The VaDorok: The Mate Index Book 1

by SJ Sanders

  Vidok stroked her hair and back as they peacefully watched the children play. Some adults put on an impromptu play, acting out the mating story of Udula and Tirzon. Vidok had no doubt the mating challenge inspired it, but rather than be sad Sara smiled, likely recalling their first coupling, still burning from their mating heat, when he told her the sacred story. More than one male in the gathering leaned forward to whisper in the ears of their mates, no doubt recounting their own ulukskinon by the way the females laughed throatily, and the humans turn red. Blushing, Sara called it.

  Chapter 7

  As afternoon wore on, feeling the weight of his mate settle against him, Vidok moved her in into his lap where she dosed in and out. As busy as Sara had been, and all while growing their youngling within her, Vidok was not surprised, and in fact wouldn’t have expected anything less. Especially following the stressful situation with Ita. Even among VaDorok, the females typically refrained from gatherings and most other activities while pregnant. Some females insisted on making one trip at the beginning of their pregnancy, but they were usually very few in number. The four month period was typically one of seclusion in which the male cared for his mate. He was actually surprised to see that so many males brought their pregnant human females.

  Vidok allowed a wry smile to curve his lips. If the other humans were anything like his Sara, he was certain that any male who tried to keep his mate in their den was probably met with a very unhappy female. It was a far better idea to yield and let the females enjoy themselves. Vidok ‘s duties were the only thing that spared him from even having to enter into an argument with his mate. He had to attend and was loathe to leave her alone unprotected for a great length of time. And it was good to let the females reunite after their separation. All around the circle he saw the little humans, wearing expressions of contentment and happiness, curled up beside or on the laps of their VaDorok males.

  Vidok chuckled to see Ladox stretched out on his back under a sunbeam with his mate Trish on his belly. Trish was sound asleep, but Ladox, though for all appearances relaxed with his lids lowered over his eyes, was very much alert. His ears turned towards every sound, and Vidok could see the sliver of his golden eyes keeping watch.

  Sara finally roused completely when the smell of the cooking meat permeated the air. It was also probably due to several of their number get louder as they consumed more and more of the brewed lesee, a fermented beverage made from berries and sweet herbs. Several humans voiced their displeasure to their mates about not being able to join in the drink, but their mates denied them for good reason.

  No male would remotely risk his young for even a drop of the brew, even though healers have said time and again that it was fine in small quantities. Males were just overly cautious that way. Vidok also waved away the youth bearing the potent lesee jug, pointedly ignoring the way Sara curled her lip at him. He just continued to stroke his mate’s hair as she faintly scowled but didn’t otherwise comment.

  He hesitated, his hand stilling on her hair. “Ulukska?”

  “Hmmm?” she mumbled.

  He tilted her face up to look him in the eye. “My heart is yours, my mate.”

  A smile lit up her face and she ruffled her fingers through his fur in the way she knew made his skin shudder with pleasure.

  “My heart is yours too ulukski, from the very first day you looked at me like I was a crazy woman for threatening you with a stick you could snap with your smallest finger.”

  Vidok belly-laughed and playfully nudged her forehead with his, “Certainly I saw then that my mate was a fierce female and worthy of all my love and devotion, and how fortunate I was,” he teased.

  Sara reached back and stroked her hand down the length of his tail, making his cock pulse within its sheath. She leaned in and whispered lowly, “After we are done for the night, I will be happy to remind you of just how fortunate you are...and make you forget all about every touch from that bitch.”

  Vidok teased her ear with his tongue. “I like the sound of that...what’s a bitch?”

  She chortled and broke away to lean back and smirk up at him.“A bitch is a female with foul personality with no consideration for others.”

  He considered this as he brushed his tail erotically up the inside of her thigh, making his mate squirm against him.“Agreed, she is a bitch.”

  “Who’s a bitch?” Macy asked as Torok helped her down to sit on a thick pad beside Sara before taking his place beside her.

  “That man-stealing female Ita,” Sara said. She rolled her eyes and Macy giggled.

