Haven 4 AVOW - Sandra R Neeley Page 0,52

pleasure to watch my young ones at play,” she said, glancing toward the boys and Lo'San as they still raced and played on the far side of the track. Ph’eel looked back toward Synclare, trying to play it off as though she was simply watching her sons.

“It is truly a joy,” Mee’ta said. “It would be such a tragedy if Lo'San were never given the gift of fatherhood. He is blessed to have a mate that desires young ones as passionately as he does.”

Synclare nodded and returned her attention to her mate. She didn’t think her mother-in-law meant to, but she’d just made Synclare feel more inadequate than she had in a very long time.

“Aha! I won!” the older boy said, laughing and taunting Lo'San who’d very clearly let him win.

“You are so fast!” Lo'San said. “I just couldn’t keep up!”

“I want to race Au'revele! Come on, Au'revele! Race with us!” the younger boy said.

“You may go, Au'revele, if it pleases the young ones,” Mee'ta said.

Ph’eel raised her tiny, perfect nose in the air, and agreed. “You may join them,” she said haughtily.

Au'revele gripped her skirts in both hands and took off down the track. “I shall not let you win!” she cried as the boys took out after her.

“She seems like a wonderful young woman,” Synclare said. “She obviously loves your sons.”

“Yes, well, it is her one duty,” Ph’eel said.

“Doesn’t she get a break, any free time for herself?” Synclare asked.

“She has no need of it. She cares for them day and night. The only thing that would inhibit that is if we found her care neglectful, or if she were ill, then we’d return her to her village. We couldn’t risk her illness in our home. Otherwise there is naught to do with the exception of keeping up with our young ones, and that is a full time position.”

Shouts of laughter drew their attention again as Au'revele overtook the boys, then let them get ahead again. Au'revele laughed happily as she watched them thinking they’d caught up and were beating her. She loved to see the boys happy.

Her laughter was rich, light and melodic. It drew the attention of several males who were exercising in the facility. But it only caused one of them to lose his grip on the bar he held above his head, layered with weights on either side. The barbell crashed to the floor and made a deafening sound as one deep violet colored male trained his amethyst eyes on the female. His chest heaved as he watched her, her skirts gripped in her hands, as she ran and played with the two small males who called out to her to hurry and catch them.

“Au'revele! Hurry! You can’t catch us!”

“I’m coming!” she called back.

And on hearing her voice, the violet male’s head canted unconsciously to the side as his lips pulled back in a grimace. He turned in place, watching her progression around the track. It was then that he noticed some of the other males watching her as well. A rumble started as he became outraged at them watching her. Then he seemed to realize what was happening to himself.

“No!” he snarled. “No! No! No!” he shouted, as he stalked toward the exit of the facility.

Several males training with him, looked at each other, then back at him as they watched him go.

Au'revele happened to run down the track at exactly the same time he began to walk beneath it where it arched over the doorway. He paused and watched her go by. Her eyes caught his and she stumbled as she took in the beautiful, fierce male scowling at her. Forcing herself to continue on, she ran past, but kept her eyes on his as long as she could.

He watched her with a growl that increased with each passing second. As soon as she had to look away from him, he threw his head back and released a bellow that made all else go silent. “Nooooo!” he insisted as he slammed his way out of the facility.

They could still hear him snarling and cursing after he’d left the exercise facility and was well on his way down the corridor.

Mee'ta turned toward Synclare with her eyebrows raised in concern. “Who was that?” she asked.

“That was Zahn. He’s one of Sirena Vivian’s personal guard,” Synclare answered.

“Should she be warned that he is near losing control?” Ph’eel asked, clearly alarmed.

Synclare shook her head. “No, I think he’s okay,” she said, turning to look at Au'revele