Steph's Outcast

"No," Steff gasps. "Juth, no. Essa fren! Ashtar!"

The male taps his bare golden chest with his good arm. "Ashtar."

It is a name. Not a clan name, but not an Outcast name, either. I do not trust it, or him, and I simply narrow my eyes, waiting. Steff tugs on me again, and because I wish to make her happy, I crouch next to her once more. They begin to talk, faster than I can follow, and I watch them gesticulate. She keeps her hand on my arm, rubbing it gently, and…I like that. I like that she is being possessive with me in front of this male. Does it mean she wishes to stay with us? To become Outcast clan alongside us?

My heart warms at the thought. Maybe if her clan is gone…

The male gestures at his bad arm, talking rapidly, and then back at the direction he came from. Steff shakes her head, spitting more rapid words at him and indicating her ankle. Then they look at me and she gestures at her ear before they talk some more.

I suspect they are talking about the pebble in the ear. Are they going to give me a pebble, too? I wait, but no one brings one for me.

The male gives her an unhappy look, gesturing again at the far end of the beach. It is clear he does not like leaving her with me. Steff shakes her head again and gestures at her leg, then rubs my arm once more. She is choosing me. She is staying with me. I give the male a triumphant look, but he ignores it.

Instead, he takes his leather skirt off his hips and holds it out.

A growl surges in my throat. Is he trying to steal my female out from under me? But he averts his eyes and I notice that when he talks to Steff, he deliberately does not look at her, as if he should not. As if her teats spilling out bother him. As if she is not beautiful with all her glory exposed.

He is a fool, then.

Steff gestures at the leather he holds out, and when I snatch it from the male's hand, she practically claws it out of mine and settles it over her lap. Ah. Clothes.

The male says some more things, then gestures at his ear once more, then at the sky. "Tmorroh mawrn," he says. "Yewll be hokay untilden?"

Steff makes a sound of reassurance and strokes my arm once more.

The male leaves and…I am glad. She has chosen to be with me. She is one of us, now. This fills me with a fierce, ugly joy. I know the rules say that no Outcast may take a mate, but this is one rule I think I will break gladly.

Because I have decided that Steff is mine.

14

STEPH

I'm so relieved to see Ashtar that I don't even mind that I'm horrifically naked and nursing a broken ankle. Well, okay, I mind a little, but I'm glad Ashtar does his best to avert his gaze so I'm not incredibly uncomfortable. I know he's not interested in what I look like. He's absolutely head-over-heels for his mate. It's my own personal shame at my appearance that makes me feel awkward. My thighs are thick, my boobs are heavy and un-perky and I know I'm not an attractive sort of naked. I have stomach rolls and cellulite dimples and stretch marks. I'm thrilled when Ashtar—who doesn't mind being naked—whips off his kilt and offers it to me to wear. Now if I can just convince Juth that I need my doubled-up breast-band back, I'll feel sufficiently clothed again.

When Ashtar leaves, I let out a heavy sigh. "God, I'm glad to see him."

Juth watches the entrance of the cave, not leaving it, and I get the impression he's guarding us. That he'll shove Ashtar back out onto the sands if he tries to come back. I wonder if it's jealousy or just more Outcast mannerisms I'm not grasping the full import of?

"Ashtar's a friend," I say to Juth, even though he can't understand me. "He's a good guy. He just came to tell me that everyone's all right. They had a few injuries and most of the huts are trashed, but everyone's okay." I'm just so relieved to hear that, too. I think about all the couples and the little babies and my friends and the thought of losing even one of them feels like a punch in the gut. They really do feel like my family. After losing both my parents early on in life, I don't think I'm ready to lose anyone else. Maybe it's one reason why I fight so hard for Pak and Juth to join us.

I need to keep everyone around me. Everyone.

I shift my weight, because my backside is bruised from my fall, and wince when it sends a shot of pain up my leg. My ankle is killing me, but I only need to put up with it a little longer. Veronica's overwhelmed at the beach with small injuries, according to Ashtar. The worst is Elly, who got hit in the head with a falling beam in their hut, and then Bek nearly lost his mind when his mate was hurt and attacked anyone that tried to get between him and the healer. I told Ashtar I could wait until tomorrow or the day after, or even longer, really. I'm not a huntress. I can sit by the fire and mend clothes and weave nets as easily with a broken ankle. It's just…kinda painful.