As I neared my hut, I spotted a small figure disappearing behind the koshu. I followed and found Amma tottering along toward the forest and away from the cistern project. All the fire in me fled when I recognized her.
“Amma,” I called out.
She turned and grinned at me, barely a single tooth showing, then flapped a gnarled, twisted hand at me to hurry up.
“Amma,” I said, offering her my arm for support, which she batted away. “What a nice surprise to see you here. Did you come to see the new water system?”
She squinted up at me and tilted her head. “Let’s sit.”
I helped her ease her old bones onto the bench where I’d kissed Natalie and settled as far from her as I could get. Her visits were rare — as rare as baths, judging by her pungent odor — usually memorable, and always for a reason.
“Are you well, Amma?”
She stared at me with cloudy, unblinking eyes. I squirmed under her scrutiny — a decidedly un-alpha response to a tiny, frail woman.
“It’s been a while since you paid us a visit,” I stumbled on, needing to fill the silence for some reason. “Things have changed quite a bit, haven’t they?”
She flicked her gaze around and shrugged. “Always different, always the same.”
And always with the riddles. It stung, though, that she refused to acknowledge all the improvements I’d made since becoming alpha.
“Do you remember the Terran Natalie? You met her on the trail to the village.”
Again, she simply stared at me.
“She’s built us a new water delivery system so we don’t have to haul water from the stream anymore.”
She tilted her head but remained mute. Thinking about Natalie stirred up my emotions again, but the jealousy had subsided some. I sat back and gazed up into the forest canopy, watching an ubuntec knit its silk. Its rhythmic movements lulled me into letting down my guard.
“She’s really quite amazing, Amma. I know you only saw her the one time, but I’ve never met anyone quite like her.”
I glanced down at her. “She’s brilliant and strong, and she has this dry wit that always makes me smile. Not to mention she’s beautiful, even for a Terran. I never would have guess that aliens could be so attractive.”
I couldn’t read Amma’s expression, but it didn’t appear to be disgusted so I continued my rambling. It felt good to get this off my chest. I didn’t have a confidante anymore since Thrane’s abrupt departure and it’s not like an alpha can just babble on about his feelings to just anyone.
“But she is a handful. And challenging. I have no idea what she’s thinking or feeling, which is strange. At least with a Warg female, I’d have a sense of her level of interest. But Natalie is unreadable. Is it me she wants, or is she drawn to Jorek? I don’t know and it’s driving me insane.”
Amma smirked at me. “You know,” she croaked.
“I don’t, really. Just when I think I finally understand her—“
She jabbed me in the chest with a bony finger. “You know there. That—“ she poked my forehead “—is a troublemaker. She loves you. You love her.”
My head, troublemaker that it was, buzzed and crackled like moonstorm lightning. Love? That was reserved for fateds, whether they’re thunderstruck or discovered through a claiming.
“She’s not a Warg, Amma. Remember? I won’t know until—“
“Search your heart before it’s too late.”
“Too late?”
She didn’t elaborate, only stared deep into my eyes. In their milky depths, I saw the first time I ever laid eyes on Natalie in Solan’s hut. I saw the first time I touched her on the trail to our village. I saw my mouth on hers, her arms snaked around my neck, pulling me close.
But those were all physical reactions. Falling deeper into Amma’s hypnotic gaze, I grew frustrated with Natalie’s stubbornness when she had her mind set on something. Admiration warmed me thinking of her intelligence and single-minded drive. And emotion nearly choked me at her dedication to helping us — a species that held no love for her kind.
Except, as it turned out, we did. Or rather, I did. Amma was right. If what I felt for Natalie wasn’t love, what was it?
A smile spread slowly across Amma’s weathered face until her eyes twinkled and set me free from their spell. With great effort, she pulled her bent frame upright, leaning on her walking stick.
“You see it.”
It wasn’t a question. I nodded.
“Say it,” she commanded.
“I love her,” I murmured, barely believing my own words but knowing the truth of them.
