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  "Because there is nothing to do until harvest and you need a good run. We may even get a spot of hunting in."

  The thought of blood trickling down his throat did appeal to him. "Fine. I suppose I should do more than send you to check on them every week."

  "Excellent. Come along, you need a solid run and you might even enjoy meeting the headwoman at the village. She is truly a thing of golden muscle and lithe beauty." He waggled his golden brows at Wyanic and sighed.

  "You know that my true mate died, Davol. This isn't something that can be replaced."

  "Fine. Don't replace her, but you will eventually have to find a female or face a life desperate and alone."

  "Just what I needed to hear. Let's go." He picked up his travelling pack and headed to the door with his jubilant friend yapping at his heels more like a puppy than the jungle cat he used as his favourite form.

  He removed his clothing on the main floor of his domicile, opened the door a crack and then stuffed the clothes into the travel pack. His arms went through the loops while an elastic belt surrounded his waist.

  Wyanic shifted into his large black feline form, his eyes and hair colour staying true no matter what form he took. The backpack was a funny feeling, but if he wanted clothing when he arrived at the village, he would have to take it with him.

  Davol shifted into a golden and spotted feline beside him, his pack in place as well. Together, they ran through their town and turned northward to the survivor village.

  The green grass felt wonderful under his feet, his toes dug into the grass with each stride and it was less than an hour before the scents of the village came to them.

  Wyanic was confused. They should not have been nearly as advanced as the scents were indicating. He smelled wine, leather, wood, wool and any number of other industries that his own people were barely able to engage in. How had the survivors done it in six months?

  Davol trotted next to him as they made it over the hill to look at the expanse of the village on the other side of the divide.

  Wyanic shifted back to his natural form and stood on two feet, the panorama in front of him amazing rather than appalling. "Who taught them to do this?"

  "Our specialist. She was captured and enslaved with the others, never making it to our colony. If she had chosen us over them, we would be the ones with the brewery and the weaving house." Davol clapped him on the shoulder.

  "You knew. All this time, you knew that they were making such strides and didn't think to tell me."

  "I tried. You weren't interested. You were so busy wallowing in your grief that you didn't want to see the world around you."

  "Let's get dressed. I want to see more."

  A chuckle from downwind made them spin around. "Geez. I want to see less. How are you, Davol?"

  The speaker ended her question on a squeal when Davol lifted her and spun her around in a hug.

  "Neeva is waiting for you. Get dressed and don't keep her waiting. I will deal with him."

  Davol shrugged, but jumped into his trousers and vest, holding his boots in his hand as he sprinted across the low-lying meadow toward the clinic.

  Wyanic stood shocked as the golden woman approached him. Her skin gleamed, her eyes darkened and her hair was streaked with gold. The cropped vest of her garb showed him the proof that his other senses were denying. His true mate was alive, was here and was standing in front of him.

  * * * *

  Steel looked him over. His body was more beautiful in the bright light than it had been in the dimness. She had hesitated in announcing herself to them, but preferred the confrontation to take place here on the hill, rather than in the village.

  "You might want to put some clothing on, too. I am going to be taking you on the grand tour and it would be best if we didn't pass the sausage maker with you naked." She leaned on her spear and let her gaze devour him.

  He pulled trousers on over an erection that threatened the structural integrity of the fabric and yanked a sleeveless vest over the expanse of his chest.

  "You look thin, Wyanic. Are you ill?"

  "No. It is just every morning, sometimes evenings the nausea overwhelms me." His laces fought his fingers and she drifted closer, looking up at him through her lashes, she wove his laces into their proper places and tugged on them lightly.

  There was something on his arm that she didn't remember. "What is that?"

  "The mark of my broken link with my true mate. You died." The flat devastation in his voice shook her and filled her with guilt.

  "I did. I got better. My companions transported me to the medical bay when the Alliance medic wouldn't treat me and they demanded a doctor. The healer, who agreed to be here, Neeva, healed me and prepared me for a massive infusion."

  She touched the chain on his arm, following the links with her fingers. He caught her fingers and pressed them flat against his arm. "Your touch feels wonderful."

  She smiled up at him and was caught by surprise when he swept her into a kiss that was as desperate as it was enthralling. His hand nested in her hair, holding her head as he plundered her mouth, tasting her all over again. She tasted tears in their kiss and didn't know if it was him or her, so she cupped his face and stroked his temples as their mouths met, clung, parted and sought each other again.

  Her nipples were pressing against the inside of her leather vest when they separated and his chest was heaving as he fought to regain control of his breathing.

  Steel flinched as his fingers caressed her scar, now a pale pink. His fingers trailed over the mark from one side and nudged her trousers aside on the other. "I can't believe you survived."

  "Put your boots on and come along. I will explain anything you ask as we walk." She took a few steps back and gestured for him to get dressed.

  * * * *

  With a grin and a heart that was lighter than it had ever felt, he sat to tug his boots on and took the hand she extended to him to stand up. He didn't release her hand when he stood up. He wasn't going to let her go again.

