Chapter 13
Zalik
Our trip back to the village had been quiet.
Riley appeared to be lost in thought, so I let her be.
There are times when I, too, need a moment of peace.
We passed the evening meal in our tent with Stella, because I could tell my mate was not in the right headspace to be around all of our tribespeople.
I pace our tent with Stella in my arms, while Riley puts her belongings into the empty chest I brought in when we finished eating.
Even though she is here now and can spend time with Stella if I need to leave the village, I will remain for the next couple of turns.
Long enough to give Riley time to adjust. Between Alesha, Wakiel, Sage, the shefira, and Astrid, there are plenty of tribespeople who can assist her while I am away, so I am not worried about that.
It is that I am anxious to leave either of their sides.
“I think that’s everything,” Riley says with her hands on her hips as she scans the tent.
She pauses at my furs, but then continues looking around. While she agreed to stay here in the village, we really did not speak on where she would sleep.“I apologize that I did not think to ask you if you would like your own tent.”
Riley glances at me and I am glad to see what appears to be confusion on her face. “Why would I have my own tent? Don’t mates stay in the same one together?”
“Yes, but our mating has not happened in the traditional sense.”
She lays her hand on my chest. The heat of her touch nearly brands me. “I’m exactly where I wish to be.”
Riley’s words bring me the greatest sense of peace. “I am glad to hear you say that.”
She smiles up at me and with her free hand strokes our kit’s hair.
With my mate touching both of us, it feels as if all three of us are connected in a way we were not before.
Prior to this, it was Stella and me or Stella and Riley or Riley and me.
But this here? It feels like a family. One I will let no one take away.
She studies me. “What are you thinking about? You have this really intense expression.”
I draw her into my side so that I have both of my females in my arms. “I am thinking about what a lucky male I am to have two females as perfect as you to love.”
Riley blinks and tears slowly fill her eyes. “You love me?”
“Of course I do. The moment we touched and my mating marks appeared and my soul light flared to life, love for you has been filling me up. That is how fated mates works.” I kiss her forehead.
“I know it is not the same for humans. Do not force yourself to have feelings you do not have or worry if you do not feel the same. Affection can come with time and I am the most patient of males.”
Riley wraps her arm tighter around my waist. “I have a feeling it won’t take long for me to fall head over heels. A woman would have to be a fool to not care for a guy like you. You’re what Lara would call a keeper.”
She chuckles.
“A keeper…hmm, I like this word. You, too, are a keeper.”
Riley snorts, but it is filled with amusement. “That’s another Earth word you can add to your memory bank. Along with fucking.”
“Most of the Earth words I know are what Zara calls curses. She taught us shithead, cockbrain, bastard, and something called fuckwad. She says they are all insults.”
Riley’s head has dipped forward so I cannot see her face, but her body shakes. She makes a noise that sounds similar to a sob. Have I caused her to cry?
“Keeshla, are you well?”
Finally, she raises her head, and shimmering in her eyes are tears. Horror fills me that I have said something to hurt her, but I cannot think of what it could be. Is she upset that Zara taught us these curse words? Riley’s hand covers her mouth, but it cannot contain the loud sound she makes.
I study her more closely. “Are you…are you laughing?”
Riley snorts and releases a sound similar to the cry of a wounded dhembe.
It becomes clear though that the noises she makes are filled with amusement.
Her laugh is not like any I have heard before, but her face lights up despite the tears that stream down her cheeks.
It is an infectious sound.Riley struggles to breathe through the sounds she makes, but she manages and eventually gets herself under control.
“She taught you to insult someone by calling them a fuckwad?”
She giggles.
“Did I get it wrong? I am certain that is the word we learned.”
“Who is we?” Riley asks, still grinning.
“Evren, Katem, Rojtar, and me. It was during one of the mating celebrations, perhaps Sage and Jodah’s.
The elders brought out their special brew, and the human females all danced around the central fire while Eloise sang.
Zara and Remi sat with us, along with Remi’s mate Zydon, and they both taught us Earth curse words. Zara thought it was fun.”
Riley is quiet for a moment. “Do all couples have a mating celebration?”
I pause to think. “Abby and Rojtar did not, because she struggles with having too much attention on her. Benham and Maeve had a private celebration with only the two of them. But, otherwise, yes, all the mated couples were thrown a celebration. Is this not something you would want? It is fine if you do not. No one will judge you or be upset.”
She makes a hmm sound. “I actually like the idea of celebrating our mating. I’m not saying tomorrow or even the next day, but maybe one of these days soon, before the snow comes.”
My soul light burns a little brighter and my love grows a little stronger. “When you are ready, we will have the biggest and best mating celebration that the kits will be telling their kits about.”
“Okay, let’s not get too carried away there, sir.” Riley strokes my chest again and I feel it through my entire body.
“We shall see.” I grin broadly at her.
She only rolls her eyes before dropping her gaze to our kit. “All of our talking must have bored her. She’s out like a light.”
