Part Five
LIZ
Two men approach in the snow, spears in hand. They’re not running, and the spears are used more as walking sticks, so I’m not too worried. Yet.
But Raahosh? Raahosh is beside himself.
“Human called Leezh,” one of them yells again, his hand cupped to his mouth. “Wait there!”
I give Raahosh an uncertain look. There is defeat written all over his proud features, and that concerns me. I slide my hand into his to reassure him, and he squeezes it tightly, then pulls me against him in a possessive hug. “Who are they?” I ask him.
“Aehako and Haeden,” Raahosh replies. There’s a toneless quality to his voice that I don’t like.
“Friends of yours?”
He grunts.
Ah. He’s unhappy because they’ve come to take us back to the tribe and I’m not knocked up and starry-
eyed with love.
Theoretically, anyhow.
I pat his back and then rub it. “You knew they’d come after you at some point, right? I mean, from what it sounds like, you ran off with the cookie jar and all.”
His hand strokes my braids. He doesn’t move, but I can feel the tension growing as the others approach.
They slog through the waist-high snow as if it’s no big deal. One is smiling as they approach, and he’s got a friendly, open look to his face that’s nice. His features are blunter than Raahosh’s blade-like ones, but his expression of good cheer makes him that much more handsome. Unlike Vektal and Raahosh, his hair is short, buzzed close to his scalp. It makes his big, arching horns look that much more prominent. He’s a slatey sort of blue all over, and while not as tall as Raahosh, he’s got arms like friggin’ tree trunks.
Earth trees, not the Not-Hoth trees.
The other alien with him looks decidedly less friendly. He’s got the same charm-school glower that Raahosh does, but that’s where the similarities end. He’s a pale, milky blue, almost as muscled as the one at his side, and has a strong nose and square jaw that make him look pissy as hell. His hair is shaved on the sides and the long crest on top is braided and falls on his back.
They’re both wearing simple leather tunics and pants, and armed to the teeth.
Not a friendly hello, then.
“Raahosh! We’ve been looking everywhere for you.” The friendly one moves forward to clap Raahosh on the back, but Raahosh bares his teeth and glares at him, pulling me behind him. The newcomer looks surprised at this reaction. “You knew we’d be out. Vektal set us after you the moment we didn’t resonate.”
He claps a hand to his heart and pretends to be grieved.
The other one has no expression whatsoever.
“Hi, I’m Liz,” I say, stepping out from behind Raahosh and offering my hand.
They look at me like I’m crazy, and the unfriendly one pulls his spear back.
“No, I’m not reaching for your weapons. This is a human greeting.” I shake my hand with the air. “You know, like an introduction.”
Raahosh grabs me and pulls me back before they can examine my hand more closely. “She is my mate,” he grits out. “We resonate for each other. There is nothing to discuss.”
I smack a hand on Raahosh’s arm, because now I’m getting annoyed. “If you’re done being an utter Neanderthal, I can speak for myself, thank you.”
The newcomers exchange a look. “I am called Aehako,” says the friendly one. He gestures at his buddy.
“This is Haeden.” Aehako smiles down at me. “You are Leezh?”
“It’s a short I, actually. Liz.” I correct his pronunciation.
“It does not matter,” Raahosh says, and tries to pull me back again. “They should refer to you as Raahosh’s mate.”
I frown at this. “Hold the fuck up. I don’t get my own identity anymore?”
“You do,” Aehako assures me. “He’s simply being overprotective. Happens with every resonance.” He looks nonplussed, but I see a sneer cross Haeden’s face.
Haeden lifts his chin. “Just like your father, I see. Ignoring the rules as you see fit. Impulsive, headstrong, and foolish. You are your father’s son.”
It’s clearly not a compliment. Raahosh bristles visibly. His mouth curls and I see a flash of his teeth. “I did not wish for my story to end like yours.”
Haeden snarls and lunges for Raahosh, knocking him backward into the snow.
I scream as the men push me aside, Aehako pushing his way forward to break the two men apart. I stumble backward, falling on my ass into the snow. Raahosh snarls again, and then the next thing I know, he’s pushed both of the men aside and is tenderly helping me to my feet. He pulls me against his chest once more and strokes my braids, and I can hear the hammer of his heart in his big chest. ‘Simply being protective’ is perhaps an understatement.
“I’m fine,” I say, patting him on the arm. “I just don’t understand what is going on.”
“Get your things,” Aehako says in a careful voice. He scans the skies. “We have a few hours before the suns go down, and we can get started back to the tribal cave. Rokan says there will be a storm coming in a few days, and you know he is never wrong.”
I look to Raahosh.
He touches my chin, the look on his face thoughtful.
“Do not make this harder,” Haeden warns.
Raahosh just strokes my jaw. “We’ll go with you.”
It takes about an hour to get back to the small, cozy cave that Raahosh and I have called home for the last while. Aehako’s the only one that talks, carrying on a cheerful monologue. Raahosh is silent and Haeden is, too. I’m quiet because I’m watching all three of them, trying to determine my place.
Fact is, they’re aliens. Their culture is different from mine, and what may seem innocent on the surface might end up being a big problem later. So I’m watchful, and I try to absorb everything.
To their credit, they speak English as we go, so I don’t feel left out. Aehako expresses surprise at the sight of our cave, and claps Raahosh on the back for setting himself up such a cozy place ‘right under their noses’. Raahosh doesn’t look pleased, though. He’s pretty good at keeping his emotions under wraps but I can sense his anger and frustration.
“What is this?” Aehako asks and holds up my bow.
“It’s a weapon,” I tell him, slinging it over my shoulder as we pack our things. I make sure I have it and the quiver full of bone arrows. “I use it for hunting.”
“Hunting?” His brows draw together. “But you are female. You should not be hunting.”
“Did I take a wrong turn and land on Planet Chauvinist?” I ask. “I can fucking hunt! What, you think wild animals are going to be so enamored of my lady parts that I’m going to lure them like some Pied Piper of Pussy? What—”
Raahosh puts a calming hand on my shoulder. “The women of my tribe do not hunt, remember? They are too few in number.”
I snort. “We’ll see about that shit. You’re not exactly outnumbered three to one anymore.” And I make a big show of adjusting my bow on my shoulder, glaring at Aehako and Haeden.
Aehako just looks amused.