With a surprising amount of power, she pounded the end of her stick into the dirt. “Louder!”
Swallowing hard, I raised my voice. “I love her. I love Natalie!”
Amma threw her head back and cackled with joy. At least I hoped it was joy. When her rheumy gaze settled on me again, something flickered behind her eyes. If we hadn’t just shared this amazing moment, I would have thought it was sadness.
“Time runs short, boy,” she said, then turned and tottered off toward the forest. “Nice day for a walk in the meadow.”
I watched her for a moment, bewildered at the encounter but also jubilant. I was in love with Natalie! Then a thought slapped me as hard as any hand ever could.
What if Amma was wrong and Natalie didn’t love me?
I stood slowly, heaviness weighing on my heart, and turned to head to my cabin. I needed some time to settle down, to think. I looked up and my breath caught in my chest when I saw Natalie staring at me.
19
Natalie
Static buzzed in my head as I gawked at Markon.
He loves me?
An old woman — the one we’d seen on the trail and I’d mistaken for Ouma — paused before entering the forest. Her gaze drew mine like a magnet. A flicker of a smile touched her lips and her nod was almost imperceptible. Then she disappeared between the trees.
Released from her spell, I faced Markon again. I struggled for words.
“I came to tell you that it works,” I stuttered. “The water system.”
Markon’s focus drilled into me like a laser. “Good.” He took a step closer. Part of me wanted to bolt, but a bigger part of me wanted him to take three more steps and sweep me into his arms.
He loves me?
“You left,” I whispered.
I knew the emotional distance I’d put between us must have confused him. Hell, it confused me. But it wasn’t until my chat with Teema that I understood it all. I want someone to fall in love with who I am, not because some fairy tale custom tells them they should. That’s what I’d told her. And only seconds ago, I heard Markon say the very words I longed to hear.
He loves me.
He took another step closer. “I couldn’t stand to see you with Jorek,” he said, his upper lip pulling back slightly to show his teeth. His slightly longer teeth. He’d been jealous.
He loves me!
“Jorek is my research partner. That’s all. There’s nothing between us romantically.”
His electric green gaze bore into me, leaving me breathless with need for him. He took another step, inches away from me. I had to crane my neck to keep eye contact.
“Why?” His voice was barely above a whisper but his question clanged around in my head like a bell.
Now that I knew how he felt about me, now that I knew the truth, I could risk admitting how I felt — to him and myself. A lifetime of protecting my heart made it difficult, though. Adrenaline pumped through my system and tears pricked at my eyelids.
“Because—“ My throat clamped down on my words and I had to swallow hard to clear it. Looking him straight in the eye, I took a deep breath. “Because I love you.”
I’d barely finished before his arms were around me and his lips crushed mine in a fierce, hungry kiss. For a moment, all I could do was open my mouth and accept his tongue. Then my instincts kicked in.
Burying my fingers deep in his hai
r, I grabbed fistfuls and pulled him closer, as if that was even possible. I needed to feel him, every inch of exposed skin, pressed against mine. Thank God I’d worn the silk wraps Wargs were so fond of. Suddenly, I understood the appeal.
Markon’s hands freely roamed my curves, and I felt no shame reveling in his touch. He cast such an intoxicating spell on me that the entire tribe could have been watching and I wouldn’t have noticed. Thankfully, he had more presence of mind.
“I need you, Natalie,” he growled, his green eyes glowing with arousal. “I’m taking you to my hut.”
It wasn’t a question and he didn’t need my answer to know what it would be. My hand slipping under his loin wrap and skimming his shaft was all the answer he needed.
With a tortured groan, he scooped me up as if I weighed nothing at all. I’d spent my entire life being told I was too big, too tall, too fat, so I focused on my intellect. I never bothered to try to feel, and much less look, pretty. But here in his arms, I was practically delicate. For the first time in my life, I actually felt feminine.
And I liked it.
