The Choosing (14 page)

Torek and Serim have also finished and both place their plates on the ground at their feet. Jerath still hasn’t seen Meren and his curiosity gets the better of him. “Where’s Meren?”

Torek smirks before he answers and Jerath gets an odd feeling. “He’s sorting out sleeping arrangements.”

“But I thought he was bunking with his men,” Serim cuts in. “If he needs his tent back, Jerath and I are more than happy to sleep by the fire.”

Jerath nods in agreement, but Torek is quick to hold up his hand. “No, the tent is yours. Meren would never see his guests sleep outside, but he’s also had enough of sharing a tent with the likes of Harik over there.” He points over his shoulder with his thumb. “And I think he might want his privacy back for…
other
reasons.” He looks pointedly at Jerath and Serim giggles beside him.

As the implication of Torek’s statement slowly sinks in, Jerath feels heat blossom in more than just his cheeks. He’s just about to ask Torek what he means by that exactly when Meren appears, plate in hand, and sits down on the log next to Jerath. He’s close enough that their thighs are touching, and when Jerath looks up at him, he’s smiling widely.

“Hey.” He looks at their empty plates. “Have you had enough to eat?”

“Jerath has eaten enough for all of us!” Serim laughs.

“He needs to keep his strength up, though,” Torek adds, and the pair of them grin.

Jerath glares at Serim and tells Torek not to encourage her. “Everything okay?” He turns and faces Meren.

“Yes, I have a tent all to myself again.” His eyes darken as he looks at Jerath, but he doesn’t elaborate further. “So.” Meren peers past him to include Serim as well. “I was curious. I know the people of your village have the ability to shift, but are you born that way? Can everyone do it?”

Jerath is a little surprised that Meren doesn’t know more about them from his father, but he’s more than happy to tell him about their village and its people. “Only the females are born with the ability to shift, and it usually kicks in between their sixth and seventh birthdays. You saw our tattoos, yes?” Meren nods and licks his lips, and Jerath suddenly remembers what Serim said yesterday, about how Meren had looked when he’d seen Jerath’s tattoo. He clears his throat and pushes that thought away for later. “Well, all females in the village are born with their tattoo already on their skin, and it depicts which cat they will shift into. The males get their tattoos when they come of age and their fangs have come in.”

Jerath shows off his teeth, and Meren raises his hand as though he’s going to touch them but he hesitates at the last moment. “Can I?” he asks, and Jerath nods. With careful fingers, Meren traces the tips of Jerath’s fangs and smiles as he drops his hand back into his lap. “Those are impressive.”

“How do you get your tattoo?” Torek leans forward with his elbows on his knees. “Does it just appear? Or….”

Jerath casts a worried glance at Serim. All of a sudden Jerath can see where the conversation is heading and he’s not sure he wants to tell Meren about this particular ritual. But apparently Serim has no such reservations.

“When the males get their fangs, they must go through the Choosing to reveal their animal tattoo.”

“The Choosing?” Both Meren and Torek speak at the same time, and lean a little closer.

“It’s one of the most sacred rituals of our village,” Serim says, and then, much to Jerath’s horror, she begins to recite what it entails. “When the moon is full, each and every boy who is of age shall choose a willing female. Together they will consummate their union and invoke the spirits of the forest to bless him with their magic. Only then will his animal form be revealed.”

“Consummate?” Meren turns to face Jerath with a confused expression. “So that means you have sex, right?” Jerath nods and sighs as he waits for Meren’s next question. “But… I thought you only liked men? Yet you have your tattoo?”

“The only way to gain the ability to shift is to drink the blood of a female shifter at the point of climax,” Jerath explains, but Meren still looks confused. “There are berries and potions that can help with… you know…
that
part.”

Meren smiles with understanding, and Jerath breathes a sigh of relief that he doesn’t have to answer any more of Meren’s awkward questions.

But he’d forgotten about Torek.

“So when did your fangs come in? And did the poor girl mind that you needed berries to help find her attractive?” Torek grins at him and winks, and Jerath does his best not to glance at Serim.

He contemplates lying about his fangs. It’s not as though they need to know when he went through the ritual. But he doesn’t want to taint the growing relationship they’re both building with Meren, and the rest of his men, by being dishonest. “They came in three days ago.”

