As expected, within minutes the female began to relax against him, her grip loosening to something more comfortable. With the human secured, he broke out into a full gallop, his spare hand clenched firmly around hers to be certain that she did not let go in her relaxed state.
It did not take Faltz long to reach the barrier of the Mintar camp. The young males who rushed forward to greet him halted and stared wide-eyed at the human nestled against his back. Although her breath teased the skin of his back from where she leaned against him in slumber, it was not the reason why his skin prickled. He could smell the excitement of the young males as they pushed forward, craning their heads to get a better look at the human.
This was exactly what he had not wanted.
Faltz snapped his head around in attempt to keep his eye on all of them at the same time. One of the youths at his shoulder moved carelessly, reaching toward the line of fish, his hand skimming the female. Faltz stepped back, growling in warning, his lips pulling back from his teeth. The male let out a sharp gasp and withdrew his hands.
“Why are all of you clustered here?” Bakin’s voice raised over the murmur of the males.
The captain of the clan guard pushed through; his violet eyes narrowed as he glanced suspiciously at the males before his gaze finally landed on Faltz. His friend immediately stiffened in surprise. The male’s lips flattened into a thin line as understanding settled over his features, and he turned, swinging his horns as he moved.
“Off with you. Tend to your duties. There is no reason for you to be standing here gawking like you have never seen a human before. Half of your dams are human. I will see to the fish.”
After a few dissenting grumbles and numerous loud, beleaguered sighs, the males finally dispersed, tails flicking anxiously as they glanced back toward the female. Faltz watched them, his mouth shut as his eyes tracked them. A movement to his side drew his attention back to his friend. His hands lifted before him, Bakin edged forward with a careful smile. The male peered around him, concern on his face.
Despite their lifelong friendship, Faltz eyed his friend warily. Logically, he knew that his rut was to blame for his possessiveness. Add to it the small matter of his oath to the human, and it made him increasingly uncomfortable with any male pushing nearer—even Bakin. Faltz snorted out a long, aggressive growl, but locked his legs, willing himself to stay in place at his friend’s approach.
“Is the human well, Faltz?”
Releasing a shuddering breath, Faltz nodded. “She is exhausted. She was caught in the storm and, from what I understand, swept down the river.” He shook his head at that small miracle.
Thunder River could easily drown a full grown Mintar during a storm. For the female to survive had to be nothing less than the will of the gods. For whatever reason, they had placed her before him, and it was his sworn duty to see to her care until she was reunited with her people. Bakin was not going to be pleased.
“I have sworn to help her home.”
Bakin nodded enthusiastically. “Naturally. I am sure there will be a number of males who will attempt to contest your claim on the female, but you did find her, and she does cling to you. She will make you a fine mate and bear strong, healthy calves.”
“No,” Faltz growled. “I mean to return her to her home. As soon as we get the harvest from our hunt back to our clan, I will set out for the human village at the northwestern border of our territory.
“You cannot be serious!” Bakin protested. “You know we need more females in our clan. There will be riot if you return her to the humans. It would be bad enough that the ill-content males who would grumble that you, older than many of the mate-less who are in prime rutting seasons, acquired a female. If it comes out that you have no intention of keeping her as your mate, they will try to take her by any means necessary. It would be anarchy!”
“What would you have me do?” Faltz snapped. “Betray my own vow?”
“I would have you do what any sensible Mintar would do. Seduce the female, fill her with young… Eventually she will forget about her desire to return to her own kind.”
“Keep her? The female would drive me to madness in no time,” Faltz said.
Bakin shook his head in disbelief. “Then why make such a show of protecting her and chasing off other males? I understand that you wish to protect what you consider your sworn duty, but let another male take her and do what is necessary in your stead. There are lonely males who would be eager for the chance. In such a case, you would not be breaking any vow you made.”
