Librarian and the Beast: A Mintar Romance

by S. J. Sanders

  His body still shook in the aftermath for several moments, his arms thankfully still tight around her, since she barely had the strength to cling to him. His broad nose nuzzled the top of her head, and another small whip of pleasure shot through her as he shifted to fold his legs beneath him once again. Very gently, he pulled her off his cock, the slurping sound echoing as it pulled free.

  To Beni’s surprise, he did not put her down right away, but held her in his arms against his chest, her heart against his. He was still holding her when his body rolled to curl on its side, his forelegs rising to curve around her. She looked at him from beneath her lashes, admiring the strength in his features that seemed even more pronounced when his body was relaxed and sated.

  He looked down at her thoughtfully, but didn’t speak. Instead, Faltz tucked her more firmly against his body, and sighed. She wasn’t entirely sure how to interpret the response, but decided to let it go. With his warm body curled around hers, her already mushy limbs went limp with exhaustion. Beni yawned against his chest and smiled at the feel of his hand stroking lightly—perhaps even a little uncertainly—over her hair. Nuzzling the soft scales beneath her cheek, she released a long breath and enjoyed just being in his arms.

  Chapter 12

  This was a bad idea. It was effective—the males he approached scented Beni on him, and it had also managed in one night, after numerous copulations, to break his rut—but Faltz knew that nothing good could come of it. It was not the knowing grins within his clan or the hard look that Calth gave him that made him feel uncomfortable. Instead, it was the female herself and the way she dominated his thoughts whenever they were apart. He did not desire that complication. He had his duties, chief among them training the younger males. Now that his seasonal rut was settled, he ought to be focusing on those things.

  Shaking his head, he forced his attention on the males training in the lower field. He had set them up to spar, and already he saw that he was going to have to step in and correct the form on some of the m—

  “Faltz,” a booming voice interrupted, breaking his thoughts.

  Calth. Faltz closed his eyes, his tail giving only one irritable snap to betray his mood before he stilled it. He should have known that the male would not waste time to speak to him. He opened his eyes and directed a sidelong glance at the other male.

  “Do you require something, Calth?”

  “I wish to speak to you,” the older male said as he approached down the slope of the canyon.

  Jaw hardening, Faltz directed his glare down at the training field. He definitely did not wish to deal with the other warrior. He had no doubt as to what subject he wished to speak of.

  As he drew up to his side, Calth nodded a greeting, his eyes casually glancing around. “Greetings, Faltz. I did not expect to see you so soon after acquiring a mate.”

  Faltz shot him a suspicious look, but returned his attention to the young males sparring on the field below. “I have duties to see to. They do not stop merely for my pleasure,” he replied.

  The male scratched at the base of his horn in a drawn out, thoughtful way. “True. You have many responsibilities to lead the next generation. It is what is expected of us. You are a good warrior and hunter. One of the best our clan has, that is for sure. Taking this into account, are you certain it is best that you take a mate? Would it not be better to give her over to a younger, more enthusiastic male of breeding age?”

  “I do not follow,” Faltz said stonily. “What assumption are you basing this off of? I assure you I satisfied my female last night and found great pleasure with her. My duties do not impinge on my abilities in that area.”

  “You think one night of rutting is enough to keep a female’s attention? They are needy creatures, demanding to be amused and showered with attention. How will you manage it with all the responsibilities that you take on for the clan? Be sensible. Especially when there are many worthy males who have come into their first season who would lavish attention on her. I am sure you recall my son, Isnah… He is of age now to take a mate. He is a good male, and I think the female would benefit more from a pairing with him than an old warrior such as us,” he said with a laugh.

  “I am ten annums younger than you, Calth. I may be among the more mature warriors, but I am not considered aged,” he reminded him with a sharp look.

