Penny's Protector: A Sci-Fi Alien Romance (Icehome Book 10)

by Ruby Dixon

  I’m starting to see why some people aren’t huge fans of resonance. It’s awesome, but if you have to get anything done? Forget it.

  Bek kisses Elly and helps her climb up to sit next to me. He tucks the furs around her, and if I thought S’bren was overbearingly protective, he’s got nothing on Bek. The man checks Elly’s furs twice, gives her water to sip, hands her a pouch of food, and murmurs to her while I wait. Eventually he’s satisfied and he leaves her at my side, heading to join S’bren at the harnesses.

  I smile at Elly and offer her a corner of the blanket.

  She pulls it over her lap and gives me the world’s shyest smile in response. The space-trunk surges forward like an ungainly sled, and we both hold on to the thing so we don’t topple off.

  When we pick up a decent pace, Elly leans over to me and whispers. “Tail.”

  “What?” I glance over at her, surprised.

  She blushes and looks for a moment as if she regrets speaking up, but then chokes the word out again. “Tail.” When I continue to look confused, she adds, “Tails are sensitive.”

  “Oh shit,” I breathe. Sex advice? From the world’s most fragile rabbit of a woman? But she must have seen me hanging all over S’bren and teasing him. She’s giving me a pointer, just like I’ve been giving her pointers about the tribe. “Thanks. I had no idea.”

  I hold my fist up for her to bump.

  She looks at me with confusion.

  “It’s…like a high five? How long have you been gone from Earth? Do you know what a high five is?”

  She nods slowly, her expression shy as she holds her hand up.

  I smack it, and then raise my fist again. “Fist bumps are the new high five. Trust me.”

  Elly bumps my fist, and then giggles. “Tails are the new…um…” She buries her face in her hands, shaking her head. “I can’t think of anything.”

  I burst into laughter. “You don’t have to. I totally get the idea and I plan on using it to my advantage.” I mock-steeple my fingers like an evil villain. “He won’t know what hit him.”

  My cootie just purrs and purrs, eager for any and all tail-play.

  It’s hours before the surroundings start to look familiar, and I pass the time with Elly chatting here and there, talking about nothing and everything, and watching the men as they pull us along. I stare at S’bren a lot as he moves, because he’s so virile and gorgeous that even the sway of his tail as he walks gets me all fired up. I’m going to blame that on the cootie. Elly, too. Ever since she told me that thing about tails, I haven’t been able to stop thinking about his and all the filthy things I can do to it—and to him.

  I’m paying so much attention to S’bren’s backside that it takes me a moment to realize the space-trunk has stopped moving. My man pauses, and looks back at me. There’s uncertainty on his face even as Bek flings the harness off his shoulders and raises an arm. “Ho!”

  Oh shit, a greeting. I look away from S’bren and scan our surroundings. We’re still a good walk from camp, but it’s nice weather, which means people are out hunting. Sure enough, I spot two figures atop a distant ridge. They raise a hand in greeting and then jog down the side of the ridge, sending snow spilling toward the bottom, where we cut through the valley.

  “By my eyes! Is that Bek?” I hear Taushen’s laughter before I see his face, and at his side, he’s got Rukh with him. Two sa-khui, so no wonder S’bren is all tense. Taushen’s smile grows a little tight as he approaches, his gaze on S’bren. Rukh watches me, scowling, but he’s always been a bit of a hard nut to crack.

  I just beam and wave at them.

  Bek claps both Rukh and Taushen on the back and gestures at S’bren, who is silent. “I was taking my mate to the beach for some warmth and ran into these two.” He turns and gives Elly the most doting smile ever, then grins at Taushen. “Did we catch you while you were out hunting?”

  “Search party,” Taushen says, his tone awkward. He crosses his arms over his chest and exchanges glances with Rukh. “Though it looks as if we can stop searching.”

  Ah. They were coming looking for us. I feign ignorance, smiling broader. “We’re lucky we caught you, then! We saved you a trip!”

  They both gaze at me for a moment, as if surprised I’m so chirpy. S’bren just stands there in his harness, and I can practically see his shoulders slump. He’s thinking the worst, because everyone in the tribe thinks he kidnapped me.