We clean out our small cave of extra food and blankets and pack up our water skins. I roll up the extra pelts and when the cave is in order, I give it one last look around. I feel a twinge of sadness that we’re leaving. I’m looking forward to seeing Georgie and Kira and my fellow humans again, but I have to admit, staying in this cave was kind of…nice. Cozy. Private.
And I kinda liked being here with Raahosh. The big jerk’s growing on me. Just when I get settled, we’re moving again. I’m craving someplace to call home.
But then Raahosh takes my hand, and the feeling of loss disappears. Instead of feeling uprooted, I just feel vaguely annoyed that our little idyll is interrupted just when things were getting super sexy.
Cockblocked by the aliens. Damn it.
• • •
We walk in the direction of the setting suns for a time. I’d say it’s west except that’s how it is on Earth, and this place is most definitely not Earth. When the skies turn pink and a washed out orange, we head for a small copse and make camp. Aehako has been picking up dung chips as we walk, and has a bag full of them for fuel.
It’s…probably a good thing I didn’t shake his hand.
We bunk down for the night around a campfire, and Haeden immediately stalks off to the ridge nearby and says he’s on first watch. Works for me. He’s not exactly a ball of fun, and I’ve got Raahosh if I want to hang out with someone quietly seething.
As I settle in near the fire and wrap my fur cloak around me, Raahosh grabs his spear and leans down to kiss the top of my head. “I will find some fresh meat for you.”
“Oh, but…” I watch him leave the small camp, and then it’s just me and Aehako, who’s feeding another dung chip into the fire. I frown at him. “You’re not going to go chasing after him?”
“Why?” Aehako shrugs easily. “He will return. You are here.”
Ah. So it’s not Raahosh that’s the hostage. It’s me. Gotcha. He’s right, though. As long as I’m here, Raahosh will return. Just the thought of that kind of gives me the warm fuzzes. Whatever else happens, Raahosh has my back. I’m determined to do the same for him.
But my feet hurt and it’s nice to sit by the fire, even if it’s cold outside and there’s no shelter from the elements. I scoot a little closer to it and prop up my wet, booted feet so they can dry a bit. “Tell me how the others are doing. Are they all well?”
“Healthy as can be,” Aehako reassures me, and a big smile splits his face. Despite the situation, I like the guy. I think it’d be impossible not to. “Your friends have brought much joy to our people,” he says. “For a long time, we thought a mate was a dream, and it is now a dream possible for many.”
His words make me wish Raahosh was here. I scan the trees, but my ‘mate’ — I’m still coming to terms with the whole situation — is blowing off steam by slaughtering dinner. “That’s nice.”
“We are all squeezed into our caves like quill-beasts in a snow storm, but no one is complaining.”
“Mmm. Did anyone, you know, get a vibrating cootie?”
“Resonate?”
“Yeah, that’s the word.” I’m sure Raahosh has said it to me before, but he also says things like ‘mine- mine-mine-mine’ and ‘your cunt is full of my seed’, so I sorta have to pick my words carefully around this guy.
“Did anyone else resonate?”
“Oh, yes.” He stirs the fire. “Georgie you know of, of course. Pashov and Stacy resonated for each other right away, I think before her khui was even inside her. I am surprised you did not hear it.” He chuckles.
“Mmm,” I say again, because my memories of that night are of me saying ‘no’ to the cootie and Raahosh stepping on me to hold me down and forcing me to absorb it. That was not the big guy’s best moment. My
betraying cootie purrs at the thought of Raahosh, though, and I rub my chest absently. “I don’t remember Stacy all that well. Is she the weepy one?”
“She cries some, but less now that Pashov is there to dry her tears.” He grins and sits back to relax. “The one that weeps the most is Ariana. She is Zolaya’s mate. He is much beleaguered by her tears.”
“Yeah, I imagine this is all pretty new to her.” Were the only ones that resonated the girls from the tubes?
“What about Josie? Or Kira? Or Tiff?”
He shakes his head. “No resonance yet for them.”
“Oh.”
“They are young,” he says. “There are many years ahead of them. Plenty of time to resonate to the right
man.”
“Mmmhmm. And no mate for you?”
He sighs, and for the first time, his laughing smile falters a little. “No mate and family for me yet. Plenty of time for me as well.” But he looks wistful. “Marlene and Zennek, too. And Nora and Dagesh.”
Dagesh has a weird name – the way it is said, it’s almost like the middle syllable is swallowed and chewed up again. It’s definitely not a human sound. So I just say “Good for them. I hope they are happy.”
“Some are. Some are adjusting. But the entire tribe is pleased. Many new couples and dens created.
Soon, there will be many kits running around.” He stretches his legs and then flops on his side in the snow, then props up his chin with his hand. “So many new matings means new quarters for the new families.”
“Oh?”
“No one wants to hear their khuis resonate all night,” he says with a wicked grin.
I feel myself blushing. I suspect that’s not the only thing they hear all night. “Sounds like everyone’s got a cozy set-up.”
“Mm. Cozy for the new couples. Haeden and I volunteered to come after you two. It’s too crowded for a lot of the men. All the hunters are spending much time out on treks. They say it is for the extra mouths to feed, but it is also because it is cramped quarters for those that do not have a family.” He shrugs. “It’s not a problem we thought we would have again.”
“Again?”
Aehako nods and his cheery grin disappears. “Our tribe was larger before. We had many matings, many families. It was a good time for the sa-khui. But fifteen years ago there was a khui sickness that swept through the caves. Many died.” He picks at the snow in front of him. “There was not a den that was not affected by the khui sickness. So many lost mothers, fathers, mates…”
He sits up abruptly and I see Haeden stalk past the edge of the trees. I open my mouth to speak and Aehako gives a small shake of his head, a meaningful look cast Haeden’s way.
Ah. So Haeden’s sensitive about that subject. Got it. “What about Raahosh’s family?” I ask. It’s the first time I’ve actually thought that Raahosh might have a family waiting for him back home. He hasn’t mentioned one. Is it that he doesn’t want to talk about them? Or is it that he lost them in the khui sickness like I assume Haeden did?
Aehako glances around, then leans in. “Did he not tell you of his family?”
I shift forward, lowering my voice. We’re gossiping, but this is gossip I need, so I don’t care. “He hasn’t said anything. Are they at the cave? Or dead?”
