The Athlete

by Elin Peer

  I gave a sharp inhalation. “That’s sounds scary.”

  “You get used to it.” Mila roamed through the bag and pulled out more options for Jonah to wear. “I like this one for the wedding. Hunter, what do you think?”

  Hunter tilted his head to one side. “Yeah, that could work.”

  Jonah hesitated, looking at the blue pants and the thin sweater with the asymmetrical cut for the neck. “Isn’t this too casual? I thought a wedding was an occasion to dress up.”

  “Not at this wedding. It’s in the forest and they aren’t formal people.”

  “Okay, I guess in that case this should be perfect.”

  Mila leaned back on her heels and tapped her lip while looking at Jonah. “Now, what do we do about your hair?”

  “His hair?” Hunter groaned. “You should worry more about his makeup and nail polish.”

  “Tell you what. How about you change clothes in Hunter’s drone while we wait here. In the meanwhile, I’ll find some wipes for you to remove the make-up.”

  Jonah looked back at the drone. “Why can’t I just change here?”

  Mila looked from the drone and back to Jonah. “Oh, forgive me, I’ve forgotten how relaxed Motlanders are about that sort of thing. Feel free to change here if you want.”

  Jonah stripped out of his silk shirt and I noticed that he’d grown even more toned. He had always been active and a few weeks ago he’d rowed across the largest lake in the brown district to raise awareness for his campaign.

  Hunter’s brow lowered. “Keep your boxers on. Mila doesn’t need to see you naked.”

  Mila and I exchanged a look of amusement. “Nudity is a sore subject for Hunter. He still won’t shower with the rest of our team.”

  “No, I can imagine. We weren’t allowed to shower together as children either. Gender is a big thing here. But again, you get used to it.”

  Hunter’s eyes darted to the guards, who exchanged a look, but didn’t comment.

  Jonah kept his underwear on as he changed and as soon as he was done, Mila handed him the wipes. Without a mirror he made a mess of removing the make-up.

  “Let me do it.” She took over and helped him.

  “I’m so sorry to drag you into this,” Jonah apologized. “I hired a stylist to make me look good, but it didn’t go so well.”

  “Close your eyes,” Mila instructed Jonah before cleaning his face. “Don’t worry about it. I’m always happy to help. This is a fun change from getting my younger siblings out of trouble all the time. Removing a little eye makeup is nothing.”

  “And the nail polish?” Jonah held up his right hand and Mila took it.

  “Ooh, I love that color. That Marine Blue would go well with my new pantsuit.”

  I stopped listening to them as they chitchatted.

  Hunter had taken a call and moved away. From the hologram above his wrist I recognized the man he was talking to but wasn’t sure from where.

  “Who was that?” I asked when Hunter returned.

  “My friend Tristan.”

  “He looked familiar…” I pondered out loud and then I grabbed his arm, my voice high-pitched. “I saw him on the news. He’s the man who Salma Rose is with, isn’t he?”

  “Yeah. Why are you freaking out about it?”

  “I’m not. It was just a surprise to everyone that she would admit to the public that she’s in a relationship. There was a picture of them kissing.”

  Hunter raised an eyebrow. “What’s wrong with kissing?”

  The way his eyes fell on my lips made me flustered. “Nothing. She’s just a very public person and it came as a shock. I mean if she marries him, can you imagine?” I gave a nervous chuckle but Hunter didn’t laugh so I added, “Salma is a trendsetter. Soon the whole country will be marrying left and right.” Even I could hear how weird my laughter sounded.

  Hunter moved a little closer. “You’re a public figure too. Wanna marry me and see how people react?”

  The five seconds I gaped at him felt long. Hunter had never made light of marriage before, so why now? But then he winked at me and my shoulders eased at once.

  Of course he was joking.

  “Anyway, Tristan just wanted us to hurry because my sister is afraid that I won’t show up.” Hunter turned to Mila and Jonah. “Okay, wrap it up, kids, we have a wedding to go to.”

