“I don’t care. If you leave, I’m leaving.”
“Me too,” Zemma added. “I’m not losing you again so soon.”
“There is no need for all this drama,” Njkall said calmly. “I said that the request had been made, not that I had granted it.”
He frowned at the older male. “Then why are you here?”
“For two reasons. First of all, we need to find a way to bring you back to the tribe. It occurs to me that it would be an ideal time for a paxha hunt.”
A paxha hunt? The hunts only occurred on special feast days—or when a youth of the tribe wished to be considered a grown male.
“You think that I am a child?”
“Of course not, but the hunt is not just a coming of age ritual—it is a test both of one’s worthiness to join the tribe and of one’s desire to do so.”
Presented in those terms, the idea had an unexpected appeal. And the challenge made his blood race and his claws extend. “Very well, I accept.”
“Good. I believe it will go a long way toward your acceptance.”
“And the second reason you came tonight?”
Njkall sighed and tapped his claws together. “You were not wrong when you spoke of the need to become more integrated with the rest of the Empire. We cannot remain isolated and expect our way of life to remain untouched.”
“Judging by the speeders in the outer cave, it’s already changed.”
“It has. We thought we could just adopt Imperial technology to guard our planet and ignore everything else, but we should have realized that it was not so simple. After you left, I made the argument that we needed to have a presence in Port Eyeja, and the other Elders agreed.”
Baralt bit back an indignant response. At least his leaving had made a difference.
“But things have been changing recently,” Njkall continued. “We were used to hide the construction of a dreadful weapon—”
“What?!” He couldn’t conceal his astonishment and Njkall sighed.
“It is no longer a concern, but it made me realize that we should have been more aware of events in the Empire—and of events here on Hothrest. And then there was the attempt to produce artificial sothiti. Without it, do we have any control over our destiny?”
“Because of its value?” Isabel asked.
“Yes. It is both our only source of Imperial credits and sufficiently desirable to provide for our protection.”
“You don’t have anything else that’s valuable?”
Njkall shook his head, and Isabel frowned, but she didn’t pursue it.
“I would like you to join the Council of Elders tomorrow to discuss your experiences in the Empire and give us your perspective.”
While it was phrased as a request, it was undoubtedly an order. But at least they were willing to listen. If only they had been as willing before his brother died, he thought bitterly.
“Very well, I will speak to them.”
“Good. I will make arrangements for the hunt tomorrow and the council meeting the following day.” Njkall rose to his feet and bowed to Zemma. “Thank you for a delightful meal. You will make a fine mate.”
To Baralt’s surprise, his sister glared at the Elder. “I want a mate who values me for more than my domestic skills.”
Njkall sighed again. “It takes time to achieve change, my child.”
“Too much time,” Zemma muttered.
Baralt frowned at the two of them but decided not to demand answers. Yet.
“Until tomorrow,” Njkall said, and with a regretful look at Zemma, he departed.
“What was that about?” Baralt demanded.
“Not now, please.”
Isabel put a hand on his arm, and he realized that his sister looked both tired and upset. “Tomorrow,” he said firmly.
“I can hardly wait.”
Ignoring Zemma’s sarcasm, he rose to his feet and began collecting dishes. “Why don’t you get some rest?”
“Perhaps I will. It’s been a long day. But I wouldn’t have traded it for the world. I’m so glad you’re home, Baralt.” Zemma hugged him, then wished Isabel good night and disappeared.
“I’ll help you,” Isabel said.
“You helped to cook. I will clean.”
“Helped being the operative word. Your sister did most of the work.”
“It is very strange to think of her as an adult,” he admitted as they finished clearing the table.
“How could you do it, Baralt?” she asked softly. “How could you leave her for so long?”
“I didn’t want to, but I meant what I said. I didn’t want her to be tainted by her association with me. I sent credits for her care as soon as I could, but I asked her mother’s family not to mention me.” He had been grateful for every scrap of information they’d provided in return, even though that was all it had been—occasional scraps.
She hugged him, and the feel of her body against his stirred his need. He reluctantly stepped back. “You are distracting me—and I have a kitchen to clean.”
“It is rather a mess, isn’t it?” Isabel wrinkled her nose as she studied the room. “Zemma is a good cook, but she’s not exactly neat. Good thing there are two of us to set it to rights.”
“I have a better idea. Why don’t you go and find the bathing pool and I will meet you there?”
He saw the longing on her face, but she shook her head. “I’m not leaving you with this mess.”
“It won’t take me long. And our pool is superior to Relkhei’s…”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes. Straight through that archway and second passage on the right. I will join you shortly.”
“I’ll be waiting.” She shot him a quick grin. “Naked.”
“No kitchen will ever be cleaned more quickly,” he promised, and she laughed and disappeared through the archway.
The kitchen did not, perhaps, receive his best efforts, but when he walked into the bathing room and found his mate flushed, naked, and glowing in the steam from the bath, he had no regrets.
“Everything clean?” she asked with a teasing grin.
“In there. Now it is your turn.” He stripped out of his clothes as he spoke, and she watched him avidly, her gaze going to where the head of his kotra had started to peek out of his