“Long dead,” Aehako says in a low voice. “His situation was…an interesting one.”
I move a little closer. “I like interesting.” Plus, I really really want to know. I want to understand what makes my Raahosh tick.
Weird that I’m starting to think of him as ‘my’ Raahosh now.
“His mother, Daya, never liked his father. Vaashan was not a very patient man, and Daya was in love with someone else. But when the khui chooses, it chooses.” He shrugs. “Raahosh was their child and when he was five, his mother resonated for his father anew. That meant another child. She insisted she did not want his kit. Refused to have anything to do with him. She even went to the chief – at that time, it was Vektal’s
father.” Aehako rubs his jaw and looks troubled. “The chief declared that she could have his child, because resonance cannot be avoided. But she did not have to live with him. This made Vaashan furious. He lost his temper and kidnapped her away from the tribe. He took her and Raahosh away and did not return. We looked for them for many years, but no one found them. It was as if they had disappeared. Then, after the khui sickness had killed many, Vaashan returned with only Raahosh, and Raahosh covered in scars as you see him now. We asked him where Daya and his child were, but he said they were dead. Killed by metlaks.
Vaashan’s choice to take Daya away and force her to give in to the resonance? To become his mate even though she did not want to? It cost her life and that of their kit, and so the chief punished him with exile.
Raahosh was left with the tribe so he could grow up in safety.”
My heart aches at this story. It’s an awful one, and it explains a little as to why he’s so worried he’s going to lose me. “Poor Raahosh.”
Aehako nods thoughtfully. “He went looking for Vaashan some years later when he was old enough to hunt on his own. He never found him, but he said he did find some old leathers eaten by animals, and the old cave destroyed. Whatever was left of Vaashan is long gone.”
Oh, Raahosh. I think of his mother and the baby, dead. His father’s misery. How had that affected such a small child? No wonder he is so desperate to keep me, even if it means pissing off his tribe. It’s the only way he can think to react after his parents’ example.
It’s such a sad story. I lost my mother when I was very young, but I had my father and I always, always felt loved until the day he died. To have such family strife and then lose both like that made my heart break for my alien. This was why he was so possessive, so resolute in his desire to keep me hidden away. Suddenly I want to comfort him and let him know that he’s got me. That I’m his and he’s mine. Cootie or not, I’m having feelings for the big guy and he’s made life here on this strange planet interesting.
The conversation with Aehako dies and the alien returns to stirring the fire. I sit by it with my legs crossed, lost in thought, until Raahosh returns. He’s got a kill in hand and judging from the arrow sticking out of the quill-beast, he used the bow I made for him. He must have watched me use it and figured it out from there. Wow. The wide smile I give him in greeting is genuine, and I get up to greet him with kisses.
He’s a little dazzled by my enthusiastic greeting, but puts his arm around me and nuzzles me close. And when he cuts open the kill, he makes sure I get the tastiest bits and feeds them to me, and won’t give the others – or himself – a bite until I’m good and full.
And really, it’s not the worst thing to be the center of someone’s universe. I’m kinda digging it.
And I plan on showing him my appreciation.
RAAHOSH
Liz’s good mood makes me wary. It’s a pleasure to see, of course, but I can’t help but wonder if my devious mate is up to something. She usually greets me with caustic words and grumpiness, but now that Aehako and Haeden are here? She is all smiles and reaches for me when I walk toward her.
I am not pleased to see the two men. They are good men, but the truth is that I would keep Liz to myself for at least a few more turns of the moons, so when we returned to my people, it would be clear that we are a family and we must be together.
Now, I am not sure what they will think. I have broken the laws of our tribe, and Liz’s belly is still flat with no sign of our child. My only consolation is that she smiles at me and her hands reach for me when I am near.
It is clear that we are mates, and I can see the envy in both Aehako and Haeden’s eyes.
They did not resonate. For them, life goes on cold and mateless, but with the added agony of seeing so many others find their joy. For the first time, I am the envied one. It is an unusual feeling.
The evening is a quiet one. Aehako talks easily, but he’s always been a cheerful one. His conversations about hunting, and life back at the caves hold Liz’s interest, but her hand is locked in mine. Haeden is silent, but he watches every time Liz touches me or brushes her arm against mine.
As the hour grows late, Liz yawns and puts her cheek on my arm. “Can we go to bed now, baby?”
She is calling me the love word of her people. My heart swells and my khui begins a soft resonance in my chest. “Of course.” I stand up and pull her to her feet.
Haeden stands as well. “She should stay here, near the fire with us.”
Before I can snarl a protest, Liz snorts. “Uh, we’re resonating, remember?” She taps her chest and I can hear her khui singing a song to mine. “I thought the goal was that you wanted him to impregnate me so you can have more blue babies running around, right?”
Haeden’s jaw clenches. “We are protecting you.”
“From his jizz?” A little smile curves Liz’s pink mouth. “Bit late for that. Now, I’m gonna go sleep with my mate.” She takes my hand and leads me a short distance away from the fire, near some bushes. With a yawn, she shrugs her cloak off and then gestures at the pack on my back. “Blankets, please.”
Wordless, I obey. I make a bed full of furs for her, since I know my human can only take so much cold.
Even now, she shivers amidst her yawns. When the bed is as perfect as I can get it, I take the cloak from her hands and bundle it around her shoulders. “You must stay warm.”
“Oh, I’m going to stay warm,” she says with a soft smile. “We’re going to snuggle.”
I look over at the fire a short distance away. Aehako and Haeden are watching us. I’m not sure if ‘snuggling’ is a good idea. Already I am resonating for my mate, and my cock is beginning to strain against my loincloth. “Perhaps I should sleep by the fire.”
“Fuck that noise,” she says sleepily. She gets down onto the furs, stretches out, and then pets the spot next to her. “Come on. I’ll make it good for you.”
Those are sex words. My body reacts even as I glance back at the fire again. She must not mean what she is saying. The humans are modest, from what Vektal has said. Shorshie didn’t want his touch when others were around. It is just more human chatter.
“Brr,” she says, and chatters her teeth. “So cold. I need my big alien to squeeze up against.”
I cannot refuse such a call from my mate. With one last look at the two men by the fire, I get down in the bed next to Liz and she immediately burrows against me, her cold hands moving under my vest and pressing against my skin. I endure it stoically; I want her to be comfortable and warm. My arms go around her, holding her close, and I tuck her small head under my chin. My khui sings a song of protest, but I am content. With Liz in my arms, the world outside does not matter at the moment.
