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Chapter Eighteen - Voch

Making my way home from visiting with Mhor, I was beyond happy. My time for heat would come again soon, and I was excited to try with Mhor again and hopefully conceive so Father would let me go to him. Not that I didn't still love my father and home, but my love for Mhor had grown into something I never expected.

As I approached the camp, I sensed something off. Instead of the sound of young ones playing, only the soft breeze rustling the grass came. Squatting low, I scampered around to the side of the camp. Drawing near, I heard voices. Father's being one.

"She's already spoken for," he said.

"But she has not conceived, and you owe me, Krosh."

"I owe you nothing."

I peered around the hut. Father stood by the fire pit, with Hektos and Father's adolescent sons flanking him. Facing him, on the north side, was a large male, similar in age to Father, but with five full grown sons.

"You stole Flit from me." The male took a step forward, pointing at Father's chest. "So now I have come for my dues. I deserve to have Flit's daughter."

Me? I held my breath, terrified.

"She is my daughter, and I will not give her to you." Father flexed his arms as he clenched his fists.

The male smirked. "Do you think I haven't noticed how you refuse to let any of my sons take your daughters? You've insulted me over and over through the years."

"You raided my territory, stole my females--"

"But never the prize." The male stood taller. "Where is Flit anyway? It's been years since I looked upon her beauty."

Father's jaw clenched. "You will leave. Now, Voch."

Voch? Of course. No one else would make Father so... aggravated.

Voch chuckled. "Krosh, I'm not leaving until I've got what I came for." He clicked his fingers. His sons moved toward the huts.

"No!" Father raised his hand, panic in his voice. "You don't want to start a war with me."

"A war?" Voch folded his arms. "With your sons away, I will slaughter your family before any one of these young ones has a chance to run for help. It won't be a war, it will be a hostile takeover, and I'll finally have Flit, as well as her precious daughter. What fun I could have with them both."

Father roared but didn't advance. My brothers all stood in a tense silence, their fear almost tangible.

"I brought an offering, as compensation and to entice you."

"I'm not interested," Father said in a deep growl.

"But you haven't even seen her." Voch motioned toward a group tucked behind Mother's hut. Did he know how close my mother was?

The group dragged out a young female, about my age. She looked similar to Hektos' new mate with the pale blonde hair and smaller build. But she hung her head, broken, poorly fed.

"We found her and a few others wandering through my land," Voch said. "We took her and killed her brothers."

"Outcasts of Reesh," Father said.

"She is due to come of age." Voch ran his fingers through the ends of her long hair. "And I've heard you have only two active breeders. With a little food, she'll make for a good breeder, and has quite a few years in her for it."

Father scoffed. "You expect me to give you my daughter when you don't even offer me your own?"

"She is more of a sacrifice than one of my daughters." Voch tugged her hair to pull her head back. "I need breeders too and cannot breed with my own daughters. My sons and I have tested her out as well. She's fiery under this frail exterior."