Kiromir 36

My mom convinced herself that I had bonded with Thanus just to spite her. She was livid, acting like I had chosen him like that. But, quite obviously, I’d tried, though it didn’t seem to convince her.

She acted like I ended the damn bloodline over something I couldn’t help. Revik could have helped it. Revik is the one that went after a mortal girl, not me. The creator bound me to Thanus, and there was no union strong enough between wildling and mortal that could cement a bond like that.

I made my way across the campgrounds, avoiding the stupid booth they sat up for their equally absurd breeding program. I had a bondmate, now. I didn’t have to face Korla and her damn genealogy and eugenics. I fought the urge to give that damn booth the finger.

I strode purposefully across the scorched earth, my feet crunching over burned grass and crisp dirt. I glided past couples and people reuniting for the first time in a year, all hugs and smiles. The excitement felt palpable and joyous as it captivated me in the flurry of emotions. I always forgot how happy the reunion could be for others.

“MOTHMAN!” A deep voice shouted as thundering steps charged my way—my cousin. I barely had time to react.

Garren, a dark-haired and broad man about my same height, with the characteristic golden eyes of my mother’s family, charged towards me. I felt his shoulder first, knocking the wind out of me as we tumbled to the ground.

I twisted my body, swung a thigh around, clung to his waist for leverage as I pulled his arm back behind his shoulder. Then, my hips swiveled, and my knee dug into his lower back. Struggling, I fought for leverage, pinning down on his ikris. Even if he lashed his wings, it’d cause him more distress than me.

As I moved and wrestled, solid and wiry in my own way, I realized how sore my own muscles felt. My thighs burned, abdomen on fire. Every movement hurt, and I lavished in it. Of course, I knew Thanus caused every bit of it, but I couldn’t let that distract me.

“Who’s a pigeon?” I shouted as I tugged his arm back harder. He wrenched his body to get from beneath me. But, though he had a good fifty pounds of muscle on me, I jerked his arm again, keeping him down.

“WHO—IS—THE—PIGEON?” I asked, jerking his arm a little harder with each word.

“I AM!” my cousin announced, retching.

“SAY IT!” I commanded with glee spreading sharp and visceral over my face.

“I AM A PIGEON!” He wheezed.

I released him with a jerk and rolled away, climbing to my feet with a wide grin.

Onlookers passing by were giving us the usual berth. Our reunions typically went this way. Though, I’d never gotten one over on Garren that quickly before. The scuffles usually lasted longer. But I grinned at him, and his typical sour look after being beaten morphed into somewhat of a smirk.

“You’ve been bound!” he said celebratorily. The sudden announcement sent a chill into my heart. I rubbed my hand self-consciously down my left leg over the mark to feel the reassuring sting of it, and his eyes followed. My first instinct surged for me to deny it, to feel shame.

No. I won’t be ashamed of who I am.

“How did…” I asked. A guilty pang swept through me.

“Your eyes! They’re literally glowing. That gold fire is strong,” he laughed. I couldn’t even feel it.

I held a hand out in front of my face. There, I could see the light shine on my palm and blinked a few times to clear it. Of course, all my culminated excess mana could have caused it as easily as my heightened emotions. Unfortunately, though, either of those could have been accurate at that moment.

“Only just last night,” I told him, quieting as I remembered my mother’s anger.

“Auntie is pissed?” Garren leaned up over his knees with anxiousness, crossing his arms. His hopeful golden-eyed stare glimmered up at me.

“Did you hear her screaming earlier?” I found myself suddenly relaxed. I didn’t have to hide anything.

“That you’ve ruined her breeding plan for you?” He worked himself to a slow stand.

I stood up, too, wheezing beneath my breath and groaning with satisfaction as I stretched out. Every prickle, sting, and throb of my body reminded me of the waves of pleasure the night before.

Thanus trailed not too far off, jogging up behind me, and I could feel the buzz of his skin as he brushed his shoulder against mine. His eyes shone bright and excited, and I wanted to reach out and grab his hand, but I didn’t. He made that decision for me, not holding my hand but reaching a finger out to hook into my belt loop. He tugged gently, and I swayed on my feet a little. I liked the forfeiture of control, the pressure, and tug.

“You and Thanus, huh?” Garren asked, no surprise in his voice.

Garren had a conspiratorial look on his face as he leaned in. “I had a feeling,” He said, looking to Thanus. “I was the one that sent Dilson to talk to you.”

Thanus’s bright glimmer in his eyes got brighter as Garren looked back to me with a crooked grin. My cousin leaned over, poking my left hip, and I hissed through my teeth hard as it shot the wrong kind of pain through me.

“Suts!”

“Come on, Mothman. We’ve all been missing you,” He said with a grin and hefted off in the direction of other tents. The kids were laughing and happy. Then, I caught a glimpse of Gaff, Prim, and Ni doing something, shortly proceeded by Prim becoming airborne.