Part Six
LIZ
I stare out at the snowy landscape from the entrance of the tribal caves. In the distance, high up on a ridge, there’s a lone figure sitting in the snow, facing the caves. His shoulders are slumped in defeat and if I squint hard, I can make out just one single horn.
My poor Raahosh.
They won’t let him come any closer to the caves. Exile is exile, I am told, and he’s not welcome anymore because he can’t stick to the rules. I’m not allowed to go out and see him, either. My cootie sings a sad, lonely song when I see him, and I blink back frustrated tears.
“This is wrong,” I say to Kira, who stands next to me. Someone’s always at my side, or lurking around. I’m never alone here, and it’s driving me nuts. We’ve only been back for a day and all chaos has set in. I stare at Raahosh’s lonely figure up on the rise and my throat clenches around a knot. “His heart was in the right place.”
“No, it wasn’t.” Her voice is gentle, but firm. Kira’s always quietly strong. She doesn’t have the determined grit of Georgie, or my irreverent commentary, or Josie’s sunny smiles. Kira’s the solemn, all- business one. “His heart wasn’t in the right place and you know it.”
“Okay, so he’s a dick,” I say irritably. “What do you want from me? He’s my dick, though, and I want to keep him.”
“Come on.” Her voice is soothing as she steers me gently away from the cave mouth. “You’re just torturing yourself with this, and it’s not good for you.”
“What about what’s good for him?” I fight against the knot in my throat again. “Why does no one care what happens to him?”
“People are angry.” Kira puts an arm around my waist and leads me back to the ‘bachelorette’ cave.
“They need some time for tempers to cool.”
“I don’t care if their tempers cool as long as their minds change,” I grumble, but let her lead me back toward the others.
The bachelorette cave almost feels like the alien ship’s hold, back when we were captured by the Little Green Men. Megan’s there, and Josie, and Kira. Tiffany’s out helping Maylak with her children – the two have already become close friends, according to Kira, despite the language barrier. The only difference is that now instead of Georgie here, we have Harlow, the only tube girl that didn’t resonate to someone.
Well, okay, it’s not the only difference. We’re warm and fed and no one’s trying to sell us as cattle, and we don’t have to poop in an overflowing bucket. There’s heated water and soap for when we want to bathe.
The people are friendly. We’ve been welcomed.
I should be pleased as punch.
Instead, I’m still stewing over Raahosh’s treatment. I don’t understand how a people that were so gung- ho about us mating are ready to just separate us that quickly. Don’t they care that he loves me and I love him and we made a baby together? Isn’t that all part of their master plan? But here we are once more, and I’m fighting to hold back my misery. Georgie may be happy as can be, and maybe whiny Ariana has stopped crying all the damn time, but if they think they’re done with tears around here, they haven’t seen anything yet.
Kira steers me toward the fire pit at the center of the cave and sits me down on a carved rock seat that is lined with furs and pillows. “Why don’t I get you some hot tea?”
Josie touches my knee as I sit, and her small, round face is sympathetic. “You doing okay, Lizzie?”
Am I doing okay? I suppose that’s the million dollar question. I’m not sure I’ve been okay for a long time.
I’d say maybe I haven’t been okay for the last month, ever since the Little Green Men kidnapped me while I was sleeping and stuck me in a dirty hold with a bunch of strangers. But maybe I wasn’t okay even before then, because I was lonely and unhappy, with aafather that I missed every day since his death and a job that sucked my soul out.
So yeah. I’m not okay. Now that I have found someone that I love and care about and want to be happy with? Someone that I can see myself spending time with? And he’s exiled and I’m here alone with his baby in my stomach? I don’t think I’m okay, no.
But I’m also pretty sure that Josie’s hopeful expression will crumple if I say otherwise, and it’s not fair to the other girls to rage in their faces. They didn’t make the decision. So I just pat her hand. “Ducky. Just ducky.”
“You’re a terrible liar,” Megan says in a soft voice.
I give her a thin smile. So I am.
“You can help me with this,” Kira says, and puts a soft pelt in my hands. “I’m making a hooded poncho.
We have the khui but it’s still not quite warm enough for us if we leave the caves, so we’re making winter gear for all the human girls.”
“I’m glad it’s the cold season now,” Harlow comments, and I see she has sewing in her lap, too.
Sewing. Someone kill me now.
“Actually this is the warm season,” I point out as I pick up the sewing and stare at it with something like horror. Turning my skirt into pants was necessity. Sewing for fun is just…ugh.
Silence falls in the cave.
Kira blinks and sits nearby with her own sewing, the big shell of the translator in her ear sticking out painfully. “I thought they said that this was the bitter season.”
“Oh yeah,” I say, stabbing my bone needle through the leather. “It is. But then comes the brutal season.
They’re a whole bunch of Eeyores, this group.”
“You mean it’s going to get colder?” Harlow doesn’t sound happy. “I can’t believe that this is considered warm to them.”
“Did you not see the summer gear they all wear? Vektal’s prancing around in a vest, for fuck’s sake.”
They’re silent, and I see they’re all digesting this information.
“How did you find out?” Josie asks.
“Raahosh told me.” I can’t help but twist the knife a little. “Gee. I wonder what other things they’re not telling you guys? I thought we were supposed to be equals but maybe the goal is to keep us all barefoot and pregnant and sewing.”
More silence. I see Josie put down her sewing, upset.
“I think I need to take a walk,” Megan says, and gets up and leaves the cave.
Seed of dissent? Firmly planted. I bite back my smile and sew cheerfully. If I’m going to be fucking miserable, I’m going to take them all with me.
The others scatter, the cheerful mood gone, and pretty soon it’s just me and Kira sitting by the fire,
sewing.
“What are you doing?” Kira asks.
I hold up the poncho. “Sewing like a good little woman.”
“No, seriously, Liz. Are you trying to stir up shit?” Her weirdly blue-glowing gaze pierces me.
“So what if I am?”
She puts her sewing in her lap and her mouth flattens into a hard line. “Have you thought about this?
Really and truly thought about this?”
“Look, all I can think about right now is my guy, and the fact that a bunch of jerks won’t let me be with him! They want me to take a mate. I did. They wanted him to knock me up, and then the moment he does, he gets exiled. So you’ll forgive me if I’m not feeling charitable towards the ice Na’vi right now on Frosty Planet Avatar.”
She exhales loudly. “Did it ever stop to occur to you that we’re all dependent on their goodwill? They know how to survive here. We don’t. They can hunt here and know the planet. We don’t. Before they took us in, we didn’t know how to build a fire or even feed ourselves. Look around you, Liz. There’s no grocery store or snow-cone shack here. There’s no Wal-Mart for warm clothing and there’s no central heat. So I don’t want you pissing these people off, understand? Because if we have to end up back in the snow again on our own, there’s a lot worse that could happen to us than doing a little sewing!” She gets to her feet and leaves, tossing her silky brown hair behind her.
In a network of overcrowded caves, I have somehow managed to piss off everyone enough that they’ve left me alone for the first time in a day and a half. A weird, miserable little half laugh bubbles from my throat, and it turns into tears soon enough. I sniff and wipe at my cheeks, hating that I’m crying.
I think I’d rather be out in the wild with Raahosh than in here, alone and missing him.
