Hannah's Hero - Ruby Dixon Page 0,103

want my mate in my arms every night and I want to see her smiling face every morning.”

I want that too. I open my mouth to speak when there’s a loud cheer from below. It sounds distant but human. Taushen has stopped at the edge of one of the cliffs instead of taking the path down to the beach, and we move to his side, joining him. I fight back annoyance. My feet fucking hurt and I want to sleep for two days straight, but if we need to be careful going into camp…

The sight below is strange. A portion of the sandy beach has been set up for relays, with “lanes” in straight rows and several of the largest pieces of driftwood lined up on the side as seating. They’re empty, though, and another cheer rises from the group. I look down at the huts and see no one’s by the central fire. Everyone’s gathered around what looks like another cordoned off area, this one a big circle lined with rocks. Inside it, I can make out two male aliens fighting. One is pale blue and when he flexes, I see four arms. The other I can’t make out. Someone with a beard.

“What the fuck is going on?” I exclaim.

“Maybe the games?” Brooke says, shrugging. “Who knows?”

Another cheer rises from the group.

“KICK HIS ASS!” a woman bellows.

“That would be Bridget,” Brooke says, laughing. “Jeez, she’s got a pair of lungs on her. So is A’tam fighting then?”

“I see a beard?” I watch the four arms fly again, and then the man takes on his bearded opponent—who must be A’tam—once more. “Is K’thar fighting him?”

J’shel stiffens next to me, and his grip on my hand tightens as the four-armed man expertly flips his opponent to the ground and then pounces on him. There’s another groan from the audience, and Bridget’s voice hoots loud with amusement.

“That is not K’thar,” J’shel murmurs. “That is N’dek.” And he laughs, the sound pure joy. “And he is winning!”

I gape down at the crowd on the beach. Sure enough, when the two men grab each other again, the four-armed one quickly takes over his opponent. They clash, then back up, and as he does, I see he’s wearing what looks like a loincloth and has a big white boot on. No…not a boot. A prosthetic.

“I knew he would come to himself,” J’shel says quietly, and he’s squeezing my fingers so tightly that they smart.

“It looks like he and A’tam fight for Bree-shit,” Taushen says. “I remember fighting for Tee-fah-ni like that.”

Brooke lightly slaps his stomach. “I’m glad you didn’t win that particular fight.”

He just grins at her. “Oh, I did. But resonance—and Salukh—ensured that it did not matter. At the time I was very upset. Now I see it all happened because I was waiting for you.”

“Good answer,” Brooke says. “Do we want to keep watching?”

“It’s clear who’s going to win,” I say before anyone else can speak. N’dek’s wiping the floor with his opponent, and that’s obvious even from a distance. “And while I’m all for some entertainment, J’shel needs the healer.”

J’shel squeezes my hand again. “I can wait. Let N’dek have his moment.”

“Fuck that. We’re going down there and getting the healer right away. They can just deal. You are bleeding.”

“Of course, my mate,” J’shel says with a grin, and I know I’m being bossy. I don’t care. When it comes to my man, I’m going to take care of him.

Everyone else can just step aside.

Just because we’re home doesn’t mean we can rest. When we trudge into camp, we interrupt the games and then we’re crawling with people who are thrilled we’re back. I’m hugged by people I always thought hated me, and even S’bren gives me a pat on the back, which I find surprisingly touching given our history. It’s like even though we’re assholes to each other, we’re also family and that takes precedence.

It feels weirdly good.

The entire tribe’s eager to see J’shel, of course. It’s clear he’s adored by everyone and he accepts the hugs and slaps of greeting as if he has all the time in the world. Then we have to have a conversation with R’jaal and Raahosh about Old Grandfather and his (or her) egg and how to avoid that territory. They’re all content to talk until dawn if need be. I’m the one that gets pissy and demands the healer come and take a look at my J’shel and then it’s like everyone suddenly notices