“No,” Faltz growled, everything within him rejecting the suggestion, despite the wisdom in it. “I will protect her and find a way to get her to the humans without upsetting the clan. This little female will cause no disruption while in my care.”
Bakin sighed and ran a hand along the base of one horn. “Stubborn,” he said. “You always were too stubborn for your own good.” He crossed his arms over his chest and leveled Faltz with a stern look. “Fine. If you want to spend the next few weeks looking over your shoulder for males ready to accost you for the unclaimed female, that is on you. It will not take long for our brethren to figure out what is going on. I will not stand against the clan in this, Faltz.”
Faltz nodded, expecting as much. Bakin could not stand against the clan to show favor to him. Not only would it be viewed as dishonorable, but the clan queen could strip him of his rank for placing Faltz’s interest above the clan.
“I accept your decision,” he rumbled.
The bark of laughter that erupted from Bakin was brittle. “I sincerely hope neither of us regret this. Take care of the female then, and hand over the cursed fish so that our hunting party can eat before we start on our way.”
Slipping the line of fish off his shoulder, he handed it over, relieved that they were no longer slapping against the human with his every movement. Bakin accepted them with a wry smile and nodded in resignation. Although the male didn’t agree with his plan, at the heart of it all, his friend supported him. It offered small comfort against all that he stood to face, yet still he appreciated it for what it was. Nothing more was said between them, with only their footsteps breaking the silence as they made their way back to camp.
Chapter 6
Beni stepped into the low-lit room of The Club, surrounded by everyone she had, at one point or another, called friend for sake of their shared interests. The familiar smoke of opium and tobacco surrounded her, mingling with a chaotic mix of women’s perfume, whiskey, and human sweat.
She didn’t know why they wore masks. It was a silly rule (in her opinion) because everyone knew each other, but no one failed to abide by it on threat of termination of their membership.
A man stepped to her side, and she glanced over, the upper half of her face concealed by the mask. Sighing, she turned, already well aware of who it was. Jess looked down at her, his smile predatory as the icy eyes behind his gold-embroidered black silk mask roved over her body. A shiver ran through her, and not the good kind. She had broken it off with him for a reason. He was sadistic and possessive. He enjoyed inflicting more pain than pleasure, and if he believed that she had been with any other, that pain could be horrible. A little bite of pain was fun, but when she started limping home in agony after a night with him, she had begun avoiding him. It was also why she had stopped coming to The Club.
Why was she even there?
She turned away, frowning as she glanced around. In the crowd, her ex-lovers watched in stony silence amid the frenzy of patrons. Sweat beaded on her skin. This wasn’t right. She moved, her wet skirt weighing her down. She glanced down at it, startled.
“Where have you been, Beni?” Jess whispered, one hand grazing her shoulder as it traced a path to her neck. Her skin crawled, and she swallowed thickly, tasting something pungent and unfamiliar in her mouth.
She tried to smile, panic fluttering in her breast. What was going on?
Jess leaned in closer, a wicked smirk pulling at his lips.
The aroma of cooking fish drifted in from somewhere, making her mouth water despite her anxiety. Fish? That didn’t make any sense. The Club didn’t serve cooked food. She blinked, and everything wavered, going in and out focus. Her clothes felt rough against her, as if they had been wet and dried in the dirt. This wasn’t right at all. She frowned, squinting at Jess, watching his lips move…
“Wake up and eat while you have the opportunity,” growled a deep voice near her ear.
Everything around her snapped, leaving only darkness in its wake. Light crept in as she opened her eyes. A red hand sporting long, curved, black claws hovered in front of her face, holding a cabbage leaf loaded with flaky fish.
Beni let out a shaky breath. It had only been a dream. As dismal as her current reality was, she would take the scaly red monster over the human one any day. At least the… ah, the Mintar—her memory supplied what he’d called his kind—had been considerate so far. He was rather sweet, as far as beastly creatures went.