  “Okay.” Mila wasn’t looking at Hunter. She was too busy rising up on her toes and moving her hands through Jonah’s hair. “Your short hair isn’t a problem, but it can’t look too styled. Just give it a little bit of an edge, like this.” Mila stepped back and took in the changes she had made. “That’s more like it.”

  “Yeah?” Jonah smiled at Mila before turning his eyes on Hunter. “Do you approve?”

  “Yes, I approve. Now get back in the hybrid. And you, Mila, you want to fly with us?”

  “Yes, if you have room for me and the puppies.” She turned to her guards and took the leash with the dogs. “I will fly with Hunter to the wedding. Will you please help me get the food and the crate for the puppies from the drone? You can follow us if you need to, but once we arrive, I should be fine. My father will be there.”

  When Mila tried to pick up both Samba and Blaze at the same time, Jonah was quick to bend down and help her by grabbing one of them. The small animal licked him with joy.

  “Looks like Blaze likes you.”

  Jonah laughed. “I’ll take it. At least now I have one friend in the Northlands.”

  Mila laughed. “Oh, don’t you worry. I’ll bet you’re going to be surrounded by people all day. Everyone is so curious to meet the first man on the Motherlands Council. I know that I feel honored and so will they.”

  Jonah and Mila took a seat in the hybrid, each with a puppy on their lap. “No, Mila, the honor is all mine. I was a bit worried to be honest, but if everyone is as kind as you are then this is going to be a lot of fun.”

  Hunter got in and closed the door. “No one is as kind as Mila. She’s the biggest pacifist in the Northlands but we all still adore her. In fact, thousands are hoping to win her hand in marriage one day.”

  Mila flushed red. “Don’t listen to him. I’m not that special.”

  Jonah was quick to compliment her. “Well, for all it’s worth, I think it’s a true pleasure to be in your company. I’m grateful for all your help. You are beautiful, kind, and generous.”

  Mila gave a sweet giggle and lifted Samba to hide her face.

  “Hey, tone it down a little, will you?” Hunter muttered to Jonah.

  “What did I say wrong?” Jonah’s eyes expanded with confusion. “I was just being friendly.”

  Hunter shrugged. “It’s normal for you Motlanders to complement others all the time, but it’s not common here.”

  “It’s not?”

  Mila’s cheeks were crimson, and her dimples were out. “No, it’s not. At least no man has ever showered me with compliments in that way.”

  “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to make you feel uncomfortable.” Jonah ran a hand through his hair, his eyebrows drawn close. “I’m just not familiar with the culture here.”

  Mila had regained her composure. “It’ll be fine. There’s nothing wrong with compliments, but try not to give them to married women, or single women who are with their protectors.” She paused. “And don’t compliment the men either, at least not on their appearance; they might mistake your kindness for sexual interest.”

  “Okay.”

  She tilted her head. “Unless you are interested in a sexual encounter with an Nman.”

  “What the fuck, Mila?” Hunter threw up a hand. “Way to make it sound like all we Nmen are homosexuals just waiting for a compliment to seal the deal.”

  “No, that’s not what I meant.” She lowered her voice and whispered to Jonah. “But if you’re into that sort of thing, it happens.”

  “I’m not a homosexual,” Jonah whispered back.

  “Oh, okay. It’s none of my business anyway. Love is love. I just want ev
eryone to be happy. Even if you’re not into sex at all.” Mila gave both Jonah and me a sweet smile. “I know that most Motlanders aren’t and that’s okay.”

  Jonah opened his mouth to say something but closed it again and looked at me. None of us could argue against Mila’s words. But with our family running a sex club we knew that there were plenty of Motlanders who were curious about sex. I didn’t share with Mila that I had recently become one of them myself.

  “Hold on to the puppies,” Hunter warned before taking off in a speed that made me feel like the hybrid was being catapulted into space like a freaking rocket. It was a good thing that I wasn’t holding a puppy because from the way I squeezed my seat in fear, I might have hurt the animal.

  I wanted to scream at Hunter to slow down, but he was grinning from ear to ear before giving a boyish howl of joy.

  “Back in the Northlands at last. The land of free men, cold beer, and no fucking speed limits!”

