“I guess it depends... what do you guys do when you like someone?”
“You already know that,” Teila snapped at me, “You two were doing it all night!”
I blushed and pursed my lips at the venom in her voice.
Bitch! Bitch! Bitch! I wanted to scream, but I had a better idea.
No skinny red tooth pick is going to act shitty with me and get away with it.
“So sorry we kept you up, Tatas,” I smiled sweetly as I butchered her name, “But us humans are horny little bastards. It’s a good thing Kieve has two cocks or I’d never let the poor guy sleep.”
Kieve laughed uproariously and set down his ritual breakfast cup of dark chocolate mint sludge. He picked me up and headed to the front door with me in his arms.
Sieren shook his head at us, smiling, and Teivel stopped mid chew as his jaw dropped.
“Come, my insatiable mate! We have shaxnas to tend to!”
“Yes, demon lover! To the shaxnas!” I crowed in my best ‘heave ho!’ voice.
****
Lunch rolled around and we made our way back to the house.
“You know, with you helping me, everything gets done in half the time. You’re a hard worker, mate. Thank you.”
“No problem, lovveerr boy.” I drew out the word, “You can thank me later,” I danced a little around him, holding his hand, grinning with a wink.
He chuckled at my antics.
When we reached the house he paused.
"I'll be right in, baby. I want to go check on something first."
"Oh, okay," I agreed and gave him a quick peck on the lips.
I watched him saunter away towards the barn.
Mmmm…
Good grief, he has a sexy rump!
“You two are perfect for each other,” Teila clipped at me from the front porch swing.
She was filing her nails and had on a really fancy get up.
Someone was dressed to the nines to play in the mud.
I sighed inwardly, ready to be the bigger person in this particular scenario.
"Look, if we're both going to live under the same roof, I don't want us to be at each other all the time. Truce," I tried and held out my hand.
She snorted and sniffed snootily at my proffered hand.
"Why should I worry about something as insignificant as you? You're no threat to me. Go play with your mate and leave me alone." She sniffed disdainfully in my general direction, shooing me away.
"As long as you don't get any ideas about making a move on my man, then you've got it, sister." I grinned menacingly, baring teeth, giving her a warning look.
"Oh," she laughed mockingly, "You don't have to worry about that. I wouldn't touch your mate if he was the last male in this galaxy or the next."
"Good," I said smugly, "you wouldn't be able to handle someone as virile as him anyways."
She rolled her eyes at me and blew on her finger nails.
"Oh and Teila?" I called as I opened the screen door.
She looked up at me and raised a brow.
"Same goes for me."
She blinked uncomprehendingly and frowned.
I smiled widely.
"Huh?" she asked, confused.
"I wouldn't touch your mate if he was the last male in existence!"
I flung the front door open and walked right in.
I stepped over Teivel and Sieren as they sprawled on the floor in the entryway by the hall, trying to untangle themselves and look innocent doing it.
They suck at it, by the way.
They looked like they’d been trying to ease drop from the hall and had tripped over each other in their haste to fall back when I flung the door open.
Probably trying to play it casual and failing miserably.
I snorted when they both blushed blue.
"Scuse me, boys." I chuckled to myself and walked to the kitchen to wash up.
****
"What are you doing?" Sieren asked as he walked up to me, sitting down beside me on the ground.
His shoulders were huge and bulged with muscles, flexing as he settled himself.
He looks like a giant, red fleshed add for steroids.
He crossed his tree trunk sized legs and scooted around to get comfortable.
"Making a flower chain," I explained and placed the crown of flowers on my head.
"Whadda ya think?" Arms stretched out, I gave a queenly pose.
Sieren laughed and plucked up a flower.
"Very… regal." He grinned and laughed at me.
I started to make another chain, this one a necklace and glanced up at Kieve as he rode around on his talanax.
"You really like him, huh?" Sieren asked quietly, playing with a blade of grass.
"I love him," I told him honestly and waved at Kieve when he glanced over and smiled at me. "Why is that so hard for you to believe?"
"What is love?"
"He holds my heart. Love means the same thing."
"Oh," he said simply.
He fell silent after that and I welcomed the reprieve from his usual fifty questions, hurled at me a mile a minute.
Not that I don't admire his inquisitiveness, or the absurdity of some of them that has me in stitches, but sometimes a gal needs a break.
Glancing around, he snorted at Chub strutting around with a bunch of flower chains on his neck.
He looked at me dubiously and I shrugged.
"What? Don't judge. He likes it," I giggled.
Chub came up to me, chuffed happily and licked my hand.
"You look handsome, don't you, baby?" I asked my little Chub a bubba, giving my little buddy mushy air kisses.
He wiggled excitedly and tried to lick my face.
"Go herd some shaxnas, you handsome little devil you!" I cooed.
He took off and raced for the field in front of us.
"You are an odd female, chomcharra."
I shrugged again and grinned unrepentantly.
"So you say."
"It is not a bad thing. It is just... different," he amended.
"You know, you still didn't answer my question."
"What question?" he asked, trying to mimic my chain technique.