Pushing herself up, she stretched out a hand and took the makeshift plate with a grateful smile on her face. The male didn’t return her smile, but after she took the food, he did back up enough to give himself room to drop down and settle on the ground near her. Thick arms crossed his chest as dusky lavender eyes watched her sternly. It didn’t occur to her that his patience was thinning until his tail snapped at his side.
“Cease staring like a calf and eat,” he barked at her.
Beni jumped and snapped up a chunk of fish and shoved it in her mouth. It was still hot and made her eyes water… but it was so good! Normally she didn’t care for fish—too many tiny bones that she always seemed to find after she bit into a morsel. Yet she couldn’t see any little boney boobytraps poking out of the food given to her, and none threatened to strangle her or cut into the roof of her mouth as she swallowed it. She scooped up more and proceeded to eat with relish. As she did so, the male’s face relaxed from a snarl to a resting glower.
Didn’t he ever smile? She had gotten a look as his fangs, and his smile would probably be unsettling at first, but he would still look more approachable if he did. Not that his harsh features deterred her any. There was something almost magnificent about them in a raw, brutish sort of way that many men attempted to capture, but few succeeded at.
“Thank you. This is very good,” she mumbled around a mouthful of fish. Despite her full mouth, she attempted a winsome smile. “I really appreciate everything you’ve been doing for me.”
The male grunted, his eyes sliding away as his tail flipped again, this time more casually, on the ground at his side.
Okay, definitely not a conversationalist. Maybe he was shy? It seemed a strange possibility for a beastly male, but that was fine. Beni excelled at small talk, and didn’t mind carrying the conversation until he felt comfortable enough to speak to her.
Glancing around what appeared to be a small cavern, there wasn’t much to look at but stone. There was a comfortable fire a short distance away, and a number of Mintars were scattered everywhere. Some had large, intricately woven blankets in bright colors lying over their flanks as they reclined and ate. It was primitive, but the splash of color and the easy attitude among the males made for a pleasant atmosphere. At least she didn’t hear bats shuffling about in the cave. She didn’t know whether it was because they were absent, or the sounds of animals moving about was drowned out by the Mintars. Regardless, she was grateful.
“This is rather nice. Do you live here?”
One brow rose skeptically. “Does this look like a place where one would live?”
She chewed thoughtfully. “Well, no, I suppose not. It doesn’t particularly look homey. But humans live in houses or small apartments. I don’t think anyone I know would choose to live someplace like this unless they were desperate.”
He leaned forward and regarded her carefully. “Then what would make you assume that this is where we would live?”
She lifted her hand to tap at her chin as she looked at him.
“It is hard to imagine you in a house. As large as your bodies are, I should think that you would have trouble making it down a hallway, or up a staircase for that matter. The typical furnishings would be out of the question. I can’t see a chair or a bed being anything short of a disaster. I would think given your shape you would live similar to a herd of horses perhaps. Taking shelter from the elements, but lying in wild pastures.”
“Like horses,” the male repeated, his brow drawing down into a scowl.
“Not exactly like horses,” she amended. “Obviously you eat meat, and I’ve never met a carnivorous horse… Although I did know a mare who enjoyed biting for absolutely no reason whatsoever, the foul tempered creature. Not to mention that in some ways your features are almost human, just with… extra… everything. A little feral, perhaps. I heard of a child who grew up in the alleys that practically ran on all four limbs, snarling at everything and everyone that… she…” Beni trailed off as his glare grew sharper, his nostrils flaring.
Oh dear.
Pinching her lips together, Beni decided it was best to not say anything more. She wasn’t trying to insult him. She really didn’t know what had come over her to compare his species to feral children. Wincing, Beni looked down, focusing on the wild clump of matted, frizzy hair that had fallen over her shoulder. A horrified shriek erupted from her.
Her hair!
