Druidess Found (Druidess Trilogy Book 1) by Machelle Hanleigh (interesting novels to read txt) 📕

friendship blossoming between them. A part of her hoped her dark warrior would be there.

Chapter Eight

 

A knock on his door interrupted Moto while he sharpened one of his blades. Frowning, he opened it to find Shimani on the other side. "Since when do you knock?" No one else possessed the audacity to disturb him unless he was being summoned for one reason or another. Shimani, on the other hand, came in anytime he wanted, without knocking.

"Since, now," Shimani stepped inside. "Don't get used to it. I thought you should know that I am bringing Kaily to the evening repast."

"No," Moto put the blade back on the wall.

"I wasn't asking." Shimani said

Moto glared at him. Since when did Shimani become so insolent? "Bring her the next night. This is not the best time for her to be at the evening repast." Not that any time would be good.

Shimani smiled. "Since some of the Shanees will be there, you mean? Whether it's this or the next evening's repast doesn't matter, Moto. Kaily needs to get out around the villagers. They need to get used to her and her them." Shimani walked over to the weapons wall and fingered one of the blades. "Besides, you're the one who chose to bring her here, and you're the one who chosen to leave her here. It's better than her wandering on her own." Moto knew that Shimani said the last part because of the girl showing up at the training area. "And Sari wants to meet her." Shimani turned back to face Moto.

"Of course, she does." Moto didn't like it. He didn't know how many of the Shanees would be there. Regardless of how many, they would all be there for one reason, and one reason only, him. The situation would be intolerable enough. He didn't need the girl being witness to it all. He hoped Tanyu would not be among the Shanees but feared she would be since she was the reason he was being forced to choose a mate. It had been her offer and pushing the issue during the Council meeting that sparked it all, maybe not all, but close enough. Out of all the Shanees, he needed to keep Tanyu farthest away from the girl. He made it clear to Queen Shakti that Tanyu would never be his choice, but that might not be enough for the Queen to exclude Tanyu. "Did you get the Queen's permission?" Moto asked, hopeful it would delay the inevitable.

"Of course," Shimani said.

Moto clenched his teeth. He couldn't say anything to that if the Queen agreed. But he didn't want the girl there. He would be expected to talk to each Shanees who presented an offer thus expedite a decision, which he didn't want to make. Shimani should have known that bringing her to the evening repast to be unacceptable. He didn't want her to find out he had to choose a bonded mate from among the Shanees.

He knew in the end it wouldn't matter. The girl would eventually find out and what did it matter? He couldn't choose her. She wasn't Kahoali. It did matter to him. Even when it shouldn't. The Queen gave him until the day after this evening's repast to decide who he would choose to be his bonded mate. It hurt more than he cared to admit that he couldn't choose the one he wanted most. It didn't make sense. He wanted the girl and he couldn't have her.

To complicate matters, Sari would be at the evening repast to make an offer as well, despite his effort to convince her otherwise. She cornered him earlier that day and gave him multiple reasons why he should choose her as his bonded mate. There was more to it than that, but they got interrupted before she gave him more details. No telling what Sari had in mind. She was a good friend and often covered for him when necessary. He didn't know how she could think that bonding with him would be helpful. Once a Kahoali bonded there was no going back. That person would be the only one for them. There would only ever be one bonded mate in their lifetimes. Once the choice was made it was done. He wouldn't take Sari's chance at finding her one and only forever love from her. He couldn't do that to her.

It didn't surprise him that Sari wanted to meet the girl, and it didn't surprise him that Shimani helped facilitate her wish. They knew him better than anyone else. Sari would want to see who caused him to cross the Queen and defy the Kahoali rules about outsiders. It would be more than he could endure to have the girl there while he spent time with each of the Shanees. Shimani should have known that. Moto refused to argue with him. It wouldn't help anyway. Shimani would give Sari whatever she wanted. In truth, he often did too. "Fine, bring the girl," Moto gave in, not that he had a choice, "keep her occupied and be certain that she does not find out the reason the Shanees are present at this evening's repast!" If he possessed even a smidgen of sense, he would take the girl back to her world. He ignored the sudden pain stabbing his chest in the region of his heart at that thought.

"Glad you came to see it my way." Shimani gave him a good-natured slap on his back. "See you there, my friend. And the girl's name is Kaily." he said as he left Moto's hut.

Moto glared at him. It did not escape his attention that Shimani didn't acknowledge either of his requests. He closed his eyes and sent a silent prayer to the Universe that this evening's repast would not be a complete disaster.

***

Kaily impatiently waited for Shimani to escort her to the evening repast as he promised. She looked forward to it more than she would think possible. She thought it strange