Barbarian’s Mate(24)

I fall asleep with my head on Haeden’s chest as he strokes my hair, and really, I could get used to this. Maybe it’s just the extreme horniness brought on by the cootie, but when he holds me? I feel…loved. Adored. Cherished. Like I’m the best thing that’s ever happened to him.

Maybe I am.

I…kind of like that thought.

When we wake up the next morning, the weather is colder. I shiver despite the furs Haeden piles onto me, and even he shrugs on a warm tunic over his chest. “It is because we have gone north,” he says. “The air is not as pleasant here as back at the tribal caves.”

I frown to myself. “North? I was trying to go west. Toward Harlow and Rukh’s cave.”

He snorts. “You are several days away from it, then.”

Am I? Drat. “Well, that sucks.”

“You were likely turned around. The big salt water is close to here, but the cave is not.” He pokes at the fire to stoke it, and then his tail flicks with frustration. “We are low on fuel for the fire. Stay here and I will go scout the area.”

“Okay.” I tug the blankets closer. “Hurry back.”

He picks up his spear and nods at me. He doesn’t smile, but that’s not Haeden. He devours me with a hot, possessive look and then turns and marches out of the ‘cave’ entrance, and I decide I’ll take a steamy glance over a friendly smile any day.

I flex my hands and they don’t feel too bad, so I gingerly try to do a few chores around the cave while he’s gone. I keep the fire stoked, put on some water for tea, and do my best to straighten up without using my hands too much. The meat he was smoking overnight looks done so I put it into one of the many pouches and tug the drawstring shut with my teeth. Then, there’s not much to do but wait.

Haeden returns a short time later, a frozen hopper in hand from one of his traps. He kicks the snow off his boots and unwraps his furs, then moves immediately to my side. I think he’s going to hand me the kill – maybe he’s forgotten my hands are jacked – but instead he comes over and presses a fierce kiss to the top of my head.

And again, I melt. Why did I think this guy was a douche? Hard to get along with sometimes, yes, but loving? Absolutely.

“Everything okay?” I ask, worried. “Any sign of metlaks?”

“All over,” he says, and squats by the fire. He looks surprised to see that it’s burning strong and there’s a pouch of tea on. He glances over at me. “Tea?”

“I thought you might be cold when you came back.”

He grunts in that way that I’ve come to interpret as his ‘approval’ grunt and dips the cup into it. Haeden drinks it down quickly and then dips the cup again and offers to me.

“I’m good. So…more metlaks?”

He nods. Instead of butchering his kill, he wraps it in one of the furs and begins to pack his things. “Tracks everywhere, young and old. They know we are here, but they are scared to come after us with the fire. We must be deep in their territory.”

Goosebumps prickle my arms. “So what do we do?”

“We leave the moment your hands are better.” He turns to me. “I will not put you in danger.”

I ignore the giddy rush of warmth his words give me and focus on the problem at hand. I need to think, not be all giggly because he’s saying all the things I’ve been dying to hear. “Will we be safe if we go?”

“The metlaks usually do not come after sa-khui. If we leave their territory, they will not follow.”

“But they attacked you.”

He nods thoughtfully. “We will rub ourselves with ash from the fire. If we smell like smoke, they will stay away. They are not smart enough to realize we are not on fire; they only recognize the scent.”

“Okay.” I hold my hands out. “Shall we check these, then?”

Haeden moves to my side and I do my best to stay still as he begins to gently unwrap my hands. He’s always so careful with me, even though I know his cootie must be making him as crazy as mine is making me. Right now it’s singing up a storm, and his is matching in thunderous effect. I’m kind of surprised we haven’t kept the metlaks away just with the noise our chests are making.

When my hands are unwrapped and the gunky liidi washed away, my hands are smooth with no sign of blisters. I flex one cautiously, and when it doesn’t hurt, I beam at Haeden. “I can’t believe it’s already fixed. You’re a genius.”

He grunts, but I can tell he’s pleased. He unwraps my other hand and doesn’t look me in the eye. “The liidi takes care of the pain. The khui takes care of the rest.”

