CHAPTER 016

VEXAROK

By night's fall, we were well and far away from the hollow.

After our dip in the stream and the rain that followed, the omega was deeply cold again. Alone, I may have pushed onward, eager as I was to return to the village. I made the decision to seek shelter. Between his shivering and the threat of nocturnal creatures, it seemed best. Yet our options were limited. There was nothing nearby quite as comfortable as the cliffside we had left. Resting without cover, in only the boughs of the trees, was something I had long grown accustomed to. Rolec, however, had not. He was most at ease when we walked along the ground.

I settled within the crook of two branches, high in the canopy and away from any curious beasts or scouts that may have wandered through. I had caught no trace of the dakmu that day, so felt confident in our position. We were safe enough for the time being.

But still I frowned. If only I could drive off the rain. It fell in heavy sheets around us. The leaves overhead helped to shield us from the worst of it, and what cover the tree could not provide, I offered instead. I drew Rolec into my lap and held him firm. He seemed content to stay, his body twisting to press as closely as he could manage against my own. While his core was beginning to warm, his fingers remained the coldest.

Even as the ice from his touch seeped beneath my skin, I was set ablaze. A pleased rumble resonated within my chest at the contact we shared.

Since leaving the hollow, the omega's mood had vastly improved. He spoke often and at length, though the meaning of his words continued to elude me. I did not mind overmuch. His voice was pleasant in its lilt, and I liked the way it mimicked song. I would happily listen.

Along the way, I had also taken the time to teach him more of our gakh language. Everything we had passed along the way, I directed his attention toward it. Rolec was smart and had already learned much. Soon, I knew we would be able to speak at length.

After so long with only my own company, the prospect thrilled me in a way little else could.

Perhaps save for our stint in the stream.

While I had little personal experience with omegas beyond my om-father, I knew that alphas and omegas did not typically mingle in such a way. Outside of immediate family, it was something reserved most often for one's life or bondmate. I was keenly aware that our circumstances were not typical, yet Rolec had undressed with no reservation, and had even allowed me to wash his hair. What was more, I could still feel the ghost of his delicate fingers against my scalp and at my ears. The sensation lingered as if to tease me. My fingers twitched, tracing after the phantom touch.

It was not the same. Rolec's fingers were finer, softer.

Looking upon him, the omega had those delicate fingers pressed between us now, sapping the heat from my body. My heart softened, seeming almost to melt despite the contact.

By all conventions, he and I were acting as mates did. We shared our meals, a bed, and now even our baths. He looked to me for protection. Although, the omega had yet to present himself for actual bonding.

Disappointment briefly stilled my hands. I understood why the omega was hesitant. Rolec needed assurance that he would be taken care of and that he was safe. That could not come without a home he could call his own.

Huffing, I drew him closer and nuzzled at his damp hair. He smelled like the stream, his pheromones gently cleansed by the water. But just beneath the surface, I could still smell him; sweet and content in my arms.

"Rolec," I said, eager for his attention suddenly. "When we reach the village, I am sure you will be satisfied. Parts are in ruin after the ravages of the dakmu, but much more is still livable. My home sits intact, but perhaps you would like something larger? The Clan Father's hall has gone untouched. It rests high above all the others, in the largest tree at the center." My hand moved, trying to trace the outline of a tree in the air. "It would be the safest place for you and our children, should we have them. The dakmu could never hope to climb its branches, let alone fell it."

Feeling bolder, I ran my hand down his exposed arm, drawing a whole-body shiver from the omega. Tiny bumps formed on his skin. He glanced down, curious to see what I was doing. But I simply took his hand into mine, comparing the size of his palm and fingers against my own. His seemed to be nearly half the size.

Was that also the fault of the dakmu?

"When did they take you?" My voice pitched low, uncertainty threading each word. "How long did you live under them that even your growth should be stunted? Did they starve you atop it all?"

At first I had hoped, perhaps foolishly, that he had been one of the omegas taken from my own clan. Yet the longer I considered that, the less it seemed a possibility. I could recall no omegas like him. His hair and eyes were as dark as night, and his skin had none of the tones of my own. Neither did he have markings to denote his clan. The omega was completely bare of them, as if he had never belonged to one in the first place.

As I considered, a sickening thought occurred to me.

Perhaps Rolec had been born into dakmu captivity. Was this his first taste of the world beyond their grasp?

The possibility left me incensed, yet the omega's shivering body pulled me away from my anger and rooted me firmly in the branches of our tree. I rumbled again, my teeth aching at once. Desperately, I wanted to mark him as my mate; to wrap him in the safety and security of our burgeoning bond. But in spite of my raging instincts, I knew the thought was a selfish one; a bond would not keep him safe from the dakmu. It would only guard him against other alpha gakh, of which there were none.

Taking in the omega's scent, my tail wrapped about his legs to stave off the night. I then laced my fingers with his own; I did not like how cold they still felt. Leaning in, I brought them to my mouth, where I breathed further warmth into them.

At this, Rolec raised an eyebrow. The omega voiced something in his misty-soft tone, then gently pulled his hand free before patting my cheek. I was given a look that I found hard to read. He offered me a smile yet somehow looked unhappy all at once.

His scent clued me in where his expressions could not; doubt still clung stubbornly at the edges.

I grew still, my ears dipping as disappointment settled in the depths of my stomach. Already, I had told myself that the omega required security first and foremost. Physical comfort was not what he longed for. Not now, even if at times he accepted my touch and affections.

All the same, Rolec made no effort to leave my embrace. His doubt was not a complete rejection of me. It was a reprimand, a reminder.

"I understand. I will wait," I told him, as much a promise to him as it was to myself. "I will wait until you are ready."