“Mmm,” Liz says softly, her hand stroking my chest.
I caress her arm under the furs. “Liz?”
“Yes, baby?”
“What is jizz?”
She giggles, and my cock gets even harder. “It’s your seed.”
I feel strangely embarrassed that she has said such things to the other males. She jokes about being protected from my seed? “Your words are forward.”
“I know, but they don’t understand them so it’s cool,” she says, and I can hear the smile in her voice. Her hand slides down my stomach and then cups my cock. “There’s no protecting a girl from this monster.”
My breath hisses out and I pull her hand away. “Liz!” I sit up and look between the spiky leaves of the bushes to where the fire flickers. Sure enough, they are watching us, though I doubt they can see more than our feet.
I am sure they can hear Liz, though. My mate is not quiet.
“Lie down,” she tells me, and presses a hand to my chest.
“They can hear you.”
“So?” Her hand goes to my cock again and she drags her fingers over the length, then caresses my spur.
“Let them hear what they’re missing out on.”
I swallow back a ragged groan. My khui is resonating wildly in my breast, and Liz seems determined to play. And I? I am a weak man because I am going to let her. I reach for Liz, but she slides under the blankets.
“Let me make you feel good,” she whispers, and I feel her tugging at the ties to my loincloth. Then, the leather falls away and I feel her hot little hand around my cock.
I bite down on my hand to keep from moaning aloud. I don’t want the others to know what pleasures I’m getting from my mate, for fear that she’ll stop. Because I’m selfish and greedy, but I want more of this.
Her hand tightens around the base of my cock and I feel her when she giggles, then rubs the head against her lips. “God, you’re so hard already. That’s sexy, Raahosh.” Liz’s lips close over my cock-head and I feel her tongue swirl over it.
I nearly spill my seed right then. Instead, I bite down harder on my hand, determined to be silent so this lasts longer. My body arches, and I want to press further into her mouth, into that warm wet that reminds me of her cunt.
Her tongue laps at my cock. “So much pre-cum for me,” she murmurs. Her hand grips and strokes at the root, and then her mouth seems to be everywhere: licking along my shaft, nibbling at the head, and then teasing and licking at my spur, which I never knew was sensitive until she played with it. I am beside myself with pleasure, and when she makes soft little noises of delight and her khui vibrates, it pleases me even more.
Then, her mouth clamps down on the head of my cock and starts sucking again. She takes me deeper, working my length down her tongue, until I can feel my cock butt up against the back of her throat.
And her khui begins to vibrate even harder. It’s like she’s encouraging it, because it’s so loud that I can feel it making her skin shiver, and I feel the vibrations of it against her tongue, even as she grips me in her throat.
It is…like nothing I have ever felt before.
Even biting my hand cannot stifle my groan, and I come then, my seed spurting into her hot, wet mouth.
She makes soft little noises of pleasure, and I feel her swallow even as she releases my cock, and she’s drinking it.
Drinking my seed like I drink from her sweet cunt. I groan again, and my hands tug at her pants. I want to reciprocate.
But she stops me with a little pat on my chest and a smack of her lips. “It’s okay, baby. I wasn’t doing this because I wanted you to lick me.” Her hand smooths down my chest. “I just wanted to make you feel good.
For you to know I’m with you.” A little giggle escapes her throat, the sound sweet and musical. “And for them to know I’m with you, too.”
Clever Liz. She pleasures me with her mouth so the others can know she’s with me willingly? My mate is devious…and wonderful. I pull her against me, feeling my khui resonate in time with hers.
“You are everything to me, Liz,” I say softly. “My world. My heart.”
“Is that a declaration of love?” she asks sleepily, her voice muffled by my chest.
I nod. My people normally do not declare love boldly, but I love Liz. She is mine and I am hers. “I love you, Liz.”
Her soft sound of appreciation is all I get in response. I wonder – does she love me? Does it matter as long as she is my mate? For some reason…it does. Perhaps I’m not doing enough to please her.
My hand goes to the waist of her leggings and I push my fingers inside, seeking her cunt. She makes a sleepy sound of protest, and then her arms go around my neck and tighten as I find her third nipple – her clit, she calls it. Then, the breath hisses out of her throat.
“I guess I’m in the mood for some reciprocation after all,” she says, and then gently bites at the base of my throat.
Her cunt is soaked with honey, and I drag my fingers through her juicy folds even as I knot my other hand in her hair and angle her mouth so I can kiss her and mate her tongue with mine. She whimpers again, the sound louder, and I muffle it with my lips. Surely the others can guess what we are doing, but Liz’s cries of pleasure are mine alone.
I slide a finger deep inside her and begin to thrust, mimicking my cock. Her hips raise, and she murmurs against my throat. “My clit,” she says over and over again, and I realize she wants me to touch it even as I pump into her with my hand. I angle my thumb over it and brush the nub of it while thrusting my finger into her, and she cries out loudly. This time, there is no muffling that. I hear a low comment by the fire, and then the sound of someone walking away – further from the camp.
Good, I think savagely as I pleasure my mate. When she comes, she does it with little shivers and soft cries, her body tensing against mine, and a flood of honey between her legs. I dip my fingers into all that sweetness before I pull them from her leggings and then lick my hand clean of her taste.
“Filthy barbarian,” she murmurs with a chuckle, and then sighs, contented. Within moments, she’s asleep against me. Trusting. Happy.
I hold her close, savoring these moments in case they don’t last.
LIZ
The tribal ‘home’ cave doesn’t look too impressive from the outside. In fact, the only way I know it’s different from every other cliff we’ve passed is that Georgie flings herself out from the cave mouth, arms outstretched and squealing happily at the sight of me.
I’m surprised to see such an effusive greeting from her, but I extend my arms and allow her to jump all over me in a boisterous welcome. A moment later, Josie’s right there, flinging her arms around me next, until I’m being swarmed by my fellow captives. It’s strange to see everyone with the glowing blue eyes, though I know I must have them, too. The glow in our eyes says we have a cootie, and everyone’s healthy and happy- looking. Weirdly enough, I feel tears pricking. It’s like I’m coming home, especially when Kira comes in and embraces me in a long, silent hug. She and I have known each other the longest, and seeing her is like seeing a sister. I burst into tears at that and blubber for a moment, sniffling and happy to see all of them. I touch Kira’s ear, where the shell-like translator is still attached. “Hanging on to your accessories,” I tease, happy.
