Chapter 9
Ihadn’t meant to startle my little mate when I emerged from the forest. In my defense, I hadn’t even realized she had left the cave.
I want to berate her for leaving without me at her side to keep her safe. The thought of my little mate sprawled across my lap, my hand punishing her, makes my cock throb urgently.
Still, the logical part of my brain reminds me that I can’t keep her prisoner forever. Never being able to leave the cave would be a terrible existence, and I want my little Nika to experience the best of everything I can possibly offer her.
I do not deny my mate the chance to check over my wounds, slight as they are. Her hands hover over me, gently tugging and touching in a show of affection and concern. And I soak it up. It’s been so long since anyone has shown me this level of care, and I won’t deny that I miss it.
When her affection turns to distress at examining my wound, I gently take hold of her hands and pull her into my arms. “It’s only a little bit of blood, my mate.”
I bury my face in my mate’s hair as she wiggles and pushes against me. I breathe deeply, hoping to soak in her scent, but all I smell is my own blood.
On reflection, it was probably foolish to have rushed home so quickly. The trail of blood could bring beasts out for the hunt. While I can easily kill those creatures, I have to remember that my little mate could still be easily hurt by one. My Drolv aren’t the only ones in the area, and there are plenty of other predators that could easily go undetected until it’s too late.
“Come,” I step away from Ariana. “I want to see what you do with these seeds. I know you do not want to wait.”
“But...” Ariana’s gaze flicks to my soiled garments.
I shrug. The pain from the wound is already dulling, thanks to my healing medicine. I shouldn’t have used it so freely, but I didn’t want to return home to my Ariana gravely wounded. Besides, now that I’ve used it once, it isn’t so hard to use it again. No doubt discussing the events that occurred to me as a youngling has helped ease me into accepting the medicine again.
“You said that this farming required digging in the dirt, yes?” I ask her. “It wouldn’t make sense to get clean before doing your activity.”
Eventually, Ariana nods. She shyly leads me to where the Maklabar trees grow. After asking permission to grow plants here, she quickly places her bag of seeds aside and begins pulling up the small ground plants.
“I do not understand. We pull up the plants, so that we can grow more plants?”
“Yep,” Ariana says as she struggles to pull up a larger plant. I quickly move to help her. The smile she flashes me, teeth bared even, fills my hearts with joy. I know now that this means she is happy with me.
“These plants don’t provide food. We want to replace them with ones that will. If we leave these, they will fight the seedlings for nutrients, and ours won’t grow.”
I struggle to grasp the idea of plants fighting, but I keep my thoughts to myself. The concept of plants wielding weapons, even tiny ones, is too ludicrous. Yet, my Nika firmly believes in what she is saying, so I do not laugh.
I watch Ariana as she bends over a small hole. Her backside rises enticingly in the air, providing a perfect view. I am so close that I could easily reach out and touch her. In my mind, I imagine us tumbling to the ground, limbs entwined... My body yearns for her, and my blood pulses faster when I hear her voice.
“Taccit! Focus!” she says.
My eyes lock onto Ariana’s, as she raises an eyebrow at me, not making any comments.
“I was focusing,” I say, “Very hard.”
Ariana lightly hits my bicep with her hand, laughter escaping her lips. I want to lean in for a kiss, but I am afraid she will back away. I don’t want to ruin this moment—it has taken so long for my mate to become this comfortable around me.
“Go ahead,” I say, swallowing the lump in my throat. I try to concentrate on what she is teaching me: planting, or “farming” as her tribe calls it.
She dips her hands into the bag and sprinkles a few tiny objects into the hole. “We need just a couple seeds, usually just two or three at most. Once the seedlings sprout, we can thin out the weaker ones.”
I capture her hand in mine, inspecting it closely.
“I am supposed to separate that few? From all that?” I ask.
Ariana laughs. “Yeah, these seeds are smaller than some others. In this case, we just use a pinch. It’s always a good idea to have extra in case something happens to your first crop. Then we can always plant more.”
I nod, thinking about how I might store additional supplies over the bitter season.
“And how many do we store? Must we count them all? What if there are more than that?” I keep asking questions, each new piece of information leading to more inquiries.
“It depends on the species of seed, but I often just eat them,” Ariana says, her smile contagious.
“Eat them?” I ask, my eyes moving from her face to her fingertip. Deliberately, I lean forward and suck her fingertip into my mouth.
Her eyes widen, and her mouth falls open in a surprised expression I recognize all too well. Then, suddenly, she pushes me away.
I stare at her, dumbfounded, as Ariana bursts into laughter.
“Did you just suck my finger?” she says, looking up at me and dissolving into more giggles. “My hands are covered in dirt!”
