The Hunter's Song II: Lost Blood

Ch 12: Ni Eh'kt🔥(Eh'kt)

"It was Mourning Crow or nothing," Shale entered the hygiene chamber after relocating the boys to their beds.

Between the preparation, the fight, and the branding, our mate was exhausted, but she welcomed the boys into our bed and let them cuddle with her until they all dozed off for the evening.

"That's good," I nodded to my mate as he patted my shoulder, then went over to turn on the shower built into the far wall. "I was worried they'd be too keyed up after all the excitement."

"She's always been more skilled at settling them down," Shale reminded.

"That's because she's the only one of us who can sing to them," I chuckled and stretched out further in the tub.

Shale flipped the heat up on his shower, flooding the black chamber with thick steam.

"I'm surprised Crazy Wolf let you pry him from her arms," I chittered, leaning my head back and hooking my lower horns on the back of the tub.

"It wasn't easy," Shale glanced back at me with a grin. "He knotted his quills into her hair before nodding off."

"He has a knack for making every victory arduous."

"I'm certain he gets that from you," Shale whipped his head at me with a laugh.

That pup excelled at problem-solving but was ironclad in maintaining proximity to his mommy.

I have no idea why he clings to calling her that...

Raven Tide grew out of it, but Crazy Wolf was determined to keep his mother all to himself.

Hopefully, the distraction of Peleon joining us on our trip to Menthla would minimize his frustration about Mourning Crow's absence.

I doubt it...

Across the room, stress twisted within Shale's shoulders.

I was caught off guard when he announced Peleon would be attending the Elder rite, but I certainly didn't anticipate her visit to extend all the way to Menthla.

Was he ready for this?

Shale cut off the heat to his shower and threw his head under the ice-cold water.

At least his bearer chose to stay with a friend until our departure the day after Mourning Crow's. The Ancient hadn't been on Sahei in over a century and Shale made a point of never being in the same room with her since before he joined the military.

Shale sighed and thumped his big charcoal grey horns against the wall.

Now wasn't the time to bring up my secession as his Adjutant and his subsequent bizarre denial of my promotion.

Mourning Crow leaving to face the Graven was strenuous enough on all of us.

In an ideal world, he and I would join the fight alongside her, but that simply wasn't possible. She was depending on us to keep our offspring safe and as far away from the Graven as possible.

Shale lathered soap in his hands and then ran them through his long quills.

There were many objectives to accomplish during our upcoming trip to Menthla, but my most crucial mission would be to ease my mates' tension.

He was doing his best to mend the rift with his bearer and allow out pups to build a relationship and get to know her.

I will not fail him.

"I spoke to Dran the other day," Shale spoke out of nowhere. "He's a good fit for the razkurs."

I clenched my jaw.