Page 15 of Tavarr's Mate
Prince Kenan is the ruler of the five Dennian Mountain towns, which includes Cempha, the town we live in. Both he and his human mate, Laylah, were very worried about you. Prince Kenan has decreed that you are to remain in Zandek’s household for one year, and then after this time, the prince himself will select a mate for you from amongst his warriors.
A mate?
I sit up straighter and glare at Zell. His message has left me chilled to the bone. I don’t want a mate. Not ever. I want to be alone.
Run and hide, run and hide.
I think of my dreams of escaping to the forest and my heart clenches. Am I to have no choice in my future?
Please remain calm, Katrina. The prince has promised to select a Kleaxian male who will be mindful of your experiences, a male who will be gentle with you.
“A gentle Kleaxian?” I ask, my lower lip trembling. “Is there really such a thing?”
The look on Zell’s face tells all. Though he’s repeating orders from the prince, he obviously has his doubts. ‘Gentle Kleaxian’ is a paradox.
Kleaxians are different than humans, Katrina. Surely you must know this. But the prince will select a worthy mate for you. A mate who will not kick you and beat you until you pass out. A Kleaxian who is not blinded by hatred for humans and will feel the full sense of his mating bond with you.
“I don’t want a mate. I just want to be left alone. I want to be free.”
A shadow crosses Zell’s pale features.
I am sorry, Katrina, but that is not possible. Given your young age, you are considered a fertile female, a female to be taken as a mate. No matter what. Even if you were older, you still wouldn’t be granted your freedom. The older human females, like Joanna, have been taken as slaves.
“What happened to all the human males? Have any of them been taken prisoner?” I hold my breath as I await his response, the memory of watching Kleaxians slaughter men in the streets of Capital Acres rushing back, as sharp as if it had happened yesterday.
Zell hesitates before finally answering.
All the human males have been put to death.
The only humans left on Tallia are females.
Chapter Eight
To be suddenly thrust from a state of constant fear into complete safety is an odd, almost violent feeling itself. When the jolt of waking from the worst nightmare of my life finally fades, along with residual traces of panic, the days have already turned to weeks.
I remain in Zandek’s household as ordered by the prince, slowly but surely healing in both body and spirit. It helps that I don’t remember anything beyond a few kicks to my stomach and head from the time Vonn tried to kill me, and it also helps that I haven’t been left with scars. The skin on my back is as smooth and unblemished as ever, with no signs of the whipping Zell had described.
Though the doctor mended my injuries, exhaustion often weighs me down, and he says it will take time for my body to fully recover from my ordeal. I’ve never slept so much in my life, but each day is better than the one before.
Helena and Joanna are nothing but kind and go out of their way to make me comfortable, but I still can’t help worrying over the future. What if this house is but a brief calm in a storm that will resume raging at the end of the year?
Sooner than I would like, Prince Kenan will select a mate for me from among his warriors.
Which Kleaxian in the town will I be given to?
Or will the prince give me to a male from another town entirely?
I try not to think about my future mate, but it’s difficult when all I want is solitude, because if I am alone, I will feel safest. My dreams of living in the forest by myself never leave.
Sometimes, I imagine I’ll make my escape one day and live like a fairytale princess in a cozy little cottage, with no one but the exotic Tallian forest animals to keep me company. Zandek maintains a watchful eye on me, though, and his home is reinforced with a security system that rings each time someone exits the front door or even leans out a window. Thus far, the opportunity for escape hasn’t presented itself.
Zandek, at least, treats me with kindness, and I am relieved he speaks fluent English. Not only that, but he is teaching a group of Kleaxian males from the town how to speak English so they can better communicate with their mates. He also inquires about my health daily and always asks if I need anything from the market. He’s even provided me with several nice dresses in the Kleaxian fashion—elegant flowing gowns in bright colors—for which I am most grateful.
Zell has remained in Zandek’s household, and there is another Ghessan servant living here, named Getta, who hasn’t yet communicated with me but whom I enjoy being around, as his presence is strangely calming. His eyes twinkle with humor and he smiles at me often.
On clear nights, I venture to the rooftop terrace and gaze at the twin moons and the beautiful star encrusted sky. After being locked inside Vonn’s house for weeks, I appreciate the outdoors more than ever.
As often as I can, I sit in silence and stare across the darkened landscape, marveling at the large glowing bugs that fly atop the trees, intermittently flashing white and pink. I’d seen nothing of the sort in Capital Acres, but then I hadn’t ever ventured far into the forest. Guards had patrolled the perimeter of the city, and only scientists, government workers, and tourism companies with special permits had been allowed to leave. I’d always wanted to join one of the tourist groups on a grand adventure through the tropical forest surrounding the human city, but Harry had said it was too much money.
