ZOLAYA

After a moment’s hesitation, she does. Air-ee folds her legs gracefully under her and then grimaces. “My boots are still wet.”

“Give me your foot,” I tell her, and when she offers it, I strip her boots off and then take mine off, too. “Are you cold?”

“Not right now. It’s strange. Your cave feels warmer than a cave should.”

I take her hands in mine and move forward until my knees brush against hers. Now we are sitting facing each other, legs crossed, and linked by joined hands. “It is a comfortable place to live,” I reassure her. “The caves are warm, and there is a heated pool to swim in. It is not so bad here.”

She nods quietly, her hands light in mine.

I give them a little jiggle. “Let us breathe together, yes? Once we have done that, you can tell me your fears and we will talk them out.” It is part of a routine we are establishing, her and me. It helps her to talk things through, to ease these thoughts out of the frantic whirl of her mind. When she nods again, I inhale deeply, and she begins to match her breath to mine. In and out, slowly and steadily, we breathe together. Our khuis hum a gentle song—well, not so gentle. Mine is growing more and more insistent with each day that passes. It wants me to claim her as my own, and the thought is constantly on my mind.

The moment must be right, though.

As we breathe, the world seems to slide away. There is something very soothing in sitting here in silence, holding my mate’s hands as we breathe in time with one another. I notice little things even with my eyes closed, like that the fingers that rest in my hands have bitten, jagged nails. That she has a light, sweaty scent after all of the travel and will probably want to bathe. That I still enjoy the scent of her despite the sweat. That her hands tickle against mine and make my cock hard, because now I am imagining them stroking my length—

A scratch at the privacy screen jars both of us out of our reverie. Air-ee gasps and her hands clench in mine, even as Farli’s giggle trails into the cave.

“I know you are not mating yet,” Farli calls out in a sing-song voice. “Because I do not hear anything but the song of your khuis. Open up! I brought you blankets.”

I give my Air-ee an apologetic grin and get to my feet. “I will be but a moment,” I murmur. When I get to the screen, I only open it a crack, because I do not want her to see how hard my cock is. Farli’s young face is grinning like the kit she swears she no longer is. “Farli,” I chide. “Do you not have an elder you can go harass?”

“I do.” She giggles again and holds out an armful of blankets. “But you are more fun.” I take them from her and she cranes her head, trying to see past me to look at Air-ee. “I want to see what another human looks like and I did not get a good look—”

“Later,” I tell her, closing the screen on her face. “Go and wait for Vektal. He should be coming soon.”

That sends her into more giggles, but Farli does not scratch at the leather screen again. I turn back to my mate, tossing the blankets down across from us, and notice that her cheeks are bright with color.

“I guess it’s a good thing we were just breathing,” Air-ee tells me in that tight little tone that speaks of her embarrassment.

“If I was deep inside your cunt, she would not have come to the entrance,” I reassure her. “We would have been making far too much noise.”

She shakes her head at me. “You’re terrible. Someday I’m going to stop being shocked by the things you say.”

“I will be sad when that day arrives,” I admit. “I like to see your face grow pink.” I sit down across from her once more and take her hands in mine. They no longer tremble, but I can feel her khui humming all through her. It is a different sort of vibration, I think, and a much more pleasant one. The cornered look is gone from her eyes, as well. “Do you need to keep breathing?”

Air-ee thinks for a moment, and then shakes her head. “I think I’m okay. Still a little on edge, but better.” She squeezes my hands. “What now? Do we keep hiding in here? Won’t someone come look for us?”

“We are not hiding, my mate,” I tell her. “We are claiming this cave as ours.”

“Are we?” She looks around as if seeing it for the first time. “It’s definitely cozy, but…whose stuff is this?” She tilts her head, indicating the woven baskets lined along the edge of the wall. “Is this yours?”

“No, I have had no cave of my own since I have no family. When I am here, I put my furs down in the hunters’ cave. It is expected that most of us spend our time on the trails hunting and gathering food for the long brutal season.”

Her grip tightens. “Oh.”

“But now that I am mated, I will leave the longest trips for those with no families of their own. I imagine I will still have to go out regularly, but not as often as before.” I nudge her knee. “And not until you are used to this place.”

