Once Dead Twice Bound Ch. 04

"Ready for round two?" Kreshard asked as he double tapped his marble. Blooming into the red sphere, a window opened up between him and the field.

"Absolutely." My grin matched his own as I lost my worries and began to actually play.

"That's the spirit, sonny. Show me what you got."

We lost the next round.

Badly.

As I'd suspected, I was by far the worst player on the field. In fact of the next three games we played, we only managed to steal one round when Opal managed to snag to golden tosses on her first and third throws. But the thing that struck me, was the honest joy all three- all four of us- took from the honest competition. They didn't rib me for bad tosses, instead choosing to celebrate the good ones, regardless of the team. That isn't to say they didn't play to win, they did. Left us little to no opportunities, and they punished our openings with ruthless efficiency. Still, I found myself having fun. And by the time I was ready to call mercy, I held out my hand to the two men, and shook their hands earnestly, a smile on my face.

"Looks like I've got some work to do?" I questioned, with a self-deprecating tone.

Kreshard chuckled good-naturedly. "You didn't do so bad. Tom's first time playing against me, he missed the throwing window three times."

"Really?" I asked with disbelief.

"I remember that, we kicked his ass, didn't we Kreshard?" Opal said, her joy undimmed with our losses. Her compatriots celebration seemed to be a balm for her wounded psyche. The festive familiarity grounding my green-skinned warrior's heart. I focused on our bond, checking on Opal like a young child checking on a purchased toy on the way home. My self indulgent peek brought to my attention a thread of frustration coming from the direction of my fluffy-tailed mate.

She was a short distance from where I'd last seen her lounging and embarrassing me in her chair. I did a double take at what I saw: She was tense. Her stance almost combative as she faced down another kitsune, this one dressed in a sharp blouse.

"Aunt Vivian, it's so good to see you," Tara remarked in an overly loud voice that was anything but pleased. Tara moved in closer to converse in a more reasonable volume not easily overheard. I stood up straighter and pulled my shoulders back as I made my way over to them.

Aunt Vivian had lighter colored fur than her niece, cream to my kitsune's coffee. She was also shorter, a more compact form while losing little of the womanly charms. Other than that, she was cut from the same mold as my mated lover, full of delicate features and enchanting beauty. Except for her tail.

Or tails, as the case may be.

All three of them twisted behind her in a familiar indication of concern I recognized from Tara. I recognized it easily seeing as the same thing was happening to my golden-eyed bondmate.

She's stressed. Why?

Not only that but I could feel that chilly emotion bleeding into me and Opal through our bond.

What could have happened to get the two of them so worked up?

Taking a moment to conquer my trepidation, I moved closer. I caught the tail end of Tara's sentence.

"-my responsibility. Find someone else. There's plenty of other Oases you could use."

"Tara, please. I don't trust any other of the Oases. This is important to me."

Tara hadn't been expecting that. "Wait... This isn't a request from the council? It's personal?"

"Hardly. Half those ancient warmongers could give a shit about a small grove like her's." Vivian shook her head and sneered. "Hardly an ounce of respect for history amongst the lot of them. And Diana hasn't been around, she usually acts as the voice of reason for this sort of affair."

"...Why me?"

"I hope she'll respond better to someone of our race as compared to any of the other Oases."

Something about Vivians demeanor struck Tara as odd. "... You're sweet on her, aren't you?"

"We may have shared a few nights under the stars in the past," Vivian answered. For a few seconds her hands scrunched up the fabric of her top, an indication of the inner turmoil that her even tone of voice sought to conceal.

"Mated?"

Vivian gave Tara a cold look. "This hardly seems relevant."

Tara arched a brow, an expression I was becoming increasingly familiar with. This one felt special, like it was something new between her and her aunt. "It's relevant because you are coming to me, asking me to risk my safety and newfound happiness."

Vivian sighed sadly. "Not all of us have your fortune to find our mate. But, although we've drifted apart, it would hurt to see the hunters unleashed on her. Alorum is a sweet thing." Unfocused, her eyes looked out, mind clouded with memory. "Kind and soft. She's honest to a fault and completely unlike me. That's why it was such a revelation to see how well we fit together."

Tara sensed my confusion. She leaned over and concealed her quick explanation in a scorching kiss that bent me over backward. "She wants me to do a job. It's dangerous. And, now that I have something to lose..." she trailed off, leaving the thought unfinished.

I blinked up at her as she hauled me out of the dip. This was both at the kiss and a side-effect of digesting her words. Before she could slip away to continue her conversation with her aunt, I caught her with my arms around her neck. "Would you have done it before you found me?"

She looked troubled, frowning at me with pained golden eyes. Her mouth opened and closed without saying anything.

"Actually, no. That's not the most pressing question." I smiled my tusky smile up at her. "Tara, is helping your aunt the right thing to do?"

I could feel her obstinance and worry bubbling up for a moment. Then it subsided with a thin, proud smile.

My smile matched hers. "Now, quit dickering with your aunt and let's go save this girl." Our moment of privacy was closely observed by Vivian, who grew more anxious by the second.

Tara capitulated and squared off to her aunt. "Fine, I'll do it. But, there's going to be rules. First-"

"You can talk on the way, for now, let's get a move on before Alorum does something we can't take back." Turning with aristocratic grace and arrogance, Vivian stomped across the field, a woman on a mission and woe be to anyone that got in her way.

That's certainly something that runs in the family, I thought, glancing at Tara as she followed behind. Opal said her goodbyes as we left the feast for a crisis, the silent Twill following dutifully after all of us, unheard but always watching.