While Raahosh was recovering, I pulled two more of the ugly spear-fish things from the water and made two bows and a whole slew of arrows. I even managed a couple of makeshift quivers with some extra pelts. I’m a regular Daniel Boone around here.
It’s strange – I remember hunting with my father when I was a girl and never thought anything of it. Now that I’m out on my own with Raahosh, I’m remembering things I’ve forgotten, and more than that…I’m enjoying myself. I never thought of myself as the outdoorsy type, but there’s nothing more satisfying than letting a well-made arrow fly into a kill.
Well, okay, sex with Raahosh is more satisfying. Hunting is a close second.
Raahosh hovers a bit as we go tromping through the snow, until I slap his hands away when he tries to help me through a particularly deep patch of snow. His lips quirk with amusement when I shoot him a pissy look, and I realize he’s baiting me.
Dick. He’s so getting it tonight when we get back to the cave. As we check the traps, I mentally think of ways I can sexually torture my alien. Withholding’s off the table – that would be punishing me as well as him. Maybe a nice, languid blow job and I won’t let him come—
“Ho!” calls a voice from a distance, the sound faint on the blowing wind.
I look over at Raahosh in surprise. Was that English? Am I imagining things?
He stills, and then scans the horizon. Immediately, he grabs my arm and begins to hustle me back from where we came. “Hurry, Liz.”
“Wait. What are we running from?” I ready my bow as we slog through the snow. “Is it more metlaks?”
“Raahosh!” a voice calls out, and then says some words I don’t understand.
I gasp. “Are those your people?” I stop and turn, shielding my eyes from the overcast skies to see if I can make out who is there.
“Back to the cave,” Raahosh growls, and he stumbles in the snow.
My heart skitters in my chest and I tug on his arm. Playing around in bed is a different sort of activity than slogging through heavy snow, and I worry he’s overextending himself. Just last week, he had a broken leg. “Raahosh, wait. Don’t hurt yourself—“
He grabs the fur of my heavy cloak and hauls me against him. It takes me a moment for me to realize that he’s picking me up and carrying me away. He’s going to try and outrun them?
“Raahosh, wait!”
“They will not take you from me, Liz,” he says fiercely. “You are mine! My mate.”
“They can’t take me,” I say soothingly, trying to pet his shoulder. I’m worried he’s going to hurt himself. “Raahosh, please. You’re scaring me.”
That stops him in his desperate treading. He stops in the snow, and gently sets me down again. His hand touches my stomach, and then he cups my face in his hands. “You are my everything, Liz,” he murmurs before he kisses me.
“I know,” I say, confused.
“Raahosh! Human called Leezh!” Two voices, and new ones. “Do not run!”
We’ve been found.
Raahosh closes his eyes and holds me against him, gripping his knife. It worries me. I place my hand over his, a silent request not to attack.
And we wait.
Part Five
LIZ
Two men approach in the snow, spears in hand. They’re not running, and the spears are used more as walking sticks, so I’m not too worried. Yet.
But Raahosh? Raahosh is beside himself.
“Human called Leezh,” one of them yells again, his hand cupped to his mouth. “Wait there!”
I give Raahosh an uncertain look. There is defeat written all over his proud features, and that concerns me. I slide my hand into his to reassure him, and he squeezes it tightly, then pulls me against him in a possessive hug. “Who are they?” I ask him.
“Aehako and Haeden,” Raahosh replies. There’s a toneless quality to his voice that I don’t like.
“Friends of yours?”
He grunts.
Ah. He’s unhappy because they’ve come to take us back to the tribe and I’m not knocked up and starry-eyed with love.
Theoretically, anyhow.
I pat his back and then rub it. “You knew they’d come after you at some point, right? I mean, from what it sounds like, you ran off with the cookie jar and all.”
His hand strokes my braids. He doesn’t move, but I can feel the tension growing as the others approach.
They slog through the waist-high snow as if it’s no big deal. One is smiling as they approach, and he’s got a friendly, open look to his face that’s nice. His features are blunter than Raahosh’s blade-like ones, but his expression of good cheer makes him that much more handsome. Unlike Vektal and Raahosh, his hair is short, buzzed close to his scalp. It makes his big, arching horns look that much more prominent. He’s a slatey sort of blue all over, and while not as tall as Raahosh, he’s got arms like friggin’ tree trunks.