  “Right! Ohmygawd I would have had a fit right there and then if it had been my man. Never mind that she would have creamed me like a potato in two seconds just like that,” Macy snapped her finger for effect.

  Torok snorted out a laugh, the jagged scar on his face crinkling as he carefully cuddled his tiny mate to him.“That family will likely not show to any gathering for many moons, I would bet not for a whole sun cycle, they are so humiliated,” he said with relish. “She was bragging to every one that the priest blood was true in her and due to this it would be by the gods design unite you. So on, so on...”

  Macy ineffectually shoved at her mate with an exasperated giggle.

  “I will take that bet,” Borax boomed out merrily as he joined them. “That family enjoys too much being present for everything. A den of busy burrahs,” he laughed.

  “Finished with your duties O fearless leader?” Ladox grinned from where he was sprawled. Trish was also now awake and absently playing with the tip of his tail. It was no wonder the male wore a broad grin.

  “Ladox don’t be an ass,” the female scolded, but his smile just widened as he pulled his tail from her light grip and turned it against her in attempt to tickle her soft vulnerable skin with the fur.

  “The only ass I am interested in hearing about is yours” he growled against her ear making the female squeak as she attempted to scowl at his antics, but made no attempt to push his groping hands away.

  That female is going to be pregnant more often than not, Vidok chuckled to himself.

  I hope Ladox has a big enough den.

  Of course given the lusty nature of my own mate, and myself to tell the truth, I may have to expand and carve more rooms into the cavern of my own den.

  Borax gave Ladox a toothy smile as Nadar arrived with two others others trailing behind her, arms holding platters of meats from the fire. As the platters were settled in front of them, Nadar came to sit with her mate, handing their youngest over to the chief to hold.

  “What exactly are you betting now?” Nadar purred, narrowing her eyes suspiciously at her ulukski. Borax just smiled at his mate innocently as their youngling grabbed his nose to hoist herself up high enough to grab a handful of his locks, rapidly shoving the beaded ends into her little mouth.

  “Oh, they were just wagering on how long it will take Ita to show her tail around here again,” Ladox grinned around a mouthful of meat.

  Nadar’s fur instantly puffed out with irritation.“You laugh, but there is something wrong with that entire family,” she snapped. “First, her sister thinks she should be the mate of the chief and challenges our mating. Now her. And don’t think I didn’t hear how her cousin Merlor was trying to take Sara that first day. They have no shame, not a single one of them.”

  Borax nuzzled his mate soothingly, “It is just the way of our species my love. The females are very protective of their rights within our tribe. They do not want to loose the opportunity of finding their mate. There is no good or bad to it unless someone tries to be abusive. For instance many males will cheat and steal for the hope of keeping a female. Even without the mating heat, a vulnerable female with young to care for, or an offworlder female, is a great temptation because, even if he cannot breed her, he can keep her dependent on him indefinitely as a pleasure mate which is better than the loneliness many of our males feel. This is part of why we are such a solitary species.”

  Borax took another long look at
the scabbing scratches on Vidok’s chest. “Or such as in the case of Ita, to mark Vidok, another’s mate, just because she could not sway his instinct,” he stated darkly.

  Nadar made a disgusted sound, “If nothing else, having the entire tribe see what she did in her jealousy will bring some shame for her for a while. No one will soon forget that. Already many females are laughing at her for being such an upstart with all her foolish talk about how her bloodlines will prove true and how she will be the priest’s mate as she is destined to be. She is deluded. At least everyone else is behaving themselves,” she muttered.

  As if on cue, a female cry followed by a furious roar attracted everyone’s attention as a wiry male, not yet in his primary adulthood, ran for the line of trees carrying off a dark haired human. A large male was in hot pursuit. Ladox leaned forward and grinned at Torok.

  “Two burrah pelts that Borax will have to send someone to scrape up the remains of that male after Kull finally gets a hold of him. I am figuring at least a broken arm and a few broken ribs,” he chuckled.

