Page 44 of Ashborne Forged

‘No, Grace! Free the heart—play the game!’

‘I will,’ I assured her. ‘I’m not going anywhere.’

‘Run! Run fast!’ she sang.

I grinned. ‘Enjoy your mate, Koa. Just don’t touch my mind once you’re mating, please,’ I sent with only a little squirm. Koa—and Voski—were teaching me not to be so easily embarrassed by talk of these things. But I still felt out of my depth. I loved it when Voski’s eyes began to gleam, and his tone dropped to that ragged gravel. It was thrilling.

‘Grace—enjoy! Grace, play the mate game!’

Ah. I thought I understood. She’d felt my desire rise when I was with Voski, and she was urging me toward him. ‘I will, don’t worry,’ I reassured her. ‘We have to eat first, that’s all. Strong men need a lot of food before fun.’

To my surprise, Koa gave a low growl in the bond. ‘The mates need games.’ My mind flickered with images of Kham, chasing her through the trees, his neck extended and snaking as he chased her down.

I’d seen them do this several times since they bonded, and I always found it thrilling. Koa was delighted when Kham came after her. And she led him on a merry chase whenever she could, screaming and whistling, taunting him—which only drove him after her with more vigor. Until they ended in a tangle of necks and limbs and… well.

Perhaps that was what she was telling me? To tease Voski? My mother had always urged me to remember that my frankness wasn’t attractive. That men loved the chase. That coy flirting was more attractive than bald statements of the truth.

Perhaps that was why Voski had stopped and sent me for mushrooms? Because I hadn’t played games?

I frowned. I enjoyed the flirting when I managed it. But I usually couldn’t think of flirtatious things to say. Only suggestive truth. And I didn’t want to pretend with him. It didn’t sit well in my chest.

‘Hide and seek… Hide and seek, Grace.’

I’d just caught sight of a small cluster of the mushrooms near the roots of a tree and hurried toward them, but Koa’s words took me by surprise. I recognized them, of course. A child’s game I used to enjoy a great deal when I was young. But it seemed strange that she would use it. Kham must have described their teasing, chasing game with those human words.

‘I enjoy hide and seek as well, Koa. Now go. Enjoy your mate, and I will enjoy mine.’

I heard her distant, shrill scream and grinned, praying that they’d play their game for a time so we could eat before the other hunger overtook us.

I was pleased to find nearly a dozen of the mushrooms near the base of a large tree, but they were small, and Voski said he needed twenty. So, after shaking as much dirt from the mushrooms as I could, I made a loop with one side of my cloak and placed them inside the folds, then turned in the dying light to look for more, praying I’d be able to see long enough to find them.

But just as I straightened, my senses prickled.

I went still. Ears perked, turning slowly, listening. The evening birds had gone quiet, which meant something predatory moved nearby.

My instincts shrilled. The hair on the back of my neck stood up. Suddenly I felt eyes on my back.

I whirled.

Dark eyes. Pinpoints of light. A shadow that moved faster than a blink. Then nothing.

I stood there, my breath growing quick and shallow, searching the dark for more movement, or sound, my heart hammering in my chest.

When I couldn’t see anything, I instinctively reached for Voski in the bond, and then slumped with relief.

Of course. He was near. Very near, because I could feel him very clearly.

Those were his eyes. And he’d darted away.

Hide and seek, Koa had said. Mate games.

I gave a little laugh as understanding clicked. Then let my cloak fall, tumbling the mushrooms to the dirt at the base of the tree, and slipping behind it so if he was still in that direction, he couldn’t see me.

Then I closed my eyes, and opened myself to the bond, turning until I thought I’d figured out which direction he was in, then crept out, keeping my body low, and biting down on a smile.

Hide and seek.

Mate games.