WARREK

Harrec jogs back to my sled at about midday, a huge grin on his face.

I say nothing, keeping my expression carefully blank. I can guess what he is about to ask about. Perhaps I should apologize for startling him, but no. I will not apologize for making my mate scream with pleasure. For making her cunt grow wet with her release. I will never apologize for these things…because I intend on making them happen on a regular basis.

“Can I walk with you, my friend?” Harrec moves to my side, not waiting for an answer.

I nod. Today, my sled does not feel so heavy, nor the walk so long. The weather is dreary, but it cannot bring down my mood. I am…happy. And as I watch Suh-mer walking ahead, chatting with the other human females, I realize that she is the reason for my mood.

She makes me happy. It is a good feeling, and one that almost feels shameful after the recent events. Bek’s Ell-ee still wakes up with nightmares, and I know Har-loh and Rukh are upset at being separated from their kit. I know Mardok grieves the loss of his old tribe, and Farli worries over him.

But I am happy.

I am not the only one, either. Harrec keeps grinning at me, a curious look in his eyes.

“What?” I finally ask when he does not speak up.

“I interrupted some very interesting play last night,” he says casually.

“You did. I told you where we were going.”

“Yes, but you did not tell me she would make noises as if she were dying.” He smirks at me. “It is a good thing you did not return to the fire to play fur-games with her.”

I snort, but I also cannot stop the smile that curves my mouth. My mate was indeed rather noisy. It means I did my job well. “Tonight, you will know not to come looking.”

“I will not,” he agrees. “But I am curious what you were doing to her. My mate is noisy, I thought, but not quite like that.”

I ponder for a moment if this is a secret, then decide that likely, it is not. I am one of the last males to experience a romp in the furs with a female. Surely they have all made their mates come, and come hard. “She likes her she-spot to be touched.”

“Her what?” Harrec pauses.

I do not. I continue pulling my sled, glancing up ahead at Suh-mer. She’s exclaiming over something that Rukhar shows her, tucking her soft, soft mane behind one small ear. Such pretty ears, too. I wonder if she would like for them to be licked—

“Her what?” Harrec demands again, jogging back to my side.

I glance over at him. “Her she-spot.”

His expression is no longer laughing. “You mean her third nipple?”

“No. That is different.”

He elbows me when I do not provide more information than that. “What is it, then? I wish to know.”

“Do you not already know of such a thing? It is a place that she likes to be touched.”

He shakes his head, eyes wide. “Tell me more. I wish to make my Kate scream like a snow-cat in heat.”

“I do not know if I should say. Perhaps it is something Suh-mer does not wish for me to speak of.”

Harrec exclaims loudly, causing all the females to turn around and stare at us. They pause, and Suh-mer blushes at me before turning around, and I smile once more.

“You cannot tell me of a she-spot and then not share this! I want to pleasure my mate like that, too. Where is it at?” He sucks in a breath and then puts an arm around my shoulders, causing my sled to tilt wildly. “Did you put something in her bottom? Is that why she screamed? She was outraged?”

I shove him away, annoyed. “Even if I did, I would not tell you. And did she look outraged to you?”

Harrec frowns, studying my brow.

“What?” I ask, righting my sled and continuing forward.

“Did she pull out a tuft of your mane?”

Did she? I pause, setting down my sled and touching my brow. It is tender in one spot, the threads ragged. I chuckle at the realization. “Perhaps she did.”

Harrec moves in front of me and puts both his hands on my shoulders. “You must tell me this secret. I need to know about this she-spot. Right away.”

I think for a moment, and Suh-mer glances back at me again, a little smile on her mouth. She is so beautiful it makes my heart ache. Touching her was such a great pleasure, how can I not wish for Harrec to experience the same with his Kate? “It is a rough spot,” I begin.

“Tell me more,” Harrec says, an intense look on his face. “I wish to learn.”

SUMMER

It’s a few more days of arduous walking before we make it back to the tribe. I don’t remember the journey there being such a pain in the butt, but the hunters are pleased with the time we’ve made, so maybe it’s just me. All I can say is that I’m beyond relieved when I see the plumes of smoke on the horizon that signal the cookfires of the village.