  Okay, he kind of did, but I’ve already moved past that and they should, too. So I jump to my feet, flinging the furs aside, and slide off the trunk. I move to S’bren’s side—and though I want to touch his tail I resist mightily—and put my arm around his waist. “You guys are just in time to help us pull this trunk back to camp!”

  Is that me, trying to distract everyone with a new shiny object? You bet I am.

  All eyes turn to me.

  “Trunk?” Taushen asks, a curious look on his face.

  I nod. “It came from the stars. There’s something inside it but we can’t get it open. Help us take it back to camp so we can see if anyone—or anything—is inside it?”

  The three sa-khui exchange a look, and then Bek nods, offering the harness to Taushen. “We can save all discussions for back at the beach camp. My mate is tired and cold, and I want to get her somewhere warm for the evening.”

  S’bren just pulls me closer, silent. I recognize the guilty look on his face, as he is very aware that everyone knows he stole me. He’s worried something bad will happen once we return. I take his hand and squeeze it.

  I’m not worried. I won’t let anyone take what we have. He’s mine.

  If I thought the trunk would be a good distraction to take some of the attention away from S’bren and myself, it’s nothing compared to Bek and Elly’s arrival. Everyone’s so excited to meet them that it takes over the mood of the camp. Poor Elly tries to hang back, but the moment Gail sees her, they both start crying and hugging, and then Brooke cries and hugs Elly, and the two of them drag her away from Bek and start introducing her to everyone. Bek gets a lot of slaps on the back and enthusiastic greetings.

  No one knows what to do with S’bren and myself. They see us, but the moment we make eye contact, we get a quick greeting and then an uneasy look. S’bren’s definitely going to get into some shit. I can tell just by the reactions people are giving him.

  I hug his arm and try to silently reassure him. Sure, it looks bad on paper. Real bad. I can’t make excuses for him—he drugged and stole me. They don’t know that he offered to bring me back immediately, that he didn’t realize it was such a thing. They don’t know that I’m the one that didn’t want to come back until we resonated. Just like with everything else, there’s layers and complications. All I know is that he doesn’t deserve the cold silence and dirty looks that Shadow Cat are giving him. O’jek and I’rec approach our group and immediately start scowling, their gazes dropping to my chest and then S’bren’s.

  We’re resonating loud enough that it’s obvious to all, and the tension is rising on the beach. Down the beach, I make out Raahosh’s tall form with his busted horns. He heads toward our group, his mate at our side, and I inwardly cringe because I suspect the shit’s about to hit the fan.

  My poor S’bren.

  “Penny!” Nadine pushes through the gathering crowd and flings her arms around me. “Oh my god, you’re back!”

  “Nadine!” I squeal, hugging her and bouncing happily. “I missed you! I’m so glad to see you!”

  My bestie pulls back a little, studying me, and arches an eyebrow in my direction once she hears my cootie going. “Do we hate him?”

  I laugh. “No, we do not! We love him.”

  She looks over at my big guy, her mate Thrand a few steps behind her and smirking. “Well,” Nadine says after a moment. “He is in some serious trouble for kidnapping you. People are pissed.”

  “They’ll just have to get pissed at me, too, then,” I tell her. “Because I kidnapped him back.”

  “What
?” S’bren asks, puzzled.

  “What?” Nadine echoes, frowning.

  It’s a little white lie, but I run with it. I go back to S’bren’s side—he’s trying to step away, to give me space, but I won’t let him—and I hug his arm. “It’s true,” I gush. “He immediately offered to take me back once I woke up—”

  “Wait, woke up?” Nadine interrupts.

  Oops. I guess no one knew I was drugged? I ignore her and continue talking. “But I made him take me to the fruit cave, and then after that, I wanted to go to the Elders’ Cave, and a few other stops along the way. So the reason it took so long for us to come back is all on me.” I shrug. “I would have been fine staying out for another month or two but we ran into Bek and Elly and the whole trunk thing.”

  Nadine just stares at me. She gives her head a little shake and laughs, and then puts her hands on her hips. “Okay, then you’re both gonna get it. But I’m just glad to see you back and whole and smiling.”