And it’s only been a day. How am I expected to just carry on as if my heart isn’t broken?
My cootie is silent. It agrees with me. This is no way to live.
I stab my needle into the fur again and sit in the humans’ cave by myself.
• • •
I end up sleeping in Kira’s bed again that night, except instead of Raahosh holding me close, it’s Kira wrapped in blankets on the other side of me. I end up weeping quietly for most of the night, miserable. How is Raahosh able to stand this? He’s out in the cold snow, alone. He can find a cave and take care of himself, but my mind is full of his lonely vigil up on the rise, staring down at the cave, hoping for a glimpse of me.
I sleep terrible that night despite all the comforts of the tribal caves. My mind is full of nightmares, and when I wake up, I’m queasy. I barely make it out of the bachelorette cave before I’m stumbling to the cave entrance, looking for somewhere to barf. There’s a bathroom system in the caves but the entrance is a lot closer. I make it out into the snow a few moments before I puke, and then retch miserably for a few minutes before sitting up and wiping my mouth.
Kira’s there a moment later and offers me something that looks like a foot long, pink eyelash. “Eat this.”
“What the fuck is it?” I clutch my aching stomach.
She points at the pink, wispy trees. “A leaf, I think. They make a tea out of it too, but Maylak says it’s
good for the stomach when it’s upset.”
“How do you know?”
A wry smile curves her mouth. “Because I got it from Georgie? I’m surprised you didn’t meet her out here.”
“Ugh. Is it catching? I thought the cootie was supposed to take care of this shit.” I shove the flimsy leaf in my mouth and chew. It tastes bitter and unpleasant, but then again, so does all the stuff that just came flying up my throat.
“You have a case of the babies. I don’t think it’s catching.” Kira holds a waterskin out to me next and I rinse my mouth. “Unless you know something I don’t.”
I shake my head and spit the water out, then kick a bit of snow over my sick. “I thought it was too early for morning sickness.”
“Yeah, but we’re also human, and it’s hard to say how things are going to affect us cross-species, remember? We don’t even know when the babies will be due.”
I grimace and pick leaf out of my teeth. “Don’t remind me, okay?”
“If it makes you feel any better, Ariana and Marlene haven’t shown any symptoms of morning sickness.”
She offers a hand to help me up.
“You know, actually that does not make me feel better. Not only did they get to sleep in the tubes but they get the easy pregnancies, too? I hate those bitches.” I let her help me to my feet and brush wet snow off of my leathers.
A horrified laugh escapes her. “Shhh, Liz.” She giggles then looks around to see if anyone heard us.
“You’re terrible.”
“So I hear.” We head back toward the entrance of the cave and I’m surprised to see Aehako lurking nearby, his arms crossed. He walks away when he sees us come back in and I frown. “Man, that guy is everywhere lately.”
“Mmm.” Kira avoids making eye contact with me.
A suspicious thought crosses my mind and I look over at my companion. “Is he stalking you or is he following me?”
One corner of her mouth lifts up in a rueful expression. “Little from column A, little from column B?”
I give her another curious glance. “And you just happened to be at hand?”
Her cheeks pink and she looks away. A small sigh escapes her. “You know it doesn’t matter, right?”
“What do you mean?” She starts walking toward Georgie and Vektal’s cave and I follow her, because I want to hear more about this.
“I mean Maylak says there’s nothing wrong with our khuis. And all of the women eventually resonate.”
“So?”
“So…let’s say I fall for a guy and then I resonate for someone else?” The expression on her face is sad.
“There’s no point in getting romantically involved with anyone if it’s not going to go anywhere or I have to discard them the moment my body decides otherwise.”
“Ah.” I guess it hasn’t occurred to Kira to fuck a guy for funsies. Maybe she’s not that kind of girl.
Actually, looking back, she’s definitely not that kind of girl from what I can tell. Kira’s so serious. Maybe it’s a good thing Aehako’s flirting with her. He’s always smiling. She could use that in her life.
Someone deserves to be happy in this clusterfuck, at least.
Georgie meets us with a yawn and then sniffs her braid. “I smell. You guys wanna join me in the bath?”
I glance back at the bathing pool that’s in the center of the cavern. It’s a common gathering place for a lot of the people here, and for once, it’s empty. There is a pair of women scraping skins nearby and chatting but things are pretty quiet. A bath sounds nice.
Except for one thing. “I don’t have a swimsuit.”
Georgie gives me a wry look. “They have different standards of modesty here. No one cares if you’re
naked.”
“Uh, I care.”
“Really? I heard you got frisky with Raahosh while Haeden and Aehako were a few feet away.”
“Well someone has a big mouth around here,” I tease her back. She’s not wrong, though. “Fine. Gimme some soap. I’ll go nakey-bathing with you.”
She grabs some soap-cakes and hands me one. It smells like berries and a memory shoots through me.
Raahosh uses these same berries for his soaps. I clutch it tightly and wonder if he’s still lurking around this morning. I didn’t see him outside earlier.
Georgie and I strip down to our skin and get into the pool in the center of the cavern. In the water, I can smell sulfur and the water is warm like a bath. I moan with pleasure. It’s like having a hot tub in the middle of the house. Okay, maybe this cave isn’t so bad, then.
“Good stuff, huh?” Georgie says, dunking her head and then coming back up for air. She looks over at Kira, who sits on the lip of the pool, hikes up her leather skirt, and slides her legs in. “You should tell her to join us.”
“Yeah, Kira,” I say, lathering up my soap cake. “What’s up? You don’t want to get in?”
Her cheeks are hot. “I’m fine.” She swings her legs in the water but makes no move to dunk herself.
Georgie gives me a knowing look and lifts her chin, indicating something behind me. I look over and sure enough, there’s Aehako again, pretending to look busy off to the side. “That man needs a hobby,” I tell them.
“Vektal asked him to watch over you for a bit,” Georgie says in a whisper.
“I figured as much.” I soap my arms and then start on my torso. “So, should I give him a show?” I pretend to wash my breasts in an obscene fashion under the water.
“Stop it, Liz,” Kira says, but she’s blushing.
“You’re right. If I want his attention, I should wash your breasts,” I tease.
She huffs and jumps to her feet, then storms away. I watch her go and then look over to Aehako, who is also watching her.
“She’s a little sensitive,” Georgie says, moving to sit on one of the underwater ledges.
“Aren’t we all,” I comment, thinking of my own man. Georgie has Vektal’s ear. While part of me wants to hold her underwater until she gets him to cave, the other part of me knows that I’ll get further on the Return-Raahosh-To-The-Fold quest if she doesn’t hate my guts. I sit on another one of the ledges and set my soap on the lip of the bathing pool. “This sure is a weird cave.”
“Right?” Georgie says, agreeing. “I asked Vektal about it but he says his ancestors carved it. I kind of wonder if they had some equipment back on their ship that we don’t have now.” She shrugs. “At any rate, I’m grateful for it. Especially the bath.”
“A bath without the face eaters is nice,” I agree. That sets off another round of memories of Raahosh and our first makeout by the river. Dammit. I miss him so much. It’s like an ache in my chest that won’t go away. Blinking back tears, I notice the women scraping the skins nearby have their heads together and they’re talking and giggling while looking over at me.