“But you said we could eat the seeds,” I retort. I would be embarrassed, except Ariana’s wide smile and her delighted laughter are completely worth it. To see my delicate mate go from being beaten down to showing her strength and happiness to the world... I would willingly face all my enemies if it means seeing her smile again the way she just did. I would face death and whatever comes after if it meant I could have her show me affection once more.
Eventually, her amusement fades, leaving her with a soft glow.
As we work, Ariana begins to hum under her breath. Every time I glance over at her, she has a soft smile on her lips. Her body is relaxed, with no sign of tension in her shoulders. A warmth rushes through me; my mate is happy. This activity makes her happy.
“I understand the desire for food,” I say to her. “And I can always provide you with what I hunt. But you really like this farming, don’t you?”
Ariana hesitates. She watches me from under hooded eyes, biting her lip. “When I was young, there wasn’t much food on Earth,” she says. “A lot of people died. Like a lot. I kept thinking about how it wasn’t fair that I got food and they didn’t. So I decided then and there that I wanted to find a way to feed everyone.”
Ariana ducks her head, her hair falling across her face. “I know it’s a stupid dream. I was really little and didn’t understand the complexities of the world... but that feeling never left me.”
I reach out and gently squeeze her arm. “This isn’t a stupid dream. It’s noble. Not many will aim so high, and the fact that you are still determined to fulfill it shows your strength. Your determination. I am proud to call you my mate.”
Ariana blinks at me, her eyes filling with tears. I fear that I have said the wrong thing again. Then she bares her teeth at me. Is she happy, or is she truly baring her teeth at me? Human expressions are so confusing.
“Thank you, Taccit,” she says. “Today has meant a lot to me.”
“You are welcome, my mate,” I reply, relieved that she isn’t angry.
Her face flickers through emotions, too many that I do not recognize. Eventually, she smiles softly at me. Ariana stands up and holds a hand out to me.
“We’re done here for today. Let’s go get cleaned up.”
* * *
Ariana clings to my arm,unwilling to let go. I guide her hand down to mine, clasping her hand in mine. With one hand, I gather up the bag of seeds she has left lying on the ground. A surge of pride and happiness swells within my chest. These seeds mean a lot to her, yet she holds onto me as if I am worth so much more.
“Promise me, Taccit,” Ariana’s small hand tugs on mine, so slight that for a moment, I almost think I imagine it. She digs her heels in, refusing to follow me. I have to be careful not to simply drag her off her feet. Her body weight is so slight it would only take a quick tug to send her flying.
“Promise me you won’t do something so foolish again as to go back to the human colony. It could be really dangerous.”
I sigh, knowing my mate is going to be stubborn about this. But I can’t blame her for her insistence—how can one get angry at someone who cares so much for their welfare, perhaps more than they do themselves?
“I promise I will be more careful in the future, Ariana,” I say, vowing to ensure that I return to her each and every night.
She searches my face for any hint of a lie but finds none. Finally, she nods with a sigh, her shoulders slumping in relief.
With hands clasped, I lead her to the small stream and the waterfall.
“You want to bathe in that?” Ariana asks, recoiling from the cool and refreshing spray.
“Yes. I know it feels cold now, but the water is quite warm,” I assure her.
She snorts, her nose wrinkling. I want to smooth away the cute little lines with my fingers. She looks at me dubiously.
“Strip for me, little Nika.”
Her eyes widen, darting to mine. She licks her lips nervously and swallows, her body tense with anticipation or perhaps the desire to run.
Seeing that she won’t do as I command, I slowly approach her, smirking as her pupils dilate and she doesn’t back away. I stand in front of her, blocking her from the waterfall’s spray. As the water droplets moisten my skin, the chilly sensation feels like gentle fingers trailing down my spine—like how I imagine Ariana’s fingers would feel.
She startles when my hands grip her waist, pulling her close.
“You are safe with me, little Nika,” I say, my breath stirring the hair around her ear.
Ariana sways slightly, leaning towards me. She always likes it when my lips press close to her neck. Little does she realize in those moments she’s exactly where I want her—vulnerable, fully open to me, and begging. I want to roar in victory but must hold back.
I tug at her belt, the knot unraveling easily. I slip it from her body and let it fall to the ground. My fingers curl over her hips, marveling at her small waist and the way her hips flare in my hands. Despite her small stature, her curves are delightful.
Pulling the fabric of her shirt, I slowly reveal her shapely legs. I’ve seen her naked before, but unveiling her like this intensifies the desire within me.
It’s like unwrapping a present, and she’s my gift.
Mine.
Ariana guides her shirt up and over her head, lifting her arms to slip through the fabric without protest.
