Chapter 13
Delia opened her eyes and looked first to the right, then to the left. When she turned her head to the right again, Valka was there, about three inches from her face.
Her hand came up and she pressed it to her chest. “Don’t do that to me!” she rushed out.
“Do what? You look for Valka. Valka here,” he said.
“I didn’t think you were, then you’re right there!” she said.
Valka smiled. “Valka make fire warm Delia.”
“Thank you.”
“Delia hungry?”
“A little, yes.”
“Valka make food!”
“Dried fish?” she asked.
“No! Valka make soup!”
“Soup? You know how to make soup?”
“No! Katva mate show Valka.”
“Katva? Who is Katva’s mate?”
“Tina. Short, round, violent female.”
“Bettina?”
“Yes. Good female.”
“She is good. I like her very much.”
“Want soup?”
“Do I want soup?”
“Yes!” he said excitedly.
“Does it have fish in it?”
“No! Have meat.”
“Okay, I’ll try it.”
“Soup good. Make Delia strong.”
Delia started trying to sit up, but she’d been lying down for several days for the most part, so the dizziness set in. With only one arm, it was hard to push herself up.
“Wait! Valka help.”
“I can do it,” Delia said.
“Valka help!” he insisted.
Delia just allowed herself to flop back onto the furs he’d stacked beneath her head.
“No bang head. Head sick,” he said, rushing to help her sit up.
“I know,” Delia said.
He pulled her up into a sitting position and rearranged the furs behind her for her to lean against. But it still wasn’t high enough for her to recline comfortably. Charging across the cave he picked up one of the large logs surrounding the fire pit and carried it back to the bed. He placed it on the ground, then lay the bottom fur over the top of it and followed that with more until she had a soft raised spot behind her to lean her body.
“That’s perfect, Valka. Thank you.”
“Valka know. Now… soup!” he said triumphantly.
She watched as he filled a bowl with the soup he’d made in much the same way she’d scooped up water for the skaevin when she’d first arrived. He’d supposedly made it from the directions Bettina gave him, and Delia prayed that it was halfway decent. Not only because she didn’t want to hurt his feelings and he was proud of his soup, but because she could really use a good soup. Anything other than dried meat would be more than welcome.
“Here. Eat soup,” he said, presenting her with a steaming bowl of it. “Eat it. Eat now.”
“I’m going to. I’m just waiting for some water.”
“Water?” he asked, completely confused.
“To drink. Water. I’m thirsty.”
He sprang into action, running over to the bucket he kept fresh water in and brought her a cup of water, watching as she drank down most of it.
“I have to admit the water here is fantastic. Nothing but fresh, clean water.”
“And soup,” he said, encouraging her to try his soup yet again.
She looked up at him and almost laughed. He was just barely holding onto his patience, all but shifting his weight from one foot to another.
“Alright,” she said.
Putting her water cup down and lifting the bowl to her lips. Before she sipped it, she held it up to her nose and sniffed. Canting her head just slightly she looked up at him.
He grinned at her and nodded encouragingly.
She sipped a bit of the broth, and met his gaze briefly before sipping again. “This is good, Valka!”
“Yes! Valka make soup!”
She examined the contents of the bowl and found different types of what she assumed were veggies, and hunks of meat. She dipped her fingers in the broth and picked up something that resembled a carrot.
“No! No!” he shouted before running back over to where the fire was and digging around in a box he had sitting there that she’d not seen before.
Then she laughed when he came running back, holding up a large spoon in front of him.
“Soup eater,” he said, handing it to her.
“Spoon,” she said.
He pulled it back toward himself right before he handed it to her to examine it closely once more. “Spoon.”
“Yes,” she agreed.
“Soup eater,” he insisted and plopped it into her bowl.
“Thank you.”
“Welcome.”
“Oh, you learned ‘you’re welcome’.”
He grinned and watched as she took another bite of soup.
“This is my favorite thing to eat so far. It’s really, really good, Valka. Thank you so very much for learning how to make it.”
“Delia make soup?” he asked.
“I’m sure I could. If you get me the ingredients.”
“No. Valka soup best.”
“Okay.”
He got his own bowl and filled it, then sat beside her on the furs and ate his own serving. When he was finished and she was almost finished, he got up to get her more water and returned, sitting across from her smiling at her.
“Why are you so happy?”
“Delia wake,” he said. “Valka sorry Delia hurt. Scared Delia not wake.”
“Wasn’t your fault.”
“Valka leave Delia alone.”
“I shouldn’t have left the cave alone. I should have waited for you to come back.”
“Valka not leave Delia alone.”
“That’s impossible. You’ll have to go out without me sometime.”
“Valka chieftain. Valka make rules.”
