Aureon approached me one morning as I sat by the fire, his movements tentative and uncertain in a way I rarely saw from my usually confident tiger mate. He knelt beside me, taking my hand in his, his golden eyes searching mine with a vulnerability that made my heart soften.
"I would like to go visit the tiger tribe," he said, his voice quiet but earnest. "Would you like to come visit with me?"
I looked at him then and saw the youth in his face, the barely hidden longing in his expression. He was young, only eighteen years old, and it was not hard to realize that he was missing his parents with an ache that ran deep. The tiger prince was still young enough to miss home with that particular intensity that came from having known love and warmth. According to Soryn, I would not lay the egg until another week or so, which meant we had a small window of time to travel.
"How far is the tiger tribe?" I asked, squeezing his hand gently.
"It is about a four day walk," he said, his tail swishing with nervous energy behind him. "It is not really bad. I want you to see the place I lived my whole life. The jungle, the trees, the waterfalls, it is very beautiful. Of course, not like the lion tribe is not beautiful. But I really would love it if we go. I want my mother to meet you properly, to see my family, to see where I belong."
I smiled at his enthusiasm, but a thought gave me pause. "If we go... you realize that I would most likely give birth to Soryn’s clutch there... right? I mean, lay the eggs there."
Aureon’s face lit up with determination. "I will have everything there prepared for you. It can be our second home. My mother is also pregnant... she might have already given birth by now. She would love to help, to be there for you."
How could I say no to his plea? If my mother was here, I would go wherever she was every day if I had to. I understood that longing, that need to be near the ones who raised you, who loved you first.
I turned to my other mates, who had been listening quietly. "Are you guys up for a family trip?" I asked them.
Ravin looked up from where he was sharpening his blade. "What about the lion tribe? We cannot just leave it undefended."
"Rina is dead," I said gently. "The cheetahs are gone too. We are at peace right now. Plus Darius and Larry are here. Silas as well. I am sure our tribe is strong enough without you guys for a few months. I want to visit the tiger tribe too. I love the tropical..."
"Tropical?" they said in unison, confusion plain on their faces.
I laughed, forgetting they would not understand that word. "It is a word from my world. Do not pay it no mind. It means warm and lush and green, like a paradise."
"Are you sure you want to travel in your state?" Soryn asked me, his brow furrowed with concern as he slithered closer, his coils brushing against my leg. "The journey might be hard on you, and if the eggs come early..."
"I am okay," I assured him, placing my hand on his cheek. "And maybe we might have to stay a bit until the clutch hatches... but I think a change in scenery is good for all of us."
It was true, sure I might be doing it just because of Aureon asked. But I understood something deeper, something that resonated in my chest with aching familiarity. Unlike Caelion, who had grown up in a home of cold family members who treated him like nothing but a waste of space, who looked at him with disdain simply for existing, simply for being born, Aureon had grown up in a loving home, surrounded by affection and warmth, by parents who cherished him as their youngest prince they’re only prince for a long time. It was no surprise he was homesick, that he craved that connection like a plant reaching toward sunlight, that he needed to return to those arms that had held him first. Veylan harbored such hatred toward his family that he would flinch at the mere mention of visiting them Soryn’s family were dead, slaughtered in whatever tragedy he would not speak of, leaving him alone in the world until he found us. Leon and Ravin were always with their parents, their bonds strong and unbreakable, and we even lived here as our permanent home surrounded by that constant presence of love. So going to Aureon’s home, giving him the chance to breathe in the familiarity of his roots, to let his mother fuss over him and his father clap him on the back with pride, so he could spend some quality time with his family before responsibility pulled him back, was as good a reason as any. Perhaps even better than most.
"If you want to go, then we will go," Ravin said finally, sheathing his blade with a decisive motion. "Family is important."
"Yes, let us go on a little family trip," Leon agreed, his grin spreading wide and infectious, lighting up his whole face with the kind of excitement that made him look years younger. "It is beautiful even during the winter when we went there for the delegation, the way the frost clung to the jungle leaves and turned everything into a glittering wonderland. I cannot wait to see it now that the winter has thawed and we are in spring. The flowers will be blooming, the rivers running full and clear, the air thick with the scent of blossoms and new growth. It will be an adventure for all of us, a chance to see something new, to explore a world different from our tribe. I want to see the waterfalls Aureon speaks of, to hear the birds that only sing in those trees, to watch our cubs discover a new home."
The others nodded their consent, Caelion with his usual smile and always ready to agree when it pertains to me, Veylan with a shrug that meant agreement, Soryn with a reluctant but accepting sigh.
We went to Lisa and Raon’s home, letting them know of our decision. Also letting them know that we might be there for about six months or so, until the eggs hatched. Lisa hugged us and cried, great heaving sobs that shook her frame, telling us how she would miss us, how she would worry every day. I cried too, holding her tight, but I think it was just my hormones making everything more emotional than it needed to be.
We tied up whatever loose ends we had. I talked to my friends, Rhonda and Layla, even Wren. I was not as close to her as I was with Layla and Rhonda, but I still considered her a friend. I told them that when I was back, they should have already given birth to their young. They cried, I cried, we all cried and hugged.
"Damn pregnancy," Rhonda laughed, wiping her eyes. "I never used to cry this much."
"This year is already going by so fast," Layla said, rubbing her own growing belly.
And soon it would be two years that I have lived in this world. A mate to six beastmen, a mother to ten cubs, seven lion cubs and three cheetah cubs, and currently pregnant with Soryn’s clutch. How many coilings will I have, how many coilings will I have, I wondered, my hand resting on the subtle swell of my belly. How many more children will I bring into this world.
After saying my goodbyes to my friends, I went home to pack. Foods, necessities, clothes, furs, whatever we needed on our journey. The cubs were excited, bouncing around with the promise of adventure, while my mates checked and rechecked our supplies.
Whatever happens...Tiger tribe, here I come.
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