by Rena Marks
Misha becomes a little more bold with her accusations. “It is not fair that Shen’robi cannot make this astounding trip.”
Eretar shrugs as if uncaring. “It was her decision to challenge.”
She turns her back, pretending to not notice as Misha signals her slave to head back to Shen’robi’s cave.
Eretar translates for us, then adds, “Test the travois with the rocks you added. See if the slow-wits get the hint.”
The conversation in the room stops as the females of the tribe watch Diont and me lift the travois, seeing how high we can carry it. Their eyes are glued to the muscles stretched across our chests.
“Are you ready for the playacting?” Diont asks me, setting down his end of the travois.
“As ready as I’ll ever be.” I inject a guttural snarl into my voice, which belies the words, but they cannot understand our meaning anyway.
He smiles over at Eretar, who slinks to him. It is not difficult to pretend jealousy as I convince myself that she has rejected me for him.
“I cannot believe that I can’t kiss her the same way,” I snap.
“Not yet, my love,” she says softly, murmuring it against Diont’s lips.
I look down at my fisted palms, white-knuckled on the handles of the travois. As expected, the old woman Tshaby murmurs a few words under her breath.
I do not need the translation, because we planned out last night what she would say.
“If you had known the two males would make you choose, you did not need to fight over them earlier today.”
Eretar’s voice is biting as she answers as if she chastises the old woman. Then she sounds regretful.
She turns to me. “I believe it is working. Keep looking as if you are resigned to not being the one chosen.”
“How did I get this part to play?” I grumble softly, beginning to remove the glow rocks from the leather stretched tautly.
“Your personality is more challenging,” Diont says lightly.
It is easy to growl at him. “Fuck you.”
“That word again,” Eretar says. “I really must figure out how to use it.”
There is a soft moan from one of the cave entrances. The male slave is carrying Shen’robi, who is draped in furs, in his arms.
Her people make a show of fawning over her. It is all I can do not to snort as she plays the victim. She seems to forget she brought it on herself.
“You can do it,” Diont whispers the message to me, but he looks into Eretar’s eyes as if he is speaking to her.
I clean the last of the rocks off and then slowly walk toward Shen’robi. She blinks up at me, doe-eyed. I gesture to her fur slowly. When she makes no sound of protest, I take it gently, rubbing her arm with my thumb in a movement just between us. I fold the fur into a round lump and place it on the travois and then pat it, looking toward her.
Eretar breaks from Diont’s arms, hissing at me. “It’s working. They’ve just realized you’ve offered her a trip. Speak to me harshly as if you demand that I translate.”
“I love you with every breath in my heart. I cannot wait until you learn the meaning of the word fuck in the sense I mean it with you. I am going to fuck you so hard for putting me through this, you will beg for my cock a hundred times.”
“Hey, no fair making me wet,” she murmurs and then turns to the wide-eyed crowd.
“If Shen’robi wishes to make the trip, Atan—” She snarls my name as if upset. “—has offered to carry the bottom of the travois.”
“Did you tell them he offers because he wishes to press kisses to her gnarly toes?” Diont asks, his voice light.
I hiss, and it is just the reaction they need to make our playacting more convincing.
She turns to speak again, and I know without translation what the words are that she speaks.
“As my chosen male, Diont will lead the expedition.”
As if I wish to make Eretar jealous, I motion to Shen’robi’s slave to bring her to the travois. Very tenderly, I help him to lower her onto her stomach, her pelvis over the roll of fur to bump her swollen rear up. The edge of the fur extends over the top of the travois, so I used the top end to roll another cushion for her head. She can move it down to her chest if she wishes to prop herself to see ahead.
“Okay, tell her slave I will help him carry.”
“I do not like you having the view of her ass,” Eretar spits at me.
“I do not either, my love.” My voice is carefully neutral.
“Could be worse,” Diont says cheerily. “He could be carrying the front and she’d be staring at his ass.”
Eretar looks appalled.
“And,” Diont says to me but deliberately turns to Eretar because his voice is softer and he doesn’t want anyone to get the gist of what he’s saying to me. “As soon as we’re safely away from here, we can drop the pretense of our jealousy.”
Eretar smiles at Diont, and I’m sure it’s for me. “I’m glad. I don’t like him being left out of our triad.”
“I will kiss him for you,” Diont tells her and drops one on her forehead.
“That’s disgusting,” I say, but my voice is mild. We’re pretending to be cold with each other instead of bitterly angry right now.
“He protests too much.”
Eretar gives a delighted giggle at Diont’s teasing, and the sound warms me so much I have to bite the inside of my cheek to keep from grinning like a besotted fool.
Chapter Six
Countless suns later:
It has been so many rotations of the sun in the sky that I wonder if my males have forgotten about me. I am sure the tramps Shen’robi and Misha have been merciless in subjecting their wiles onto them. It would be the ultimate slap in my face to tempt one of my lovers.
If they fall for their wiles, I shall have to remember it is but a momentary fail. That our futures are not at loss because of a lapse in judgment.
What am I thinking? Of course, neither Diont nor Atan will be interested in anything offered by Misha or Shen’robi. It is my own fears, doubts, and insecurities speaking. Because I have been too long without their touch. Their caresses. The intense heat in their gaze.