“Well, I still appreciate the help.”

“You are my mate. Of course I would do this for you.” The look he gives me is challenging, as if waiting for me to protest that he’s my man. But I don’t say anything. Let him chew on that for a while.

As he wipes my hands clean, I turn to gaze at the wall, where the green lights dance and I know there are at least two women sleeping. “Do you think they will be okay?”

“They have been here for many moons. As I have said, what is another day or two?”

“Yes, but…what if the metlaks come in and damage the walls? Or somehow pry them loose?”

“That will not happen. And we cannot take them with us. We are not prepared to bring two weak humans – and they will be weak – over the mountains to take back to the caves. We cannot bring down a sa-kohtsk on our own. We will wait and bring a hunting party back here with the proper gear.”

I nod. His words make sense. I know he’s right; I just feel guilty at the thought of leaving the others behind. But the rest of the ship has been mostly undisturbed over the last year and a half, so I know he makes sense – there’s no point in opening them up right now. Not when we barely have enough furs to keep me and Haeden warm. We could all snuggle together at night, I suppose.

I picture two strange human women curling up against Haeden’s big, brawny form and I’m shocked at the violent stab of jealousy that moves through me. I don’t want anyone else touching him. He’s…mine. I’m still coming to terms with that concept, but it sticks in my head. Mine. Mine mine mine.

“Do your hands ache?” he asks, interrupting my thoughts. His fingers brush over my palm.

“They’re good,” I say and flex them to prove it. “So we leave…today?”

“As soon as we pack our gear.” His hand smooths over mine again and he rubs it. “A few days hard travel and we will be back at the tribal caves.”

Back, and I’m probably going to get my head bitten off for leaving on my own. I’ll have to endure the pitying looks of the others, and the smirks of those that realize we haven’t completed our resonance yet. I’m reluctant to go back. I love the tribe but right now it’s touchy for me.

So I grip Haeden’s hand. “If the girls are safe in the wall for a bit longer…would it be okay if we go south instead of directly back to the tribe? Take a few days for ourselves? To get used to this thing between us?”

I expect him to protest, but he studies me and then nods. He gets to his feet and presses a quick kiss to the top of my head again. “It shall be as you ask.”





15





HAEDEN


I push Jo-see hard for the first day of travel. I am not comfortable with the amount of metlak tracks that I see all around the cave or covering the trails. This place is thick with the wild, unpredictable creatures and the sooner we leave, the better. Because she walks slower than I do with the snowshoes, I carry her pack. And as the hours on the trail creep from morning to late afternoon, she begins to slow. She does not protest the bruising pace I set, but I can tell she is tired.

So toward the end of the day, I carry her, as well. She doesn’t want me to, but I ignore her words and her small slaps and bend over so she can climb onto my back. She does and I hoist her higher, her arms around my neck, and we continue.

Eventually the metlak tracks disappear and we move into sa-khui territory. These are the fringes of hunter lands, but I know these places. I know where the caves are and where caches are hidden to freeze extra kills when the traps are plentiful. We stop as the twin moons come up into the sky and I take my mate to the closest hunter cave. It is a small one, but well stocked with fuel for a fire and warm furs for bedding. I set her down gently and then sling the packs off my front. “I must scout the area to make sure we are safe,” I tell her. “But let me start a fire first so you stay warm.”

“I can do it,” she says, and pulls out the irestarter she keeps on a thong at her neck. “You do what you’ve gotta do. I can help where I can.”

I nod slowly, rubbing my chest as my khui vibrates in response. That she would help me prepare our camp despite her exhaustion means much to me. It makes me feel as if we are in this together for the first time. That she is acknowledging that we are one. I grab her in a fierce hug and kiss the top of her head again before she can say anything, and then head out of the cave to scout before she asks questions.

I track back on our trail, looking for signs of metlaks, but there is nothing. If we were followed, they gave up many hours ago. Pleased, I return to the cave and my mate, where she has the fire blazing. I am proud that she is not complaining, though she is clearly tired. Instead, she busies herself in the cave and looks up from the fire when I arrive, her eyes brightening.