Who ever thought I would be sitting in a field of shaxnas and flowers, making flower chains with a bulked up Sodraden who looks like he bench presses cars for fun?
Not me!
I put my newly finished chain around my neck and started on another one.
"Why are you bald? Is it the sex thing or something else? Hmmmm... Oh, I know! Are you old? Erm, I mean, are you older?"
"What?! Who says I'm old?" he huffed.
"No one! I was just guessing." I looked down and watched my hands so I didn't crack up.
If I look at him, I know I will.
"Well, I'm not."
"Whatever you say, dude." I put my hands up, shrugging.
I don’t think he appreciates my placating tone.
His eyes narrowed and he crossed his arms over his chest.
"Did Kieve say it? I'm only fifteen revolutions more than him, that's not old." His voice was getting all huffy.
"How old are you, anyhow?" I asked, curious now.
"Thirty four revolutions."
He doesn’t look thirty four, I thought idly, studying him.
Took me a minute before I realized he’d started glancing at me, waiting for me to respond.
"Oh, that's not old," I assured him.
"Thank you, chomcharra." He immediately brightened right up, smiling again, happy to have someone on his side.
Hmmm.... Thirty four…
If he's thirty four and Kieve is fifteen years younger...
"Oh, my god! If you're thirty four, then Kieve is only nineteen!"
"Yes," Sieren agreed, fingers fumbling to tie two flowers together.
"I'm a cradle robber!" I cried, dropping my new flower chain.
"What's that?" He paused in making his own, frowning down at it to look up at me again.
&nbs
p; "I've been dipping in the young bucket!" I blurted, holding my hands up to my cheeks in distress.
"Oh," Sieren laughed. "You think you are old now," he chortled.
"Stop laughing! This isn't funny!" I scowled.
He laughed harder and I whacked him.
He put his hands up defensively and let out a deep belly laugh.
I slapped at him some more, but this only seemed to keep him going.
"Stupid... laughing... clown! Thinks everything is so funny," I muttered.
I got up and started walking to a different spot.
"Wait! Where are you going, chomharra?" he managed to gasp out.
"Away from you!"
"Sieren! Quit teasing my female!" Kieve called, riding up to me.
He held out his arms and lifted me up, placing me in front of him.
"Why didn't you tell me you were nineteen?" I accused, crossing my arms over my chest.
"Because age doesn't matter to me. I love you and you love me. We have each other's hearts and that is what I care about."
His arms wrapped around me and I leaned back, savoring his warmth.
I grumbled, but let my arms trace over his.
"Well said, sir. Nice save."
"Thank you, baby. I always aim to please you," he murmured huskily and licked the shell of my ear.
"Keep talking like that, you cheeky little demon and I'll make you pull this beastie over right this minute, mister!"
Chapter 14
"Where is everybody?" I asked as we made our way downstairs for morning meal.
"It is just us for the next few days, baby," Kieve said with a wink, "Teila said she had to go to the inlet for some things and Sieren is a half a day's ride away by talanax, helping one of the other shaxna herders. His mate is having a 'baby' as you call it, or for us Sodraden, a youngling."
"Do you use my words instead of yours sometimes for my benefit?" I asked as the thought struck me.
"Yes, it makes it easier. I also find your words more interesting," he assured me and gave me a quick nuzzle to my temple.
"Oh, well, thank you then. What's an inlet?"
"It's like your Earth stores you told me about, but much more basic."
"Bare essentials." I nodded. “Gotcha.”
I walked over to the counter and started grabbing out everything I'd need.
"Alright, my bottomless pit, how do you want your eggs?"
He didn't answer, so I turned around and snorted when he wasn't there.
"I thought he said he was starving," I told the empty room. "Oh, well," I called out loudly, "more for me!"
"More what for you?" Kieve called as he walked back into the room.
He had his hands behind his back and a pleased smile on his face.
"Whatcha got there, handsome?" I teased.
"Who? Me? Oh, nothing..." he said slowly, drawing it out as he approached me.
I smiled, enjoying his game.
"Hmmm... then show me your nothing." I grinned and reached up to play with the ties of his shirt.
He brought his hands forward and held out a clam shaped and sized object to me. It was almost pearlescent with its shiny hard surface. The color of the hard shiny outside was a beautiful electric blue that made me think of Sieren's crazy eyes.
"For me?" I asked, surprised.
He nodded and took my hand in his, placing it in the palm of my hand.
I closed my fingers over it and gripped his shirt, pulling him down with my other to kiss him silly.
We jumped apart when my clam started to vibrate. I opened my palm up and the top of it came off, gravitating above the bottom piece, the haunting melody that Kieve used to sing to me coming out of it.
The sounds it emitted reminded me of the chiming notes on a music box.
"You put our song in it," I whispered happily, holding it out for him to see, pleased with my gift.
"No," he grinned, "You did."
"Huh?"
"You did. When you touch it, the compla plays what you want to hear."
"Oooh. I love it! Thank you, Kieve! I'll treasure it always."
I closed my eyes and cupped my hands over the compla. I opened my hands up and waited. It closed and opened again and a new song tinkled out.
It was a love song.