  CHAPTER 16

  Hugging Willow

  Hunter

  It was almost noon before we arrived.

  I don’t think my sister and Solo had considered the logistical nightmare of having a wedding in a forest. All we guests were flown in with a shuttle since there was nowhere for all our drones to park.

  It was my first visit here so I scanned the area with interest. The clearing was the size of half a soccer field with a two-story cabin made of massive logs and a garden that went down to a river. On the porch in front of the house hung cozy lanterns that looked like something Willow would have added.

  “Wow, this place is magical.” Emanuela sighed beside me. “All it needs is grass so we could play ball.”

  The ground was covered by wildflowers, moss, bushes, and a trail of gravel leading from the house down to a large fire pit close to the water. Spread around stood garden chairs made of wood that gave the impression that on a normal day this place would be tranquil and peaceful. But today wasn’t normal, and the sixty or so guests were laughing and talking while at least ten kids climbed in trees and some stressed-out parents were trying to keep their little ones from getting too close to the river.

  “Look who decided to show up.” Zasquash came walking over with Leo by his side. The two of them had been part of the security team that protected my sister and other Motlander performers when they went on a tour in the Northlands recently.

  “Leo, Zasquash, good to see you.” We gave manly hugs. “I’m sure you remember Mila, Magni’s daughter, and these are my new friends, Emanuela and Jonah.”

  Leo leaned back on his heels and tucked his hands in his pockets. He wasn’t the only Nman to use that trick when introduced to Motlanders. It was a great way to avoid their traditional greeting of holding hands. “The first man on the Council and the first woman to be the boss of Hunter.” Leo gave a smug smile. “I’m not sure which one of you has taken on the bigger challenge.”

  I shifted my balance. “Emanuela isn’t my boss.”

  “No?” Leo raised an eyebrow. “I was told she’s your captain.”

  “Don’t be an ass, Leo.” Zasquash pushed at his friend’s shoulder. “Why would you rile him up before the wedding when you know he’s not excited about the whole thing to begin with?”

  “Where’s my sister?”

  Leo pointed to the large cabin. “In there.”

  Mila stepped forward holding out the puppy. “Leo, would you hold Samba? I need to see if Willow is okay.”

  He took the dog.

  “Are you coming?” Mila asked over her shoulder as she walked off.

  I took a step in her direction but was stopped by Zasquash, who put a hand on my shoulder. “Come meet Solo first. You might as well get it over with.”

  My whole body tensed up and my voice grew low. “I’ll meet Solo when I’ve given my sister a hug.”

  Zasquash released his grip. “All right. You do your thing. Just remember the ceremony starts in less than thirty minutes.”

  I nodded and signaled for Jonah and Emanuela to come with me. “Leo, can you guys take both the puppies? I don’t want Willow to see them. It would spoil Mila’s surprise.”

  Zasquash and Leo ended up with a puppy each and walked toward some children while Jonah, Emanuela, and I hurried to the house.

  Inside were seven friendly faces who all smiled when they saw me. Laura, Christina, Darlene, Salma, Mila, and Kya laughed when Willow squealed and knocked over a chair in her eagerness to give me a fierce hug.

  “Huuunter.”

  I could feel her shake as she pressed against my chest. “I’m so glad you’re here.”

  My own heart was pumping fast and I kissed the top of her head and closed my eyes. “Of course I’m here.” It was rare for Northlanders to have family, and I’d never heard of anyone else being lucky enough to be connected with a twin from the other side of the border. I might not understand her choice of husband, but I would always love my sister.

  “Don’t you dare cry, Willow,” Laura warned behind her. “It’ll ruin the perfect make-up I did on you.”

  Willow sniffled a little, and taking my hands she leaned back and looked up at me with her gorgeous green eyes full of moisture. “Did you talk to Solo?”

  “Not yet.” Her small frown made me continue, “I wanted to see you first.” Taking a step back but still holding her hands, I took her in. “You look gorgeous.”

  “You think so?”

  “Yes. The most beautiful bride there ever was.” My head turned to the former brides in the room. “No offense.”