“Eretar!” My brother yells.
I pull myself from the pool in which I’d been floating, drying off quickly as I head into the main shaft of the tribe caverns. It has certainly been quiet and peaceful with the other half gone.
“Yes?”
“They’re coming! Cobran and I were gathering the hookra root and saw movement on top of the great mountain. It should be a few hours before they arrive.”
Excitement hits my belly. “Get a feast prepared! Blaze the fires.” If I know my males, they’ll bring a few of the spider-beasts with legs or whatever else they can catch. I cannot believe they are finally back. I cannot believe they are taking me with them. And we are so close to my side traveling to learn of the other ways and of convincing the elders that change must be made.
The first change is allowing Hekran full rule without his owner’s presence. I am perfectly fine with staying in the surface village if my brother can be offered safety. And I honestly think we can swing it. The elders were most agreeable while the others were gone. It seems their primary goal is to keep our tribe intact, and they value honor above all else. I gained that when Shen’robi tried to trick me into fighting to the death.
My body feels ultra-sexed. The entire time they were gone, I honed my skills. I introduced my own people to the surface people’s way of hunting. I showed them the trees where we could pick the full-grown pods that grew into shapes an infant could sleep in—those which Valencia and Atareek had me help carry. I showed them how surface people looked for nearby caves and stocked them with furs, fuel, and food, then sealed them against the night creatures for emergency protection when traveling. I instructed them on how the caves must have an exit opening in the ceiling for smoke and how it must be high enough and narrow enough that outside creatures cannot get in but smoke can escape. I explained how the surface dwelle
rs had so much more to teach us about survival in the outer world so that we could always be prepared. I told them of their stories, the abductions by alien life forms. Now all that is left is for my people to experience what I’ve seen. To see the hybrid babies and the new species called human. To see for themselves how different a way of life is when people choose to be together without being forced. Without slavery. To see siblings love each other instead of rivaling against each other.
And, to be fair, I wanted to train my body to be at the peak of health. Although I bested Shen’robi and Misha once, I don’t want to be at their mercy should they have another trick up their sleeves.
“Eretar!”
Suddenly, my males are here. Atan spots me from across the cavern, his hair swept into a new style, a mass of tiny braids. My heart bursts when I realize Diont has probably braided his hair for him. My males have grown closer in their loneliness without me. I knew they had the potential, I saw it the day Diont defended Atan against his brother’s teasing. I saw it again when Diont showed Atan that his perception of family was skewed because he was second born, a late in life baby. But for Atan to sit still and accept Diont’s touch? It was well worth the challenge of the separation.
I fling myself into his large arms and he lifts me easily, squeezing me so tightly I can barely breathe. I smother kisses all over his gorgeous face.
And then Diont is there, and I’m clinging like a shallga to Atan but reaching to Diont and enjoying kisses from both of them. I don’t care who watches. I don’t care that we tricked others into thinking Atan dropped from our relationship.
All I care about is my mates are here.
“I missed you so much,” Atan breathes through kisses. “You are smaller. You feel strong but so small.”
“I could barely eat without worrying over my mates,” I tease.
I see the flicker in his eyes when he realizes I have called them my mates for the first time. Always before this, it has been my males.
“We will have to feed you, my queen,” Diont murmurs. “And I shall have to braid that dreadful blue hair into a more becoming crown for royalty.”
I laugh because we both know touching my hair will simply mess it up when he tosses me into the furs.
“Mmm, perhaps I love when your hair is barbaric,” he acknowledges. “Swinging all over my groin…”
My eyes go wide and then I burst into laughter because this time, others can understand us.
“He is incorrigible now,” Atan says. “But most days, I had to pry him from his nest. He wouldn’t eat. He just moped, pining for his queen.”
“It is true,” Diont agrees. “I could only sleep if Atan would lay his little head across my chest to mimic your sleeping position.”
Instead of snarling a response the way he would in the past, Atan rolls his eyes. “I drew the line at his request to wear one of your little leather skirts and halter tops.”
My laughter rings throughout the caverns. This. This camaraderie that has developed between us is exactly what I’ve been preparing my tribe for.
Family.
My mates and I have it. We’ll always have it, no matter what. Separation of time, separation of distance. Two of us will learn to lean on each other until our third is there to complete the triad.
“You are both perfect in every way.” I tighten my legs and one arm around Atan, while I lay my head on Diont’s strong shoulder and squeeze him with my other arm.
“We missed you as well, beautiful,” Atan murmurs.
Hekran clears his throat. I slide from Atan’s body, not missing the erection straining his loincloth. Hekran crosses his arms across his chest, fists to his shoulders, and bows his head to Diont, then does the same to Atan.
“It is a sign among royalty,” I whisper to my mate. “If you accept his wishes of good fortune, you do it back. He is accepting you into our family.”
Both of my mates do the ritual, and smiles break out.
Except for on Misha and Jonanth, who huddle together and whisper. Shen’robi has a large smile plastered on her face, and the jealous night creature within me is convinced it is fake.