  “She has talked about nothing else for days,” Thrand adds, casting a sly look at his mate. “Even when I tell her we should talk more about me.”

  Nadine snorts.

  “My brother?” S’bren asks quietly. “Is he…back?”

  I can feel the tension in his body. He’s practically humming with it and I realize that this homecoming isn’t just fear for me and him, but fear that something bad’s happened to his brother. He confessed to me that he’s never been apart from M’tok for so long, and given our less-than-warm reception from some people, he’s probably worried.

  “Oh yeah,” Nadine says.

  “And his mate…” S’bren prompts.

  “Happy as a clam.”

  S’bren lets out a huge breath of relief, and my heart squeezes for him. My cootie fires up, too, much to my chagrin, because everyone turns to look at us. I blush, and that blush intensifies because S’bren’s cootie takes that moment to answer with an even louder song.

  Someone snickers.

  “So,” Nadine gestures at the space-trunk. “What’s with the big coffin?”

  26

  S’BREN

  Everyone glares at us.

  They know I have stolen a female. A treasured, beautiful, coveted female. They know we resonate—both of our khuis sing loudly and plaintively, encouraging us to abandon our greetings and go mate once more. But P’nee chatters excitedly with N’deen and others as they stare at the star-stone. I cannot pull her away, not while the sa-khui hunters are frowning in my direction. At least they are only frowning. Shadow Cat is openly glaring, their expressions hostile.

  I did not realize that when I stole P’nee away that everyone would be so very angry. I knew they would not be happy but…I did not think further than that. I never thought further than getting P’nee all to myself. M’tok made it sound so simple. So brilliant. I did not think beyond that. I never think.

  “Brother!”

  The familiar voice brings a rush of emotion with it. I scan the crowd for M’tok and when I see him, I feel a surge of utter relief. My brother is here, and he is smiling broadly. I am so glad to see him. I move forward and hug him, emotion clogging my throat. I did not realize how much I missed him—and worried over him—until I see him here. “I am happy to see you, my brother.”

  “You look well,” M’tok says, with a slap to my arm. “All this snow must suit you.”

  “My mate suits me,” I tell him.

  His eyes gleam with sly pleasure. “So it happened for you, then?” When I nod, he grins widely. “Then it has all turned out well.”

  That makes me frown, just a little. “P’nee says it was a bad plan. That we were wrong to do it.” I step closer to him. “Everyone is very mad.”

  “Bah. They will chew on their anger for a time but what can they do?” He does not seem concerned. “You have what you wanted, as do I.”

  “S’bren?” P’nee calls for me, stepping away from the group near the stone we have dragged for many days. She spots me standing next to my brother, and her smile widens. She bounds to my side, all excitement, and I cannot stop staring at the fine jiggle of her teats and thighs. My khui sings even louder, but P’nee just slides a hand to my back and beams at my brother. “The mastermind. I don’t know if I should punch you in the face or kiss you.”

  “You should not kiss him,” I say with a scowl.

  “You should not do either,” M’tok agrees, rubbing his jaw with a smirk. “My mate likes me pleasant to look upon.” He looks very pleased with himself.

  “Oh brother,” P’nee begins, but she goes quiet when another pushes forward. It is R’hosh, his yellow-maned mate at his side, holding her youngest kit in her arms. R’jaal is a few steps behind them.

  All of them look furious.

  P’nee pulls my arm over her shoulders, tucking herself against my side. I do not think she is scared, but I hold her closer just in case. My brother M’tok comes to my other side, and I notice that the beach grows quiet. Everyone is listening and waiting.

  R’hosh stops in front of us and scowls. “You have both stepped into it now.”

  I look down at my boot, but it seems clean. “In what?”

  L’z snorts with laughter. I look over at my P’nee but her fingers are pressed to her mouth and she is trying not to smile.

  R’hosh glares at his mate, then back at me. “You have caused great problems in this tribe—”

  “Before you scold him,” P’nee blurts, jumping in front of me with her arms spread. “You should know I already did. I told him what he did was wrong and terrible and he offered to take me back that very next day. He was apologetic as heck. I kinda forced him to take me adventuring.”