I set it down on the counter and took Kieve's hands in mine.
"Dance with me, demon lover," I commanded in an imperious tone.
"Dance? Mmmm..." he smiled crookedly and looked at me funny.
"Come on," I cajoled, "For me."
I looked up at him with big doe eyes and batted my lashes.
"Sodraden don't really have any dances for females. I don't think you want to do a warrior’s dance, baby. You don' look like you'd be good at catching a flaming sword. ...or tossing one for that matter."
I paused at that.
"You don't have any couples dances? What the heck do you guys do for a little fun around here? I mean, really," I huffed, warming up to my shtick. "You don't have television, no movies, no malls or bowling alleys... I have yet to see any form of fun. Erm, other than sex and riding around on a talanax chasing wayward shaxnas all day."
"Yes, that pretty much sums it up. We aren't a very interesting sort I guess," he laughed.
"If I wasn't here, what would you do with your free time?" I asked curiously.
"Masturbate," he said immediately and laughed when I slapped his chest.
"I meant besides that and you know it!" I huffed.
"Alright. Alright. Hmmm...." He grew thoughtful, cupping his chin in his hand. "I would sharpen my blades, fix anything that needs fixing. There's always something breaking around here. I don't know...” He shrugged, “I'm really not that interesting."
"Of course you are," I insisted, "you like to sing and you have a beautiful voice."
"Males don't want to be beautiful, baby," Kieve complained, grimacing at me.
"Okay, fine. You're uglier than a hairy talanax butt and you sound like a love sick chomcharra when you sing. Happy now?" I grumbled, throwing my arms up in exasperation.
"Yes," he chuckled and pulled me close.
"I don't like you right now," I mumbled into his shirt.
He ignored my mumbles, reaching over on the counter, closing my compla to turn it off.
He ran his fingers through my hair, singing our song to me, his lovely voice vibrating his chest, making me smile as he held me against him.
I soaked up the lyrics as he sang.
It was a love song, but it was also sad.
I closed my eyes and listened as he crooned to me softly.
"For only those who truly do,
shall their love burn so bright.
My heart is yours until I end,
maybe more so when I die.
For I will watch for you, my heart,
by the hall where heroes lie
and shun the chance at a warrior's peace
to see you one last time."
"What does he mean, 'see you one last time'? Won't they be together in death?" I asked, looking up at him.
"No. When a Sodraden warrior dies, he goes to a place of honor reserved only for war heroes."
"The hall where heroes lie," I murmured. "Kind of like Valhalla or hero's heaven," I said thoughtfully. "What happens if he doesn't go there? Can't he just go with her to regular heaven too?"
"No." He shook his head. "If he shuns 'hero's heaven' as you call it, he'll be stuck in between planes, not alive and not dead. A restless entity that roams about aimlessly, dead to both worlds, but alive to himself."
"A ghost." I nodded, seeing the similarities. "How sad... and he'd do it at the chance to see her one more time. That's ridiculously romantic. ...in a very heartrending sort of way."
I frowned as I let that soak in.
"Okay, now I'm a little depressed."
"I haven't finished the song yet. You interrupted me," he shot back in a faux prim voice.
"Well, excuse me. By all means, finish please,
" I mimicked in the same prim tone.
He tugged on my braid and pulled me back against him.
I swayed from side to side, putting my hands on his hips to get him to move with me as he began to sing again.
"My warrior mate,
fret not for me,
don't shun your warrior's peace.
For if you do,
I'll shun peace too
and join your disparity.
If you should choose your hero's peace,
don't worry so, my mate.
I'll don your skins and hold your sword,
to take when death awaits.
I'll shake the walls of heroes’ hall
I'll slash your sword at Fate.
I'll prove myself as worthy too.
There'll be no great debate.
And when you see me, warrior mine,
you'll know my words were true.
Nothing could stop me from my quest
to find my way to you."
"A woman staking her claim. I like it.” I grinned.
A woman after my own heart.
“Who sang the song first?" I asked, wondering where he'd picked it up from.
Do they have Sodraden karaoke nights at a local tavern? I thought and giggled.
"I made it up," he admitted reluctantly.
Really? I thought, impressed.
"Hmmm... a lover and a poet. My, my, demon lover. What else are you keeping from me?" I asked saucily and pinched his rump.
He yelped and jumped back at the unexpected nip from my fingers to his sweet red, pants covered derriere.
He flushed blue.
Sexy and so adorable! How did I get so lucky?
"We'll save the dancing lessons for later, my love," I winked, "I'm hungry and these pink eggs aren't going to cook themselves."
****
I rolled over in the funny yellow grass, my arms up high over my head, stretching my over worked muscles from our latest foray into recreational, outdoor sex.
Mmmm... mmm... mmm...
I grinned up at Kieve as he smiled down at me, bracing his body over mine.
"Liked that, baby?" he asked on a chuckle, amused by my cheshire cat grin.
"Mmm... maybe a little," I hedged.
"A little?" he scoffed, raising a perfectly shaped black brow, "If you only liked it a little, then why were you scaring the shaxnas, shouting out my name?"
Of Another Dimension Page 12