  Torok slapped Ladox’s palm in agreement to the wager. “I say a broken arm and a broken nose. That is the first thing I would break,” Torok made a show of punching his first into his palm. “Any male who sniffs after my mate will have their nose broken first thing.”

  Borax released a put upon sigh, “I suppose as chief it would be bad manners for me to bet on potential dismemberment of one of my people. Seeing that is how I would bet.”

  Sara’s eyes widen in shock, seeing beneath the friendly nature of the chief to the fierce warrior beneath. Borax gave her and the human females nearby a chilly grin as he rose to his feet to see to the fight.

  “Oh yes little females, be assured, if another male threatens you, there is a very good chance that he won’t come out alive. VaDorok do not tolerate other males even so much as touching their mates.”

  Her eyes widen further, as did those her human friends who stopped eating to stare, as every male, Vidok included, growled in agreement. Even A’Jular nodded fiercely.

  ***

  For the first time, Sara truly understood just how badly things could have gone when Merlor tried to take her from Vidok. She had assumed, at the time, that she was interrupting a minor scuffle at most. Likely more posturing than fighting. Instead, Vidok would have attacked in genuine earnest and torn apart the threat to his bond with his mate.

  It reminded her that her new tribe was far from human, if ever there were a better reminder. Despite being huge, furry and overall unhuman in appearance, their social norms were increasingly startling. Vidok tried to tell her that among the VaDorok mating was sacred and protected, but now she saw clearly just how much. The vicious roars and snarls that echoed from the forest as a woman cried also told the tale.

  With all the upset,Vidok’s eyes shifted warily among the VaDorok as he pulled her tightly against him. Sara willingly crawled into his lap, telling herself the whole time that no she was not being a weenie, and hid within his embrace. His arms tightened protectively around her, his chest vibrating with a silent growl. A’Jular seated just opposite from Vidok, shifted his speculative gaze to her, the strange black eyes almost unnerving.

  “For the Edoka,” he said, his sibilant voice gliding from between his lips, “our matings are different. All the brothers of a family share a genetic trait that bonds to only one female. So we mate in family groups in this way, building our home on the sheer cliffs overlooking the seas. Our world has much water, and is very warm but with cool breezes. We built our homes high to enjoy the cooler breezes and to make it difficult for rivals family units or rogue males to steal a female, whether that be a mate or a daughter. Daughters are rarely born for our species, even less than for the VaDorok, so we jealously protect them. If someone tried to take my mate, me and my brothers would rend the male with our claws and fangs until there was nothing left of him. A male who steals the mate of another is beneath all contempt,” he curled his fingers into a fist.

  “This mercy the VaDorok show to their rivals would not be done among the Edoka,” he spat out. “It is foolish to allow a male the opportunity to try again.”

  Ok, this dude is scary as fuck.

  I don’t know what is scarier. Him saying that shit or the fact I can feel my sweet mate nodding along like he makes all the sense in the world.

  A’Jular finally turned away, still freaking Sara the fuck out all the same with his big time menacing vibe he was giving off. How this species managed to be effective traders was beyond her. Terrify unsuspecting people with their bargains? Though Macy didn’t seem alarmed doing business with him.

  Meanwhile, the entire tribe was silent, listening to the males tear into each other. A few of them went to the forest to solemnly watch the outcome. It struck her that, while mating disputes and mate stealing were not unheard of, having human women there that were a far weaker species sky rocketed the probability of them occurring. Humans, after all, lacked fangs, size, muscle bulk and claws with which to protect themselves from overstepping males. Unruly unmated males would potentially see them as fair game to exploit.

  It seemed like an eternity before the growls went silent, and the woman’s sobs were muffled against the chest of a growly-purry big ass male carrying her back to the gathering from the forest. Sara’s eyes widen, she recognized that woman. It was Katie! As if the woman needed even more trauma in her life. Though Sara was relieved to see, by by the way Kull curled around her protectively, aggressively warning off anyone who ventured close, that she had found a male that would valiantly defend her and fight for her. Roughly twenty minutes later Borax came into view. Another burly male he took with him was supporting the weight of the perpetrator who leaned heavily on him.

