Page 46 of Sweet Giant

My brothers and their mates finally reached us, and I watched with contentment as Hailey and Cari took turns hugging Liv, though Hailey was only able to give her a quick side hug as she was holding her infant daughter in her other arm. Liv seemed entranced by the babe, and I could easily imagine her as a mother herself.

As the three females spoke amongst themselves, I shot a pointed look at my brothers.

“Not that we don’t appreciate it, but why all the gifts?” I asked. “We have never lined up to greet a new female so formally and offered gifts before.”

Brutus smiled. “It’s a new custom a few of our elders recently suggested. You’ve been absent for a while, but you and Liv are the third couple to be greeted in this fashion. Our elders believe it’ll help the human females feel more welcome and perhaps eager to join with their mates if they haven’t already done so.”

“It’s a good idea,” I acknowledged, “especially having our females and children offer the gifts, rather than our males.”

Gorran snorted and his eyes glinted with amusement. “Well, considering how possessive some of us can be when it comes to our females—yes, Axxon told us you threatened him—it seemed like the best way to go about it.”

“Ah. So, he made it back in one piece. I’d hoped he hadn’t gotten stranded in the storm,” I said as I placed all the gifts into a large woven basket one of the elders stepped forward to provide.

“He returned a few days ago, though he didn’t stay long,” Brutus said. “He took a small party north to reinforce our border markers.”

“A pity he won’t be here tonight for the mating celebration,” Gorran said in a voice low enough that only me and Brutus would hear.

I glared at my younger brother. He knew very well that most human females were initially reluctant to mate with Montikaans, and his comment was meant to tease, as there was no guarantee that Liv would offer herself to me tonight. I might have to continue courting her for several moon cycles, though I despaired at the thought.

How I longed to coat her with my scent and mark her as mine.

Still glaring at Gorran, I released a low but steady growl.

“Gorran,” Brutus said in a scolding tone, “I suggest you step away from Mastorr before he pummels you in the face.”

Liv moved closer to me, and I draped my arm around her, holding her close as I continued glaring at my brother. I supposed he was enjoying himself since I was usually the one teasing him, or lecturing him. As quiet as I was on my feet, I frequently snuck up on him in the forest and startled him, just for the fun of it. Before he’d mated with Cari and settled down, becoming more at peace with himself, I also used to lecture him about his propensity for killing more human male trespassers than anyone else in our tribe.

“Well, you guys look pretty tired,” Hailey said as she snuggled the babe to her chest. “It’s getting dark. I’m sure you’re anxious to find some rest.” She pressed her lips tightly together, holding back what appeared to be a mischievous smile as her eyes twinkled.

As though on cue, Liv covered a wide yawn. “Well, it has been an eventful day,” she said. “I could use some rest.”

“An eventful day?” Brutus asked, his gaze flaring with suspicion. “Did something happen during your journey over the mountainside? Something that caused Liv to become injured? I saw the touch healer attending to her earlier.”

I hadn’t breathed a word about Mountain or the soldiers or the hovercrafts yet. But I was eager to get Liv alone, so I said, “Yes, but the danger has passed, and I will tell you about it tomorrow.”

After we all said goodnight to one another, I picked up the basket of gifts and guided Liv into the enormous cavern that my people had called home for thousands of years. We’d brought some of Liv’s clothing and other items she hadn’t wanted to part with along in two large bags, which I expected would be waiting in my alcove, as a young male by the name of Xorral had kindly offered to carry them inside for us.

“Wow, this place is amazing.” Liv stared wide-eyed at the luminous walls of the cavern that were covered in sun moss.

“It’s my hope that you will come to see this cavern as your home, sweet one. I want you to be comfortable and happy here.”

She shot me an affectionate look. “I’ve heard it said that home isn’t always a place. Sometimes it’s a person.”

I squeezed her hand before pausing in the corridor to nuzzle my nose to hers.

Dare I dream she would accept me as her mate soon… perhaps tonight? With Mountain erased from this world, she could’ve insisted we remain at the cabin longer, or she could’ve tried to back out of our deal. But she hadn’t done either of those things. Instead, she’d seemed eager to come home with me.

I continued leading her through the various corridors until we reached my alcove. I held my breath as she looked around the large room that was decorated in the human fashion.

She stepped further inside and approached an area in the back corner that was shielded with a divider I’d created out of long straight branches and vines. She gasped.

“Mastorr, is that truly a sink with running water and a… working toilet?” She turned back to me, her eyes wide. “How did you…”

“Water trickles down that part of my alcove, and I placed the sink in such a way that the water now drains into it. It’s clean and fresh enough to drink, or to use for washing your face. As for the toilet, it empties into a deep crevice beneath the cavern. My people possess the ability to heal our lands and cleanse our waters, remember? We use those abilities to keep our cavern sanitary.”

“Wow.” She peered around the rest of my room.Ourroom. We would live here together.

She examined the pieces of furniture I’d arranged along the walls, and she eventually walked closer to the large mattress I’d placed on the floor. It was piled with warm blankets and pillows. I held my breath, hoping she would approve.

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