Page 45 of Claimed By the Krijese

Coughing and crackling chest sounds? “Did she call it pneumonia?”

Sorin perks up and bounces excitedly. “Yes, that is what I had. I was in their village for many turns before Gogo said we needed to return here.”

How terrifying that must have been for him and for Kala. He must have been desperate to take our son to the Tavikhi and ask for help. Will Sorin get that sick again this coming winter? My stomach aches thinking about it. Which means I need to learn all I can from Kyler.

“Let’s see what there is. Is it in here or stored elsewhere?” My old tent in the Tavikhi village housed all their herbs and medicines, which was a lot.

“What little we have is there.” Sorin points at another chest.

I open that one and the ache worsens. With the tiny bit of knowledge I learned from reading medical journals I managed to pilfer over the years, I can tell what’s in here isn’t sufficient. I don’t even have to understand what the stuff does to know our supply needs to be replenished and stocked with a bigger variety of items.

“Why don’t you and I go to the Tavikhi village?” It couldn’t have been more than a thirty- or forty-minute walk if I remember correctly.

“You have not practiced your axe-throwing with Gogo, yet. Do you think we should wait until after?”

“We should be fine. How often have you two travelled back and forth between there without issue?”

Sorin tilts his head. “All the time.”

I shrug. “See?”

He hesitates still, which makes me hesitate as well. Should we wait until Kala gets back? Or at least another day or two? It’s not like anyone is going to get deathly ill between now and then. At least I hope not. Ashrif isn’t well, but he’s also not quite on death’s door yet.

“I’m new at being a mom, so I worry something is going to happen to you and I won’t be able to fix it.”

Sorin wraps his arm around my waist and nuzzles his face against my belly. “You are the best momo a kit could have. Nothing will happen that you cannot take care of.”

I laugh and hug him back. “You sure do have a lot of confidence in my skills.”

He glances up, but doesn’t release me. “A kit should always believe in his momo. She is the most important female in his life.”

“Even more than his mate?”

The shiny flecks of silver in Sorin’s eyes dim slightly. “Gogo does not think I will ever have a mate because there are no Krijese left after Gannen and me.”

How dare Kala tell our son he’ll never find a mate.

But then I think about the story he told me regarding the stolen human females who the Krijese forced themselves on and who all died. In his mind, there are no options for Sorin. What about a Tavikhi female though? There are a few female children I saw running around during my time there. Then there’s the new Tavikhi-human hybrids. Could they possibly be mates to Sorin and Gannen?

I squat down to eye-level with him. “Your planet is changing. While I don’t want to offer you false hope, I also don’t want you to give it up completely. Your gogo thought he would never have another mate after your momo, I suspect. And look at him now. He has me, and so do you. I guess what I’m saying is you never know what life will bring you so keep your mind and your heart open to all possibilities, okay?”

“Yes, Momo.”

“Good.” I kiss Sorin’s forehead and draw him in for a big hug. “We’ll wait another day or two before we go the the Tavikhi village. Once I’ve had a few axe-throwing lessons.”

“I think that is a wise choice.”

I snort and straighten. “Let’s go check on the elders and see how they’re doing.”

He takes my hand and tugs me out of the storage tent. On the way, he douses the candle and drops it in a small cup-like vessel on the ground right outside the door.

“How are those things made?”

“Animal fat,” Sorin replies.

My stomach turns a little. Last night I’d almost lost my dinner skinning and butchering the dreri, but I swallowed down the impulse. If I’m going to survive in this village, then I’m going to end up doing repulsive things like yanking the guts out of an alien deer. I’m nothing if not a survivor.

We approach the first tent. Seated on the ground outside are Moshi and another elder whose name I believe is Vora. Between the two of them they have a large tub of water and a smattering of bones of various shapes and sizes.

---