But Zalah was always complicated. She pushed me away, said she needed time to think. And because I had been a foolish boy, I gave her time. I watched from afar as she went to her pleasure-mate’s furs every night. I watched with longing as she ignored me, trying to avoid the demands of her khui. I remember approaching her, determined to mate and slake the burning need in my body, only to find her in the arms of her lover. And because I had been young, I turned away. I waited for her to come to me.
But then the khui-sickness came.
Here, my memory is full of clouds. I remember nothing of this except returning home from a hunt, aching and miserable with unresolved resonance, my breast humming with an angry song. Zalah was not there to greet me. She was sick in her furs, and I assumed it was from khui-sickness. I went to join her, but I never made it. I collapsed in the main cave, burning with fever.
Vektal has told me that I was one of the first sick, but one of the last to have the light go out in my khui. It must have struggled mightily. Others died within a day or two of the sickness — like Zalah. Like Derlen. Like my mother and my father.
There was nothing worse than waking up and hearing only silence in my breast.
I shake off the memory with a shudder. I lived. I survived. I was given a new khui and I lived through it. I am whole and healthy now, and my new khui has given me a mate - Jo-see.
And this time, there is no khui-sickness to keep her from me.
I unpack my things and then go to the storage cave to gather more furs for bedding. The humans are small creatures who need much warmth, and not very strong. Jo-see is tiny and I frown, thinking of how she carried Kira and Aehako’s kit all the way to the cave, along with the pack strapped to her back. She will be exhausted. She will need food and hot tea and a warm bed to sleep in, even if she does not want me in it. She is my mate, and the urge to take care of her is overwhelming. I grab additional things from storage - leather, pouches of dried tea, salted dvisti. I will replace it at a later date, but for now, my mate needs food.
When I return to my new cave with supplies, the main cavern hums with happy voices. The others have arrived, and the sound of happy chatter is a constant hum in the air. I think Rukh and his mate Har-loh - who live at the Elders’ Cave more often than not - have the right of it. With everyone returning, there will be faces everywhere and no privacy. This thing between Jo-see and I will play out before all.
At the thought, another surge of fierce possessiveness rises in me. Whatever she may think, she is mine.
Jo-see is standing in the cave when I return, her pack at her feet. My khui immediately begins a pounding beat in my chest at the sight of her, and my blood pulses hard with the need to claim her. But her face is drawn and tired, her small shoulders hunched with exhaustion. Her khui starts to sing to mine and she looks down at her chest, confused, then jumps with surprise when I set my bundle down. “What are you doing here?” Her small human brows draw together. “They said this is my cave.”
“The cave you will share with me,” I agree, keeping my tone even, though it is a struggle. “We are mated.”
Her small, pink mouth pinches into an angry line. She rubs her forehead and there is exhaustion on her face. “Do not do this, Haeden. Please. I’m too tired.”
“I did not say I would climb into your furs. I know you are tired.” Her refusal of me rankles, but I expect it. I must learn patience. My khui sings on, unaware of the tension between us. I must remember that this is different. Jo-see is not Zalah, to preen her pleasure-mate in front of me. She is small and human and exhausted. “Sit and take off your boots. I will build a fire and make some hot tea.”
There’s a look of surprise on her small face, as if she didn’t expect me to be courteous to her. Have I truly been so terrible to be around? If I snap at her, it is because she pulls me to her and it worried me. Now, it seems my fears were not unfounded.
She hesitates for a moment, and then gracefully collapses in the furs with a little sound of pleasure. My cock tightens in response, but I ignore it, digging out the fire pit in the center of the cave. Someone has already lined it with round, smooth rocks, and so I set up a pyramid of dung and tinder, and then go to retrieve a burning coal from another’s fire. When I return, her boots are off and she’s curled up under the blankets, her small, pale face the only thing showing under the furs. Her eyes are closed and she doesn’t stir when I move to the fire-pit and blow on the coal, feeding it tinder until it becomes a flickering flame. I set up a tripod and a bladder to create the tea, but I suspect Jo-see will be asleep before it is ready.