“Okay.” She gazes at the cave walls, eyeing our new home. “So this is our place.”

“Are you disappointed?”

“No.” Air-ee looks thoughtful. “It’s better than what I thought it would be when someone mentioned ‘caves.’ This is pretty spacious, just a little smaller than my apartment back at home, and the ceiling is high enough. With a little decorating, this could be cute.”

“I will leave that to you. Make this as you want. I am happy just to be sharing furs with you.”

Her smile widens and she glances behind me. “So that’s what you guys use for doors? A skin stretched over a frame?”

“It is a privacy screen,” I explain. “When it is over a door, it is as if we are not here. No one will enter and disturb us.”

“Oh.” Her cheeks flush again. “So basically they are going to assume…”

“Yes. But the resonance would have made them think that anyhow.”

“This is rather public.”

“There is nothing to be ashamed of. Resonance is a gift. Those who did not resonate are jealous of our joy. Those who have resonated in the past will hold their mates closer and think fondly of the days when their khuis sang to each other.” I rub my thumb over her hand. “Resonance is always a good thing. New life is always welcome.”

“I guess it is, especially in a tribe like yours, when things were getting precarious. Is it true you guys only had four women before we got here?”

I nod. “Maylak, who is mated. Asha, who is mated. Kemli, who is the mother of many, and Sevvah, who has more gray in her mane than black, though she would growl at me to hear that said aloud. There was no one for me.”

“There’s the girl that came to the door,” Air-ee points out. “Though she’s a bit young for you.” At my look of disgust, she giggles. “Not your thing?”

“She is as a little sister to me and still very much a child. Perhaps it would be different when she is as old as I am, but perhaps not.” I shake my head. “I cannot even think of such a thing. To me there is my Air-ee-aw-nuh and no one else. I cannot imagine my khui resonating for another. You are the perfect mate for me.”

My words make her tentative smile falter. “I don’t know how perfect I am, sorry. Not with my issues.”

“You are the perfect mate for me,” I state again. “Do not let your mind-avalanche tell you otherwise.” When she shrugs, I decide that it is time enough for talking. If she is feeling better, I will begin my plan to relax her. I get to my feet. “Come and sit on the bed. It is warmer than the stone floor.”

Air-ee gets up and moves there, her body brushing against mine. “So what now? Do we just hide in here until we feel like we’re ready to go out and meet the others?”

“Mmm. I have a plan.”

“You do? What plan?” She sits down on the furs gracefully and tucks her legs under her, watching me with curious eyes.

I get down on my knees and prowl forward on the furs. “I am going to lick your cunt until you come at least twice. Then when you are all soft and relaxed, we can go out.”

Her breath catches in her throat. Her eyes go wide and she stares at me in surprise. “Zolaya,” she whispers, and I can hear her khui humming a loud song. “Are you trying to shock me again?”

“No, I am telling you what I am going to do.” I prowl toward her and she leans back, and when I press a hand gently to her shoulder, she goes back onto the furs, her breathing rapid, her gaze locked on me. “Unless you do not wish for me to touch you?”

Air-ee gives a little half-moan, the look on her face the same soft expression of desire after we have kissed for endless moments. “You know I like it when you touch me.”

“Good. Then I am going to lick your cunt.” I press a light kiss to her mouth and then put my hands on the waist of her leggings. “Relax and let me enjoy you.”

She squirms on the furs, as if just my words are making her wild with need. “Zo,” she breathes. “What about—”

“The others?” I growl low in my throat. “Let them think what they want. I do not care. Do they know I am besotted with resonance need? Of course I am. I have a lovely mate and her smell is intoxicating. Her taste is even better. No one will blame me.”

Air-ee chuckles. “I was going to say, what about you? Can I taste you afterward?”

I groan and close my eyes, remembering when she took me in her mouth. My cock aches so fiercely at the thought that I do not think I will last if she does so. “Not this day. My control is already strained.”

“When are we going to do it for real?” she asks, sliding a hand over my shoulder and rubbing at the line of a muscle. “Fulfill resonance all the way?”