Carefully, I carry Stella to the small bed of furs that belong to her and lay her within them.
Her fist goes into her mouth, and she remains asleep.
I cover her with a dreri fur and turn to my mate.
In the pale firelight, her red hair glows as if it too burns with flames.
The freckles scattered over her face glow as well, like stars in the night sky.
She does not drop her gaze, but studies me intently.
I love that she does not shy away from me or the attraction we both feel for the other.
Memories of earlier bombard me and how Riley reacted to my touch.
The sounds she made when I reached certain places.
The smell of her arousal. It is not as strong as it had been earlier, but the muskiness of it is present even now.
I swallow my desire for the moment. “I am going to wash up in the river before we lie down. Will you be alright while I am gone?”
A crease appears between her brows, but quickly disappears as if I only imagined it. “Go, please. Do whatever you need to do. I’ll be fine until you get back.”
“You are sure?”
She waves me off. “Positive.”
“I will not be gone long, I swear.”
Before Riley can say anything else, I grab a clean pair of leg coverings from my chest, as well as a few cleansing berries from my supply and head from our tent to the river.
My need to get away was not only to wash up but also to gather my control.
I do not want to scare Riley with this need I have for her.
It feels all-consuming and even scares me a little. That is how great it is.
I reach the bathing area and remove my leg coverings.
The sun still shines but it has fallen behind the hills and the first moon has crested the horizon.
The water is cool but still comfortable enough.
I suspect within the next seven turns the humans will deem it too cold and will resort to bathing in their tents with heated water over their fire pits.
Only during the peak of cold season do I not bathe in the river and also must suffice with washing in my tent.
But I put it off as long as I am able. Although, now that I have a mate, perhaps washing in our tent will not be so bad.
Perhaps I can convince Riley to help me clean myself and I will do the same for her.
I have not seen a human female without her coverings.
None of the mated males have been forthcoming in regards to what their mates look like.
Katem and Jodah stumbled across a naked and bathing Remi once, shortly after London and Zander were mated.
Katem had given a vague description of her chest mounds and the hardened, pebbled tips in the center, but that has been many sun cycles ago.
I also did not pay much attention during his telling because while Remi was—and still is—an attractive female, I did not have an interest in her in that way.
I prefer the soft, sloping curves that Riley possesses.
She is gently rounded in all the right places.
I am glad she will be my first everything.
Thoughts of seeing the chest mound I held and molded within my hand hardens my cock despite the cold water.
Although I caressed it over her chest covering, it was pliant and bountiful.
It filled my hand perfectly. The sounds she made when I rolled the beaded tip between my fingers echo in my ear.
Unbidden, my hand drifts down my stomach.
My muscles jerk in response, including my cock.
I continue and when I reach the base of my hardened thickness, a groan falls from my lips.
What would it feel like with Riley’s slender fingers gripping me tightly?
Stroking the length of me? My mating nodes have already begun leaking the mating fluid that enhances our keeshla’s pleasure.I stroke up and down my cock gripping it in the way that brings me the most pleasure.
The fluid helps make the motion smooth, and with each pump of my fist, the pleasure builds.
I picture my hand as Riley’s cunt, squeezing me tightly, milking me toward my release.
Faster I jerk my hand up and down my entire length.
Tension builds inside me as I chase the climax just out of reach.
An image of Riley’s face from earlier appears in my mind.
The way she looked as she took her pleasure on my leg.
Her flushed cheeks. Her passion-glazed eyes.
Her slightly parted mouth that I imagine sliding over my cockhead.
A shudder rushes through me, and I go rigid as I release my essence beneath the water’s surface.
My body jerks as more seed releases. Finally, my whole frame goes slack and I nearly sink beneath the water .
I keep myself upright, but the tension has lessened.
I only wish Riley’s cunt had received my seed and it had not been wasted in the water.
I send up a small prayer to Deeka that when Riley is ready to accept me in her furs and I am finally able to lose myself in her cunt, my seed takes root and we create another kit.
She will look even more beautiful with her belly swollen with life.
My cock jerks with the thought. A shiver that has more to do with the cold water than arousal courses through me.
I quickly wash and rinse, and after I reach the shore, I step into my clean leg coverings.
Since I am here and still have a few berries left, I kneel at the water’s edge and clean my other pair of leg coverings. If I hang them up when I return to our tent, hopefully they will be dry by the morning.
My stride is long and my steps fast as I make my way back to my mate and our kit.
I duck inside and come to a halt. Riley has dragged Stella’s furs closer to ours and she lies within them already with a fur pulled over her and her eyes closed, her breathing even.
She is touching Stella—even in sleep—as though worried she will lose her again.
As quietly as I am able, I hang my leg coverings on a small hook in a corner. After removing the ones I currently wear, I lie down beside my keeshla and scoot forward so she is cradled within the protection of my body. With my arm draped over her, I close my eyes as well and soon slip into sleep.