“It’s not so easy to remove,” she says with a soft smile on her solemn face, and then steps away to allow Tiffany in to hug me.
As Kira steps away, I see Aehako move toward her, opening his arms for a hug. “No greeting for me, sad
eyes?”
Kira blushes and waves him off.
“How are you?” Georgie asks, pulling me by my arm and tugging me into the cave. “Are you all right?
Have you guys been okay? Did Raahosh hurt you?”
I look back at Raahosh as I’m being carried away on a tide of happy human women. He’s standing back with Aehako and Haeden, and the narrow-eyed look has returned to his face, but for a moment, I think he looks…lost. Miserable.
“Raahosh has been wonderful to me,” I say loudly. I blow him a kiss from afar, and then let Georgie and Tiffany drag me inside the caves.
The ‘home’ caves aren’t what I’m expecting. I guess I was thinking it’d be something super primitive, much like the cave I shared with Raahosh, but the cave itself looks like the hollowed out inside of a donut. If this isn’t man-made, I’ll eat my leather shirt. The doors to each individual cave are perfectly rounded, a leather curtain drawn over the entrance. The center of the cave is warm and almost humid, and there’s a bright blue pool of water in the center that smells faintly of sulfur. A baby alien with tiny horns and bright blue skin splashes on the steps, clinging to what must be a female alien. She’s tall and brawny and just as covered in bumpy plates as Raahosh and the men are, which looks almost overwhelming on her female face.
It’s weird, because there are people everywhere, and I’m quickly overwhelmed by the sensation of crowding. There’s more people playing near the water, and someone’s weaving baskets in the distance. I hear the chatter of many voices, and everywhere I look, there are people. I see the freckled girl from the
tubes leaning over a stewpot as someone tries to instruct her on how to cook. Over off to one side, the weepy one – Ariana – is cuddled in the lap of another alien. She doesn’t look all that weepy to me.
“Wow, this is so…” I pause, unable to think of a snappy comeback for once.
“It’s great, isn’t it?” Georgie’s arm goes around my waist. “They’ve really made room for us here. The hunters have been going out and spending a lot more time on the trails because there’s so many more mouths to feed. And Kashrem’s tanning all the hides he can because he needs the leather for us, and they’ve given us caves, and it’s all so wonderful.” Georgie gushes as she leads me inside.
It is nice of them, but all I see are people everywhere. A lot of people. It’s a nice living space, but it’s also noisy with laughter. I kind of miss my quiet cave with Raahosh. It is primitive, but cozy. It’s not like there’s exactly a shopping mall here anyhow. Fact is, my life changed completely and utterly the day that the Little Green Men kidnapped me from my apartment and stole me into outer space.
Georgie steers me through the caverns, smiling at people as they find an excuse to come out and stare. I guess Raahosh’s kidnapping of me is pretty scandalous, though I’m getting annoyed with all the whispering.
He did what he had to do and I don’t regret it. I’m guessing we’re going to be grist for the gossip mill for a while, though. It’s such a small community that I’m sure everyone’s going to be in our business.
I look for Raahosh, but he’s not around. Vektal’s ahead, talking to a pair of elderly aliens with long, white hair and frowns on their faces. Vektal looks over at Georgie and me, and nods.
“Come on,” Georgie says, steering me into a side cave. “Let’s get you checked out by the healer.”
“I’m fine,” I protest, but Georgie’s stubborn. She won’t take no for an answer, so I give up and let her lead me into one of the covered grottos.
There’s a woman inside, one of the tall, strong-looking alien women. She has curling horns and long, flowing dark hair. Her belly is round and obviously pregnant, and her eyes glow brightly in her face. She says something in the alien tongue, her voice sweet.
I shake my head. “I don’t speak Na’vi.”
Georgie snickers and bats my arm. “Be nice, Liz. This is Maylak. She’s the tribe’s healer.”
“Howdy,” I say.
Maylak puts her hands out and smiles at me. “Leezh?”
“Close enough.” I put my hands in hers. “But tell her, Georgie, that I feel fine. Raahosh took really good care of me. He’s great.”
Georgie’s brows draw together as if she doesn’t quite believe me. “He kidnapped you, Liz. You don’t have to defend him.”
“Dude, the Little Green Men kidnapped me too, and you don’t see me singing their praises.” I give Maylak’s hands another squeeze. “I’m telling you, Raahosh is fine. We’re all mated and shit. So go on and tell the healer that I’m cool.” I love Georgie for saving us, but I’m starting to get annoyed that no one seems to believe me when I say I’m fine with Raahosh. When she hesitates again, I say, “Do I look like I’ve been browbeaten into submission?”
She chuckles. “I think you would talk anyone to death that tried.”
“Exactly!”
Georgie looks over at Maylak and speaks the fluid alien language. I watch their faces as they speak, but I’m unhappy that I don’t know the words. Georgie knows them because she got an info dump from the spaceship crashed somewhere around here that Raahosh’s people came from. Raahosh can speak English for the same reason, but I haven’t had the info dump, so I’m out of the loop. And I’m not a fan of being out of the loop.
Maylak says something, then Georgie relates it. “She’s going to speak to your khui and see how you are doing.”
“Super. Tell it I said hello and he’s a little bastard.”
Georgie grins and gestures for Maylak to begin.
The alien closes her eyes and hums, and for a terrible, corny minute, I think she’s going to start chanting ‘ommmm’. But her eyes begin to glow even brighter, so bright that I can see the glow behind her eyelids, and my cootie starts to react. It’s not singing or purring like it does when Raahosh comes close, but it’s almost like it’s…talking to her. I feel it twisting inside me, and then it almost dances.
It’s creeping me out.
She continues to hold my hands, and I feel my cootie moving and vibrating in response. It’s a different kind of vibration, higher and more rapid than when it’s sexytime with Raahosh. I try to pull my hands from hers.
“It’s all right, Liz. She’s just checking stuff out inside you. I promise it’s fine.” Georgie puts her hand on my arm.
Maylak opens her eyes and my cootie stops vibrating. It slows to a faint hum and then ends, and the healer exhales slowly. Then, she smiles and releases my hands.