“When you are ready,” I tell her, pulling apart the tie on her waistband. Air-ee is smaller than the last owner of these leggings and has to make many knots in them to keep them on her hips. I am tempted to rip the leather apart just to get to her, but she does not have much clothing, and I know she values every piece she has.

“What if I’m ready now?”

I look up at her, surprised. “You are?”

She licks her lips and moves her hand from my shoulder to my jaw, lightly caressing my cheek. “I don’t see what we’re waiting for, that’s all. I want you. You want me. We’ve already explored each other in a lot of ways…I’m not anxious about mating, if that’s what you’re wondering.” Her little smile is rueful. “You might be the only thing I’m not anxious about. It’s just easy to be with you. I feel safe, and I know you love me. I don’t see why we’re waiting, that’s all.”

“I…wanted you to be sure.”

“Has a cootie ever changed its mind?”

“No.”

“Then does it matter if I’m sure?”

“To me it does.”

Her expression goes soft and she gives me the loveliest smile. “And that’s why I adore you. You’re wonderful, Zolaya. I love touching with you and being with you. I love the way you think and how you’re always there for me. And you’re not too bad to look at, either.” Her voice takes on a note that is both shy and teasing at once and she shifts on the bed, reaching for me. “So yes, I am sure.”

I am stunned to hear such a thing. Did ever a male have a more perfect mate? I do not know how I got so lucky, but I feel more possessive and protective of my sweet Air-ee than ever before. It feels right that in our first night in the home cave together, in our new den together, we will fulfill resonance. It is perfect.

“You are wondrous, my mate,” I tell her, moving over her so I can kiss her soft, smiling mouth.

Her arms go around my neck and she kisses me timidly at first. My tongue strokes against hers until she is breathless, and then she pulls away from me, panting. “You’re sure we won’t get interrupted?” She glances past my shoulder to look at the entryway to the storage cave. “No one’s going to come in?”

“I promise.”

Air-ee’s eyes flare with mischief. “Then let’s get naked.”

Did I think I could not love her more than a moment ago? Clearly I was wrong. With a laugh, I undo the ties of my loincloth and toss it aside, then I help her undress. I understand the need for so many layers for my fragile human, but I snarl at how long it is taking for me to take them off of her. There are leggings. Warm casings for her feet that she calls “socks” and that go inside her boot. An over-tunic. A belt. An under-tunic made of lighter leather. Even underneath those, I see that she has on a band over her teats and a pair of short leather leggings that do not go past her hips. Humans really do like their layers.

But then she sits upright and pulls off the band over her teats. They bounce so enticingly that I am speechless. This is my first time to see such a thing and I am surprised at how rounded and full they are. Sa-khui women have much flatter chests, and they bulge only slightly when nursing. Hers seem to be swollen all the time, and it makes my cock ache to see her teats with such pert, pink little nipples.

“What’s wrong?” she asks as I stare at her.

“Humans are…” I clear my throat, trying to think of something to say that will not offend her. Then I give up. “You have big teats.”

She blinks, and then giggles. To my surprise, she gives her chest a little shake and her teats jiggle oh-so-enticingly. “If that’s bad, then why do you keep staring?”

“Because I think I like it too much,” I admit. I did not realize that I would find it arousing, but now I cannot stop staring at the wealth of them. All that pale, rounded flesh, tipped by a taut nipple.

She cups them with her hands and I look at her, shocked. There is a teasing expression on my Air-ee’s face as she bites her lip and then slides her fingers down her teats, teasing her own nipples.

My breath explodes from my lungs and I wrap my arms around her, burying my face against that enticing flesh. She gasps, and then her hands dig into my mane, holding me against her as I rub my jaw along the swells of her chest. Lovely. Perfect and lovely and all mine. I can hardly believe my luck. “Are they sensitive?” I murmur as I brush my lips over her skin, unable to pull away. There is…just so much. I am overwhelmed.

“Yes,” Air-ee says. “Especially the tips.”

“I am going to touch them,” I tell her. Because I do not think I will be able to stop myself.

“I wish you would.” There is such an ache in her voice, and she arches as she lies back on the furs, taunting me.