“I thought you said they don’t care if we’re naked?” I ask Georgie.
“They don’t,” she says, and avoids meeting my gaze.
A curl of unease unfurls in my stomach. “What?”
She bites her lip. “Raahosh has been showing up every few hours with a kill.”
“A kill?” I repeat dumbly.
Georgie nods and wrings out her wet curls. “Kills to feed his mate. He says you like the quill-beasts best.
He’s brought four so far over the last few hours, and they have to keep chasing him away.”
Warmth suffuses my body, more than even the hot-tub-like pool can give. He’s still trying to care for me.
What a total sweetheart. Tears prick my eyes again. “I love him, Georgie.”
“I know, Liz. We just have to give things time.” She shrugs her shoulders helplessly. “Vektal can’t cave on this, not with so many other men eyeing the girls. He worries about them, too. Six girls haven’t resonated, and he is concerned that if he eases up on Raahosh, he’s going to put them in danger. Some of these men have never had a mate. They’re full of longing for a family. What’s to stop one of them from kidnapping a girl and holding her captive for months – or a few years – to try and force her to resonate for him?”
“Would that work?” I’m shocked.
She shrugs again. “How do we know it won’t? We’re all young and healthy so it stands to reason that if they haven’t resonated yet, they will soon enough.”
The situation’s a lot more complicated than I thought. I feel a little sorry for Vektal, who’s clearly trying to look at all angles of the situation…and then I get pissed that I’m feeling sorry for the guy that’s keeping me and my mate apart. “It’s different,” I point out to Georgie. “Raahosh was resonating to me when he stole me. It’s not the same.”
She gives a half nod. “Which I tried arguing to keep him here. Vektal’s super torn up, you know. Raahosh is one of his closest friends. Exiling him was so hard on Vektal. Even now he’s out there trying to talk to him, to make him understand.” She grimaces. “Your mate is…not that understanding.”
“All he sees is that you’re separating him from me.” Surely they can’t expect him to be happy about that.
Georgie nods. “It’s hard for me because I want to side with you…but Vektal’s my mate. I have to trust him to know how to run his tribe or else I’m sabotaging him, too.”
I sigh. “God, this is all so complicated.”
“I know. I’m trying to smooth things out where I can, you know.” Her hands make little circles in the water.
“Oh?” I don’t know that I like the sound of that.
Georgie hesitates, then blows out a long breath. “Don’t get mad, okay? Just know that I already defused the situation.”
I stare at her, my entire body tense. “Well, now you’d better fucking spill the beans or I really will get mad.”
She makes a pained little face and then wrings her curly hair again. “So…Vektal wants to get things settled and calmed as soon as possible so everyone can go back to their normal lives. And there’s a few males that are widowers with grown children–”
“No,” I growl immediately. I know where this is heading and absolutely fucking not. “No, no, and hell no!”
“He thought they would be willing to take on a mate and a child,” she says quickly. “But I told him humans don’t work like that and it would be really, really bad.”
“I can’t believe him,” I explode at her. “Are you fucking serious? Raahosh has been exiled a day and he’s trying to marry me off to someone else!”
Georgie waves a hand, trying to get me to lower my voice. “He’s not thinking like a man with a mate would,” she explains, “but as the chief of his people. I pointed out to him how he’d feel if the same thing happened to me and that shut things down fast.”
I wrap my arms around myself under the water and try to hold back my trembling. This is ridiculous.
I have to find a way to fix this, and soon.
• • •
The tribal caves are pure torture.
For one, I’m surrounded by happy couples, several of whom are newly mated and doting on each other.
It’s hard to watch Vektal caress Georgie’s arm while she works on braiding a net. It’s hard to see Ariana all giggly over her mate. It’s even hard to see Maylak handing off her small child to her husband, because I’m struck with such envy.
Nights are even worse, of course. The caves are mostly quiet, but they’re not super large, so you can usually hear someone – or several someones – having sex. Occasionally one of the girls in the bachelorette cave will giggle when we hear Georgie’s voice rising in a soft cry that she’s not so good at muffling. Mostly it makes me jealous and sad, though. Some of the unattached girls sneak out of the bachelorette cave at night. I don’t blame them.
In fact, seeing them sneak around gives me ideas.
I wait until things are super quiet and it’s late at night. Then, I slide out of my own pallet of furs (since they’ve ‘thoughtfully’ given me a permanent one now) and tiptoe toward the main room of the cave.
And of course, that jerk Aehako is sleeping at the mouth of the bachelorette cave. He gives me a sleepy look and sits up as I try to tiptoe past. “Where are you going?”
“Pee break,” I tell him.
“There is a room for such things,” he comments, getting to his feet.
“Now where are you going?” I ask as I try to step past him.
“I am following you, of course.”
“Gah. Can you not?”
He sighs and looks around, then pulls me into the main cave. I follow him, curious, and we step into a quiet alcove. Then, he stoops down to whisper. “Are you trying to escape?”
“Escape implies I’m being held captive, doesn’t it?” I cross my arms over my chest. “You tell me. Am I trying to escape?”
“You’re very stubborn, aren’t you?” He crosses his arms over his chest in imitation of mine.
“Buddy, you have no idea.”
He looks confused. “If I had an idea, I would not be asking.”
I wave a hand. “Sarcasm. Ask Kira about it. Look, I just want to see Raahosh, okay? I miss him.” My voice breaks a little. “I want to know if he’s okay.” Actually, I know he’s not okay, but I want to see him anyhow.
I expect Aehako to put his foot down and demand that I go back to my bunk, but he glances around the cavern instead. He leans in again. “If I let you go out and talk to him, I must ask you to do something.”
“What’s that?” I try not to let my eagerness show.
For once, he’s not laughing or smiling. His face is drawn with tension. “You must tell him that he needs to leave here. He cannot stay.” When I gape, he continues. “It’s killing him. He’s hunting endlessly and not sleeping. He feels his only purpose is to provide for you, so he is destroying himself to do so. He has no sense of worth at the moment. You must convince him to leave and start a new life.”
My heart aches. What must Raahosh be going through? I feel guilty that I’m in here, with company, bathing in the pool while he’s out there, miserable and alone. I force myself to nod. “Of course.”
I’m full of lies. I have no intention on telling him to go away. But if that’s what it takes for Aehako to be convinced, I’ll say whatever I need to.
He studies me for a long moment and then nods. “Come, then.”
I have to bite back my excitement. My cootie immediately starts throbbing in my chest at the thought of Raahosh, and I press a hand over my breast to quiet it.
RAAHOSH
I rip an arrow out of my kill, rage the only thing driving me to keep going. Rage, and the need to provide for my mate.
They may keep her from me, but they cannot keep me from doing my duty to her.
I return the arrow to my quiver and pick up my kill. It’s a fat quill-beast, and should make a good meal for Liz. I picture her soft, pink lips curling up in a reluctant smile as she is fed, but lets me know she’s not happy about it. That she can feed herself, thank you. That she is as strong and capable a hunter as me.
I rub my chest, where it aches at the thought of her lovely face. My khui is silent. It feels the loss of her as keenly as I do.