Weirdly enough, I feel better. I didn’t feel bad before, but I feel…rejuvenated. Like I just had an hour- long massage on the inside.
Maylak begins to speak, and Georgie translates. “She says you have a bit of exhaustion. That it’s normal for the humans because we’re all still acclimating to the climate and having a khui, but for you to take it easy.”
“I’m not surprised. I’ve been taking care of Raahosh since he fell and broke his leg.” My eyes widen and I clutch at Georgie’s hands. “Oh – tell her she needs to check out Raahosh. He hurt himself a while ago and took some time to recover. She needs to check him over to make sure he’s okay.”
Georgie looks at Maylak and speaks, and a small, unhappy frown crosses Maylak’s face. She says something, and Georgie argues back with her.
“What are you guys saying?” I ask when they ignore me.
“It’s complicated,” Georgie says. “I’ll tell you later.”
Maylak continues to speak, and she gestures at my stomach. Georgie breaks out into a smile and looks at me.
“Let me guess,” I say before she can translate. “I’ve got a bun in the oven.”
Her eyes widen. “You knew?”
“Uh, I shake like I’ve got a vibrator tucked inside me every time Raahosh gets near,” I say in a dry voice.
“We might have banged a few times without protection.”
“A few?” She chuckles.
“Okay, a few times a day. But seriously, that’s what the cootie’s about, right? So I’m not surprised. I don’t know how I feel about it, but I’m not shocked.”
She gives me a sympathetic look. “Not sure how you feel about it because it’s Raahosh’s?”
“No.” Dang, why does everyone think I hate the guy? “Not sure how I feel about it because I’m not sure I wanted to be a mommy, and I’m kinda young. I’m only twenty-two. You’re only twenty-two. We’re all only twenty-two and now we’re going to be having kids if the cooties have their way.”
Georgie’s hand goes to her stomach. “I’m pregnant, too.”
I look over at the silent, waiting healer. “Is she sure? How do we know it’s not just gas or something?
Maybe the alien food makes our colons explode.”
“First of all, gross? Second of all, she knows. She’s the healer.” Georgie looks at Maylak and says something, and Maylak gestures at her chest, speaking more fluid syllables. I really need to visit the alien ship and get the info dump, because I’m tired of people talking around me already. Georgie nods and then looks at me, translating. “She says she can feel the changes in your womb. Your khui knows it’s there.”
“Then why does the damn thing still vibrate all the time when I’m around Raahosh?”
Georgie’s mouth curls in a slight smirk. “Because you’re turned on? I imagine it likes sex endorphins as much as the rest of us.”
Girl has a point. I exhale, staring at the cave walls. “So I’m pregnant.”
“Me too. You’re not alone.” She smiles. “Vektal is so excited.”
I imagine the excitement on Raahosh’s face when I tell him that there’s a baby blue alien in my stomach. I touch my belly. He’s going to be…happy but terrified. I remember the story of his parents. That won’t be us.
I promise Baby Blue that it won’t. I look at Georgie. “Raahosh is pretty excited about the whole resonating thing too. He really wants a family.”
Her smile fades a little. “Did he hurt you?”
I shake my head. “He came on a little strong a few times, but I had things under control. When we finally got together, it was my call and not his.” Well, it was the cootie’s call, but I don’t point that out. I sense that Georgie might not listen. She’s utterly crazy about Vektal the way I am about Raahosh and I’m going to defend him, even if it puts us on opposing viewpoints.
Because for some reason, I’m feeling mighty defensive. Something about all of this feels wrong, and I can’t put my finger on what it is.
What Georgie says next floors me, though. “Settle in for a long wait, though. It seems their ladies carry for three years or so.”
The breath explodes from me. “What the fuck?” I’m appalled. Nine months of bloated belly and swollen ankles sounds bad. Three years of pregnancy sounds like sadistic torture.
She grimaces. “I know. Apparently they stay pregnant a lot longer. Maylak says thirty five moons or so, but it’s hard to tell how long their moon phases are compared to theirs, because no one exactly has a watch or a calendar, and this doesn’t line up with earth.”
I moan in horror. “So we’re going to be pregnant somewhere between nine months and three years?
Shoot me now.”
“If it makes you feel any better, you’re handling the news a lot better than Ariana did.”
“Let me guess – she cried.”
“Bingo.”
Maylak looks between us curiously, and so Georgie translates for her. As she does, another question comes to mind. “So who all is pregnant?”
“Let’s see – Ariana, of course. Me. You. Marlene. Nora. Stacy. That’s it so far.”
“No resonance for Kira, huh?” I think of the way Aehako flirted with her outside the caves. “Or Josie?
Tiff?”
“Nope. Maylak says sometimes the resonance happens later, but so many of us resonated at first sight that I don’t know.” Her voice lowers. “Some are disappointed.”
Weirdly enough, I understand that. It’s like their cooties decided they’re not good enough for alien babies. And since the tribe seems so desperate for kids, that has to sting. “It’ll happen. Or, you know, it won’t. Maybe their cooties don’t want to be moms.”
Georgie laughs. “Maybe they’re not ready yet.”
“Any sign of the Little Green Men?” I rub the spot on my arm where the tracking device was implanted weeks ago and then cut out shortly thereafter.
She shakes her head. “Everything’s been quiet…” It’s left unspoken. Except for you.
To be fair, she’s trying to protect me from a kidnapper. I can’t hate on that. “I’m fine, Georgie. Really.”
She bites her lip and then sighs. “Vektal is really pissed at Raahosh.” The look she gives me is uneasy.
“Did he tell you about the story of his parents?”
“I heard from Aehako. It’s not quite the same thing.”
“Maybe not in Raahosh’s eyes, but to Vektal, it is. Their tribe has very strict laws about that sort of thing, Liz.” She shakes her head. “Just be prepared for a shitstorm. That’s all I’m saying.”
“Commence the shittening,” I tell her. “I’m ready.”
• • •
Maylak finally deems me fine and dandy, and Georgie and I leave her cave behind. I don’t miss the fact that they exchange a few heated comments between them in the alien language, or the worried look on Maylak’s face as we leave. I’m not blind. There’s an ominous feeling to our return, and I know it can’t bode well.
