Page 26 of Love in the Wild

If he could not gain Eden’s trust, she would never want him. How could she trust a mate who did not know the ways of their world outside the jungle?

Thorne was still puzzling over how he could win Eden over when he scented Keza’s band on the breeze that meandered through the dense jungle. They had climbed higher on the mountainside, and the canopy above them had thinned enough to allow the air to ruffle the trees.

“Eden stay behind Thorne,” he cautioned. He pulled free of her hand so he could fight any gorillas if necessary. Sunya was distrustful of humans and never let his band travel south where they could be found.

“What should I do?” Eden asked. She removed something small and black that was a little bigger than her hand and held it up close to her face. He wanted to know what that black object was, but now was not the time to ask. He had to focus on the gorillas in order to protect Eden.

“Eyes down. Head down. Stay low.”

They entered a small clearing where the gorillas had settled for a late-afternoon rest. They would be more receptive to visitors while they had full bellies.

“Do not go to infants,” he cautioned as the first few female gorillas noticed them. “If infant gets close, back away. Mother will come for infant.” Thorne was whispering now, and he hoped Eden would hear.

Keza was one of the first to spot Thorne. Her eyes softened, and his heart swelled at the visage of his mother—his second mother. Knowing of his parents from before and how he came to be here, he loved Keza no less. Perhaps he loved her even more than before. A mother’s love could go beyond all boundaries.

Keza grunted and huffed as she approached, lumbering on her knuckles toward him. He bent forward and reached out one hand, knuckles bent in kind as he touched her chest, then her head in greeting. Her huffing increased in a way that almost sounded like human laughter. Thorne spoke to her in the language of the gorillas, telling her of the bad men and the many dead humans and how he had found Eden. He gently took hold of one of Eden’s hands and pulled her to stand beside him.

His mother turned her reddish-brown eyes upon the young human female he hoped to call his mate. Keza hesitantly reached out and touched Eden’s chest, then her head, huffing softly as she did so.

“Touch her like she touch Eden,” he encouraged. “Greet her.”

Eden’s hands trembled as she curled her knuckles and greeted Keza. Beyond them Sunya, the dominant silverback, watched them. His dark eyes were wary, but he knew better than to fight Thorne. Both bore scars from their battles, but Thorne had always won. Though Thorne had no desire to be the dominant male of the band, his very presence put Sunya’s authority in question. But Sunya also knew that he could not chase Thorne away from his family. As a result, Thorne and Sunya lived in an uneasy truce.

“This is my mother. Keza,” he said to Eden.

“Your mother?” Such love was contained in those two words that Thorne’s heart quivered like the chest of a parrot as it began to sing. It was a feeling of joy, excitement, and contentment all at once.

“She’s beautiful, Thorne,” Eden replied.

Her lips came up in a soft smile, and her pale skin warmed with pink from the heat of the late afternoon. The loose tendrils of her sunlight-like hair tumbled around her shoulders. He wanted to sit behind her and comb his hands through the shiny gold strands and groom her the way mates did.

His brother, Akika, now approached him. His black back was starting to show hints of silver in his fur.

“This is brother. Akika,” Thorne said, then he greeted his brother. Akika stood still a moment before launching himself at Thorne, tackling him into the crushed nests the gorillas had been making.

Thorne grunted at the impact, then laughed as he wrestled with his brother the way they had since they were small. Akika laughed as well, in his own way. He panted hard and lightly knocked Thorne’s shoulder as Thorne got to his feet.

Eden raised the black object in her hands up to her face and held still. He didn’t know what she was doing, but he didn’t worry. It made a clicking noise, but it was not upsetting any of the gorillas around him. They were content to rest. Several new infants sat in their mothers’ laps and watched Thorne with bright, curious eyes. Thorne greeted each of the band. Akika followed close behind, showing his support of his brother. Then Thorne returned to Eden.

“You and your brother were playing?” she asked him.

“Yes. Most males do not play when they are older like me. Too much competition for mates. But Thorne not competition.”

Eden was holding that black thing up to her face again. “That makes sense. Does Keza have a mate?”

“No. He died when she found Thorne. Akika is son of dead mate. Sunya is dominant male now.” Thorne pointed at the prowling silverback who had just settled into his nest, grumpily watching them. “He is oldest son of Keza’s dead mate, but different mother.”

“Is it unusual for a female not to have a mate?” Eden joined him as he led her into the shade, and they sat down in a soft bed of grass.

“Most females find new mate, but not Keza. Taking Thorne as son made no males want her.” He watched his mother settle down and Akika play with his own juvenile son, who had recently been weaned from Akika’s mate.

He pointed at Akika and his child. “Akika’s son.” Thorne called to his brother, who hoisted the infant on his back and walked over to them. The tiny black gorilla infant squeaked and hooted in excitement as Thorne took the child from his brother’s back and held him in his arms.

“He’s adorable,” Eden murmured. Her eyes grew bright as she spoke again. “You are his uncle.”

Uncle .. .The word he had learned for the brother of a parent.

“Yes. Thorne good uncle.” He handed the infant back to Akika.

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