  The other male raised a brow. “I am giving you the courtesy to make the best decision for yourself and your female. I do not want to take this matter to our clan’s queen, but I will if necessary. Isnah deserves this opportunity to secure a mate. He is first among the males of his set, and has proved himself in the hunt. The queen will see reason where you fail to.”

  Faltz’s tail twitched with disinterest. “If you feel you must bother our queen with such a detail, that is your prerogative. But I will say to her as I have said to you: I will not step aside to allow my mate to be claimed by another.”

  Calth growled and swung his girth around as he stepped in front of Faltz, challenge blazing in his eyes. “What do you need a female for? You have never expressed an interest in a female. Why now? There is no reason for you to refuse my request on behalf of Isnah!”

  Eyes narrowed, Faltz returned the male’s growl, his arms dropping down to his side as he tensed. “I would not trust Isnah with a calf, much less a female. He is insensitive to those weaker than him, undisciplined in his tasks, and arrogant. Beyond all that, Beni is mine!” he snarled.

  Anger flashed in the older warrior’s eyes, his lips pressing into a tight line as he stood stiffly, his posture advertising the male’s offended pride. “The queen shall hear about this,” he hissed between clenched teeth.

  “I suspect so,” Faltz said as he stepped around him. He was not willing to afford Calth a moment longer of his time. “Now that we have discussed the matter, I have my warriors to attend to.”

  “I will have Isnah transferred out of your unit,” Calth threatened with an ugly sound. “You are not the male I thought you were. The foolish, selfish Faltz is not who I wish to train my sons. When the interclan games come around, you will lack his strength, and on the hunts your unit will lack his skill. You shall regret your thoughtless decision.”

  Faltz waved a dismissive hand as he trotted down the slope. “Take him!” he shouted back. “His absence will spare me considerable irritation and provide me with more time to focus on worthier warriors.”

  His words delivered, he picked up his pace, not wishing to linger long enough to give the male an opportunity to reply. Or, if he did reply, to guarantee that Faltz was far enough away to not be subjected to it.

  He could not ignore the fact that Calth raised several reasonable points. If it were not for his oath and a matter of breeding only, he may have considered those suggestions. Although a craving for Beni had stirred within him, and consumed him even still, he knew he was not a suitable mate for the female. His responsibility toward her was the only thing that demanded he keep her by his side, whether he wanted to or not. His life was less complicated without a mate to care for; Calth was correct in that. He led an ordered, disciplined life. But he had not lied in his dismissal of Isnah as a candidate for mating. The very thought of the younger male putting his hands on Beni made his fists clench in anger as he arrived to the lower field.

  Bakin looked up from where he was leading a drill with his warriors as Faltz entered the field, and with a shout at the males to carry on, he arrived at his side. Faltz attempted to ignore his friend. After all, this whole scenario had been the male’s idiotic idea. From the corner of his eye, he did not miss the way Bakin’s nostrils flared, and the smile on his lips as he caught the scent of Beni clinging to his hide. It was the amused chuckle, however, that forced him to shoot a dark look at his friend.

  “Do not start. We have only been back in the clans for one day. I think can go several more days yet without any gloating or interference from you,” Faltz muttered.

  “Gloat? I would never do such a thing. Admire my own strategy, y
es—but never gloat,” Bakin said with a grin. “It is clear that the little female was more than accepting of the idea, from what I have been hearing. Her scent upon you certainly confirms it, you lucky janik.”

  “I do not know what is so lucky about it,” Faltz said.

  “Do you jest? You have a female who not only publicly states her desire for you, but follows through loud enough for half the camp to hear, and you ask that question? Most of the unmated males in the clan would give a talon or two for what you have.”

  “Must I remind you that it is temporary? This was your plan, after all.”

  Bakin shrugged, unconcerned. “That is your stupidity showing through. But you already know my thoughts on that. Fuck her, breed her, make her experience sexual bliss, feed all her other desires, and she will forget any promises made about leaving.”