  Chapter Five

  With her hand held by Wyanic and her spear in the other, she led him down into her domain. "Welcome to the village." She couldn't help the pride in her voice.

  There was wonder in his tone. "I can't believe a bunch of refugees pulled this together in six months."

  "Highly motivated refugees with strength and health on their side."

  "What is that?"

  He gestured to her pride and joy and she smiled as she pointed to it with her spear.

  "The longhouse. We get together there for one meal per day. There is always soup and bread available, with the longer-cooking meats held for dinner. Since we have started the communal meals, morale has been on an upward spike."

  "May I see it?"

  "Of course. I told you, a full tour." She was a little self-conscious about the calluses that had not been there the last time she touched him, but he wasn't reacting to her roughened skin, so she hauled him along with her.

  The door to the longhouse swung open easily. Neat rows of wooden tables and benches lined the expanse of the floor.

  "It is built into the side of the hill?"

  "Yup, warmer in winter, cooler in summer. Most of the buildings are built with this version of environmental control. It's a very efficient manner of passive heating."

  Wyanic nodded, but his attention was split between her and the information she was giving him.

  The far end of the hall held the fire pit and the cooking pots. Hska was busy adding the final touches to the day's soup.

  "Hska, what is on for today?"

  "Weasel and root vegetable soup. We really have to get some better names for this stuff." Hska's pregnancy had expanded her pouch, the scales widening over the lump of her belly.

  "Can I taste?" Steel snuck up behind her and propped her chin on her friend's shoulder.

  "No. Who is the male? He looks familiar."

  "This is Wyanic, head of the Oefric colony and my mating partner."


  Hska whirled around to face them so fast her belly pushed Steel into Wyanic. "Watch where you are aiming that thing."

  "Sorry. So, you are the one. I thought you looked familiar." Her reptilian face split into a grin, her huge gold eyes with the slit pupils were dancing as she reached for his hand.

  Wyanic looked surprised at the warm welcome, but he shook her hand with his free one.

  "You can let go, you know. I am not going anywhere." She looked up at him and part of him eased. "There is also no knife wielding maniac here, so chances are good we will get through the day intact."

  He reluctantly let her hand go and she sighed but wrapped her loose arm around his waist. It was much easier than constantly being tied to him by flesh.

  "Have you shown him…"

  Steel sighed with a small smile. "The clinic will be the last stop on the tour."

  "Good." Hska nodded and went back to stirring the soup.

  "It smells good. Do you take turns with the cooking?"

  Hska smiled. "We will after I have hatched this one. For now, the baby and I love the heat and humidity of cooking. The baking is done elsewhere."

  He nodded. "It was nice to be formally introduced to you. I remember you from that day. You attended her after she was injured."

  Steel smiled at her friend. "And she watched me and made sure that the Alliance healer attended me. Imagine, three nude women and a l'nal holding a corpse teleporting into a medical bay on a warship using a location ripped from the mind of a medic."

  "Is that what happened?"

  "Yes, immediately after Hska sent you away." She squeezed him in comfort and felt his tense muscles relax slightly. "Come along, there is much to show you in the village."

  Hska turned back to stir her soup and called over her shoulder, "Steel's Rest."

  "The village. This way." She led him through the longhouse and back out into the light. He watched her as she raised her face to the sun and he smiled.

  "It must have been quite the change from the dark of the ship."

  "You have no idea. The men thought we were insane, but our nocturnal hunters never came back empty handed. The leathers I am wearing--my first midnight kills."

  Wyanic had an expression of horror on his face. "You went out in the forests, at night?"

  "It was the best time to catch some of the ruminants for the farm, but those were all taken from the flatlands." She laughed at his expression. "It is on the tour. We have a small dairy and cheese-making operation in place. Nothing much, but in a few months, we may be able to repay some of the metal work we have had done."

  "Did you? I have been a little under the weather since I lost my mate and starting every day with a vomiting session that has my doctors baffled. I am in perfect health otherwise."

  "We will skip the tannery then. It's over there." She extended her spear to the right, showing him the building on the edge of the forest. "The butcher is right next to it. Some of the gladiators found their knife skills had additional uses and they have created an amazing sausage and ham selection."

  He was blinking in surprise.

  "Is your stomach okay enough for a trip to the butchers?" She started leading him across the way, waving at a few of her people as they went.

  "I cannot believe you did all of this when you arrived with a bunch of misfits and minimal supplies. We came fully equipped and ready for our new location, but we have accomplished a third of what you described and almost none of the morale."

  "The Oefric are a proud people from what I have heard. Some folks don't keep trying when they fail." She grinned in memory. "The first soup Hska made had all of us on the ground and running for the lavs. Her use of a weed that she could digest was not a good idea for the rest of us. Communal food had to be discussed and agreed upon from that point on."

  "You still let her cook."

  "She loves it, she's good at it and even in the heat wave, she thrived. Not a combination that any of the other women could even come close to. S'sran, the l'nal, is our farmer. She has a delicate touch with the young that makes your heart weep to see it."

  "Show me. I want to see all of it."

  His arm came around her waist and she gave him what he asked for. She showed him everything.

