25
MEGAN
“L ooks like you made a friend,” I say to Holvek in my best mom voice, moving forward and ruffling my
son’s hair. “Before either of you say anything, Josie’s having her baby and I need you to find
Haeden,” I say to Cashol. “He had Joha and Joden both with him, so he can’t be far.”
Cashol moves forward and quickly kisses my cheek. “We passed him on the trails a short time ago. I know where he was headed.”
“Hurry, please. We can talk when you get back.”
He winks at me—an expression he’s picked up from being around me for so long—and then races back out of the canyon at full speed. I’m left with my son and a squirming, bleating dvisti colt. Holvek just radiates joy even as the thing poops in his arms.
Hoo boy.
I’m tempted to usher him back inside so we can sit with Josie until Haeden returns, but I also don’t want to bring an animal into the hut with us, not when she’s about to give birth. I hesitate, and when I spot Kate nearby, I gesture for her to come over.
Her eyes grow wide at the sight of the little dvisti. “Oh my god, what a cute little guy!” She bends down so she’s at eye-level with my son and the animal, beaming. “You must be so excited, Holvek.”
“He’s thrilled. Meanwhile, Josie’s having her baby,” I say quickly. “Can you sit with her until Haeden returns? I’m sorry to bother you, but I don’t want to take this in to her hut.” I gesture at the colt…who poops again.
“He’s making fuel for us, Mama!” Holvek cries. “Isn’t he wonderful?”
Kate stifles a laugh, and I force a smile to my face. “He’s great, baby. Can you, Kate?”
“Of course.” She chucks Holvek under the chin. “You go take care of your new friend…and maybe keep it away from Harrec. He’s watching Mr. Fluffypuff right now.”
Because Kate’s “kitten” is growing bigger by the day and the snowcats eat dvisti. Right. “We’ll be careful.
Come on, baby.” I put a hand on his back to steer him toward our hut and give Kate a grateful look. “Thank you. I owe you!”
She waves and ducks inside Josie’s hut, and then I’m alone with my son. I debate for a moment to go and get the healer, but if Josie didn’t want Maylak just yet, she knows best. I watch my son, his stout, boxy little body hustling as he heads toward our hut. Holvek is usually a stoic little thing, not a jokester like his daddy, or sarcastic like me. Sometimes I worry he’s a little too serious for a child, but right now he’s utterly radiant and all smiles as he reassures the bleating dvisti that everything’s going to be all right, that they’re going to be best friends.
I suspect I’m outvoted and we now have a new member of the family.
T , the hut behind us is empty and used for storage, so Holvek and I set up a little spot for the baby there. It’s not as young as I thought upon second glance. He’s small in stature but his legs are long, and he’s growing the thick, gray bushy coat of a brutal season dvisti. It’s got one twisted leg that looks like a genetic defect of some kind, and I’m guessing that’s how my mate managed to find a colt and get it without bringing home the dead mother as meat.
The dvisti bleats and wails hungrily at Holvek until my sharp son goes and gets some roots from storage and feeds him bites of one. It tries to chew, but ends up spitting half of it on the ground, like it doesn’t understand.
“You sit with him,” I tell Holvek. “Mama will make you a root mash to feed him, okay?”
“Can I keep him?” Holvek asks in a hushed voice, his eyes so full of hope.
I’m going to kick Cashol’s butt for putting me in this position. If I say no, I’m the bad parent. If I say yes…we have a damn dvisti. “I’ll talk to your father,” is all I say, but I know we have a new pet. I can see it in my son’s radiant face. I smooth his messy hair back from his brow—just like his father’s—and fight the urge to smother him to my chest and cuddle Holvek close. “You stay here and I’ll be back soon enough.”
“Can I sleep out here with him tonight?” Holvek asks. “I’ll get some branches from the bushes and make him a nest so he can stay warm, but he’s going to be so scared if he’s alone. Please, Mama.”
“You can if your father stays out here with you. You’re too little otherwise.” And I’m such a softie, because I know in a heartbeat that Cashol’s going to camp out with his son while I make root mash all night.
Such a damn softie.