  “So you have said,” Faltz muttered. “Now, if that is all you wanted…”

  “Believe it or not, admiring my handiwork is not why I approached you… What did Calth want?” Bakin asked.

  Faltz snorted. “What else? He is challenging my claim on Beni. He insists on taking it before the queen.”

  “Ah. Well, good. Then my news will not come of any surprise to you,” the male stated far too cheerfully.

  A scowl pulled at Faltz’s mouth. “What will not come as a surprise?”

  “Just that Eloio has decided to challenge you to an official mating challenge before the queen in ritual combat. Unfortunately, he is not a weak, untried youth with a sire to beg on his behalf. Eloio is in his fifth season, a warrior in his prime. He is going to attempt to force you to give up your claim on Beni.”

  A low growl rattled out from his chest. Part of him was offended that Eloio would dare to contest him, though another part of him respected that the male would attempt to win her through honorable combat rather than sniveling to the queen. Not that he would succeed.

  “Do you know when this is to occur?” Faltz asked, his gaze still focused on a pair of young males in their first season who were clumsily attempting to disarm each other. It seemed over the short time of the hunt that they had completely thrown out their recent lessons. Their stances were weak, their hold on their spears completely wrong.

  Trotting over to their side, he grabbed one of the males by the shoulder and slid his hands to the correct position on the spear while, with one foot, he knocked the male’s legs until the stance was corrected. Then he went to the other male and did the same. Giving the first seasons a hard look, he growled, “Again.”

  Bakin did not speak until they had moved away from the pair.

  “Tomorrow at the full moon feast,” the male said quietly. Faltz nodded in acknowledgement.

  “No doubt that is when Calth will take the issue to the queen as well, since she holds audience at the feast. It should be an eventful evening, then,” he muttered.

  His friend chuckled, amusement brightening his expression. “I have confidence in you, my friend. In fact, I have already placed wagers in your favor. I just ask that you not humiliate Eloio too much.” At Faltz’s hard look, Bakin raised a hand in surrender. “I do not mean to go easy on him. Give him a good beating, but leave a small shred of his pride intact so that I do not have to drag him to drills. Chasing after embarrassed males is tiring.” He sighed.

  Faltz snorted, his lip curving in a tight smile. “Very well. In return, you get to watch Beni while I deal with matters.”

  The male shrugged. “Watch over an attractive human female. That is hardly a hardship.” He slanted Faltz an enigmatic look. “Before I forget, the priest wishes for you to bring your ‘new mate’ to his lodge to meet him according to custom. He is unhappy you did not bring her yesterday upon our return.”

  Faltz let out a low groan. “I had hoped to escape before he learned of her presence.”

  “Small chance of that. You know he likes to offer his foresight and blessings on new mates.” Bakin grinned. “And escape? Really? I am not the only male among us who would not complain about being trapped such as you are.”

  “You are not helping.”

  “On the contrary, I think I am being very helpful! You will see that too, in time… I only hope that it is before you do something extremely stupid. Making your claim in front of the clan in defense against Calth and Eloio is a step in the right direction.”

  Suspicion churned within Faltz as he glared at his long-time friend. “If I did not know better, I would think that you instigated this.”

  “I would never set Calth on you to argue for his son. Pairing that young, hotheaded male up with a female before he has learned some control and discipline is insane.”

  Faltz narrowed his eyes. “And Eloio?”

  “I may have mentioned something in his presence—a tiny slip of the tongue—that inspired his interest,” Bakin said.

  “I will remember this when you bring a female to the clan,” Faltz muttered darkly.

  “If such a blessed day happens, I will welcome any challenges that come my way,” the other male claimed with a broad grin. “If it is any consolation, females tend to get inspired by watching their males fight. I envy you the pleasures you will receive from your Beni when you emerge victorious.”

  “I hate you sometimes.”

  Bakin’s answering laughter was all the reply he received.

