Total pages in book: 98
Estimated words: 91775 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 459(@200wpm)___ 367(@250wpm)___ 306(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 91775 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 459(@200wpm)___ 367(@250wpm)___ 306(@300wpm)
Hope flares in the other man’s eyes. He shoots a look at me, suspicious, and then back to Rem’eb. “The chief—”
“Has not stepped out of his house since I left,” Rem’eb says. “And in times when the chief cannot lead, his Fist must do so. And I am the Chief’s Fist.” He turns to me. “Now, my mate, would you like to destroy the doors or should I?”
Damn. This man is soaking my panties with his decisiveness. I love it. How did he doubt himself for a single moment?
This is what he was made for, and I’m so glad I’m here to see it.
Epilogue
TIA
As we head into the city, triumphant, the door to the women’s quarters is the first thing to go.
Just seeing it with the bar across the door makes me angry. No one should be locked in. If they choose to keep themselves separate, that’s one thing. Locking them away like they’re prisoners? That’s wrong. I’m the loudest to cheer as Rem’eb smashes the door open with the heavy hammer he takes from a work station nearby.
Then, the entrance to the other side of the wall is open, and a woman steps forward. She looks a lot like Noj’me, her build delicate. She blinks at us, her gaze lingering on me, and then on Rem’eb. Another moves forward behind her, and it’s clear they don’t understand what’s going on. Neither one approaches the now-open doorway.
A choked sob echoes in the cavern, and a third woman races past the other two. She barrels her way through the gathered group, looking for someone. When she finds him, she squeals and dives into the arms of a man waiting nearby. He picks her up and races away with her, as if he thinks someone’s going to steal his mate back from him, and it just reinforces the feeling that this is right.
It doesn’t matter that Rem’eb’s father separated everyone with the best intentions. It was still misguided.
After that, Rem’eb explains to the women that they are free to move about as they please—that they could remain behind the wall if they were comfortable, or they could join their fathers, brothers, or mates. That no one would be forced to hide away again. Several of the women surge into the city, reuniting with family, and the cavern fills with joyful cries.
Some of the women and young girls choose to stay behind the wall, uneasy. That’s fine. I just want it to be their choice. I touch my stomach as I watch the joyful reunions, thinking. I want our baby to have choices. If they want to live down here in the village under the mountains, that’s fine. If our kid wants to become the Chief’s Fist just like their father, that’s fine, too. If they want to go visit everyone on the beach, they’re welcome to. I just want my child to feel as if they’re loved and accepted and wanted wherever they go in life. No one should be made to feel like an outcast, or unwanted, even amongst their own people.
After the doors that blockaded the women behind the wall are smashed, Rem’eb sweeps on to his father’s home. To my surprise, the chief’s house is a mini-palace, with multiple rooms and its own private gardens. It’s a far nicer home than anything on Icehome beach, or that I’ve seen on this planet at all. No wonder Rem’eb wanted to return, if this is the sort of living he’s used to. It’s not nearly as primitive as life on the beach, and the garden is lovely and artistic. I’m starting to look forward to what kind of house we’ll have here, too.
Cas’zor the Loyal meets us, relief on his face. “You have returned. I am so glad. Welcome back, Chief’s Fist.”
The two men grip each other’s forearms in greeting, and then Rem’eb looks around. “I am here to set things right, my friend. Where is Kin’far the Exile?”
“He ran the moment he heard you returned,” Cas’zor explains. “He is too cowardly to confront you. He knows no one is on his side. I suspect he will be hiding out in the tunnels and hoping we forget him.”
“I will not forget. We shall send someone after him, because he cannot do as he pleases. He is exiled for a reason.” Rem’eb glances around the cavern, watching as another woman embraces a mate, and then a young male that must be her son. He turns back to Cas’zor. “And what of my father?”
He indicates a door, and then Rem’eb kisses my forehead. “I must go inside alone, my mate.”
“It’s fine.” I’m not surprised. Whatever needs saying is probably best said between father and son without a stranger hovering over them. “I’ll help get the others settled. Are you sure it’s all right if we stay here in your father’s home?”