In the center of the cave, Vektal sits on a few carved steps. He’s casually lounging, but there’s nothing casual about his demeanor. He looks tense. Pissy. Aehako and Haeden are talking to him, and Raahosh is nowhere to be found. Other men are standing around, and as Georgie and I return, all attention is fixed on us.
Vektal gets to his feet. He looks past me and I turn to see that Maylak has emerged from her cave and is a few steps behind me. He says something in alienese and I catch my name. It’s not hard to hear ‘Leezh’ mixed in with the patter of their tongue.
This is getting irritating. Everyone’s talking around me. I snap my fingers in Vektal’s face. “Hello, I’m right here. Don’t speak as if I’m not.”
I hear Aehako muffle a laugh and Vektal turns a shocked look on me. “What are you doing?”
“Does it look like I’m snapping to the beat? I’m getting your attention.” I’m also getting might tired of everyone talking around me. I want a say in my future, damn it. I’ve been pushed around too long, and I’m not going to be pushed around by another big blue alien with horns just because he says he’s the chief. “I’m right here. You can talk to me about my favorite topic – me.”
His brows draw together and he gives me a fierce frown. “I am confirming with the healer.”
“That I’m pregnant? You could ask me. Yes, my ovaries have met their match, and it’s alien sperm.” I cross my arms. “Where’s Raahosh? I want my mate.”
“Liz,” Georgie murmurs, trying to calm me.
“Unless you want to see a show of pregnancy hormones in full effect, I want Raahosh, and I want him right now,” I say in a deadly voice and point at the ground. “I realize you think I’m being impossible but you have not seen impossible yet. I will be the biggest pain in the ass on this snow-covered planet if you don’t get me my man, stat.” I don’t understand. Why are they keeping us separated? That weird sense I have of ‘something wrong’ is getting worse.
“This is their home, Liz,” Georgie says.
“I thought we were all supposed to be one big team now, remember? That makes this my home, too, and I want my fricking man.”
Georgie looks at Vektal. He throws his hands up in the air as if to say ‘you deal with her’ and storms away. Georgie gives me an exasperated look, but I don’t care. I need to see Raahosh and know that he’s all right. And I want to tell him we have a baby. She pulls me aside, though, and leans in to whisper in my ear.
“Raahosh broke the rules and he’s in trouble, Liz.”
“I know,” I say, and then clasp my hands under my chin. “But I want to see him and tell him we’re having a baby, okay?”
“Okay,” she says softly. “I can stall things for a little while and talk to Vektal, but when they decide his punishment, there’s nothing I can do, all right?”
I shrug. What are they going to do? He’s a tribe member and a soon to be dad. If he gets more hunting duty, I’ll just go with him. If they give him a fine of some kind, I don’t think he’d care. And from what I’ve seen, lashes or physical punishment would be a bit extreme. Whatever it is, it can’t be that bad.
And whatever it is, we’ll face it together.
After all, I feel as if I’ve survived a few ‘worst case scenarios’ so far. Kidnapped by aliens to be sold as cattle? Crash land on an ice planet? Starve while stewing in your own filth for a few weeks?
I got this ‘worst case scenario’ shit nailed. Everything after that is a cakewalk.
Georgie says a few words and two warriors head out of the caves. We wait in silence, and then a few minutes later, Raahosh stalks in, flanked by the warriors. He looks pissy as hell, his fists clenched and his body vibrating anger. His weapons are gone, and there’s a small bruise on his jaw.
Maybe all of this is getting to me, because at the sight of him, I burst into girly tears.
His expression immediately changes to the possessive one and he pushes through the crowd in the cave to get to me. I hear murmuring, but I don’t care. My cootie has started vibrating, singing a song to his. He sweeps me up against him and presses me against his chest, his big arms holding me close. I can hear his cootie vibrating in time with mine, and I give a small little sigh of happiness.
I’m in his arms. Everything’s okay.
“Liz?” He brushes his hand over my cheek. “What is wrong?”
I scrub a hand over my eyes like a child. “I’m just tired. I want to go lie down somewhere quiet and talk.”
His hand strokes my hair. “Of course.”
Kira comes up to us, and I’m surprised to see Aehako at her side again. She watches me, her sad eyes intent as Raahosh holds me close. I can’t tell if there’s envy on her face or worry. Both? “They’ve had to change a lot of the sleeping quarters around,” she says. “I don’t know if there’s a quiet place to be had.”
Aehako nods and crosses his big arms. “Raahosh’s things have been moved with the other hunters. There are five sharing that cave. Zolaya and his mate are in your old cave.”
Raahosh snarls. “Then where—“ “Let’s just go outside,” I tell him, gripping his arms. I’m already tired of this cave packed full of people, with the humidity and the staring. “I’d rather be out there with you.”
“You can’t,” Aehako says. “I’m sorry. Vektal wants you watched for now.”
Me, because they know Raahosh won’t go anywhere without me. I blow out a breath of frustration.
“Then where can we go?”
“You can come to the bachelorette cave,” Kira offers. “That’s where the human ladies who didn’t resonate are staying.”
I nod and hold on to Raahosh tighter. “You guys won’t mind if my big blue friend shows up?”
“Not at all,” she says, and a smile crosses her solemn face.
Aehako adds, “It’s not as if they are not entertaining other big blue friends—“ Again, she bats at his arm and I see a blush creep up her face, but they’re both hiding smiles. There’s a story there, and probably a juicy one, but I’m too tired and mentally worn out to ask about it right now. I just want to curl up with Raahosh for a while.
“You can have my bed,” Kira says. “It’s about as private as you get around here.” She nods and gestures for us to follow her. We do, and Kira leads us to one of the back caves. Two familiar human faces look up as we approach, but Kira waves them off. “Liz needs to rest. There’ll be time to chat later.”
The ‘bachelorette’ cave is fairly roomy, the ceiling smooth and tall. If I had to guess, the room’s about twenty feet long and maybe half as wide. There’s a couple of beds along the floor, a fire-pit in the center that Tiffany’s feeding fuel into, and a curtained area off to one side. Kira brings us there and gently pulls aside the leather curtain, revealing a niche in the wall that holds her fur-strewn bed.
“I was going to share my bunk with Nora, but then she resonated…” Kira shrugged. “I’ll bunk with another one of the girls tonight. You rest. If you get hungry, let me know and I can bring you guys something.”