Once inside his hut, he sat me on his low bed and stood before me. The heat of his stare scorched my skin, but I couldn’t take my eyes off what was right in front of me. His silk wrap tented out so far that I was mesmerized. Being a scientist, I knew the names for every part of the body, inside and out, but I’d never seen anything except female anatomy in real life before.
With trembling fingers, I pulled one corner of his wrap free and held my breath. The shimmering silk fluttered open and then slipped down to the floor. I blinked furiously, not believing the size and beauty of his cock. My heart sped up and saliva pooled in my mouth.
I flicked my gaze up and met his eyes. Tender love tempered the fierceness of his desire, and any uncertainty that might have been lurking deep inside me vanished. A confidence I’d never experienced before consumed me. I knew I could reveal my inexperience to him without risk of embarrassment. I could explore and learn, and he would be my partner every step of the way.
Reaching up, I let my fingertips glide along his shaft, marveling at the silky texture and veiny terrain. Gripping loosely, I slid my hand up and down gently, afraid of hurting him, but his moan of pleasure gave me courage.
Licking my lips, I took the head into my mouth. I paused at his gasp but when his hands began stroking my hair, I continued licking and softly sucking. All the while my hand never stopped moving.
I knew the physiology behind erections and orgasms and sex, but to feel him hardening against my tongue was a revelation that sent tremors of need coursing through me. My core tightened and hummed, like a tensioned wire ready to snap.
“Natalie…” he sighed.
I wanted to keep going, but I could no longer wait to have him take me. Letting him fall from my lips, I scooted back until I lay prone.
“I need you, Markon,” I said, opening my arms wide.
His upper lip quivered in a half-snarl as he lowered himself to the bed next to me. Slowly and deliberately, he pulled my own wraps free, exposing me to his hot gaze. I didn’t feel the least bit self-conscious.
The way he devoured me with his eyes, drinking in every inch of my body, fueled the fire building within me. His hands explored every part of me, his tongue often following in their path, yet I felt hollow, empty. Even when he dipped his fingers inside me, I needed more.
“Take me,” I demanded, my own ferocity coming out in a hoarse growl. “Now!”
Pride flickered across his face and he smiled. “As you command, my love.”
Rolling onto his back, he surprised me by pulling me up until I straddled him. His hands rested on my hips lightly as he waited for me. He throbbed beneath me.
“I…”
He smiled. “I don’t want to hurt you. This way, you have all the control.”
Emotion swelled inside me at his thoughtfulness. Tilting my hips, I eased down on him until I felt intense pressure at my entrance. Markon laced his fingers between mine and latched onto my gaze, holding it firm. Gripping his fingers tight, I pressed down more and more, retreating when needed, then drawing him deeper again.
Each movement sent electric shockwaves skittering along my skin and deep into my bones. Nothing I ever imagined matched the sensations that threatened to overwhelm me. With one last dip, Markon was fully seated inside me and my entire body vibrated.
I could have stayed there forever, connected to him on a level I’d never known existed. I had no idea where he began and I ended. Then he twitched inside me and my body moved on its own accord. I was so slick that he moved easily as I pumped my hips up and down, slowly at first but quickly picking up speed.
Releasing my hands, he cupped my wildly bouncing breasts. A loud moan escaped me when he rolled my nipples between his fingers, and I clamped down on him. He reacted by thrusting deeper inside me. My entire body tensed. My head felt like it might explode at any moment.
Then his thumb found my clit.
As he circled the sensitive nub, every nerve, every cell contracted. I half-collapsed on his chest and my fingernails dug into his flesh as he brought me closer and closer. Never did my hips stop rolling and pumping.
Lightning flashed inside my head as all the tension in me collapsed on itself like a dying star, only to burst outward into the endless universe. Spasms wracked my body as Markon held my ass and thrust into my quivering walls until he threw his head back and roared with ecstasy.
What seemed like an hour later, my body rested on top of his, our sweat pooling between bodies and cooling our overheated flesh. Markon’s fingertips made tiny circles on my back, drawing bubblyflesh along my arms.
