.
I crawl out from under Ryn’s hold and pull the blanket up around him, kissing him on the head before getting dressed in the shirt and pants sitting in a pile next to the cot. I sneak out of the tent in search of sustenance.
“Why hello there, Bond Breaker,” Cree says from the side of the doorway. I grab my chest and turn to her, surprised to see her.
“You scared me,” I admit on a chuckle, and she laughs too.
“No reason to be afraid, it’s just me. Your mates wanted someone to keep an eye for you, and I volunteered,” she explains.
“Well, that was nice of you. I’m just looking for food. Can you point me in the right direction?” I ask.
“I’d be happy to take you. Should we wait for the Altern?” Cree asks, gesturing back toward the tent.
“No, I’ll bring him back something. Please tell me there’s more than grot fruit,” I beg as we start walking.
Cree chuckles. “Not a grot fruit lover, I see.”
“If I never see those evil berries again, it will be too soon, I don’t care how good a source of nutrition and vitamins they are.”
Cree leads me away from the tent, toward the surrounding tree line, and I realize where we are. I registered the reddish-purple dirt before, but not what it meant. “Are we in the Amaranthine Mountains?” I ask, just to be sure.
“We are. It seems Lazza was camped out between the two tallest peaks. We set up the medical tents here, and then food is that way.” She points off in the distance. “And they started setting up some residential tents over there,” she says, pointing in the opposite direction.
“Are they planning on staying out here?” I ask as we weave our way through the trees in the direction of the food area she just pointed out.
“The other Ouphe-mixed gryphons and I will stay here until it can be agreed upon where a new stronghold will be, that is if both sides can learn to accept us,” she tells me, a hint of hesitancy in her tone.
“What do you mean?”
“We were exiled from both sides, which is how we ended up settling near the Ouphe camp. Two unwanted races guarding each other’s flanks, it made sense at the time, but now we’ll see where our kind fits. We didn’t want the Vow, but we were too Ouphe gifted to find a place with the Hidden. Our gifts and how we look is a threat to both sides as well as a reminder of what we’ve been through.”
I nod, understanding what she’s saying, and she continues.
“The white hair and purple eyes are a trait that only Ouphe-Gryphon mixes get. Not all who look like us have abilities, but most do, and because of that, we don’t fit in either world. We’re not Ouphe enough for them or Gryphon enough for the other side.”
“But now we get to build a new way of life and doing things; I’m sure your people will find a place,” I reassure her, but I can see in the way she studies me for a beat that she doesn’t quite believe it.
“What about you, Bond Breaker, where will your place be in this new world?” she asks, and I sense a hint of something in her tone that I can’t quite place. Resignation maybe, stoicism?
I take a deep breath and let it out. I haven’t thought much about the what now or tried to picture it. I figured it will take time to sort through the aftermath of everything, to figure out how to move forward as a people and exactly what that entails. I pretty much assumed I’d be along for the ride, supporting Treno and Zeph in any way I can as they try to bring two warring sides back together.
“I’m not sure exactly. I’ll be with my mates, I know that much. I used to be a mechanic in my old world, so maybe I’ll figure out a way to put those skills to good use, you know, keep busy as we all figure things out.”
Cree nods in thought, reaching up to pull a leaf down from a low hanging branch. She threads it between her fingers absently.
“Are you at all worried about your safety?” she
