Savor by Alyssa Rose Ivy Page A

out of my hand and landed right next to him. “What did you say?”
    “Whoa, calm down.” He held out his hands in front of him as if in defense. “I heard about what you did to Eno. No need to do that to me.”
    “Why are you calling me old?” I touched my chest. “Do I look old to you?”
    His face turned red. “No, you look good. I mean great.”
    “I’m not old.” I picked up the trowel and got back to work.
    “Not old in years exactly, just old to be un-mated.”
    “And how old are you then?” I watched him. His face seemed slightly weathered, but I knew it was likely from hours spent outside.
    “Twenty-five.”
    “And you’re un-mated?”
    “No mate for me yet.” He shrugged. “It’s not by choice.”
    “Come on, I’m sure there are some girls here you like.”
    “Of course, but that doesn’t mean they choose me.”
    “Women choose their mates here?” Now that sounded like a good way to run things.
    “Yes. It’s always been that way.”
    “I’m sure you will be picked.”
    “If I’m not, I’m not. I’ve done my military commitment, and now I’m doing what I love.” He spread out his arms at the garden. “But you’ll have to choose.”
    “Why would it matter if I didn’t take a mate?”
    “Because there’d be no heir and your line would die.” He went back to planting.
    “Oh.” I hadn’t thought of that at all.
    “Maybe consider staying around?” There was a hopefulness in his voice.
    “I take it you like Gareth.”
    “He takes care of his people. There is no one better for the job.”
    “I’ll see what I decide to do.”
    “If you’re looking for options, know I’m available.” He winked.
    I laughed. “I’ll try to remember that.”
    “You don’t have to. I’ll remind you when I petition for you tonight.”
    “Uh, what?”
    “You don’t know about the Petere ceremony ?” He asked.
    “The what ?”
    “Any eligible man may petition for you tonight.” He grinned. “It’s sure to be a long evening.”
    “Petition for me?” My hand flew to my chest. “You have got to be crazy.”
    “Nope. We were supposed to have one for your sister, but well, she was already in love with someone else.”
    “Casey? But she’s not even—”
    “We know. She’d never be able to take over here, but Gareth still claimed her as his daughter so she is a member of the clan.”
    “Were you going to petition for her?”
    He shook his head. “No. She was too young for me. You on the other hand, you’re older.”
    “Yes, I’m an old maid. I get it.”
    “Your words not mine.”
    I laughed. Maybe Slade had a better sense of humor than I thought.
     

“W here are we going exactly?” I’d followed Gareth for over a half-hour already, and I was starting to question my decision to follow him blindly. Not that I had much of a choice. If I wanted to find out what the man was really up to—and I definitely needed to do that—then following him was my only option.
    We’d turned out of the courtyard and walked back like we were heading to the glade, but at the last second we turned and headed west before we did a zig zag pattern through the forest. It was as though he were choosing our route in order to deliberately confuse anyone watching us. I assumed that was his point.
    “You’ll see when we get there.” He kept his eyes fixed straight ahead. Whatever it was, he didn’t want to meet my eye.
    “That’s not particularly helpful. Any reason for this mystery?”
    “Why waste words when you don’t need them? You’ll see soon enough.” There was something off putting about Gareth’s speech. Sometimes he sounded so stoic and wise, but then there was also something fake about it. I hadn’t noticed it at first, but now it nagged at me.
    “I assume you’ve lived here your whole life?” Fishing for information under the cover of polite conversation was usually a safe trick.
    “Aside from a short sabbatical in my twenties, yes.”
    “And what was that sabbatical