“Mmm, tickles,” I muttered, smiling placidly, one cheek pressed to his chest. I listened to the steady thump of his heart and wished we could lie here forever.
Shifting my body until I was lying at his side, nestled in the crook of his arm, I allowed myself to drift off. Full sleep eluded me, though. My body and brain floated on a soft, warm cushion of slumber.
Snippets of Warg life drifted though my consciousness — my Valley friend Yara teaching me how to create beautiful silk wraps, Chayma braiding Krindi’s fine, brown hair, the children of the Hill tribe singing a dinnertime song.
I became vaguely aware that I was humming the tune when Amma drifted through my thoughts. Then Markon hugged me tighter and I felt sleep taking me.
“We should go for a walk in the meadow sometime,” I mumbled.
“Mmmhmm,” he sighed.
And then we slept.
20
Markon
“Here you are, my love,” I said, putting a steaming bowl down on my small table. It had been a long time since I’d served breakfast to a lover. Natalie looked into it and wrinkled her nose.
“It’s pink. What is it?”
“Mash,” I laughed. “It’s the boiled seeds from helixgrass. Doesn’t grow well outside the meadow, though Bandrin has managed to coddle a few spindly plants for ceremonial purposes. Tastes similar to boiled reet. Or at least, that’s what I remember. It’s been a long time since I’ve eaten reet. “
She dipped her spork into the gooey mush and sniffed before taking a tiny bite. It must have not been unpleasant to her alien palate because she ate more heartily after that.
“I thought your two tribes split generations ago,” she said through a mouthful of mash.
“We did.”
“But reet only grows in the Valley, right?”
“Right.”
“So how have you ever tasted it?”
“Whenever we went on raids into Valley territory, reet was high on the list to, um, appropriate.”
She raised a skeptical eyebrow at me. “You mean steal.”
I shrugged. “We weren’t the only ones, you know. The Valley Wargs tried to get our resources, too. Besides, we never got much, and they’ve kept it well-protected for many years now.”
“Well, whatever this stuff is, it’s pretty good. Could use some su
gar, but otherwise, pretty good.”
“Sugar?” I had no idea what that word meant.
“You don’t know what sugar is?” she gasped. “It’s used to sweeten foods.”
“Oh, like dragonberry nectar. That’s a rare delicacy, but I think I have a tiny bit stashed away.”
I dug through my food supplies until I found a small acorn. “Here,” I said, thrusting at her.
She inspected the acorn for a moment before realizing the top lifted off. “Oh, how practical.”
She poured a drop of the nectar on her mash, and her eyes rolled back in her head when she took a bite. Her moan sounded just like the one she gave during our lovemaking.
“Oh, yeah, that’s the stuff!”
“Well, use it sparingly. That’s all I have. It takes months to collect an entire acorn’s worth.”
We ate in contented silence, secure in our love for one another. Still, as happy as I was in that moment, a part of me worried that, once she took the transformational bite, she might be fated to another.
“So, when do you want to do it?”
She snorted into her bowl. “We already did. Three times!”
“Not that. Although…” I shook the thought away. That could wait, for now. “I mean the bite. When do you want me to give you the bite that will turn you into a Warg? Personally, I think the sooner the better, but maybe you want your sisters here.”
I trailed off when I caught her astonished expression.
“What?” I asked.
“I told you from the very beginning that I wouldn’t take the bite until I found the cure.”
My heart sped up. “But now that we—“
“Now that we what?” she interrupted. My heart curled in on itself when she snorted a scornful laugh. “You really don’t know me at all, do you?”
“I do know you, Natalie. I know you’re committed to helping us, but…” I swallowed hard. “Finding the cure might take a long time, and a Terran isn’t built to carry a Warg whelp.”
Her spoon stopped halfway to her mouth. “Markon, I’m not going to have babies until there’s a fifty-fifty chance of having a girl.”
Markon's Claim: A SciFi Shifter Romance (The Last Alphas of Thracos Book 2) Page 10