It’s late, the moons high in the sky and spilling their light onto the snow. My bones ache with exhaustion and I can’t remember the last time I ate, but it doesn’t matter. Feeding Liz is the only thing that keeps me going. I have faint memories of my father’s despair at my mother’s death – his anguish and his inability to leave his bed for long periods of time to care for myself or the sickly baby brother who was destined to die without proper care.
Then, I did not understand his suffering. I do now. I am living it all over again.
Snowflakes whip into my eyes and the night breeze picks up. I immediately tense. The cold doesn’t bother me, but I worry about my Liz. Humans are so fragile. What if she is not kept warm by the others?
What if they don’t look after her as I do? Panic clutches at my chest and I immediately grab my most recent kill and stalk toward the tribal cave. I will deposit Liz’s latest meal and then go hunting for the creature with the warmest fur I can find. Perhaps a shaggy dvisti. The females about to bear young have thick, woolly coats that would make a fine cloak for my mate– Two figures appear in the snow. I see nothing but glowing eyes, and my hand clenches around my bow.
One pair of eyes is about my height, but the other is much smaller and would barely reach my pectoral. The
only things that size are…
Humans, I realize.
Liz!
I drop my kill and push forward through the snow, my khui immediately beginning to sing. Before I can even see her face, I can hear her khui, resonating to mine. It speeds my steps.
“Raahosh?” Her beloved voice calls out softly, and a moment later, her small body is in my arms. I crush her to my chest, my hand cradling her head as I rain kisses down upon her brow.
My Liz. My love. My everything.
Her arms go around me and she shudders. “Oh God, Raahosh. Your skin is like ice, baby. What are you doing out here at this time of night? You should be near a fire–”
“Shh,” I tell her. Nothing else matters but that she is here, and she is in my arms. Off to one side, I see it is Aehako with her, and my jealousy surges for a moment. He lingers about my mate, even though she belongs to me. I don’t like it, but she is safe at least.
Her small hands brush over my chest and then down my stomach and she gasps. “I can feel your ribs, Raahosh. Have you been eating?”
Have I? I don’t know. My thoughts have been bleak and not entirely my own since they took her from me. I shrug. “It’s not important. Are you well? Is our kit?” I touch her everywhere, stroking my hands down her arms and then across her belly.
“The baby’s fine, I have the morning barfs, and I’m going to be pregnant for three stinking years,” she
says. “Can you believe that?”
“Yes?”
She pats my arm. “Sarcasm, baby.” Her hands slide under my tunic and I feel her fingers against my skin.
She’s cold, but her khui is thrumming a song with mine and my cock reacts. I ignore it, because Aehako is still nearby, leaning against a rock and pretending he doesn’t hear us.
I pull one of her hands into mine and lace our fingers together, then kiss her knuckles. It doesn’t matter to me that she has four knuckles instead of three. She could have eight on each hand and she would be the most beautiful of all creatures. “Why are you here so late at night? Why is Aehako with you?”
“He’s guarding me,” Liz says, and turns her face up for a kiss.
I bend down to brush my mouth over hers, unable to resist. Then her words sink in and my body goes cold with fear. “Guarding you? Are you unsafe there? What–”
“Guarding me because they think I’m going to run away and join you.”
“Fools.”
“Smart,” she says. “I’d do it in a heartbeat. I want to be with you. I want our family to be together.”
Her words send an ache of longing through my body. I touch her pale, smooth cheek with infinite tenderness. “You must remain with everyone else, Liz. I have seen what it is like when one is exiled. It’s dangerous to be alone.”
“I wouldn’t be alone. I’d be with you. We can hunt together and have each other’s backs.”
I smooth my thumb over her lip. “And what about when our kit arrives? What then?”
“We’ll figure something out!” Her fingers tighten against mine. “I’m not letting them abandon you like your father did. You’re my mate and we’re going to be together.”
I shake my head. “Vektal has decided.”
She turns her face up to mine and the smile that curves her lips is one I recognize. It’s Liz when she has a plan and doesn’t care if you like it or not. “Then I’ll just have to change his mind, won’t I?” She wiggles her eyebrows at me. “I’m not going to rest until you’re back at my side, where you belong.”
“Do not put yourself in danger–”
“I won’t be,” she reassures me. “I have a get out of jail free card, remember?” And she pats her stomach.
None of those words make sense to me. “Jailfree?”
“Just trust me, baby.” She raises our linked fingers to her lips and kisses my knuckles like I kissed hers.
“But give me a few days, all right? You have to take care of yourself for my sake. You have to sleep, and eat.
I want my mate to live.”
I nod slowly, because living hasn’t really been on my mind. My only thought was to take care of Liz for as long as possible, until my energy was spent. But if she wants me to take more care with myself, I will. I slip my fingers from hers and brush them over her cheek again, where I feel the tears freezing to her face. “I will do anything you ask, my mate.”
“All I want you to do is trust me and take care of yourself,” she says. “I’ll handle the rest.” And when she turns her face up for another kiss, I cannot resist.
LIZ
It takes two days for the first present to show up at my doorstep.
It’s a present from one of the widowers. At first it enrages me, but then I decide it can be a tool.
I offer the small pouch of herbal teas to an elder woman named Sevvah at the pool that morning. She’s a nice lady, and the unofficial ‘mom’ of the caves. She’s Aehako’s mother, and affectionate with him and her other sons, Rokan and a young boy named Sessah. She always fusses over the pregnant girls despite the language barrier, probably because she wishes one of her sons had resonated. Sadly, she has three boys and all three are still at home with her. But I like her.
Georgie frowns as I offer the teas to Sevvah. The elder woman says something, smiling, and there’s not much that shows that Sevvah is older than the rest of us except for a few lines at the corners of her glowing eyes, and a pale streak of white in her long braid. “She says she can’t take it, Liz. That it’s a courting present from Vaza.”
“But I have a mate,” I say sweetly, and offer it to Sevvah again, with emphasis. I force it into her hands and then walk away before she can refuse.
Georgie gets up and follows me, a frown on her face. She’s pissy because, well, I’m being a dick and causing trouble. I question everything, from why the humans who mated have the smallest caves (which sets Ariana off into another crying fit), why the aliens lied to us about the seasons, and anything else I can think of. I have French Marlene convinced that she’s having a litter since her mate Zennek is close in age to his two brothers and they’re just lying to her about not being triplets. Oh, and Tiffany ended up fooling around with a guy but that went badly when she was surprised by the existence of his ‘spur’, which led to me, wide-eyed and declaring that they were withholding all kinds of information from the humans. Couple that with me not being super pleasant and now every time Vektal sees me, his eyes narrow and Georgie seems to wear a constantly exasperated look on her face.
Okay, so I might have taken things a bit too far when no one got me materials for new arrows and I spent the day declaring that ‘the man’ was keeping me down.
But really, it’s all part of my plan. I’m going to be such an asshole until I get what I want, and what I want is Raahosh back.
He’s still hanging around outside, and there’s a fresh quill-beast for my breakfast every morning. Overall, though, the hunting has slowed and I hope he’s taking my advice and looking after himself.
“What are you up to, Liz?” Georgie asks, still following me as I wind my way through the caverns and head back to the bachelorette cave.
“Who, me?” My voice is sweet. Truth is, she’s right to be suspicious. I’m always up to something.