He waits for Torek and Meren to fully comprehend what he means, and sure enough, after a moment or two they look from Jerath to Serim and back again.

“You and Serim?” Meren asks.

“Yes.”

Torek studies Serim closely and shakes his head. “I can’t believe you needed sex berries in order to find a creature as lovely as Serim attractive.”

“Thank you.” She smiles at Torek. “You don’t need to defend my honor, though. Jerath’s not interested in girls,” she says matter-of-factly and shrugs. “So my attractiveness wasn’t the issue.”

Torek looks between the two of them curiously and Jerath has no idea what to say now. “It wasn’t just me who had the berries,” he eventually blurts out. “It’s not like Serim finds me attractive either—she’s my best friend. And she has feelings for another.”

“Another?” Torek looks totally confused now. “Won’t he mind that you did this with Jerath?”

“It’s an honor to help someone through their Choosing,” Serim answers. “Usually only unmated females are eligible and only if they’re willing.” Jerath notices she leaves out the part about them being assigned in extreme cases, but he isn’t about to tell them either. Some things are best left unsaid.

“But I thought Jerath said there was someone else?” Meren joins in.

“Yes, his name is Ghaneth. But….” Serim takes in a shuddering breath, so Jerath slips an arm around her shoulders and pulls her close. “We weren’t mated. His fangs had only just come in, and I was waiting for the full moon to see if his animal would be a match for mine. But then he was taken.” Serim buries her head in Jerath’s chest and takes several deep breaths until she’s back in control again.

No one speaks for several long moments, and then Meren’s soft voice breaks the tension. “The full moon was two nights ago. What will happen to the ones who didn’t get to do the ritual?”

Serim tenses at the reminder and Jerath holds her tighter against him. “If they don’t complete the ritual by the next full moon….” Her breath hitches and Jerath strokes his thumb up and down Serim’s arm. “They will lose the ability to shift. Forever.”

Jerath can tell by the look on Meren’s face that he doesn’t seem to grasp how awful that will be for them.

“They would be the first ones in the history of our village,” Jerath explains. “With no tattoo, there is no way to find a mate, so they will never have a family of their own. I wouldn’t wish it on my worst enemy.”

Meren finally gets it and he lays his hand on Serim’s knee. “Is that why you’re so desperate to see my father? You need to get them back home before the next full moon?”

“Yes,” she whispers. “We’re hoping he’ll help us, like your village did before.”

“The hunters in my village are expert trackers. But even if my father agrees to help, the raiders who took your people have a huge head start and there’s no guarantee that we’ll be able to find them.” He squeezes Serim’s knee before he lets go and sits back.

“We know that, Meren.” Jerath rubs a hand over his eyes, feeling the events of the day catching up with him. The sun has set while they’ve been talking, and he feels tiredness start to settle into his bones. “But we have nowhere else to turn.”

Meren entwines his fingers with Jerath’s, and Jerath struggles not to look as surprised as he feels. Meren’s hand is warm and strong and Jerath grips it like a lifeline.

“I’ll do my best to convince my father to help you.” Meren strokes the back of Jerath’s hand and looks very much as though he wants to lean in and give Jerath a kiss, but he just sighs and looks away.

“I think I’m going to go to bed.” Serim ducks out from under Jerath’s arm and gets to her feet. Jerath goes to follow her, but Serim smiles softly and shakes her head. She looks between Jerath and Meren and gives Jerath a wink. “Why don’t you stay here? I’d like some time alone, if that’s okay?”

Jerath knows what she’s trying to do, but he’s worried about her. He gets up anyway, giving her a fierce hug, and she laughs against his shoulder.

“I’m okay, really, Jerath.” She whispers it into his chest so only he can hear. “But I wouldn’t mind some time to myself, and by the looks of things, Meren would like some alone time with you.” She tilts her head back and looks him in the eyes. “I won’t be too upset if I get the bed all to myself tonight.”

Judging from the muffled laughter behind him, Serim wasn’t being as quiet as she thought she was, and Jerath groans as he leans down and kisses her forehead.

“Sorry.” She giggles and Jerath knows that it was totally intentional on her part.

“Good night, Serim.” He sits back down and narrows his eyes at her, but she just shrugs as though she doesn’t know what he’s mad at.

She says good night to Meren and Torek and walks over to her tent.