  He recognized one of the butchers from the arena and they shared a manly clasping of arms. The variety of meat hanging intrigued him and the butchers proudly showed him which meats were best received by which species.

  "I like the weasels. They are small but really tasty if you get the scent glands on the first try." She chuckled and grinned at his appalled look. "I am guessing you have munched down on one and it went off."

  His face indicated that he had. "You say that they are actually good to eat?"

  "Yup. The only really dangerous things out there are the birds and some flora. We have tried just about everything in the area." Vin, the butcher, nodded in confirmation.

  Aton picked up the cleaver and hacked at the limb of a small goat. "Salt was the biggest problem, but Steel was able to come up with a solution for that as well."

  She shuddered. "It was temporary and you know it. Now that we have found the deposit, we don't need to do that anymore."

  Wyanic looked at her. "I am guessing that there is something behind that expression on your face."

  Vin grinned. "Blood salt. Using the concentrated minerals in the animals meant we had to be an abattoir for a few weeks. The animals had to be captured live and brought back for slaughter. They were drained and we added an anticoagulant that Neeva found, then we processed the blood for salt and mineral content. It tasted kind of dark, but was better than nothing."

  Steel shuddered. It had not been her finest impulse, but salt was key to survival and blood contained many of the minerals that they needed. The salt deposit had been a find, but it took two days to get there and return.

  "Do you have any questions for the butchers?"

  He grinned. "No, I can come back another time."

  That one sentence sent a thrill of anticipation down her spine. She shivered and led the way out of the cooler air of the butchers, past the path to the tannery and across the divide to the bakery.

  The ladies and gentlemen kneading, baking and racking up loaves grinned when she came in.

  "Does everyone here wear leather?"

  "So far. S'sran has promised to teach a larger weaving class later, but for now, we can only make enough cloth for immediate needs. Leather wears better." She grinned.

  "Welcome, stranger, to Steel's Rest Bakery." Tahsh smiled, her auburn skin wrinkling with amusement.

  The two males kneading the bread snorted in amusement.

  "I told you to stop saying that."

  Wyanic raised an eyebrow and introduced himself. "I am Wyanic, head of the Oefric colony. How are you enjoying Barkesh?"

  Tahsh and Vendu introduced themselves and their mates, Rollo and Sogar. They were a rotating quartet of Nihinian extraction, their deep red skin giving them a demonic appearance. Family members had sold all of them into slavery. They had become the first devoted grouping and had obtained the first housing.

  Their bonding had necessitated the first ritual on Barkesh and a wedding plan had been worked out with the first plentiful collection of foods and wood.

  A new planet, new traditions and a new quartet. It had been a wonderful day and as a result, almost all of the males had bonded with a female. The only problem resided in the fact that the women outnumbered the men and due to their previous confinement, the women wanted mates that could defend them. They also wanted one man that would be theirs alone. Several of the women had joined polygamous gatherings, but it was not the logical choice for many.

  "Why do you call it Steel's Rest?"

  That snapped her out of her reverie about weddings.

  Tahsh grinned. "We got together to name the village, but this was the only one we could agree on. We figured by the time Steel rested, this would be a completely self-supporting gathering. She won't rest until it
happens."

  A fresh batch of flatbread was spilled from the oven and Vendu tossed her one like a Frisbee. "Here, Wyanic. This will settle your stomach."

  He grinned and tore into the bread with teeth that were pointed and deadly. His eyes rolled as he ate and Tahsh reached into a barrel and pulled out a small crock. "Here try this. Butter from S'sran's dairy."

  With a grin, Steel ripped a chunk of bread off the bottom of the round and spread the butter on it. "Oh, that is good." She held the buttered bread up to Wyanic. "Try it."

  He bit into her offering, his bronze eyes glowing from within. When the taste burst across his tongue, he closed his eyes and smiled. "That is excellent. Where does the milk come from?"

  "I will show you the dairy next."

  "Thank you for visiting Steel's Rest Bakery. Please come again."

  "Shut up, Tahsh."

  The laughter that followed them out of the bakery warmed her heart. It had taken a lot of effort to come up with something that all four of them could do together.

  She grinned when she realized that Wyanic hadn't asked her about the flour. It hadn't been an issue with the ration packs, a series of grains had been tried after the scouting and collection missions had come back with them.

  Working up a wild yeast culture had been difficult, but within three months, they had a functioning leavening agent. The ability to make a weak beer with it had been a bonus that they were all happy with.

  "Where to next?" He was happily munching on the flatbread.

  "The farm and dairy, I think. We will be able to see the seed farm from there. We are trying to replace the fast-growing trees we used to build the village with seedlings."

  He blinked. "Seriously?"

  "Yes. Repopulating wood is something my planet has been dealing with. If we can use trees that re-grow within five years to the size they were when we got here, our impact on the grounds will be minimal. Best to start smart."

  "You mentioned a farm. What is the impact there?"

  They walked up the hill to the edge of the forest where the land spread into a cross between meadows and the standing trees. One of the Alliance emergency shelters was the centre point to a series of enclosures made of wooden posts and the thickest silk.