Page 16 of His Human to Learn

I know he's going to go to the tribe as soon as this conversation is over, and Ralleth will have to rush back to get others to help him keep Beren in check. He'll kill the male when he finds him. It sounds dramatic, but these males can be very dramatic. When the others learn Beren's killings are due to lying about capturing a female's soul, they'll all nod and murmur their understanding.

"Are you sure?" Olivia asks.

In my periphery, I can see Jen staring at me with wide eyes and Nia looking at me as if she's unsure if she needs to intervene and tell me we can come up with another idea.

"I'd rather have him in my life than not." I shrug. "Can you make sure Marron is one of the males in the next mating ceremony?"

"Of course," Ralleth says. "The males have already been chosen, but I will talk with my brothers to see who will be understanding of our situation."

"And the male in charge of these rumors?" Nia asks, her voice holding the same amount of venom that Beren's has this whole conversation. I'm surprised he's not the one voicing the question until I look over and see he's holding the back of the couch so tight that his claws are fully pressed through. They're going to end up with holes through the back of the couch, too.

"He will be there," Ralleth answers, making it clear that he doesn't plan on lying or softening this. This is just a shitty situation, but at least he's not letting me be blindsided. "That is probably why he has been spreading it so much in the last few days."

"You knew of this for days?" I ask, my fingers wrapping around one another until they're pressing almost painfully together.

"We did," Ralleth says. "We did not wish to ruin your party. We knew we needed to speak with you soon, though, because the next mating ceremony is in a few days."

"It would be best if you didn't see Marron until then," Olivia adds, "Just to make sure no one thinks there's anything suspicious going on."

I nod, my thoughts racing at how fast this will go now that I've finally agreed to go through the mating ceremony. The first day of the mating ceremony is in three days, which means I couldbe a mated female in as little as six days. I could be mated to Marron.

On the one hand, I'm more excited and happy than I have been in a long time. On the other hand, I'm so nervous there's a good chance I'll throw up again.

"Ralleth and I will go find Marron and tell him of the good news," Beren says in a tone that suggests it isn't good news.

He stares down Ralleth until the other male kneels down to his mate and whispers something in her ear that makes her blush. She swats him away, and then he's waving over to Beren and allowing him to lead him out of the house.

"Alright," I sigh when the boys are out of the house. "Can you explain to me exactly what's about to happen?"

Nia was in charge of creating the mating ceremonies, and she still has a hand in updating them and ensuring they run smoothly. I've never really asked her about it because it was something I wouldn't be going through for a little while longer. Now that it's been decided that I'm going to do it, I realize I wish I had asked a lot more questions during the time I've been living here.

"I'll go make some food," Nia says as she stands from the couch. "I heard you threw up everything this morning, so let's get something else on your stomach."

"Thank you," I murmur, more appreciative of her support in all this than I have the words to tell her right now.

Nia isn't very far from us as she cooks. As Olivia begins to explain what I'll need to do during the ceremony, sometimes Nia interrupts to clarify or explain more about some parts of it. At some point, more food is dropped off in front of me, and I eat it all.

By the time Ralleth returns to take Olivia and his daughter back to the tribe, she and Nia have explained everything to me and answered most of my questions. The only thing left to do iswait three days until I can see Marron again and make sure he's okay with all this happening.

9

Marron

The bedroom I share with Thro has never felt as small as it does at this moment. He, of course, has been a nonstop ball of energy since Beren and Ralleth came to visit the house three days ago to tell me that I was going to join the next mating ceremony, and I was going to follow all of the rules exactly as they are written so there is no doubt in anyone's mind that I am an honorable male who deserves the human female that I will claim as my own as soon as I am allowed. Thro could probably be heard shouting his joy as I sat on the bed, hands on my knees, trying to figure out what had changed in such a short amount of time and why it was Beren and Ralleth telling me this news and not Tori the next time I was to see her.

"Are you nervous?" Toron asks as he stands in the doorway of my bedroom.

"I am," I offer him without much of a struggle.

Toron has been a good male to Thro and me since we moved in with him and his mate two and a half years ago. He has rules and can be strict, but he is a much better male than my father and has not once raised his hands to me. We have locked horns on more than one occasion, but what males who are blood do not? He is more of an overly protective older brother, much like I am to Thro, and his mate is just a caring sister who has more love than she knows what to do with. Many more emotions that she has too much of as well, but it is not a bad thing when it allows her the capacity to care for so many so deeply.

"Well, she is your mate already. Nothing will change that when you go through the ceremony." Toron sounds certain, and that makes me feel better.

His mate did not choose to be with him for many, many days after he knew she was to be his. He did not last nearly as long as I have since he only had to wait a handful of days, but still.

It is not as though my mate has rejected me. She has just not chosen to be with me because she is not confident in her speech yet. I think she sounds wonderful, but then again, everything she does is wonderful. Even the weird sounds she makes while she sleeps that had me worried she might be choking when I first heard them.

"I am heading to the great hall now," Toron says when I have not responded to him for many moments. "I believe Kal is now in charge of the mating ceremony since Ralleth did not want there to be any questions as to whether or not you were granted preferential treatment. It was meant to be Yril working with the males, but none of your blood are allowed in this ceremony."

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