But I’m also a little worried about what happens with Warrek now that we’re home.

I mean, it’s pretty obvious to everyone at this point that we’re a couple. We walk together a lot. We curl up with each other under the furs to share warmth. He offers me his waterskin and brings me his portion of the shared fruit (he’s not a fan of the sweetness). And every night, we sneak away together for a little bit to get some “alone” time.

I love being with him. I can’t imagine spending this time with someone else. And sometimes I feel guilty that I’m enjoying his company so much when there’s so much dire crap going on. We’ve got alien ships landing when they shouldn’t, I shot my fair share of slavers, and now we’ve got twenty new slaves to think about possibly integrating to the group.

I shouldn’t be happy. But…I am.

I like Warrek a lot. I like his smile, his frown, I like his long, long hair. I like his horns and his blue skin. I really, really like his butt and abs. But mostly, I like his thoughtful personality. I like that he’s quiet and deliberate in everything he does. I like that he listens to everything I have to say—and boy, do I always have a lot to say. I like that he doesn’t try to shut me up or interrupt me. He acts like what I’m saying is the most important thing ever, and when he comments or adds to my thoughts, I know he’s paying attention. We’ve talked about everything from hunting strategies to chess, and he’s going to make a board when we get back to the village so we can play together.

I guess we’re back now, though, and the thought makes my stomach quiver with nerves.

I should be worried about how Vektal and Georgie—our leaders—are going to feel about the new humans and the fact that slavers showed up again. Instead, all I can think about is last night, when Warrek kissed me long and hard as he slid a finger in and out of me, finding my G-spot again.

I came at least three times. In a row.

I should have done the same for him. I’m dying to touch and explore him, but every time I suggest it or reach for him, he distracts me. Says we don’t have enough time for both of us to get pleasure and he wants me to have it. But it’s starting to make me feel downright greedy. He loves pleasuring me, but I really want to give back to him. We just need the right place and enough time for me to tackle him.

And now that we’re heading back toward the village, I wonder if we’ll get it. I worry that things will be so crazy that we’re going to get lost in the shuffle and this thing we’ve got between us—this fragile bond—will snap like a twig.

I hate the thought. I need more than just a few kisses and furtive gropings. I need…him. His steady, calm presence that soothes my jitters and makes me feel like everything’s going to be all right, no matter what.

But then we’re heading down the pulley and lift, pausing so the sleds can be lowered and nothing left behind. Scavengers—and the rare roving metlak—will make short work of our supplies, so they have to be protected. That’s fine with me. I’ve got no one waiting to greet me back at our small hut. The only person I want to see is pulling a sled, so…

Everyone’s distracted today, though. Maybe it’s that we’re about to end our journey, or maybe it’s that no one really wants to break the news that we’ve got a new problem, and a big one. Whatever it is, I half-expected a few people to gallop to the village, but everyone seems to be clustering together, as if we don’t want to separate. Even high-spirited Harrec is hovering around Kate, fussing over her as if she’s as delicate as the rest of us.

The sleds are at the bottom, then, and there’s no reason to stall any longer. We fall into our regular walking patterns, and Vaza picks up Rukhar, who’s tired of walking after so many days, and rests him on his hip. “Almost there,” Gail tells him. “Then everyone can take a long, long nap.”

A nap. I’m tired, but I’m not thinking about sleep. I’m thinking about Warrek. Tonight, he’s not sleeping next to me. He sleeps with the other unmated hunters in one hut at the edge of the village, I think. I never paid much attention before. I share a hut with Kate and Brooke…except Kate is now mated to Harrec, and Brooke isn’t here.

Gonna be a lonely, cold night for me. Maybe I should ask Warrek if he wants to sleep over. Maybe—

“Ho!” a booming voice calls. In the distance, deeper into the ice canyon, a big blue guy raises a hand in the air. A stout blonde human waves, and I realize it must be Hassen and Maddie.

“Ho!” Bek gestures back, and then they jog forward to meet us.

“Look at all of you,” Hassen calls, laughing as he approaches. “Tired and bedraggled to a one!” His face sobers as he sees Vaza carrying Rukhar, and glances behind us. “But…where are the others?”