“I am starving,” she says. “Trekking across the land works up an appetite. The travois contains a kill your two males captured.”
She is careful not to have a tone in her voice when she says ‘your two males,’ but she is making a point of it. I do not care because she is now tail-less for my right to both males. The old me would have pointed out that trekking across the land was more strenuous for those who carried her the first time, but instead, I smile rather queenly.
“Let us feast.”
Children begin running across the polished rock floors, streaking by as they head to the swimming pools they’ve been so long without. For them, it is good to be home while I cannot wait to get out. A day. I can wait a mere day for Atan and Diont to catch up on sleep.
I am in my favorite spot between my males, helping them to skin the creature they have brought.
“Eretar,” Shen’robi calls out. “Leave it for the slaves to prepare.”
Suspecting that she is not being nice for the sake of it, I shake my head. She is so selfish. “They had a long trek also. Besides, it goes much smoother when more hands are working.”
Which she should have learned on her trip. Instead, the tail-less bitch shrugs. “Up to you.”
“Why is she suddenly your best friend?” Diont murmurs.
“Perhaps trying to get me away from my males?” I smile wide. “As if that’ll happen. I’d much rather be hands deep in bloody carcass with you two than lounging on a chair with her.”
Atan snorts. “That’s my queen.”
We’re cutting long strips of meat and poking them onto wet branches so the others who are roasting can add the meat to the feast we are having for dinner.
“How did you know to prepare so much food?” Atan asks.
“Hekran saw your movement on the great mountain. He rushed home to let me know you’d be here later today.”
“Ah, yes,” Diont says, teasing in his tone. “When Atan realized how close we were, he charged full speed ahead. To hell with the exhausted people. He just wanted to get here fast.”
“And of course, your best friend wanted to slow down. Claimed she wanted to look around the mountain to collect things.”
“He threatened to leave her there,” Diont says on a chuckle.
I laugh myself. “And she’s still pretending to be so friendly?”
Atan shrugs. “We’re used to it. She’s kept up the pretense for most of the way there and back. During the time in the village, we were able to avoid her as we spent our time out hunting to help feed all the new mouths.”
I shiver. “And this was the rainy season. How miserable for you.”
“More miserable to be cooped up with her.”
Diont laughs. “Agreed.”
But the information makes me cringe. The rest of us are excited to go, and the villagers are probably sighing with relief that they just got rid of a batch.
“Are you sure your people will want so many of us back? Perhaps we wore out our welcome?”
“No need to worry,” Diont says. “Before the language was implanted, we made sure to explain this was the whiny bunch. The ones who covet your throne. Besides, Valencia recognized—” he deliberately leaves out a name though we are whispering. “And we had to tell her another fight occurred. She says she’s proud of you, by the way, and she’s protecting your man on her side.”
I laugh at my friend’s antics. “She will never let me live it down that Atareek is considered my property.”
“He tells everyone he is a kept male,” Atan agrees.
“Speaking of kept males,” Diont says quietly. “Will we be in your chambers tonight?”
“Just try to stay away,” I say. “It’s been too long since I’ve had your touch.”
“There will be no ramifications?” Atan asks.
“No. I already won the right to have yo
u.” I grin and lean in to kiss the tip of his nose. “I own you, barbarian.”
“Well, that’s sexy,” Diont mutters. “I never thought I’d be such a watcher.”
“What are you talking about? You’ve always been a watcher. I told you you’re a pervert,” Atan says to him. “Now you finally get it.”
“Yeah, but you used to tell me that before Eretar. I thought it was just jealousy.”
“It was,” Atan says. “But then she looked at me with interest, too.”
“Let’s go wash our hands,” I say, as one of the males comes for the last of the meat and begins cleaning up for us. “Cobran, you’re welcome to come with us to the pool.”
“Nah, I’m good,” he says, winking his eye. “I am not a watcher.”
A startled laugh gurgles from me. “Cobran!”
He makes his way to the others who are putting the meat on the heated rocks.
I translate one final time for Atan and Diont, giving them a laugh. I can’t wait for the day when the rest speak the language. Translation can get old.
Chapter Eight
Eretar:
Dinner is a quiet affair. At least this time, enough people speak English that Diont and Atan are not so lost during the conversation. The two halves of our tribe, despite our differences, seem eager to see each other again. For once, it seems both sides are united with each other. Everyone is happy with tensions eased.
The slightest mar on the homecoming is the fact that Shen’robi’s eyes still narrow when she sees me with both Diont and Atan. However, there is nothing she can say or do. While we tricked her into thinking I only had Diont, it’s obvious now that’s not the case. I wonder if she tried to make the moves on him when she healed? I’d imagine so. And I’ll bet she was frustrated to be turned down. I’d imagine she then tried Atan, thinking he’d be an easier conquest since he was bitter over being left out. Surprise, surprise. Especially with the way he and Diont are bonded now. I don’t doubt my males at all now that they are back.
“I was quite impressed with the way of life the surface people have grown into, though I prefer our underground existence,” Shen’robi says in human. I translate for my side of the tribe. To my surprise, one of her people moves closer to my side to help translate. The olive branch is reaching. Perhaps the other side of the tribe missed our home.
