“I am glad I can make you laugh,” I say, peevish. “It is another one of my duties as your mate.”
“Aww, someone’s grumpy.” She throws a leg over my chest and straddles me, naked. My cock, already morning-alert, now stiffens with anticipation. But she reaches for my face and squeezes my cheeks between her fingers, a rather unappealing expression, I think. She jiggles my face. “Still feeling lucky to have me?”
“Yes,” I say. “You are the best mate in the world. All other females pale before your magnificence.”
“Good answer,” she cries, and leans in to give me a smacking kiss. Her lips brush over mine again, and then she makes a breathless sound, scraping her nipples against my chest. “Do we have time for a quickie before we head out?”
I nod, glancing over to the front chamber of the cave, where O’jek sleeps with his mate. There is a privacy screen, but it will not conceal much. They have probably heard all of our conversation already. “You will need to be quiet.”
“Fuck that,” she tells me, and slides down to seat herself over my cock, rubbing her cunt up and down my shaft as she gives me a wicked grin. “I’m going to make you yell my name.”
* * *
A short time later,I have indeed called her name loud enough that the hills will ring with it. I am not even embarrassed. I like that F’lor stakes her claim upon me. I like that she has decided that I am hers, and she wants everyone to know this. I am a smug hunter as we say our goodbyes to O’jek and his mate D’see a short time later, for what male can be grumpy after such a morning? I know F’lor is worried over what the strange ship will have brought, but I am no longer afraid.
I have my mate. I will let nothing pull her from my arms.
“You should eat,” I tell F’lor as we set off, holding out a thick chunk of dried fish. “You need your strength.”
“Why are you always feeding me?” she retorts, even as she takes the food from my hand and glares in my direction. “You got a secret feeding fetish or something?”
“I am feeding you because you are my mate and you carry my kit,” I tell her proudly. “You need your strength. You are puny, even for a human, and thus you must eat constantly so my kit will grow strong in your belly.”
“Do you know the absolute misogyny you just spewed?” she asks between bites. “You’re lucky you got me and I’m easygoing, because no other woman would put up with your bullshit.”
“You are luckyyouhave me,” I retort back. “Because I shall give you all manner of things to put up with.” I pause, and then add, “And food.”
F’lor laughs again, the sound light and happy. “You, sir, are a huge dork.”
“I am your dork,” I reply. A dork must be a strong-hearted hunter who knows what he wants and I am certainly that.
She sighs. “You are indeed.” Her gaze strays to the mountains that we head for, and worry crosses her face. “You think we’ll be able to find whatever was dumped?”
“I am hoping it will be obvious.” I gesture at the skies. “There is no snow to cover up anything left behind, and I know the area the ship was in, so perhaps it will not be so difficult to locate.”
“What do you think it is?” she asks as I hand her another piece of dried fish. “I’m kinda hoping for noodles. For our wedding feast, you know?”
I grunt, making a mental note of this. When we return to camp, I will ask if we have any of the nood-hulls left from last time. I know Leezh and H’rlow saved some for special occasions. I do not see what could be more special than my mate and her feast, but of course I am biased. “I would not mind more of the metal knives,” I say. “O’jek has one and it is very useful.”
“Ooh, you’re right. I change my wish. I hope there are some more of those, too.” She puts her hand in mine, finishing off her meal with large bites, and I wrap my fingers around her cold ones, wondering if I have ever been so content. Even holding F’lor’s hand fills me with quiet pleasure, my heart full in ways it has never been before.
The morning passes quickly. For all that F’lor is slight in comparison to me, she is strong. She can keep a good pace and does not ask for many pauses to rest. I am impressed with her hardiness, but then I recall how she trapped my face between her thighs last night and grin to myself. No, my mate is quite strong in her way.
When the twin suns are high in the skies, we approach the area that the ship flew away from, and I lead us up the sloping cliffs to get a better look, my tail wrapped around F’lor’s arm to anchor her close to me. We get to the top of the cliff and…I am struck speechless.
Did I think we would miss this spot? It would be impossible to do so.
Down below the cliff, the valley has been blasted free of snow, revealing the hard ground underneath and the yellowish-brown moss that covers everything. It has been cleared in a huge circle, and in the center of the circle are the black oblong shapes. The “pods” as the humans call them. They are lined up in rows, and it takes me a moment to realize some are open. A figure sits atop one, huddled in a blanket, and another figure wanders around, looking lost and alone.
“Susmaryosep,” F’lor breathes at my side. Her hand steals into mine. “I’rec…”
“I see them.”
“Do you…do you think all of those pods are full of people?” The shock is evident in her voice. “That someone just brought them here and left them?”
“I do not know.” I rub my thumb over her knuckles absently, my gaze on the pods below. “But there are at least two people there and they will need our help. You said you did not have a khui when you arrived, yes?”
Her eyes widen and she jerks her hand from mine, hurrying down the rocky side of the hill. “Oh my god, you’re right. We have to get to them! Come on!”