you’ve been here, among them.” She placed the bowl on the floor near Addison, sitting down on a low stool beside the bed.
“You’ll think I’m mad, but for a horrid moment I thought you were going to take me away from this…” Daphne glanced around the hut. “It might not look like much, but it is my home now.”
“And they’re your family.” She chewed on a slice of melon, watching the woman beside her.
Daphne met Addison’s eyes, a small smile lifting the corner of her lips. “So you do know. You do see it.”
An image of Griffin rose in her mind, standing at the edge of the jungle, proud and strong as he gazed out over his land, the setting sun burnishing his hair, his skin.
“Yes. I do.”
Daphne shrugged. “I was terrified here at first, but a shifter named Ramos—the shifter who found me—was beyond patient. He’s the reason I’m alive.”
“You were at the ruins, when the raiders attacked?” Addison reached for another slice of melon.
Daphne shook her head. “I was in a different room, away from the main excavation. We really didn’t get started before they just came out of the jungle, attacking us with machetes.”
Addison touched Daphne’s shoulder. The young woman drew a ragged sigh, then continued.
“I was lucky. Someone, or something, hit me on the head and I fell into a small room, some kind of burial chamber from the looks of it, an odd-shaped little space. I could hear them above me, the attacks, as if from a great distance…” Daphne’s voice broke and she went silent. After a moment she straightened her shoulders.
“Ramos found me. A piece of wood had fallen across the opening to the room, essentially hiding me from the raiders. He pulled me free, brought me here and nursed me back to health.” Daphne’s eyes shone with unshed tears.
“Then Xavier came along and took me away from him.”
“And you had to go through the ritual?”
“Yes.”
The sadness in Daphne’s voice made Addison hesitate for a moment before asking her next question, but she needed to know.
“Ramos didn’t win?”
Daphne shook her head. “No. He tried, really, he did. He almost died fighting for me, but it was another shifter who defeated him in the end. I’ve been with him, more or less, ever since. His name is Kade.”
Addison shuddered, remembering Griffin’s caution. “We crossed his territory looking for the orchid. But if he’s already fought and won, how can he fight again?”
“Xavier has decided this is a test not only to win a mate, but to test each clan leader’s ability to be leader of all the clans one day. The man’s idea of leadership is whoever is the brawniest wins.” She tapped her temple and winked. “Just like back home, nothing up top.”
Addison had no choice but to smile. “So you’re happy here?”
Daphne’s shrug was non-committal, but she didn’t meet Addison’s eyes. “I’m not unhappy. I do love the jungle.” She gazed out the open doorway at the lush green foliage. The sounds of the little village had faded as night fell, only the noise of birds roosting for the night filling the air. “I grew up in Leeds, urban girl to the core. Then I went to University and fell in love with all things Incan. When I got the chance to come here, well, to say I was over the moon would be an understatement.”
She turned to Addison, her gaze intense. “I’m an orphan, so there’s no family to miss me. And I find I’m very well-suited to jungle life. Thing of it is…”
“You’re not pregnant.”
“That obvious?” Daphne gave a snort of laughter. “Modern technology and shifters don’t mesh well in this case. I’m on the implant, still have a month or so to go; I’ve lost track of time though. Kade was beside himself, thinking it was him. For the longest time I didn’t tell him, thinking he’d give me back to Ramos. But in the end, I had to tell him, and Xavier. Kade’s left me alone since, told me to let him know when I’m
“You’ll think I’m mad, but for a horrid moment I thought you were going to take me away from this…” Daphne glanced around the hut. “It might not look like much, but it is my home now.”
“And they’re your family.” She chewed on a slice of melon, watching the woman beside her.
Daphne met Addison’s eyes, a small smile lifting the corner of her lips. “So you do know. You do see it.”
An image of Griffin rose in her mind, standing at the edge of the jungle, proud and strong as he gazed out over his land, the setting sun burnishing his hair, his skin.
“Yes. I do.”
Daphne shrugged. “I was terrified here at first, but a shifter named Ramos—the shifter who found me—was beyond patient. He’s the reason I’m alive.”
“You were at the ruins, when the raiders attacked?” Addison reached for another slice of melon.
Daphne shook her head. “I was in a different room, away from the main excavation. We really didn’t get started before they just came out of the jungle, attacking us with machetes.”
Addison touched Daphne’s shoulder. The young woman drew a ragged sigh, then continued.
“I was lucky. Someone, or something, hit me on the head and I fell into a small room, some kind of burial chamber from the looks of it, an odd-shaped little space. I could hear them above me, the attacks, as if from a great distance…” Daphne’s voice broke and she went silent. After a moment she straightened her shoulders.
“Ramos found me. A piece of wood had fallen across the opening to the room, essentially hiding me from the raiders. He pulled me free, brought me here and nursed me back to health.” Daphne’s eyes shone with unshed tears.
“Then Xavier came along and took me away from him.”
“And you had to go through the ritual?”
“Yes.”
The sadness in Daphne’s voice made Addison hesitate for a moment before asking her next question, but she needed to know.
“Ramos didn’t win?”
Daphne shook her head. “No. He tried, really, he did. He almost died fighting for me, but it was another shifter who defeated him in the end. I’ve been with him, more or less, ever since. His name is Kade.”
Addison shuddered, remembering Griffin’s caution. “We crossed his territory looking for the orchid. But if he’s already fought and won, how can he fight again?”
“Xavier has decided this is a test not only to win a mate, but to test each clan leader’s ability to be leader of all the clans one day. The man’s idea of leadership is whoever is the brawniest wins.” She tapped her temple and winked. “Just like back home, nothing up top.”
Addison had no choice but to smile. “So you’re happy here?”
Daphne’s shrug was non-committal, but she didn’t meet Addison’s eyes. “I’m not unhappy. I do love the jungle.” She gazed out the open doorway at the lush green foliage. The sounds of the little village had faded as night fell, only the noise of birds roosting for the night filling the air. “I grew up in Leeds, urban girl to the core. Then I went to University and fell in love with all things Incan. When I got the chance to come here, well, to say I was over the moon would be an understatement.”
She turned to Addison, her gaze intense. “I’m an orphan, so there’s no family to miss me. And I find I’m very well-suited to jungle life. Thing of it is…”
“You’re not pregnant.”
“That obvious?” Daphne gave a snort of laughter. “Modern technology and shifters don’t mesh well in this case. I’m on the implant, still have a month or so to go; I’ve lost track of time though. Kade was beside himself, thinking it was him. For the longest time I didn’t tell him, thinking he’d give me back to Ramos. But in the end, I had to tell him, and Xavier. Kade’s left me alone since, told me to let him know when I’m
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