“Yes, you. You’re going to give Vektal an aneurysm if this attitude of yours keeps up.”
“Then both of us will be without our mates,” I say as I glance over my shoulder.
“Very funny,” she says, her black expression telling me that she doesn’t find it funny at all. “You just gave away a courting present and hurt Vaza’s feelings. Now Sevvah feels awkward because she feels like she is interfering.”
“Then you keep it,” I say to Georgie. “Lord knows I don’t want it. I have a mate, remember? No one seems to be remembering that part.”
“Yes, but he’s exiled,” Georgie says, moving forward and grabbing my arm. “Is that your goal, too? To be such a jerk that you get exiled also?”
“Oh come on,” I say with a roll of my eyes. “Haeden’s a jerk and he’s not exiled. We both know that the only way you get exiled is to pull a stunt like Raahosh did….”
And then my plan blossoms into my brain.
I stare at Georgie, wide-eyed as she continued to talk, lecturing me about how we need to learn the rules of the sa-khui people and how to be good tribesmates and blah-blah. I’m not listening, because my mind is racing, instead.
Of course. Why didn’t I see this before?
I hug Georgie and cut her rant off mid-stream. “You’re the best, you know that?”
She blinks at me, surprised. “I am?” Her eyes narrow and for a moment she looks as suspicious of me as Vektal. “You’re not going to tell Stacy that they’re feeding her rats again, are you?”
“Moi?” I put a hand to my breast in mock-surprise. “And I didn’t tell her that they were rats. Just that they were like rats and they were doing it to see what humans would eat.”
“Uh huh,” Georgie says. “You realize she makes other people take a bite out of everything first now?”
Okay, so it wasn’t one of my finer moments. But in a sabotage campaign, a girl has to do some desperate things if she wants to get her mate back. And getting Raahosh back is my one and only goal.
• • •
It takes me a few hours to find the right time to implement my plan. I’m restless and wander through the caves, annoying everyone I run into until Kira takes pity on me. She hands me a woven basket. “Here. You can come with me to get more soap berries. We’re running low with all the new people in the caves.”
“You sure I can leave?” I give a pointed look over at Aehako, my ever-present guard. He stands a few feet away, whittling something out of bone with his knife. It looks a bit like a figure of a girl, but one side of her head has a blob on it that might be too obviously Kira. Interesting. The man’s making no bones about his interest in her, but Kira seems to be keeping him distant.
Not my problem at the moment.
She flushes and moves to Aehako’s side. “I’m taking Liz to go get soap berries. We’ll be in sight of the cave at all times. We won’t go far.”
He sheathes his knife, gets to his feet and stretches languidly, then rubs his stomach. “I’ll come with you.” I notice Kira’s gaze follows his hand.
My gaze follows his knife.
She makes a frustrated sound but Aehako won’t be deterred. We humans bundle up in cloaks and heavy boots, and then head out, baskets in hand. Aehako trails behind us a few steps, unobtrusive but always present. The day’s a bright one, with the twin suns high in the sky. They peek out behind the ever-present grey cloud cover and nearly give me snow-blindness with all the white around us. White hills of snow, white cliffs, white endless plains, white white white.
I see no Raahosh. It’s for the best if I’m implementing my plan, but I’m still hungry for a glimpse of his
tall, lean body and scarred face.
I don’t feel whole without him.
Thinking about my exiled mate gives me the courage to implement my plan. It might backfire on me, but I’m running low on options and this is the best thing I can do to prove how serious I am about having him back. So as we go up the ridge, I pretend to stumble in the snow and fake having trouble getting up. I fling my basket to the side and watch with satisfaction as it rolls down a nearby snow bank. “Dang it.”
Kira turns around and looks over at me with concern. “You okay?”
“Fine. Just twisted my ankle a little.” When she moves toward me to help me up, I point off to the side.
“I’m good. Can you get my basket?”
She nods and trots over to get it, and I stay down, pretending to rub my ankle. Out of the corner of my eye, I see Aehako jog forward (no mean feat given all the snow) and bends down at my side.
“Help me up?” I say, offering him my left hand.
When he takes it, I immediately grab the knife sheathed at his waist with my right hand.
He reaches for it, but not fast enough. I have the knife, and then I point it at his groin. “Don’t move,” I say.
The alien’s big brows go up, and he looks more amused than afraid. “What are you going to do with that?”
“I’m taking you hostage,” I say and get to my feet. I move to his back and press the tip of the blade where a kidney is on a human. No clue where it is on a sa-khui but the intent remains the same.
“Hostage?” he repeats.
“Yup. If that’s what it takes to get someone exiled from this group, you’re my hostage. Hands in the air, buddy.”
Aehako laughs but does as I say, and when Kira comes up the hillside, she has both baskets and a fierce
frown on her face.
“What are you doing, Liz?”
“Hostage situation,” I say cheerfully. “I need you to go back to the caves and tell everyone my conditions of release.”
• • •
“What if a man wishes to court a human woman?” Aehako asks, tracing obscene shapes in the snow with his tail. He’s lying on his side, bored.
“Kiss her silly.” I’m sitting cross-legged next to him and we’re both scanning the horizon. After Kira left, Aehako took his knife back but agreed to stay ‘captive’ for my sake. So we’d sat and started talking.
And like any guy, Aehako wanted to know about humans. Which was how we got on the topic of courting and sex. “She doesn’t want kisses.”
No? Crazy Kira. “Then you give her gifts.”
He considers this. “What kind of gifts? Something I make with my hands?”
Since I’m still in shit-stirring mode, I think of the thing that might embarrass Kira the most. “Human men give the woman they want to mate a very special gift.”
“Oh?” He sits up taller.
I nod authoritatively. “A replica of his penis made out of leather or wood, or bone. So she can try him out and see if she likes what he brings to the table.” You’re welcome, Kira.
Instead of looking shocked, Aehako ponders this. “I do have a nice cock.”
“I’m sure.” I’m pretty sure I don’t want to see, either.
“And a large spur. Very large. Do I include that as well?” He looks over at me. “In my replica?”
“Hmm. That’s a good question. Humans don’t have spurs.”
This shocks him. “No spur? Why not?”
“Dude, like I know? I didn’t take ‘comparative anatomy’ in college, and I’m pretty sure we can’t compare the spur to anything else. What purpose does it serve?”
He thinks for a minute and then shrugs. “What purpose do balls serve?”
Is he for real? “They create semen.”
Aehako looks surprised. “Truly? But how–” He pauses and then points off into the horizon. “They’re coming.”
“Finally,” I say, getting to my feet. I’m kinda glad we’re getting off of the whole ‘sex ed’ topic because I only know human anatomy. Kira can finish this conversation with him. “I should probably take the knife back if we’re going to do this captive thing right.”
He gets it out and hands it to me, handle first. “Try not to cut me.” He pauses. “Unless you think Kira will like to play nursemaid.”
“I sincerely doubt that,” I say, moving behind him and putting the knife in place as the others trail up the ridge. It’s a fairly large group, and I see Kira, along with Vektal, Georgie, and a few other male aliens.
And Vektal has a furious look on his face. I keep my chin lifted and stare him in the eye. I won’t let anyone boss me around anymore. It’s my life, and Raahosh is my mate. They can’t keep him from me anymore, and vice versa.
