Chapter 11
1226 Words
Luna
Luna woke to a dull ache in her back. At first, she thought she’d slept on the hard ground, but no—there was warmth beneath her, solid and steady, like a living furnace. The other half of her body was chilled from the foggy morning air that seeped through the leaves above. Slowly, she blinked her eyes open, her vision filled with white mist and the dark outline of a tree branch.
A tree branch.
She stilled, her heart hammering as memory caught up to her. Last night—running, being carried, the dizzying blur of movement through the treetops before exhaustion pulled her under. She shifted slightly, her cheek brushing against warm, smooth skin, and froze when she realized what exactly was keeping her from falling.
Four strong arms were wrapped around her.
Her gaze slid upward, and her breath caught at the sight of Axoh’s face so close to hers. His expression was unguarded in sleep, his jaw slack, his breathing even. She had never seen him this way—soft, peaceful. Her eyes lingered on his lashes, thick and startlingly purple, the same shade as his hair, his skin. She almost laughed at herself for noticing, for finding something as small as eyelashes beautiful when she was perched high above the ground with no safety net.
Carefully, she wriggled free of his hold, trying not to wake him, but the moment her warmth left his arms, Axoh’s lower hand twitched, reaching for her as if to make sure she hadn’t vanished.
“I’m okay,” she whispered softly, touching his arm. “Just—uh—nature calls.”
He made a low sound of acknowledgement, his eyes half-opening as he nodded groggily.
Then Luna made the mistake of looking down.
The ground was so far below it made her stomach drop. Her legs wobbled.
“Holy crap,” she hissed under her breath and scrambled right back into Axoh’s arms.
He startled awake fully this time, catching her against his chest. She clutched at him, heart pounding. “Don’t let me fall! Please—wake up properly! We’re in a tree and I—” she gestured frantically downward, “—I need to pee, but I’d rather not die trying to get there!”
Axoh’s arms tightened around her, pulling her against him until she could hear the steady thump of his heartbeat under her ear. His voice rumbled softly in his language, calm and reassuring, and though she didn’t understand the words, something about the sound soothed the worst of her panic.
“Down,” she said firmly, pointing toward the ground.
He repeated the word, nodding, then called out to someone in a low tone. Moments later, Vallyn swung down from a higher branch with a grace that made Luna’s jaw drop.
Of course. Monkey tails. That explained a lot.
Her memory from last night came back in fragments—being carried, her exhaustion so deep she’d fallen asleep against Axoh’s chest without protest. He must have climbed all the way up here with her.
“Down… pee?” Vallyn asked, his voice careful.
“Yes! Down pee!” she said quickly, nodding and making a very obvious gesture toward the ground.
He smiled faintly, clearly amused at her choice of words, then placed a hand gently on her back before calling out to someone she couldn’t see.
As her vision cleared, she noticed another nest a few branches over. Nvaa was there, looking pale but awake, and beside him sat someone new.
Luna blinked.
This one was different—taller, broader, his skin a darker shade of purple, his hair cropped shorter than the others. There was a wildness about him, though his golden eyes were unexpectedly warm when they met hers.
She opened her mouth to greet Nvaa, but both Axoh and Vallyn immediately pressed their hands over hers, shushing her with wide-eyed urgency. Vallyn gestured downward, then swept one of his hands in a wide circle around them.
Right. They were probably still being hunted.
The new male crossed the branch toward them. The space suddenly felt smaller, her senses sharper as his presence filled it. When he stopped in front of her, he placed all four hands over his chest, bowed his head slightly, and spoke in a low tone.
“Zigur,” he said, then pointed to her. “Loonaa.”
She smiled nervously, placing her hand over her own chest. “Luna,” she corrected softly. “Zigur.”
He nodded, as though committing her name to memory, and smiled. The expression transformed his face, softening the wild edges and making something warm stir in her stomach.
Vallyn and Axoh exchanged a few quick words with him, their voices low but urgent. Luna caught only fragments—queen, warriors, mate. The last word made her cheeks warm, though she quickly told herself not to read into it.
When Vallyn opened his arms to her, she hesitated only a second before accepting. He lifted her with his lower arms, steady and sure, guiding her legs to wrap around his waist. His upper arms held her close while his lower arms cradled her as if she weighed nothing.
It was awkward at first—her face nearly buried in his shoulder, her thighs pressed against his sides—but then she relaxed against him. It felt… safe.
They didn’t go down immediately. Instead, they moved through the trees, following the direction Zigur had pointed. Luna tried not to look down as Vallyn leapt effortlessly from branch to branch, his tails curling for balance.
Every so often, Luna’s gaze found Nvaa behind them. Despite his injuries, he still moved with quiet determination, and when he caught her staring, he gave her a faint smile. Not one of pity, but one that said I’m fine, don’t worry about me.
Eventually, they began their descent. Luna closed her eyes most of the way down, clutching Vallyn’s shoulders. The trip felt endless, her stomach swooping with every drop.
When they finally touched the forest floor, Vallyn set her gently on her feet. Her legs trembled, and she swayed slightly until Axoh caught her hand.
“Luna. Pee,” he said simply, and she managed a breathless laugh.
He led her a little way from the others but never let her out of his sight. It was oddly comforting, knowing he wasn’t going to leave her vulnerable even for a moment.
When she returned, she found Zigur waiting with the others, golden eyes fixed on her as though memorizing every movement. She shivered under the intensity of his gaze.
They spoke among themselves, their voices hushed, and Luna caught only enough English to gather that they would be moving again soon.
She didn’t argue. Not this time.
For the rest of the morning, Vallyn carried her. His arms never wavered, even as they traveled through the endless network of trees. She felt almost guilty for how relieved she was not to have to walk.
Safe.
She was safe for now.
But even as her body relaxed against him, Luna couldn’t shake the feeling that danger was still out there. Somewhere, Zaali warriors were hunting.
And from the way Zigur stayed near—always close enough to catch her if she fell—she knew he sensed it too.
- Writer