Dropping the meat-filled leaf beside her, Beni worked to pick at the knots, mumbling curses under her breath. Of course, she had to be washed down river into the wilds miles away from even a decent comb, much less a bottle of conditioner or the lotions she regularly put into her hair to keep the curls supple and neat. Desperately, she combed her fingers through the length, trying to ignore the way the curls caught at the newly cracked skin of her palms and the broken ends of her nails—more casualties of her swim. Beni bit her lip, tearing up at the painful tugs as she attempted to neaten her hair. All the Mintars looked neat and well groomed, and she looked like something the cat dragged in. She slowly ran her hands over the rest of her hair, recoiling at the matted mess that greeted her. Her chin wobbled as she held back tears.
“What is amiss, female?”
Beni glanced up in the concerned face of her rescuer. “My hair… Why didn’t you tell me I looked such a mess? I’ve been sitting here in front of the gods and everyone eating, not even realizing I looked this way! I mean, I don’t consider myself vain,” she choked out, “but I had no idea it was this bad. And everyone keeps looking at me!” The last came out in a tight, bewildered hiss as more of the males glanced over at her curiously. She drew up her arms over her head, trying to block everything out.
That was exactly the moment when the pungent smell of sweat, fish, and gods knew what else that floated in the water wafted up to her. Beni gagged, her eyes watering. “Oh my gods… and I stink!”
The male at her side tilted his head. “You mean that you are not supposed to look and smell like a two-days-dead bleater?”
Beni’s mouth dropped open and a horrified shriek bubbled out of her as she made the connections. “No! Blessed ones, you think I smell and look like a dead sheep? What is wrong with you? It can’t be that bad,” she moaned to herself. She took a deep, steadying breath. “It will be fine. I’ll just get the knots out… and then…” She glanced around helplessly.
A low, masculine chuckle drifted over to her, and she whipped her head around. Her Mintar rescuer, who she had been having warm thoughts of just moments ago, was laughing at her!
Understanding dawned. “You… you were messing with me! You rotten beast!”
His eyes crinkled, and a frightening set of double fangs flashed as his laughter rolled over her. It sounded deeper and more resonant than anything she had heard before. His tail flicked in her direction. “You nearly drowned in that cursed river, surviving against all improbabilities, but here you are complaining because you did not rise from the water perfectly groomed like a goddess and smelling of spring blosso
ms? You smell and look just as you should—one fortunate to have survived. Not one human female I know would have come out of it any better.”
Somewhat mollified, Beni’s hands dropped back into her lap. She shot him a glare from beneath her eyelashes. “That still doesn’t excuse you for comparing me to a dead sheep.”
He shrugged. “Rarely have I seen a being with such fine, curling tufts of mane. My people prize the flocks in our territory, shearing their manes to make comfortable fabrics. It was the only comparison I could think of. Although I may have exaggerated about the scent a little,” he said.
Her lips quirked at the small admission, but she stilled as he drew in close, his large shoulder brushing her arm as he reached for a small collection of sacks just behind her. When he drew back once more, he had a bone comb in his hand. He handed it to her before dropping his hands to the nape of his neck and removing one of the leather ties from his hair, handing that to her as well.
“Hunters do not keep much with us when we are searching for game, but perhaps this will suffice until we get to our settlement,” he muttered, all signs of his humor disappearing as if it had never happened. “The females there will have everything you need to groom yourself.”
Her eyebrows winged up. “They will? Conditioners, lotions for my skin and hair, good soap, oils and creams… oh, a nail file?”
He grimaced with a puzzled shake of his head. “I do not know what most of that is, but they have some things that they have concocted from our supplies. The Atlavan females shared their knowledge with them as well.”
Atlavan? Beni sat on the question, figuring she would find out once she arrived. Instead, she slanted him a curious look.
“Just how many human women do you have at your home?” she asked.
The big male shrugged as he took a sip from a waterskin. “A couple dozen, I imagine. Many of them are dams of the males you see here. There are fewer younger females.”
Librarian and the Beast: A Mintar Romance Page 4