“You are quite the burr in my tail, Liz,” Vektal says as he approaches. “Is your goal to anger me so greatly that I cast you out? Because it won’t happen. You are a woman and a child-bearer.”
“I’m kidnapping someone,” I say, and gesture with the knife at Aehako’s back. “That’s the punishment for kidnapping, right? Exile? So exile me.”
The chief of the aliens narrows his eyes at me. He crosses his arms. “Your situation is different.”
“Oh, are we throwing situation into the mix? What about if I was resonating to Aehako and I kidnapped him? Would you still let me stay in the caves because I have a vagina?”
He frowns and looks over at Georgie. “Va-shy…?”
She pinches the bridge of her nose. “Girl parts. She’s referring to her girl parts. Liz, what the hell is your problem?”
“I want my mate back!” I bellow. “That’s my fucking problem! If he can’t come back to the caves then send me with him!”
“You would leave the comfort of the tribe behind?” Vektal asks, and he’s not pissed anymore. He just seems weary. Like I’ve exhausted him. Good.
“It’s not my tribe.” For some reason, I suddenly feel as tired as Vektal seems. Tired, and just sad. “You guys forget that about six weeks ago, I had an entirely different life. Then I’m captured by aliens and no one asks me anything. They don’t say ‘Hey Liz, how do you feel about being sold as meat? Or a slave? You cool with that?'” Georgie rolls her eyes but I continue. “Then we land here and again, I’m captured by aliens. And again, I’m told what my fate is going to be, except this time it’s wife and baby maker. No one asks if Liz wants kids. No one asks if Georgie does. No one asks us anything.” My voice trembles a little. I hate that I’m still emotional over all this shit. “But we go along with it. And I meet Raahosh, and at first I can’t fucking stand the guy, right? But then as time goes on, I realize that he’s just trying to take care of me the best way he knows how. And when I stop being so irritated with him, I realize that I like him. He’s smart and caring and determined. And then I fall in love with him. And then, boom, you take him away from me again.” I swallow hard around the knot in my throat. “He’s home to me now. So, yeah, I would leave everything behind for him. He’s mine and I’m his. You’d do it for Georgie. I’m doing it for him.”
Vektal sighs again, but there’s a hint of a smile and a shimmer of tears in Georgie’s eyes. She understands, even if her mate doesn’t. He looks over at her and his expression softens. He pulls his mate against him and tucks her under his arm, perhaps imagining himself in Raahosh’s place. “There must be rules,” Vektal says again. “There must be punishment.”
“Make him live with Liz,” jokes Aehako. “That’s enough punishment for anyone.”
I don’t even protest that one.
Vektal rubs his chin. “I shall think on what you say, Liz. And I shall discuss Raahosh with the elders. It is ultimately my decision, but…I shall think on this.”
“I have things to say, too,” Georgie murmurs, and puts a hand on his arm.
His expression softens as he looks down at his mate and nods. “We will talk as well.” He turns to the man standing in front of me. “Aehako, get the hunters and find Raahosh and bring him back. We will talk.”
Aehako lifts his chin and nods in my direction. “I’m being held captive.”
“Whoops. Sorry.” I hand him back his knife. “You’re free to go and stuff.”
He grabs me and pulls me against him and ruffles my hair like a big brother. “This was a good idea,” he murmurs in my ear before he releases me.
Then, Georgie steps forward and takes my arm. “Come on. We’re not taking our eyes off you for another minute.” She peers past me to her mate. “And hide your knives, Vektal.”
• • •
I’m waiting impatiently in the caverns for what feels like hours. Days, even. Since I’ve proven that I can’t be trusted, two men are posted at the entrance to the bachelorette caves, both mated males who won’t be swayed by any of the human charms, I suppose. Tiffany has managed to make a pair of knitting needles out of bones, so I take the extras and make arrows. Even though I’m not allowed to hunt (which is bullshit), I can at least do what I’m good at, and that’s make weapons.
It’s either that or go stir-crazy waiting.
I’m not allowed knives, of course, so I can’t do much more than select good arrows and then rub the head against a rough rock, sharpening it like a pencil.
Vektal’s been in his cave all day, and I’ve been told a few people have gone in and out. Georgie’s been gone, too.
So have Aehako and his group. Not that I’m worried or anything. But…what if they can’t find Raahosh?
What if he’s so tired and hungry that he’s been careless and hurt himself? My mind is full of worry. I don’t know what I’ll do if I lose him.
There’s a commotion at the front of the caves, and I hear the sound of voices rising. I immediately fling down my arrows and run to the front of the bachelorette cave in the hopes of seeing a familiar head with one horn and a broken stump where the other used to be. “Raahosh?”
“Stay back,” says one of the aliens guarding the cave. His name is Dagesh. Nora’s mate, I think, and he watches me like I’m a snake. I guess he worries my obnoxiousness is going to be catching.
Either that or he’s heard that I was mean to Stacy and is worried I’ll pounce on his mate next. Oh well.
Sometimes you have to break a few eggs and all that.
But then a large figure appears in the doorway and pushes the men aside, and I can’t help the girlish squeal of delight that escapes me when Raahosh sweeps me into his arms.
“You’re here,” I cry, and wrap my arms and legs around him like a monkey. He grabs me and holds me tight against him, and then we’re kissing wildly, my hips settling against his as I cling to him. My cootie hums a happy song and I can feel his in his chest…and I can also feel the woody he’s sporting in his breechcloth.
Damn, I missed this man.
“You are crazy, my mate,” Raahosh says in a low voice even as he presses his mouth to mine over and over again, unable to stop kissing me.
“Hey, it got results, didn’t it? You’re here.” And now that my arms are around him, I’m never letting go again.
He holds me close and our chests resonate in a mixed song. To think that I fought this just a few weeks ago. I feel complete with him. I might not have known what good taste my cootie has, but thank goodness for it.
“Come,” Dagesh says and he glances toward the main cavern. “Vektal will talk with you both about your punishments.”
Oh dear. I hear the plural in that statement, and it worries me. But I nod….and continue clinging to Raahosh. They’re going to have to pry me off of him if they intend on separating us again.
My mate only chuckles and his hands go to my ass, cupping it and carrying me into the main cavern with him.
A few ripples of laughter meet our entrance. I don’t care. Let them laugh. I press my cheek to Raahosh's warm chest, hearing his cootie resonate to mine. Please be fair, I say silently to Vektal. Please let Georgie have given you the world’s greatest prostate tickle and convinced you that Raahosh and I need to be together.
There’s a crowd in the main cavern, and the air feels redolent with sulphur and humidity. We pass by a few people and then Raahosh reluctantly sets me down. I hold my breath, tension vibrating through me. I’m terrified of what’s going to happen. If we get a ‘no’ at this point, I don’t think we’ll ever be able to convince Vektal that we should be together.
People are everywhere in the main cavern, a few lounging in the pool but more clustered at cave entrances and seated off to the side. There, sitting on the steps that I’ve come to think of as his ‘chief hangout’, is Vektal. He’s seated between Georgie’s legs, his big arms resting on her knees. His pose is casual, though the look on his face is solemn. Georgie’s face is equally emotionless, though when she meets
my eyes, she winks.