  Chapter 13

  It was a strange thing for Beni to feel disappointed when she woke up alone. She was never one who wished to wake up beside one of her lovers. In fact, usually she was trying to sneak out so that no one started speaking of more permanent arrangements. But when she woke and saw that Faltz left while she slept, she had been irrationally stung by it. Her reaction hadn’t made any sense.

  “Get a grip, Beni,” she said as she brushed her knotted curls out of her face. “It was just sex. Really spectacular, amazing sex… but that’s all. Just a part of the plan you agreed to. Of course he would leave first thing this morning. This is not a romance, and he has responsibilities, so stop mooning about.”

  The pep talk didn’t help much, but at least it got her moving.

  Approaching the fire, she noticed that it had been built up at some point that morning. Relieved that she didn’t have to struggle with getting the fire going, Beni added water to the kettle and swung it on a hook over the fire, as she had watched Faltz do the night before. Her lips quirked as she recalled the way he’d poured some of the hot water out into a bowl, mixing it with a splash of cool water from a massive jug, to carefully wash her sex and thighs, and then himself. The gesture had been so sweet that she had been caught off guard, and she’d caught herself staring at him as he moved away and busied himself with making tea.

  Normally she wasn’t much of a tea drinker, preferring coffee sweetened with plenty of cream and sugar, or the occasional extravagant purchase of cocoa. It didn’t look like she was going to have options among the Mintars. Adding a portion of tea leaves to her cup, she filled the cup with hot water, and wondered if the other women missed such things.

  She suspected that they did, since Faltz mentioned how they missed their luxuries. She knew she would be desperately trying to find a way to smuggle her favorite foods in were she in their shoes. There had to be some way to get such supplies. An industrious woman with goods to trade could have returned with everything she could have wanted.

  Taking a cautious sip, Beni had to admit the tea wasn’t terrible. Settling on the bed with her cup, she glanced around the room, uncertain of what to do with herself. Faltz didn’t say anything about staying put, and she did want to see the Mintar village…

  “Knock, knock!” a woman’s cheerful voice called from outside, startling Beni so that she only just barely refrained from dropping her cup.

  A familiar face smiled at her as she pushed open the flap, expressive gray eyes crinkling with amusement as she shifted the bundle in her arms. What had Faltz called her? Beni wanted to groan at her own forgetfulness. She was terrible at remembering names.

  “
Hello… umm…” she began.

  The woman’s smile became larger. “Miram,” she supplied kindly. “Is this a good time?”

  Beni stepped back to let the other woman enter. “As good as any time, I suppose. I was just debating on what I should be doing.”

  Miram’s eyebrows climbed. “Should be doing? You and Faltz are newly mated. You should be enjoying the days of solitude with your mate before he goes back to his duties. Mintars seclude themselves with their mates for at least a week, leaving their dwellings only very briefly. I am surprised that Faltz is gone, but I imagine he will be back soon. It’s a very special time for their people. Special time for us too, as you’ll discover. I have good memories of that time, so I will make my welcome quick so that you can get back to your little seclusion when Faltz returns,” she said with a wink.

  Beni attempted to ignore the twinge of sorrow that followed Miram’s observation. No seclusion for her—not that she would expect any such thing with the arrangement. It didn’t make her feel any better that Faltz had disappeared at the first opportunity.

  “Oh, no reason to rush,” Beni assured her. She definitely didn’t want the other woman to hurry away and leave her by herself to stew. “Faltz was gone when I woke.” At the dismayed look on the other woman’s face, Beni tried to explain. “I know he has many responsibilities, so it’s no problem. I just am not sure what I should be doing.”

  Miram shook her head with a disapproving look. “That is highly unusual. Faltz does indeed have many responsibilities around the village, but he is being short sighted if he doesn’t follow mating traditions. It will invite males to challenge him, regardless of your feelings, as they will assume your bond is weak. With his position in the community, even more eyes are going to be on him now that he returns with a mate.”