  “None taken. Willow is stunning, we can all see that.” Kya walked over and smoothed Willow’s dress. “I didn’t even have a wedding dress. Archer and I got married rather fast at the school, remember?”

  We had been children back then, but of course I remembered our mentors marrying.

  “On my wedding day, the fun stopped abruptly because Solo couldn’t keep his lips off you, Willow.” Kya leaned her head to one side. “To think that it all led to this day with you two committing for life.”

  I shifted my weight from one foot to the other, remembering very well how Solo had almost been killed by Magni that day, and how Archer had cut off Solo’s long hair to teach him a lesson.

  “Aren’t you going to introduce us to your new friends?” Christina asked and everyone turned their attention on Jonah and Emanuela, who stood behind me.

  “Oh, my bad. This is Jonah and Emanuela Cervicci.”

  “Jonah is the first man on the Motherland Council,” Mila chimed in and gave him a bright smile. “He’s dying to meet Pearl.”

  “Pearl and Khan will be the last to arrive. It’s protocol,” Laura informed us. “I was supposed to arrive with them and Magni, but I didn’t want to miss this part.”

  “Protocol?” Emanuela tasted the word. “I’m not sure what that means.”

  “Basically it’s a code of conduct,” Kya explained. “It’s all connected to traditions. The Ruler’s family are like royalty and because of that they have to adhere to certain rules of formality that seem silly to us Motlanders.”

  Laura arched a brow. “We’re not royalty and it’s not silly at all, Kya. It’s the difference between anarchy and order.”

  Willow pulled me to the window. “Look. Everyone came.”

  I guessed the group of guests to be somewhere around forty or fifty people not counting the kids. Most of them I recognized as former classmates, friends, and fellow performers from the tour.

  “Darlene and five of her colleagues from the Enlightened String Orchestra are going to play at the ceremony. Isn’t that wonderful?”

  “Sure is.”

  Looking out over the crowd Willow teared up. Her hand slid around my elbow as she leaned against my side. “The first time I married Solo was by that tree. We were all alone thinking that our only chance of a life together was to hide from the world.” She turned to me. “You have no idea how much it means that you are all here to celebrate with us today.”

  It moved me to se
e how emotional she was and I placed my arm around her shoulders.

  “I’m sorry, I’m not gonna cry.” Willow composed herself and gave me a smile. “Go say hi to Solo and be nice. He’s nervous and really wants for you two to be friends again.”

  I swallowed a snort. Once, we’d been best friends but that was before he had taken my sister away from me and she’d almost died. It had taken me until this week to accept her choice to marry him, but I wasn’t ready to forgive him.

  “I’ll say hi.” It was all I could offer her at this point.

  Christina, Kya, Darlene, and Salma walked outside with us and it was fun to see how star-struck Jonah and Emanuela were when Salma spoke to them. She was one of the biggest singers in the Motherlands and a huge celebrity.

  “I can’t believe we’re here,” Jonah whispered to Emanuela and squeezed her hand. His comment made me smile. The two of them were celebrities in their own right, but they were modest by nature.

  “Let me introduce you to the groom.” I pointed ahead to Solo, who stood with four other large men who had to be his fellow Huntsmen soldiers.

  As if he’d been waiting for this moment, Solo straightened up when he saw me.

  My composure stiffened too and when I spoke, my tone was flat. “Solo, meet Jonah and Emanuela.” I was grateful that they were there. It gave Solo and me something to focus on other than the anger and distrust between us.

  “Welcome. I’m honored that you’re here.” Solo shook their hands, and seeing him smile reminded me of the teenager I’d once known.

  He was smart enough not to reach for my hand. Instead he nodded. “Thank you so much for coming, Hunter. It means a lot to both of us.”

  “I’m not here for you. I’m here for Willow.”

  Solomon showed no sign of being provoked by my comment. He simply inclined his head and looked down. “I understand.”

  It was done. I had greeted him and was free to walk away. Around us, many had been keeping an eye on the encounter, knowing the animosity that had lingered between us for the last seven years.