And I stop holding my breath.
Everything’s going to be okay.
“Raahosh, son of Vaashan, you have broken the laws of this tribe.” Vektal gets to his feet and clasps his hands behind his back, pacing.
I stiffen and my hand goes to Raahosh’s. He clutches it tightly. This doesn’t sound promising.
“Normally the endangerment of another’s life would be exile. However, the humans are not familiar with our ways, nor are we familiar with theirs.”
“Agreed,” mutters Aehako.
Vektal continues with a stern look over at the hunter, then turns back to us. “The resonance can affect both parties in ways unexpected, and this is what has been decided in this case. Both of you were mindless to your khui, and thus that must be factored in as well.”
My death grip eases on Raahosh’s hand, just a little.
“You and your mate will be exiled to the hunter caves. For the next two and a half years – or until your kit arrives – you must remain out on the hunt for seven days to every one. You must bring enough meat to feed the tribe and fill the ice storerooms for two of the brutal seasons. Our numbers have grown, but our number of hunters has not, and this will be more important than ever.” He levels a firm gaze at us. “You will have no family cave until your punishment has been removed. Should you endanger the lives of another tribesmate at any time, exile will once more become permanent.”
Raahosh exhales through his nostrils. He nods slowly. “Thank you, my chief.”
“So what does this mean?” I ask, trying not to sound excited.
“It means you will be out hunting more than you will be here in the caves,” Vektal says.
“Really? Both of us hunting?”
Vektal nods. “You say you wish to hunt? We shall treat you like a hunter. We will do the same for any other woman that wishes to contribute. Georgie and I have discussed many things this afternoon. Just because it is the sa-khui way does not mean that it is necessarily the human way, and we cannot force you to be sa-khui women.”
Georgie has a pleased smile on her face.
“We will work hard to feed the tribe,” Raahosh says in a hushed voice. “Thank you again, my friend.”
Vektal nods, and the stern chief expression leaves his face. He moves forward and clasps Raahosh in a hug that surprises my mate. “Welcome back, my friend,” he murmurs. Then, he smacks Raahosh on the back with a staggering bro-hit and both are grinning. “You have tonight to prepare. Tomorrow you and your mate begin your work!”
“So we’re good?” I ask. I hold my breath again, just in case I’m misinterpreting this. I get my man. I get to hunt. I get out of these crowded caves and we get to be us again. I mean, it’ll be a lot of work, but I like hunting.
“We are good,” Vektal says.
This is…awesome. I squeal and jump into Raahosh’s arms again.
• • •
“All right,” Georgie says as we survey the storage area in the back of one of the new dens. This is Ariana’s cave that she shares with Zolaya, and it used to be storage. Unfortunately for poor Ariana, there’s still a lot of storage around the walls of the cave. “Let’s get you prepped for hunting so you can be on your way in the morning.”
At our side, Kira makes a soft sound. “I’ll be sad to see you go, Liz. I liked having you back.”
“I’ll be back again soon enough,” I tell her. Truth is, I’m excited. I’m ready to be out with Raahosh again, in the snow and sun, hunting and loving and exploring and…well, just enjoying life. I survey the piles of furs, the baskets of dried leathers, bones, and anything else that might be deemed useful. My mind isn’t on hunting at all. It’s on Raahosh. I just feel so…happy. My mate is talking with Vektal in the chief’s den, and I’m getting geared up.
Tonight, we sleep in the hunter’s cave along with all the other hunters.
In the morning? We take off.
This feels like Christmas.
And I suspect I have Georgie to thank for all of this. She had to have softened up Vektal for me. So instead of grabbing gear, I turn to my fellow human and fling my arms around her in a hug.
She laughs and pats my back. “What was that for?”
“That was a thank you for fixing things.”
“I didn’t do anything special,” she demurrs. “You forget, Raahosh is his friend, too. I just reminded him of how different our societies are.”
Uh huh. Well, if she doesn’t want to admit to some persuasive lovin’, I’m not going to force her to. I give her one last happy squeeze then hug Kira, whose sad face is smiling for a change. I feel suspiciously weepy.
Happy, but weepy. I turn to the pile of storage. “What do you think I need?”
“One of everything warm?” Georgie pulls out a basket of old leathers and starts to dig through it.
“Where do you think you guys will go first? Any ideas? Vektal says that there’s tons of hunter caves scattered for miles around. They have a system and since the hunters stay out in the field a lot, they’re all set up like mini-houses with firewood and blankets and stuff.”
I consider for a moment. “If it’s up to me, I want to go to the old ship – the one that their people came from. I’d like the language dump, I think.” I’m tired of everyone talking around me. I want to be part of things.
“I like that idea,” Kira says. “I might see if I can head there myself at some point.”
“Oh?” I turn to her. “What about the ear piece?”
She touches it with a grimace. “I hate it. I want it gone. Plus, I worry that they’ll come back for it if they find it still active.”
Kira has a point. I know she can’t remove it – they’d surgically attached it to her ear. I didn’t realize how much it bothers her, though.
We continue to chat as we prepare a pack for me full of essentials – a sewing kit, some extra cord, dried soaps, warm boots and leather cloaks, and then there’s nothing left to do but say goodbye to my friends.
Kira’s expression is sad. “I wish I had some sort of newlywed advice to give,” Kira says. “I feel like it’d be appropriate.”
Georgie’s expression turns…well, a bit like a cat who’s licking the cream. “I’ve got some advice for you.”
“Oh?” I ask.
“You wanna blow his mind? Two words for you.” She ticks them off on her fingers. “Doggy. Style.”
My eyes widen. “But the spur will go…” When she nods slowly, Kira gapes. “Ohhhh,” I breathe. “You are a filthy, filthy girl, Georgie.”
“A filthy girl with a happy mate,” she says.
Can’t argue with that.
• • •
The rest of the day runs away from me. There’s preparation to be done, weapons to be checked over and repaired before we go back into the field, clothing to be mended, people to hug, and Maylak is determined to send us with every kind of healing herb she has – along with an explanation – in case we need anything.
Hunters, Georgie explains to me as she translates, are used to going without, but because Raahosh and I will be a team (and I’m pregnant) everyone wants to make sure we’re well prepared.
Before I know it, dinner is over and then Raahosh comes to collect me from my friends, who have been fitting me for new tunics. Apparently there’s a lot of sewing going on in the bachelorette caves, and I now have two new tunics and two pairs of pants to go with sturdy fur-lined boots.
“Come,” Raahosh says, tugging me away gently. “We are leaving early in the morning.”
With one last round of hugs, I say goodbye for now and head off with my mate. It’s not like we’re leaving forever – we’re actually just leaving for a week before we return again. But it’s a change, and we humans have had so much change recently that I don’t blame the other girls when they get teary eyed at the thought of me going.
I’m not sad, though. I can’t wait to spend the time with my mate. I can’t wait to be alone with him and lick all of his skin until he’s pulling my hair.
Totally weird, but I’m into the hair pulling.
Unfortunately, my horniness is thwarted by the hunter cave. We’re staying here tonight – and every night that we’re back with the group. I thought it would be…gosh, I don’t know. Empty? Private? Something?
