Page 35 of Valka

“She is. Why are you here?” he demanded, knowing exactly who she was, but determined to learn her opinions before he let her know that.

“Raska told me to stay here.”

“Why do you obey Raska? Do your loyalties lie with him?” Katva asked.

“He claimed me. I had no choice. He left hours ago and told me to stay here.”

“Do you wait for his return?” he asked.

Bettina thought about her answer. No, she didn’t. She waited for him not to return, but she couldn’t risk angering him if he did return. She looked up at the large male in front of her and suddenly tired of the whole situation, blurted out the absolute truth. “No. I do not. I wait for freedom. I don’t want to belong to anyone I don’t choose for myself. I’m tired of being afraid. I’m tired of being hungry. I’m tired of having to trade sex for survival. I just want to be free to feel safe and to know that tomorrow I’m going to wake up and not have to be afraid anymore. And I’m worried about my friend! Is that so wrong?” she asked Katva, standing up quickly and slapping her hand on her hip as she questioned him.

Katva pressed his thick lips together in a flat line as he successfully hid a smirk. He liked this female, she had fire. He’d wanted her before, simply because she was one of the last available, but he found he liked her strength, as well.

He wasn’t sure which of her needs he should address first, so he went with the obvious. “Raska is dead.”

Bettina’s mouth fell open in shock. “Really?!” she asked excitedly, then realized this male may be his friend. “I mean, oh, no. I’m sorry your friend is dead.”

Katva smiled, and didn’t even try to hide it. “He was not my friend.”

“Is that his blood on you?” she asked.

“Some of it. Some is that of his friends. Some of it is mine.”

Bettina nodded, her eyes taking the time to try to pick his own injury out of the blood smeared across his skin. “Are you alright? Do you need help?”

Katva was taken aback, no one had ever asked if he was alright. “I do not need help.”

“You’re bleeding.”

“It will stop.”

“Fine. Let it bleed.”

He scowled at her. “You cannot live in this tribe without a male.”

She didn’t answer right away and he could see that she was thinking. “I had one. He died. I don’t need another.”

He shook his head. “There are too many males. Not enough females. You will cause fights. Males will be injured. You could be injured. You need a male.”

She opened her mouth to speak, but he interrupted her. “Choose wisely this time.”

“I didn’t choose last time!”

“I give you the opportunity to choose this time,” he said, thinking of Valka insisting that his female had the right to choose for herself if he’d died.

Bettina sat down again. “Can I go see my friend? I just want to see my friend and make sure she’s okay.”

Katva considered all possible answers. He was tired. He was injured. And he had decided to take this female as his own, which might mean more battles. But at the moment all she wanted was to see her friend. And taking her to do that might just work out best for him in the end.

“Come. I’ll take you to your friend.”

“You will?”

“I will.”

“Is this a trick?”

“Do you want to see your friend?”