“Thanks, Kira.” I crawl into the hidey-hole of furs and blankets and sigh happily when I lie down. My feet ache from all the walking, and when Raahosh draws the curtain again, it’s private. I can almost imagine we’re alone again.
Almost. There’s still the hum of voices nearby, all speaking a strange language.
My big delicious alien lies down beside me, and pulls me gently into his arms. His fingers brush over my cheek and his worried gaze sweeps over my face. “Are you well, Liz?”
I nod. “Just…stressed. They don’t seem like they are happy to see you again.”
“In their eyes, I have done a bad thing.” He shakes his head and then lightly kisses my mouth. “Yet I would not change it for anything.”
I kiss him desperately, twining my fingers in his hair. I love the hot, hard feel of his body against mine, and I’m starting to love the way my cootie vibrates whenever his is near. “I just worry about you,” I tell him when I pull my mouth from his.
A flicker of surprise crosses his face. “Me?”
“Yeah, I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but your people are kinda being dicks,” I say softly. “But don’t
worry. I have your back.”
“My back?” His brows draw together.
“It means I’ve got you. Whatever happens, you can depend on my support.”
His lips part, and for a moment, he looks utterly speechless. Then, he crushes me against him again. “You are everything to me, Liz. You are my world.”
“I love you too, big guy,” I tell him. And then I perk up, because I have some news, however early it might be. “Hey, guess who is going to be a father?”
Raahosh’s eyes light up with happiness, and his hand reverently touches my stomach. “Truly?”
“Confirmed by the healer,” I agree. “Junior will be born sometime between nine months from now and uh, thirty six months or something.” I’m trying not think about that.
“Junior?”
“I guess we could Brangelina our names. Raahiz? Lizhosh?”
“Those sound…terrible.” His fingers trace over my flat belly.
“You’re not wrong.” I’m smiling. “I’ll give it some thought. Maybe shorter. Like Raaz or Losh.”
“Our child,” he murmurs, and places his head on my belly. “Our kit. We will be a family.”
I drag my fingers through his hair, petting him. “I like the thought of that. A family.”
Raahosh’s family.
• • •
No one bothers us for the rest of the evening, and I eventually drift off to sleep. I’m too exhausted and unsettled to do more than just hold Raahosh close and snuggle with him, and so we cuddle through the night. In the morning, though, the small, peaceful bubble we have disappears.
“Liz?” Georgie says through the curtain. “We need you and Raahosh to come out, please.”
I yawn and move to pull back the curtain. Before I can, though, Raahosh pulls me against him. He cups my face and gives me a solemn look.
“Know that you are my life, Liz,” he says in a soft voice. His khui resonates with mine, and he gives me a gentle kiss on the mouth.
“I know,” I tell him. Then, I pull back the curtain.
Vektal stands there, a frown on his face. Several of the other tribe men are behind him, and they look unhappy. Georgie is at Vektal’s side and wrings her hands, her gaze worried.
“Raahosh,” Vektal says in a proud voice. “At my mate’s request, I have given you the night to say your
goodbyes to your woman. But—“ “Goodbyes?” I sputter. “What?”
“But,” Vektal continues in a strong voice. “Tribe law has been broken. You were forbidden to take the woman, Leezh. You did so and knew the cost.” He lifts his chin and his face looks weary for a moment, and sadness flickers in his eyes. “The elders and I have conferred and your sentence is exile.”
“Exile?” I parrot, unable to believe what I’m hearing. “For borrowing me for a while?”
“For accosting you and endangering your life,” Vektal says. “For that, he is cast out of the tribe.”
Raahosh’s expression is shuttered, his eyes narrow, icy slits of blue. He gets to his feet and moves to my side. His arms clench tightly around me. “This is not right. She resonated to me.”
“And I warned you,” Vektal counters. “And you deliberately disobeyed my orders. These humans are unknown. What if she had rejected her khui? What if she had needed the healer? You endangered her by
keeping her hidden. You forced her hand.”
“The khui decides,” Raahosh says flatly. “We do not. Liz is mine.”
I’m a little concerned that Raahosh has fallen into the MINE-MINE-MINE trap again, but he’s upset and I don’t blame him. This is getting out of control, fast.
“You are exiled,” Vektal repeats. “Pack your things and leave the caves.”
I look at Raahosh, shocked, then turn back to Vektal. “But I’m pregnant! With his baby!”
“You are staying,” the leader says, and crosses his arms. “You and your kit will be safe here in the caves.”
“You cannot separate us!” Raahosh snarls. He holds me closer, and this time I cling to him. I don’t want to leave him.
“She will be taken care of here. You know this.” Vektal’s voice is colder than anything I have ever heard.
“I am sorry, my brother, but as leader, this is something I cannot ignore.” With a sad look, he steps back and three big men step forward.
One is Aehako, and the look he gives Raahosh is unhappy. “Come,” he says. “Do not make this harder than it already is.”
“No,” Raahosh says, and he presses his mouth to my hair. “I will not leave my mate!”
Georgie’s hands tug at me. “Come on, “Liz.”
“But — no!” I don’t want to leave him! I don’t want any of this to happen!
Suddenly, there are people pouring into the small nook. Hands grab me and I scream as I’m tugged out of Raahosh’s arms. He bellows like a wounded animal and begins to fight, and I see arms and legs flying – not all his – as he struggles to get back to me. They hold him down and separate us, and I watch, tears blurring my eyes, as they drag my struggling mate out of the cave.
“Liz!” He bellows. “LIZ!”
“Raahosh!” I scream back. I want to go with him. I shrug off the helpful people holding my arms and try to follow, only to have Georgie grab me around the shoulders. I try to push her away but she gives me a
fierce look.
“Stop, Liz. You’re making it worse.”
“You can’t exile him,” I protest. I feel more stupid tears coming on. “You just can’t.”
“He’s broken the laws,” Georgie says in a soft voice. “They don’t have many, but that’s the big one.
Endangering a woman is like a death sentence around here.”
“But — exile? What about his family? I thought that was the point of all this!” I smack a hand against my chest, where my cootie is silent. “You wanted me to have an alien mate and now you’re taking him away!”
“LIZ!” Raahosh’s pained bellow echoes in the caverns, but it’s receding. They’re taking him away.
This can’t be happening. It can’t.
How can I find a mate only to lose him?