“I remember that part. But you can’t stay beside me all the time. When you go out, I’ll just wait here, or I’ll make sure friends are with me so I’m not alone.”
Valka nodded, but didn’t seem convinced. “Skaevin protect.”
“Is he?”
Valka nodded. “Eat all fish,” Valka grumbled.
Delia scooted down in the furs and leaned against the log behind her.
“Valka help?” he asked.
“No, I’m good. Good food, warm furs, and my head doesn’t hurt anymore.”
“Rib,” he asked, laying a hand on her right side.
“It’s sore, but it will heal,” she said.
“Valka be back.”
“Oh? Where are you going?” she asked, finding suddenly that she really didn’t want him to leave at this particular point in time.
“Fix step.”
“Step? Oh! The footholds to get up here?”
Valka nodded. “Delia fit step.”
“I’d really like that.”
Valka smiled at her. “Rest. Valka at step.”
“Okay.” Delia laid her head back and soon fell asleep with the sound of Valka’s axe carving the new steps on their cliff accompanying her dream. She smiled to herself, knowing the only reason he did it was because he wanted her to have access to their home anytime she wanted inside or outside. Valka was large, gruff, short-tempered, and some might even say brutal, but he cared for her, and wanted her to be happy, and that was all that mattered to her.
~~~
Katva looked down at his body, as he stood near the cooking fire in his cave. He’d been busy the last few days, and hadn’t taken much opportunity to wash. Granted he’d never had a female before, but he assumed they preferred it when their males didn’t carry a stench. “I must wash,” he said.
“Is there a place to wash?” Bettina asked.
“Yes. You want to come with me?”
“Please,” she said, “So much.”
He took her hand and moved toward the entrance of their cave before he grinned down at her as he made a sudden turn and walked toward the back of the cave.
“Where are you going?”
“Surprise.”
“A good surprise?” Bettina asked.
“Yes. Another reason I don’t want to leave the cave.”
“Oh, okay.”
He led her through an opening in the far corner and they squeezed through.
“Oh, my gosh! Where does this go?” she asked.
He shook his head, but otherwise refused to answer.
Only a few minutes later he ducked down to fit himself through an opening about half the size of himself, pulling Bettina behind him.
Bettina laughed as she simply walked through it, not needing to duck at all. He looked back at her and laughed with her.
The moment they stepped into the smaller cave her mouth opened and she gasped in delight.
“Do you swim?” he asked.
“Some. Definitely enough for this!” she said, looking at the two small pools of what was obviously warm, steamy water. “Are they safe?” she asked.
“Yes. My people have bathed in them for many, many years. There are others outside behind the cliffs our cave sits in. These are ours, though. Only for us.”
“Are they secret?”
“I think so. No one has ever spoken of them, or asked about them at all. I don’t think any people of my age are aware they are here. Perhaps some who came before were, but not those who are here now.”
“Can I get in?” she asked.
“Yes.” He dropped her hand and dropped his breech cloth off, then walked over to the larger of the two pools and slipped in, groaning as the warm water surrounded his body, immediately relaxing his body.
Bettina followed, dropping her shift on the ground beside his breech cloth, then lowering herself into the water carefully, from the side of the pool.
“Stay near me and I will make sure that you don’t go under.”
“Okay,” she said. “Is there anything in the water that can hurt us?” she asked as she unsuccessfully hid her bliss at being in a hot, steamy mineral bath.
“No.”
“Oh, my God!” she finally said, giving in to the sensation of pure relaxation. “You’re right, we can never leave our cave.”
Katva laughed. “Do you see? There are many advantages to being my mate.”
“Katva, I already know that I’ve made the right choice. You don’t have to convince me.”
“You are not angry that I tricked you?”
“I was. But I’m not now. I think it’s funny, now. Then, not so much.”
He rested his back against the side of the pool, his arms stretched out across it as well. He allowed his feet to float to up off the floor as he watched Bettina dunk herself under the water and scrub at her hair before surfacing again, her pale skin slightly pink from the warmth of the water. “It won’t take long and we’ll both be clean.” Katva said.
“I’m pretty sure I’ll still be soaking here after I’m clean. Where I’m from long, hot baths are a luxury.”
“You may bathe in them whenever you like, just don’t tell that they are here. I don’t want others to want to use them. They can use those on the other side of the cliffs.”
“Oh, no! This is our bathroom. You don’t let people come to your house just to use your bathroom.”
“Agreed,” Katva said.
She leaned against the side of the pool behind her like he was doing on his side of the pool. Her gaze took in the muscles and movements of his body as he leisurely floated in the thermal pool. She watched as he allowed his lower body to float almost to the top several times, then once again, as his hips broke the surface of the water before he forced his lower body back under water, his legs kicking gently in the water to keep his lower half swaying back and forth.
