“Buroudei... Buroudei,” Zeezee could barely get my name out. It was slurred, then marred by cries that got louder and louder. Her legs were locked so tightly I wondered if I would ever escape. Not that I wanted to. My Zeezee is stronger than I thought.

I nuzzled downwards, my fangs dragging across her smooth cheek, forcing her head back. I claimed her mouth as she came, everything in her tightening and pulsing. Her hips jerked along my cock frantically, and I had to release her mouth to roar as I joined her, all my pent up desire spurting up along her back and onto the sand.

I held her, breathing hard against me, for a long time. I ignored the nagging feeling that this wasn’t quite enough, that I needed to be inside her, needed to claim her. This would have to be enough for now. Every time she let me come that little bit closer was a gift to be cherished.

I carried her over to my hides, placing her down gently. She spoke to me, her words quick, her cheeks red, sitting up and glancing around, as if unsure what to do. Seeing her naked in my bed was going to be the death of me, but I steadied myself, laying down and dragging her against me. She squawked in protest, but stilled after a moment as I pulled her in, curling her back against my chest. I breathed deeply against her hair, savouring the moment, deeply content. Zeezee was muttering something, but her words were slowing, her breathing becoming regular. Her eyelids flickered closed, and then, she slept. I dragged a dakrival hide over her sleeping form and settled back in once again, burying my face in her hair.

And it was like that, breathing in her scent, revelling in the feeling of her skin against mine, that I finally slept.

I ROSE EARLY THE NEXT day, just as dawn was beginning to brush the edges of my tent. Zeezee was sound asleep, and I stared at her in the dim morning light, unable to fully believe that she was still here. That yesterday hadn’t all been some torturous dream. But she was here – hair strewn about, limbs tossed widely, her mouth open as she made little snorting sounds in her sleep. What a delightful woman. My love for my mate was a glowing ember, warming my chest. I could have watched her sleep all day. But time did not allow for that. I had to speak to my men and start preparations for our battle with Gahn Fallo.

I dressed quickly, strapping my loincloth and weapons to my body. I was ready to leave the tent, but I realized I couldn’t leave Zeezee there alone. She seemed to be getting closer to me, trusting me more, but I still didn’t know that she wouldn’t run the first chance she got. Frowning, I retied my long hair into its usual braid, then stepped outside my tent.

Galok was already up and strolling towards me. He raised his tail in greeting as he approached.

“Galok, will you get Rika and bring her here?”

Galok looked surprised, then concerned.

“You need the healer? It certainly sounded like everything was going well last night.” His sight stars clouded, and his voice fell. “She is so small. Could she not take you? Did mating injure her?”

“No.” My voice was flat. “I wish Rika to watch over her, and show her around while we are readying the men.”

He looked relieved.

“I understand.”

Galok bounded away. As I waited, I poked my head back in the tent. Zeezee had rolled over, gathering the dakrival hides tightly around herself like a drizelfly in its cocoon.

A moment later, Galok returned, followed by Rika.

“Galok and I have to ready the men for battle with Gahn Fallo. We mean to retrieve the other females, aided by Gahn Irokai. Keep Zeezee with you. She may travel anywhere within the tents of our people, but is never to be left alone.”

“Yes, Gahn,” Rika said, raising her tail, then heading inside my tent.

I turned to Galok. “Come. We must gather the men.”

The message spread quickly through the ranks, and warriors began to gather at the central fire pit. Galok and I waited side by side for the rest of our ranks to arrive. Soon, all the men were gathered, and women and children watched from the outskirts. I took a deep breath, ready to speak.

It was time to tell them of Zeezee. To tell them of the new women.

And to tell them what was to be done.

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OceanofPDF.com

CHAPTER FIFTEEN Cece

I woke up sweating. Though the tent provided protection from the sun, it was still hot as hell in there, especially in the blanket burrito I had created around myself. I disentangled myself from the heavy hides, pulling my sticky hair away from my face as I sat up. My muscles felt relaxed and languorous. Yeah, two insane orgasms in a night will do that to a girl.

Strangely, I didn’t feel any shame about last night. It had felt weirdly... right. There was no denying Buroudei and I were getting closer. What exactly that meant, I couldn’t be sure. But I wasn’t exactly unhappy about it. I felt the shadow of a smile flicker across my lips as I turned to see where he was.

I gasped and reared back, yanking the blankets back up despite the heat. There was an alien here, but it wasn’t Buroudei. I squinted, realization dawning.

“Rika?”

Rika’s tail swished and she dipped her head in a way that I could only imagine was some kind of acknowledgement. I nodded slowly, reaching for the tunic that had dropped to the floor last night.

“Did you leave this for me at the other tent? Thank you.”

I slipped it on over my head, catching a whiff of myself when my arms were up. Yikes.

“Doesn’t look like you guys have much water around here, but is there anywhere to wash?”

I mimed smelling myself and making a face, then pretended to scrub under my arms.

Rika watched me with her head cocked and what I swore was the small pull of an amused smile. She was seated next to me on the sand, but she stood, then, clearly understanding what I was asking. I stood too, and as I did I felt the tension of a full bladder. Oh God. How am I going to ask about that?

“Um... Where...” I looked around, face on fire, trying to find a delicate way to ask about where I was supposed to pee. Screw it. Maybe there was no delicate way. I squatted on the ground in a pantomime of peeing, then jumped up, hoping she caught my drift. Her smile got bigger.

She grabbed a valok plant from among the items on the shelves in the tent, slicing one half of the round skin off. She gave me the open part to eat from, which I took. She kept her half of the hard rind in her hand, beckoning me to follow. I did so, slurping all the way.

The sun outside was beating down with ferocity, though it didn’t seem very high in the sky yet. The sand was hot on my feet, and I half walked, half ran, bringing my knees up, trying to keep my feet in contact with the ground as little as possible. I finished the valok gel, then pulled my arms inside the short-sleeved tunic, trying to keep my head down and face out of the direct sun. I was 99% sure I’d gotten a wicked sunburn, along with all my other ailments, yesterday, that Rika had miraculously patched up. If I could avoid that this time around, that’d be swell. Rika watched me with interest, and I offered her a paltry smile.

“Yeah, I probably look crazy to you, eh?”

She answered me with a quick quip.

She took me just outside of the tents to an area of boulders. I made a beeline for a long shadow cast by the largest boulder, keeping my eye firmly on the dino-centipedes I saw grazing on the other side of the huge rocks. Rika didn’t seem bothered by the huge animals, and she sidled up next to me. She held her valok rind up, indicating that I should do the same with the empty rind I now had. I snaked my arms out of the tunic and watched.