Aries

Chapter 16

Terribly sorry for the late update. And since I updated this in a hurry, there might be a lot of mistakes. I will look into this afterwards

Dedicated to I_sxicide_I for the amazing comments you left behind!

The air was saturated with a clever blend of spices. The faint scent of lemongrass and ocean implemented the smell from the dishes Kaina was cooking. Rhaze was chopping a few bell peppers while Ant was tasting the curry that was on the stove.

Behind them, Varian and Miguel skinned a goat and Aislynn washed the dishes. The newly mated couple stole glances at each other and there was nothing shy in their gaze. Aislynn and Varian had full blown smirks on their face. At least Varian had the decency to grace a blush on his cheeks. Miguel saw the two give each other a long look and the air was suddenly filled with a hint their arousal before it subsided, nevertheless, Miguel groaned.

Seeing our arrival, Miguel pointed the dagger with which he was working towards Nash, who frowned. "Thank goodness you came!"

Nash rolled his eyes. "I am not thankful."

It was at that time Ant yelped and sucked her finger. Kaina sighed and sent the girl away. When the witch saw me, she gave me a smile that mirrored the joy my sister usually had when she saw me.

Kaina was the daughter of the Zayin of the Northern Tribe, her daughter the future Zayin of Summer Tribe, one of the Great Four Tribes, the Tribes whose Zayins were the Nobles of the Hall. Kaina had two tribes behind her and the two tribes were not something to be trifled with. If she willed, Kaina could announce war and walk away as the winner. This powerful witch was here, with us, cooking barbeque to celebrate new mateship.

"But I am!" Miguel pouted. "I am so thankful that I met you. If not, I would have been the only male."

Varian threw a dirty cloth at his comrade. "What am I then?"

"A mated male!" Miguel said, throwing the cloth right back at Varian who dodged it. "Allow me to rephrase that. I might have been the only single male."

Aislynn shook her head and gave her son a look of pity.

Then he growled lightly behind me. The shiver that ran up my spine had nothing to do with the awakening winds.

"I am talking about the creatures of Earth, Aries," Miguel said, waving the scarper with which he was skinning the goat. "Not a child of Cosmos."

When he said the word Cosmos, that memory that surfed moments ago, flashed in my eyes for a second before it disappeared. But this time, it was rather an image than a collection of voices. An image of a female with long black hair. I shook my head and just like that, it vanished.

Rhaze shook her head. "As if your only worry is this."

"Many are unmated here, Miguel," I quipped, as I took the plates Aislynn had cleaned and placed the nine plates on the table near the stove.

"Lyra is right," Ant said, taking a huge bite of the roasted chicken wing she had stolen from the plate Kaina had kept the chicken. "I am not. Rhaze is not. Nash is not."