“Well.” Torek stands and rubs his hands together. “As much as I’d like to sit here and force you two to make polite conversation for the next hour or so, I have things to prepare for our journey home tomorrow.” He grins at Jerath as he turns to leave. “Make sure he doesn’t keep you up too late, we have to be awake early in the morning.”

Jerath can’t help but blush at that, and Torek laughs loudly as he makes his way over to join the rest of the men by the fire. He watches Torek laugh and joke with the others for a moment or two before looking over at Meren.

Meren is staring at him, and Jerath can’t decipher the look on his face. “Everything okay?” he asks when Meren doesn’t say anything. “You’re very quiet.”

Meren swallows and licks his lips. “Would you like to spend the night with me, Jerath?”

Oh.

Jerath fidgets, his hands twisting together as he lets the question sink in. He wants to. Meren is everything he likes. He’s tall and strong, but not overly big—Jerath has never been a fan of huge muscles—but Jerath still hesitates. He doesn’t know whether it’s his lack of experience or something else, but the silence is stretching out between them and quickly becoming uncomfortable.

“Jerath?” Meren’s hand settles on Jerath’s leg. It’s high enough to make Jerath shiver, a lick of heat traveling straight to his groin. “We don’t have to do anything.” Jerath knows he must look confused because Meren laughs and squeezes his thigh. “I want to, believe me. I
really
do. But I… I just want you in my bed. We have two more nights before we get to my village and who knows what will happen then.”

Meren slides his hand farther up Jerath’s leg, his thumb rubbing just shy of Jerath’s groin. “Please.”

Jerath’s indecision slips away with every stroke of Meren’s thumb. He feels his body react; his heart rate picks up and his cock starts to fill, half-hard already. “Yes.” It comes out as barely more than a whisper, but it’s enough.

Meren leans forward and brushes his lips against Jerath’s in a kiss that’s far too chaste for Jerath’s liking, but Meren is up on his feet before Jerath can protest or try to deepen it. He offers Jerath a hand up, and when their fingers meet the heat of his touch seeps through Jerath’s skin and warms him deep inside.

“Come on.” Meren smiles and leads Jerath to a smallish tent on the outskirts of the camp.

It’s not as comfortable inside as the one Meren gave up for Jerath and Serim; there’s just a bed of furs and blankets in the corner, but that’s all they really need. Meren stops in the middle of the tent and turns to face him. Jerath’s heart pounds as Meren steps closer, his hands coming up to cup Jerath’s cheeks.

This is different from earlier by the stream. They could have been discovered any moment there, but here, in the privacy of Meren’s tent, they won’t be disturbed and they can take as much time as they like. Jerath swallows down his nerves and shuts his eyes as Meren’s mouth closes over his.

It’s a soft kiss, unhurried and lazy, and Jerath relaxes into it with a sigh. Meren shuffles a little closer until the hard length of his body is flush against Jerath’s, and Jerath feels every solid inch of him. He walks Jerath backward toward the makeshift bed as his fingers trail down Jerath’s back and slip underneath the bottom of his shirt.

Meren breaks the kiss and pulls back. “Let’s go to bed.”

Jerath can see fairly well in the dark since he gained the ability to shift—not as well as in his feline form, but better than when he was human. He takes in Meren’s face, eyes dark and heavy lidded, lips slightly swollen. Meren’s breathing is faster than normal and Jerath smiles because he did that. He feels the burst of confidence in his chest and steps back to tug off his shirt. Meren stares at him hungrily, reaching for his own shirt, and pretty soon they’re both standing there naked.

A gust of wind lifts the tent flap, and they both shiver as the cold air swirls over and around their exposed skins. It breaks the tension between them and they laugh, scrambling to get underneath the furs before it happens again.

“Fuck, that was cold!” Meren pulls the fur up to his chin and shivers again.

Jerath instinctively wraps an arm around Meren’s shoulders and draws him in. He pulls him tight against his side, like he’s done so many times with Serim, only registering what he’s done when he feels Meren’s hard length against his hip. Jerath stills, not knowing what to do next. But Meren obviously does and he slides a hand over Jerath’s stomach and kisses the side of his neck.

Meren moves his hand lower and strokes teasing patterns over Jerath’s sensitive skin, and Jerath moans. He watches intently as Meren licks at his chest, tonguing his nipples until they ache.