Barbarian Alien(60)
His brows draw together and he gives me a fierce frown. “I am confirming with the healer.”
“That I’m pregnant? You could ask me. Yes, my ovaries have met their match, and it’s alien sperm.” I cross my arms. “Where’s Raahosh? I want my mate.”
“Liz,” Georgie murmurs, trying to calm me.
“Unless you want to see a show of pregnancy hormones in full effect, I want Raahosh, and I want him right now,” I say in a deadly voice and point at the ground. “I realize you think I’m being impossible but you have not seen impossible yet. I will be the biggest pain in the ass on this snow-covered planet if you don’t get me my man, stat.” I don’t understand. Why are they keeping us separated? That weird sense I have of ‘something wrong’ is getting worse.
“This is their home, Liz,” Georgie says.
“I thought we were all supposed to be one big team now, remember? That makes this my home, too, and I want my fricking man.”
Georgie looks at Vektal. He throws his hands up in the air as if to say ‘you deal with her’ and storms away. Georgie gives me an exasperated look, but I don’t care. I need to see Raahosh and know that he’s all right. And I want to tell him we have a baby. She pulls me aside, though, and leans in to whisper in my ear. “Raahosh broke the rules and he’s in trouble, Liz.”
“I know,” I say, and then clasp my hands under my chin. “But I want to see him and tell him we’re having a baby, okay?”
“Okay,” she says softly. “I can stall things for a little while and talk to Vektal, but when they decide his punishment, there’s nothing I can do, all right?”
I shrug. What are they going to do? He’s a tribe member and a soon to be dad. If he gets more hunting duty, I’ll just go with him. If they give him a fine of some kind, I don’t think he’d care. And from what I’ve seen, lashes or physical punishment would be a bit extreme. Whatever it is, it can’t be that bad.
And whatever it is, we’ll face it together.
After all, I feel as if I’ve survived a few ‘worst case scenarios’ so far. Kidnapped by aliens to be sold as cattle? Crash land on an ice planet? Starve while stewing in your own filth for a few weeks?
I got this ‘worst case scenario’ shit nailed. Everything after that is a cakewalk.
Georgie says a few words and two warriors head out of the caves. We wait in silence, and then a few minutes later, Raahosh stalks in, flanked by the warriors. He looks pissy as hell, his fists clenched and his body vibrating anger. His weapons are gone, and there’s a small bruise on his jaw.
Maybe all of this is getting to me, because at the sight of him, I burst into girly tears.
His expression immediately changes to the possessive one and he pushes through the crowd in the cave to get to me. I hear murmuring, but I don’t care. My cootie has started vibrating, singing a song to his. He sweeps me up against him and presses me against his chest, his big arms holding me close. I can hear his cootie vibrating in time with mine, and I give a small little sigh of happiness.
I’m in his arms. Everything’s okay.
“Liz?” He brushes his hand over my cheek. “What is wrong?”
I scrub a hand over my eyes like a child. “I’m just tired. I want to go lie down somewhere quiet and talk.”
His hand strokes my hair. “Of course.”
Kira comes up to us, and I’m surprised to see Aehako at her side again. She watches me, her sad eyes intent as Raahosh holds me close. I can’t tell if there’s envy on her face or worry. Both? “They’ve had to change a lot of the sleeping quarters around,” she says. “I don’t know if there’s a quiet place to be had.”
Aehako nods and crosses his big arms. “Raahosh’s things have been moved with the other hunters. There are five sharing that cave. Zolaya and his mate are in your old cave.”
Raahosh snarls. “Then where—“
“Let’s just go outside,” I tell him, gripping his arms. I’m already tired of this cave packed full of people, with the humidity and the staring. “I’d rather be out there with you.”
“You can’t,” Aehako says. “I’m sorry. Vektal wants you watched for now.”
Me, because they know Raahosh won’t go anywhere without me. I blow out a breath of frustration. “Then where can we go?”
“You can come to the bachelorette cave,” Kira offers. “That’s where the human ladies who didn’t resonate are staying.”
I nod and hold on to Raahosh tighter. “You guys won’t mind if my big blue friend shows up?”