I glance over at her, and the urge to stroke her smooth cheek with my finger is overwhelming. What will she feel like in my arms? Zalah was tall and wiry, as muscular as myself. Jo-see is nothing like her. She is small and soft and full of smiles that have genuine joy.
Someday, I would like for those smiles to be aimed at me.
“You won’t try anything, will you?” Her words are a soft husky murmur. “Just because I’m sleeping?”
I am offended at her words. Does she think I would crawl over her while she sleeps and shove my cock between her legs? My khui thrums harder at the thought, and I scowl to myself. “I would never do such a thing.”
“Just checking,” she says softly. A moment later, I hear the gentle sound of her snore. I adjust my aching cock in my breechcloth and drop tea leaves into the bladder of water.
I am disturbed by her ideas of what I would do to claim her. Does she truly think I would force her? Is that why she is so miserable at the thought of mating to me? Are human men like this? If so, she should be glad that she resonated to a sa-khui hunter. We do not mount females without their welcome.
I rub my chest thoughtfully. The purr there is both comfort and torture, but I am glad it is there.
4
JOSIE
I wake up from an exhausted slumber feeling rather refreshed…and horny. God, so horny. My hand is between my legs and I absently cup my sex. The heat of my body seems to be greater there, and I’m a little shocked to realize that I’m so wet that my leather leggings are damp against my pussy. I push against the folds of the fabric and let them rub against my aching flesh, and a tiny moan escapes me.
A breath sucks in nearby.
I freeze. Shit. I’m not alone. What the fuck am I thinking?
My eyes fly open and I gaze around the cave. It’s dark, a small fire flickering in the fire pit. There are stalactites overhead, and the cave itself is much bigger than the one I shared back with Tiffany, the ceiling higher.
Crap. This is my new home I’m sharing with Haeden. And judging by the breath sucking in? He’s somewhere nearby and heard my little moan. Crap crap crap.
I slide my hand out from between my legs and rub it on the blankets to get rid of the, well, pussy smell. I sit up with a yawn and decide to pretend like nothing is wrong. “Thanks for letting me sleep.”
Glowing blue eyes watch me from across the cave. Haeden is there, his big, muscular body squatting near the fire on his haunches. I watch the tip of his tail flick near the stones and I hope against hope he can’t smell just how aroused I am….because that would be awkward. “How do you feel?” he asks.
I watch as his shadow moves and he pours some hot tea into one of the shallow bone cups favored by the sa-khui. He hands it to me. I take it and to my relief, he moves back to the other side of the cave, even though he returns to watching me with that frank, possessive gaze.
I cross my legs, careful to keep the blankets over my lap, and cup the tea in my hands. I sip it - still warm and spicy with flavor. “I’m better, thank you.”
He grunts but doesn’t move.
Nor does he say anything else. All right, I guess it’s up to me to break the silence. “I feel like we should talk.”
“Why?” His voice is wary.
Not a great start. “Well, everyone seems to think we’re mated.”
He makes a sound like a huff of frustration. “We are.”
Oh fun, now I get to argue with him over this. I slurp my tea, wondering the best way to tell a guy that I’m not married to him just because my chest decides to play the drums every time he’s around…like right now. My chest is jiggling with the force of my khui’s song, and it’s downright uncomfortable, especially with him sitting nearby. “I’m not going to argue about this tonight, okay? I just want to talk about our situation.”
“You do not want to talk?” Again he makes the huffing sound. “This is new to me.”
All right, we’re resorting to being bitchy, are we? “Are you trying to pick a fight?”
Again, he falls silent.
Good. At least I’m getting through to him. “I think we need to come to an understanding, since we’re going to be together in this.” I stress the last word, deliberately choosing to refer to our mating-not-mating in vague terms.
“What is there to understand?” His voice is defensive. “There is no bargaining with a khui. It chooses.”
I sip my tea, giving myself a few moments to choose my words. “I guess I just don’t understand this. I mean, I do. The khui is pretty specific. And I get that people think we’re automatically mated because of the resonance. I get that too, and I guess I understand it even if I don’t think it’s right.” I take another sip of my tea, waiting for him to argue. When he’s silent, I go on to the part that’s bothering me. “But…I thought you were a widower?”