“My sister?” He laughs. “She’d slaughter them, but not before making them beg for death. She is much like Narzik in that way.” Atox’s ridges spread wide as he finally understands. “Your female is not Ossa. She’s human and can be swayed. Handle this, Neld.”
“She is much like your mate and sister, Atox. Tansey will not give up.”
His hand curls around a knife as he does when he feels threatened. “If she causes trouble?—”
“I will contain her, Grak,” I say swiftly, lest he decide killing Tansey is the best course to avoid trouble.
His hand eases from his knife. “Explain how this happened. I ordered you to ensure our warriors avoided the dwellings with younglings.”
“The area we raided housed unmated humans, no younglings. My female had been visiting one of these females.”
“She has a mate?”
“No.”
“Then there is no problem,” he says, returning his attention to the gorjas in the pen. “Claim her in risha. Or tell her to choose another.”
“She will not allow anyone to claim her, Grak. She’s focused on being with her son. If I could have my…”. I take a deep breath, trying to keep Veeya’s image out of my head. “We vekked up by taking Tansey from her youngling, even if it was not our plan. She is stubborn and determined.”
“Like my Paloma.”
“In some ways, she is very much like our graka. But Palomadid not leave a youngling behind. Tansey did, and not by her choice. She will not give up on the idea of returning to New Earth.”
“She stays. All the human females stay. When the humans took Paloma from me, they interrogated her. The questions they asked her lead me to believe they are planning an attack. We cannot risk any of the females returning to the Earth colony with information that will be used against us.” His eyes narrow. “Nor any more disobedience from our warriors.”
“Baloq ignored your orders, Grak. Not I.”
“Baloq said he had no plans to force her until he noticed you watching her.”
“I kept my distance.”
“You are his neld. Your power is more than physical. It’s what our warriors believe you will do that affects them most. He believed you would take her, that he’d lose her unless he mated her first. You aggravated the situation and set a poor example for the other warriors. You and Baloq both.”
I do not regret my actions. Only that they led to Baloq attacking Tansey. And being banished. Losing Ryko and now Baloq…It’s a deep loss, and Atox is right. I should have handled the situation differently. Though I’m not sure how, as I could not tear my attention from Tansey, even though she wasn’t mine.
“We need every warrior alert and unified if the humans and vints ally against us in an attack, Neld.”
“I’ve been distracted, Grak.” Such an admission is beneath my station, but I will not lie to my grak. “The mere presence of these females, what they represent, distracts our warriors. Those who have claimed females, and those who have not.”
His lips curl back. “My first weeks with Paloma were difficult, but I did not have other males attempting to take her from me. Being grak, I do not see or think like our warriors. That is why I have you, Verig. To point out what I do not see.”
“I will strive to do better, Grak.”
He leans in against the fence, watching the gorjas graze. “Paloma suggests a dating system.”
“What is dating?”
“A human concept. A confusing one. I will have her explain it to you. But she says it will give the females power. Once they have that power, they will be more agreeable. Orc females take what they want. Paloma understands this now, but the other human females…” He releases a low growl of frustration. “Many never leave their quarters.”
I think of Tansey, who is as headstrong as an orc. We need to prove ourselves to these females. “If I return to New Earth and bring Tansey’s youngling here, so they may be together, then the other females will see we are worthy of them.”
I read it in Atox’s expression. There’s more he hasn’t told me. “What aren’t you saying, Grak?”
“Several fights have broken out over the females. I’ve had to add a guard outside their quarters. I’m losing control, Verig. Control I’m not sure I ever fully had since I took a human mate.”
Have I been so caught up in Tansey, devoting all my time to watching and keeping her safe from Baloq, that I’ve ignored my duties as neld and failed to see the growing dissent within our settlement?
“I’ll retrieve the youngling. Slip into the dwelling at night, take him, then return without being seen.”