  Kull had beat the bloody shit out of him! His face was a mess of blood, deep claw marks scored his body, and his arm looked busted in at least two places, one of which Sara could clearly see bone protruding as they dragged him over to the healer.

  The old male, practically pure abalone, tsked, curling his lip as he looked over his patient before motioning for him to be taken to the shelter the healer had assistants set up when he arrived earlier in the day. The Edoka made a disgusted sound in his throat.

  “Foolishness,” he hissed again as he shook his head in disbelief before stalking away.

  ***

  With the rise of the moons lighting up the clearing, two horns were blown by males at either side of the altar. One of them, Nadar had proudly pointed out, was the chief’s eldest son, Balar. Out of the corner of her eye Sara could see her sexy mate looking all handsome in his priestly robes. Vidok caught her watching him and slowly winked at her. She pressed her lips together, fighting back a grin. It was hardly dignified behavior for a ceremony, but the VaDorok didn’t seem to care about such things. Sara had to admit it, she was silly in love with him.

  In front of them stood the mated couple. Ula held the stark naked baby. Sara eyeballed him with silent command that he not piss on her again. She would have enough of that when her own baby arrived thank you very much. Just behind Ula, Brodi was at guard with his hands resting on her shoulders.

  Sara and Vidok began to intone the greetings to the great mother and father just as they practiced, both shaking hooked sticks holding black metal discs that rattled together. Sara observed that they were vaguely something like the sistrums of ancient Egypt. Funny how some things as simple as rattles were almost universal. The bright metallic noise muffled out the world around them, inviting the gods and making the space sacred.

  When they finished, Ula slid the naked baby into Sara’s arms, whispering to them both the name of the infant so that no other would hear until the protection of the tribal gods were upon him. Sara cuddled the babe close as her mate scattered waters blessed with consecrated herbs around them.

  At the back of her mind, Sara wondered how he and other priests in the past managed this as a solo act. She breathed in the clean baby smell. She could tell the little monster was several
pounds heavier than he was last time she saw him. He beamed up at her as he wrapped his fuzzy tail around her wrist. Sara’s heart melted... just a little.

  Ok, I am a sucker for the cuteness.

  But damn their species grow fast!

  Both parents were positively glowing. She remembered Vidok telling her that the way the baby acted when passed to the mother-priestess carried an omen with it. The way this little guy was smiling so cheerfully up at her, despite her stink eye over the pissing incident, told everyone watching that he would grow up secure among his kin and know many blessings and happiness from the gods. Of course his parent’s would be smiling.

  As she stroked the soft fur of the infant, Vidok came around and took a blue powder mixed with oils to mark the face and belly of the baby with sacred markings. This was to direct the blessings of the gods to the mind, heart, and reproductive system of the young.

  Vidok then held the dish of blue pigment at her elbow and with a free hand Sara dabbed up the pigment and repeated the markings just below those made by her mate as she whispered the traditional blessings. She sealed the blessings by kissing his tiny forehead just as Vidok placed the wide breadth of his palm over the crown of the tiny head from his place just behind her. Grinning Sara handed the tiny guy back to his proud parents. The father held the baby up and called out the name for all the tribe to hear.

  “My son, Buko,” he roared.

  Sara nearly pissed herself as the entire tribe roared back like a fucking pride of lions.

  Ok I was not warned about that!

  She was also not warned that all attending pregger females were going to get rounded up to stand by the altar. When Sara had tried to return to her cushion, not really noticing right off that Vidok had not followed her away from the altar, Nadar grabbed her arm and hauled her back up.

  As she pulled her back to the altar, Nadar whispered in her ear that while it wasn’t often that females in their first moon cycle of their gestation attended a gathering, when they did their unborn young received blessing from the priest on behalf of the tribe. A sort of prebirth greeting ceremony into the tribe. Sara glared at her mate and caught him wince a whoopsie.