Taking the opportunity, I admire my mate. Her skin is creamy white compared to my green, but the soft color looks perfect against mine. My eyes trace the curve from the small patch of fur between her legs, up to her softly rounded stomach, and finally rest on her chest.
Ariana takes deep breaths, seemingly unable to get enough air into her lungs. The soft flesh rises and falls, tempting me to cradle their weight in my palms and tease her until she begs for more. Seeing my gaze, her nipples perk up, swelling to tight points.
She shivers as small goosebumps form across her skin. Reaching out, I brush the back of my knuckles along her collarbone where the bumps are most prominent. Her flesh is cool to the touch.
As much as I want to continue staring at my mate, she is cold and needs warming up.
A smirk plays across my lips—I know exactly how to warm her up. After all, sharing body heat is both effective and delightful.
Grasping her hand, I lead her toward the water. She hesitates but follows me. Sensing the moment the mist touches her exposed skin, her small gasp makes my cock pulse against my leg, straining painfully against my trousers.
What nearly makes me lose control, however, is when her feet first touch the warmer waters of the stream.
“Ariana,” I say, my knees dipping slightly.
“Wait,” she giggles from behind me. “Aren’t you undressing? You’re going to get wet.”
“I do not mind getting wet,” I reply, meeting her gaze.
“Still, you should probably undress,” Ariana says, her face turning pink. She ducks her head, but not before I catch her pleased smile. A thrill rushes through me—my mate wants to see me naked.
Unclasping my weapon harness, I lay it near the water’s edge, close enough for easy access in case of danger.
With deliberate movements, I slowly remove my trousers, freeing my already hard and aching cock. The relief from the tight confines of the fabric feels amazing.
From the corner of her eye, Ariana gasps softly. She tries to be subtle and yet fails miserably, as her attention is riveted to my cock.
How does my mate feel about my body? Am I impressive? I’ve never considered these questions before, but I do now.
Standing taller, I flex my muscles to appear stronger.
Her sweet scent hangs heavily in the air. A slow smirk forms on my lips; I can smell my little Nika’s desire.
“Do you like what you see?” I ask nonchalantly, gripping myself at the base and running a hand up my length.
Ariana bites her lip. “You are very different.”
That seed of doubt creeps in again. Surely, if my mate marks responded to her, then we are compatible. But remembering that Ariana doesn’t have her own mating marks and that she never explained how her people show they are mated, I ask, “Too different?”
Ariana doesn’t respond. Instead, she bites her plump lower lip with blunt teeth. I want to take that lip into my own mouth, to feel it pressed against mine.
I wade into the water after her, nowhere near as graceful as she is, until I come to stand beside her. At this depth, the water covers Ariana’s belly button but only laps at my hypersensitive privates.
“Come here,” I say, my voice husky.
My little Nika reaches out hesitantly, her hand hovering over my throbbing member.
When she’s close enough to me, I pull her body flush against mine. She looks up at me with large, vulnerable eyes. A hint of fear. I won’t tolerate her being afraid. She should always feel comfortable approaching me with her needs.
Instead of crushing my lips to her own, of finding all her secret places as I desperately desire, I gently turn her so that she’s facing away from me. I run my hands along her shoulders and arms. My fingers dig gently into her tense muscles, kneading and rubbing.
Ariana is going to kill me. There is no way a male is meant to survive this torture. She moans softly and presses herself more firmly against my hands.
“That feels amazing,” she says.
Beneath my attentive fingers, her muscles loosen. She begins to relax. I wonder how long it’s been since she has allowed herself to truly rest.
Her body is limp and pliable beneath my hands. I feel her shift in the water, and her body lines up against mine more fully. Her plush bottom brushes against me, and my throbbing cock nestles against her ass cheeks. My hips jerk of their own volition, grinding firmly against her.
“Taccit,” she says, with a breathy sigh.
My name on her lips has me groaning. Is she going to pull away from me now? I move my hands to her shoulders, my claws gently scraping across her collarbones and delicate flesh. I want to hold her against me, to pin her in place...
“I will not do anything you do not want me to, my Nika,” I say. Because despite my own desires, my little mate is skittish and reluctant to seal our bond. “Just knowing you are relaxed in my arms is enough.”
Ariana turns her head and looks at me over her shoulder.
“Can I kiss you?” She says.
My breath leaves my lungs. It’s hard to reply. I just nod.
She turns her body, my grasp on her completely useless. Right now, my little Nika can do anything she wants, and I am putty in her hands. It’s a position I never thought I’d be in.
She looks up at me, eyes full of hunger and wanting. She opens her mouth, but I give her no chance to speak. My lips crash against hers, pressing firmly. She moans, and I greedily capture the sound. My tongue glides across hers, slick flesh rubbing and sliding. I’m overwhelmed by the taste of her.
I want her. I need more.