“Katva?”
“Mmhmm,” he answered, his head tilted back, his eyes closed, thoroughly enjoying the experience.
“I think it’s time.”
He opened his eyes and looked at her. “For what?”
“For us,” she said.
Not quite sure what she meant, he watched as she let go of the side of the pool and swam toward him, placing her hands on his shoulders to hold herself up as she wrapped her legs around his waist.
“Bettina…”
“Shhh, just keep us from sinking. Let me do this.”
“You don’t have to.”
“I want to.”
“Are you sure?”
“Oh, yes,” she said, rubbing herself against his already hard length.
“Just don’t let go of the side.”
“If I died, I would still hold tight to the side,” he said in all seriousness.
Bettina laughed as she lined herself up with the stiff length between her legs again, and used her grip on his shoulders to run her slit up and down his cock.
“I will not last long, Bettina.”
“You don’t need to. You only need to last long enough.”
He nodded quickly, not meeting her gaze at all he was so focused on her breasts bobbing in the water and the curl of her hips as she continued to slide herself up and down his length until he could feel his pulse throughout his entire cock.
She’d done so for half a dozen times at least when she adjusted her hips just enough at the end of the last slide up toward the swollen, painful tip of his dick to slide just the crown inside her pussy.
A long, deep rumble vibrated his chest. “Bettina,” he growled out.
“Just hold on,” she said, as she began using the water to help move her body back and forth, sliding herself from his hips — almost buried completely inside her, to his tip — when she threatened to allow him to fall out of his new most favorite place in the world. “Katva, this won’t take me long either,” she whispered as she started to grind herself against him. Her breath picked up and let her head fall back, her eyes closed as she concentrated on the sensations of the wildly curved cock filling her more than any she’d ever had before. She picked up speed, and then suddenly, his hips were moving too, splashing the water between them as he slapped his hips against her ass in an effort to get as deep as he could.
“Oh, oh, oh!” she cried, her voice getting higher and higher pitched. Then her fingers were squeezing his shoulders, her legs were squeezing his hips and her pussy was milking his cock unlike anything he’d ever experienced in his life. He let go of the pool’s edge with one hand and wrapped his arm around her waist, his hand holding her securely against his body as he filled her with his come, his chest rumbling with each hot stream he shot into her.
He admired the hard, pink little nipples that tipped her breasts, and the even deep flush that colored her throat as she came, her entire body seized in pleasure, only her inner muscles grasping at him desperately until she finally recovered enough to raise her head and settle it against his shoulder, with her eyes still closed.
“Magnificent,” she whispered once she’d managed to regain the ability to speak.
Katva smiled as he held her rounded body against his with one arm, while still holding onto the side with the other.
She lifted her head and looked at him suspiciously. “What’s it doing now?” she asked.
“Locking you to me.”
“Locking… is this permanent?”
“No, it will happen each time we mate. It is the way it is supposed to be.”
“Okay, so no worries.”
“None at all,” he said, pulling her forward to kiss her temple.
“How long until it goes down and I’m not locked to you anymore?”
“I’m not sure. But it should let go before morning.”
“Morning? We’re like this until morning?” she asked.
“Yes.”
She started to complain again, but then realized exactly what he’d said. “Why aren't you sure how long the swelling takes to go down?”
He seemed hesitant to tell her, but also knew he’d promised her no lies or deception. “It has never done this before.”
“Why? Is it some kind of mating thing where it only happens in certain circumstances?”
Katva shook his head. “No. It happens each time. It is to guarantee that if a female is ready to be impregnated, it will be me that will do so.”
“What if I’m not ready to be impregnated?”
“Then we try again next time,” he said, smiling brightly.
“But this has never happened before.”
“None of it has happened before,” he said, watching her face closely for clues to her understanding of what he was telling her.
“So, you’ve never…”
Katva shook his head very slowly.
“But, why not?”
“Not enough females. Only those to be bought. I didn’t want one that didn’t want me.”
“You wanted to be wanted and appreciated.”
“Just as you do,” he said.
“Aws, Katva!”
“Are you sorry that you chose me?”
“Never. I could never find you anywhere else, so I’m even glad that I went through what I did to bring me to you.”
“Forever?” he asked.
She shook her head. “Longer.”
“Come, let’s go to our furs.”
“How? We’re connected.”
“I can carry a little female like you with no problem. Just hold still.”
“Oh, I am not moving one bit,” she promised as he shifted her slightly so he could get them out of the pool.
A deep shiver shot through her, making her moan. “Well, maybe I’ll shift just a little.”
Katva carried them to their furs, where they lay touching and kissing and stroking until finally he was able to pull free of her body and start the process all over again, and again, and again.