  “P’nee,” I begin, putting my hands on her shoulders. That small touch makes both of our khuis sing even louder.

  L’z just elbows her mate. “It’s amazing how Callie says she wasn’t kidnapped and now Penny’s saying SHE was the kidnapper. So weird, isn’t it?”

  He gives her a look.

  R’jaal steps forward. “I am torn, my clan brother. You disappoint me. We all want mates, but this is not the answer.”

  “R’hosh stole his mate,” M’tok answers, pretending to study his fingers. “V’za told us.”

  “What?” R’hosh stiffens and scans the group for V’za. The elder stands near G’hail, holding their kit, and gives us a panicked look. “Is this true, V’za?”

  V’za looks at me and M’tok, then back to R’hosh. “Rukh stole his.”

  “That is beside the point,” R’hosh begins even as his mate coughs into her hand, her face red and her shoulders shaking.

  “Hassen stole his,” V’za continues. “And—”

  “Enough!” R’hosh bellows.

  R’jaal gives R’hosh a betrayed look. “You have never said any of this to me.”

  “It is not important!”

  R’jaal crosses his arms, waiting.

  “I…think I’m gonna go feed the baby,” L’z wheezes, doing her best to try and keep a straight face and failing. She pats her mate on the arm and leans in. “You’re doing great, fearless leader. Good job.”

  R’hosh just sighs, his hands on his hips. He takes a step forward, so only myself, M’tok and R’jaal—and P’nee—can hear him speak. “That was a different time,” he says in a low voice. “How are we supposed to keep these females safe when both you and your brother disappear with unwilling females and then return happily resonating?”

  “Look, I’m not saying they shouldn’t be punished,” P’nee cuts in. “I think they should.”

  Frowning, I put my hand over my mate’s mouth.

  She immediately pries it off and goes back to speaking. “They did wrong. They fucked up. They absolutely did and it needs to be communicated to everyone that it was wrong and why. Give them latrine duty or make them gut all the fish for a few months or something, but at the end of the day, no one was hurt and withholding information from others is just as much to blame as M’tok and S’bren. We need to have a long conv
ersation about what it means to humans to be kidnapped and your experiences in your old tribe with it.”

  R’hosh scowls. “You think a conversation and a few extra chores will change I’rec and U’dron’s minds? Already they eye the other females like hungry kaari.”

  “It’s an ugly situation,” P’nee agrees. “But who’s to say I wasn’t going to resonate to S’bren anyhow? I haven’t been able to take my eyes off of him for weeks.”

  “You have not?” I am surprised to hear this.

  She just pats my hand. “All I’m saying is, let’s be sensible. And I should get punished, too, since I made S’bren stay out with me.” P’nee lifts her chin. “I’m just as guilty.”

  R’hosh stares at my stubborn, defiant mate, then throws his hands up in the air. “I hate being in charge.” He points at R’jaal. “These are your people. You decide their punishment. I am going to go sit with my mate.” He storms away, tail flicking.

  We are left with R’jaal, who watches us with a baffled expression.

  “Has…everyone stolen their mate?” he asks.

  “Just about,” my brother says. “It is something to consider, is it not?”

  “Wait, don’t encourage him,” P’nee says, frowning at my brother. She points at R’jaal. “I can’t be a hypocrite and say you shouldn’t do anything. Just…whatever you do, do not drug your woman. That is an absolute no-no. Hard stop.”

  He just stares at us, then points at myself, and at M’tok. “I will think of a punishment. Until then, do not leave this camp.” And he walks away, his expression perplexed.

  M’tok elbows me. “He will steal a mate. Wait and see. I give it less than a turn of the moon.”

  P’nee makes an unhappy noise in her throat, but I just hold her to me tightly. How can I tell R’jaal not to do such a thing when it has brought me such happiness? It has given me P’nee. How can I tell R’jaal not to? I look over at my brother. Ever since we landed on these strange, cold shores, he has been moody. Unhappy. Now he just looks…pleased. Healthy. It is because his resonance has been fulfilled, I realize. All of the hard, hungry edges of him have been torn down. “Where is your mate?” I ask him. “C’lie?”