“Everyone is alive and well,” Bek tells him. “Do not panic. But we must speak with Vektal immediately. Where is our chief?”

“He is with Shorshie and the elders. What is it?” He moves to Warrek’s side and grabs the handles of the sled from him. “Let me, my friend. You have had a long journey.”

“Is everyone okay?” Maddie asks, her worried glance bouncing from face to face. Her gaze rests on me, and her eyes widen. “What happened to your eyebrows?”

Damn it. I was hoping they’d grown in a bit. I touch my face self-consciously. “It’s part of the long story.” More threatens to spill out of me, but Warrek puts a calming hand on the back of my neck, and I bite it back. I sure don’t want to be the one to break the news to everyone.

Maddie and Hassen shoot us worried looks, but they manage to hold their questions until we get back to the tribe.

Even though everyone in the tribe has their own little stone hut and there are several cookfires in the main “road” of the village, people tend to gather in the big longhouse at the far end of the village. It’s got the pool that’s fed by a hot spring, room to stretch out and do crafts, and everyone hangs out there. Vektal tends to hold his “meetings” there when he talks with others. I know he and Georgie like to make the elders feel included, and so they often have discussions with them there. When we don’t stop at any of the houses, I know our little group is heading right for the longhouse. I feel a sense of unease with every step. People are popping their heads out of their houses and stopping to look at us, but no one approaches. It’s like everyone knows there’s something up. Maybe our faces are giving that away.

No one splits off from our small group, either. It’d feel traitorous to abandon the others, I think. Instead, we all head toward the longhouse to deliver the strange news.

I’m at the front of the group, and when I enter the longhouse with Gail, Vaza, and Rukhar, I see Georgie and Vektal get up from their seats where they’re meeting with Drayan, Drenol, and Vadren. Their warm smiles fade as we file in, and my stomach knots up.

“I’d ask how the trip was, but…why’s Rukhar with you? Where are Rukh and Harlow?” Georgie asks, clutching at Vektal’s arm. “You guys are scaring me.”

“There is much to tell,” Bek says, glancing at the others and then stepping forward. “But all are alive.”

Georgie’s eyes bug at that, and her grip on her mate’s arm gets tighter.

“Perhaps do not start the story there,” Warrek says in his calm voice.

“Then where should I start?” Bek snaps. “Where the alien ship landed and tried to enslave us all? Or where you and Suh-mer attacked them with light-spears and almost got killed? Or the part where Mardok’s old tribe is dead?”

“What?” Vektal demands. He stares at each of us, a fierce scowl on his face. “What are you all speaking of? What has happened?”

The pressure becomes too much for me. “We found new humans,” I blurt out.

Georgie gasps. “New humans?” Her face goes pale. “How?”

Someone shoots me an irritated look, but I can’t stop the waterfall of words coming out of my mouth. “So the ship was taken over by bad guys, and then they tried to steal the others, but I guess that’s not what you’re asking, right? Anyhow we went to save them, and we found a ton of crates, and we were like, gee, that’s odd that there are crates, and so we had Mardok open the first one up and it turned out there was a person, and the guys that offed the old crew of the Tranquil Lady were slavers, and when we beat them—well, ‘beat’ isn’t the right word I guess, so killed might be closer, but whatever—and we took their shit, I guess we got their slaves, too.” I suck in a deep breath. “And to make a long story short, there are, like, sixteen humans and four aliens. And we don’t know what to do with them, so we thought we’d come to you guys.”

You could hear a pin drop.

Gail politely clears her throat. “What she said, I guess.”

“Twenty humans?” Vektal echoes. “Did I hear you right?”

“Sixteen,” Warrek corrects, and he squeezes my shoulder. I guess that’s code for “shut it, Summer.” Can’t blame him. I’m feeling a little embarrassed that I just burped up all that. Seriously, though, someone had to say something. “And four that look like fierce hunters from very different peoples. Males.”

Georgie faints.

Vektal roars, catching his sagging mate before she falls to the ground.

After that, not much is getting done, sad to say.

I really need to work on my subtlety.