It’s literally a row of pallets with zero privacy. The cave is small and light on possessions and most of the unmated young males live here. Raahosh introduces me to them: Ereven, Taushen, Cashol, and my best buddy Haeden, who scowls at the sight of me. Then, Raahosh and I set our packs down and curl up in the last bed, which has been left for us since Zolaya recently moved out with Ariana.
This is part of our punishment, I know. Basically we’re in public sleeping quarters until the exile is up. And it…sucks. Because I have been days and days without my Raahosh, and I want nothing more than to sex him
into next week.
And we have zero privacy.
He lies down next to me and pulls the blankets tight around us, then drapes an arm protectively around me. My cootie starts purring, and I hear Raahosh’s pick up the song and continue it. One of the men snorts, gets up, and leaves the cave.
Well, at least one is gone. That only leaves three others besides us. I sigh.
I’m lying on my side, facing him, because I just want to gaze at him all night. I trace each of his scars with my fingers and let my hands skim along his horns, until he finally catches my palm and kisses the center of it.
“Stop, or I will take you here in front of the others,” he murmurs, and his hips push against mine.
I can feel his erection, hard and insistent against my body. And I want him.
Fucking cave full of fucking hunter dudes.
I thrum harder, and my hand moves to his chest. I love touching him. I’m almost to the point where I don’t care if he takes me in front of the others or not. As long as he takes me, and takes me good.
But then one of the men sighs and rolls over in his bed, and I get an idea.
“Oh, Raahosh,” I moan loudly. “Do that thing with your tail again.”
My mate’s eyes widen in shock and I have to bite back my laugh. Somewhere off to the side, another man mutters something in alien, and then leaves the cave, followed by another. There’s just one other than
us left, and I bet I can scare him off, too.
“Just like that,” I cry out, even though Raahosh is staring at me with horror. “Do me like that with your nasty tail!”
Raahosh’s hand clamps over my mouth to silence me, but it works. Another person gets up from his bed and I look over Raahosh’s shoulder to see Haeden shoot me a glare before leaving the cave.
Then it’s just the two of us.
“You are full of mischief lately,” Raahosh murmurs, and pulls me against him to nibble on my neck. “Now they are going to ask me what it is I do with my tail every time they see me.”
“You have a good imagination,” I tease him. “Use it.”
“I don’t need imagination.” His voice takes on a growly note. “I have hands.” He pushes me onto my back and goes to my pants, jerking them down around my hips. I eagerly undo the laces, desperate to have him with me, to be naked with him. The moment they fall loose, I kick them down my legs and then toss them aside. Next goes my tunic, and under the furs, Raahosh is removing his own breechcloth as quickly as possible. My cootie’s singing up a storm.
He puts a hand on my breast and rubs his thumb over my nipple, and I moan. “My Liz,” he breathes. “My mate.”
And then something flicks up and down over my pussy. I gasp and look down. His tail.
“You said to use my imagination,” he murmurs, and slides his hand down to my folds. His fingers part them and his tail glides up and down through my slickness. “Is that all you want me to use?”
“God, no.” I reach down and cup his cock while he uses his tail to tease my clit. “I want you to use this most of all.”
He groans and moves over me, his heavy weight a welcome sensation. Fuck foreplay – I want him in me fast and hard and now.
As he pushes my legs open and kisses me, I remember what Georgie said about blowing his mind. I put a hand on his chest to stop him. “Hey, baby. I have an idea.”
Raahosh rears back and gives me a puzzled look. “What is it?”
“I want you to do me from behind.”
He tilts his head so comically I almost giggle. “But your tail–”
“Doesn’t exist,” I point out, and trace one finger around his nipple. “Humans do this sort of thing all the time. You can just flip me over and push into me and–”
No sooner do I say the words than his big hands are turning me over and then my ass is in the air. I giggle even as I get on my hands and knees. Not gonna be hard to drag Raahosh to the dark side, I see.
His hand smooths over my ass and I give a soft sigh of pleasure and close my eyes. “That feels good.”
“You are so…bare.” The big hand moves over my butt, and his fingers trail down the cleft. “It’s…”
“Sinful?” I offer, feeling rather wicked myself.
“Beautiful.”
Aww. I start to make a comment about his sweet choice of words, but then his fingers glide between my legs and stroke into me from behind. My entire body jolts and I gasp. Jesus, that feels entirely too good.
“Are you wet enough to take me?” he asks, and his fingers stroke in and out. I’m so wet that I can hear his fingers moving, and I nod in response. An excited gasp builds when he pushes the head of his cock against my entrance, and I lean forward, bracing myself.
“Please,” I tell him. “Now.” I feel like I’ve waited forever for my lover.
He pushes into me and I cry out because it feels so amazing. Inch by delicious inch, he works his cock into me, and I wiggle and push back against him, determined to speed things along. Just when I think I can take no more of him and feel stretched to my limits, something nudges against my ass and prods.
Oh God.
That has to be his spur.
And there aren’t words for how good it feels. My fingers dig into the furs and I cry out again.
Raahosh hushes me, but then he pulls back and thrusts again, and I’m unable to keep my cries to myself.
With every stroke of his cock into me, the spur presses and penetrates into my ass, just enough to drive me insane with lust. It’s not long before I come, and I come hard, crying out his name. Every muscle in my body locks down around him, and his fingers dig into my hips. He thrusts wildly into me, and then he’s coming, too.
With a happy little sigh, I reach backward and hold on to him as he rolls our locked bodies onto our sides. He presses kisses onto my neck and shoulder, and I wiggle against him, because I feel weirdly aroused that his cock (and spur) are sunk into me. I’m tired, my knees are weak and I’m breathing hard… but I’m also ready for round two.
“I think you must learn to be quieter if we’re going to be in this cave, my mate,” Raahosh tells me. “Your shouting likely woke up all the kits on the other side of the caves.”
“Fuck ‘em,” I say, dopey with pleasure. “They want us to be quieter, they’ll get us a cave of our own.”
Because that doggy style…whoa. Mind: blown.
“We must finish our exile first.” Raahosh nips at my shoulder. “Are you sure you wish to do this, Liz?”
Bleary with endorphins, I run a hand through his hair as he caresses my breasts. “Doggy style? I dug it. A lot.”
“No. Leaving with me. Sharing my exile.”
What a silly question. “One hundred percent. There’s nothing for me here if you’re not here.”
“It’ll be hard work. We have many more mouths to feed with the expansion of the tribe. We will hunt non-stop until it gets too cold to leave the caves.”
“Then we’ll hunt non-stop,” I tell him. “I like hunting.”
His hand moves to my belly and traces over it. I’m still flat – and probably will be for quite some time if this three year pregnancy thing is legit. “It will be easier for you to stay here.”
I shake my head. “Do you not understand, Raahosh? You’re my life. You’re my reason for living. When those aliens took us away from everything, I felt…lost. I’m not lost when I’m with you. I’m happy.” I touch his cheek. “I’m complete.”
“My mate,” he murmurs. “My Liz. My everything.”
“All yours,” I tell him. And it’s the truth. As long as I’m with Raahosh, the world can snow all it wants, the tribe can pile all the work they want on us, and we can sleep in the hunter caves.
As long as I’m with him, I’m happy.
