by Ruby Dixon
Or so I’d thought. The moment Harrec saw me, all soft feelings I had for him melted away.
“My eyes!” he’d cried out, putting a hand to his chest dramatically. “Look at this mountain of a human!” And he’d pointed right at me.
The others had laughed, and Harrec had looked delighted at his joke. Me, I’d wanted to crawl under a rock and hide away. Even among these tall blue—blue!!— people, I’m still an oddity. So yeah, Harrec’s on my shit list. To make it worse, he seems to think that it’s fun to pick on me, and so he flirts with me constantly. Since he’s already declared I’m a mountain, I know he’s not interested in me. He’s always laughing and joking, and all of his flirtations come out with a silly grin, and, well, I don’t find it funny.
I feel like the butt of an ongoing joke, and so I do my best to ignore him. Unfortunately, the more I ignore the dick, the more he decides to pay attention to me. There’s not a day that goes past that he’s not making some ridiculous little comment or dogging at my heels.
It sucks.
He knows just what to say or do to make me crazy, too. “Wait up, Kate,” he calls out as I hustle toward my hut. I’m going to pick up my weapons and then stop by Liz’s place to see if she’s finished with her morning rounds so she can show me how to practice with my new bow. I’m not very good at it, but that just makes me all the more determined to master it. “Kate,” Harrec calls again, a few steps behind me.
“Go away,” I tell him, and duck into the shared hut.
As houses go, it’s not much. Brooke’s a bit of a slob, and both Summer and I aren’t very good with the fire yet, so we tend to let the ashes pile up more than they should. There are furs all over the floors, because we’re not used to walking on all that cold stone, and the hut itself is pretty crude. It’s literally four walls—though they are carved with some crazy geometric murals of four-armed people—a long counter for a kitchen area, a toilet booth, and a fire pit. My bedding is along the left wall, and I keep my area pretty tidy, mostly because Hurricane Brooke makes me crazy with her mess. My new weapons are neatly lined up and organized, and I move to pick up my bow and the bone arrows that I have prepared. I only have three, but I’m still in practice mode.
“You should know that a good hunter always makes sure his weapons are sharp enough to pierce hide. Did you sharpen yours this morning?”
I whip around, gawking at the fact that Harrec is in my damn hut. “What are you doing here? You can’t just walk in!”
A confused look crosses his expressive face. “But we were talking.”
“You were talking. I was ignoring,” I hiss at him. “Leave me alone. And don’t follow me around! What if I was changing?”
He gestures at the doorway. “You did not put the privacy screen up, so I assumed it was safe to enter.” The humor returns to his face. “And if you are undressing, I am glad to assist.”
I roll my eyes at him. “Cool your jets. You know I’m not interested in stripping for you.” The last thing I want is a few more “Kate the Mountain” jokes lobbed my way. I sling my bow over my back, shove the arrows into my quiver, and attach it to my belt before turning to glare at him. “Goodbye.”
He chuckles, following me as I head out of the hut again. “You act as if I offended you, Kate. Is it because I am trying to share my hunting knowledge with you?” He jogs to my side and then begins to walk backward in front of me, so he’s facing me. “I am an excellent hunter, you know. I would be happy to teach you.”
Oh brother. “I haven’t seen much excellence out of your hunting yet, I’m sorry to say.” Maybe now that I’ve insulted him, he’ll go away.
But his face only lights up, and that big, goofy grin spreads. “Shall I impress you, then? What would you like for me to hunt for you this day?”
“Whatever gets you the farthest away,” I reply sweetly.
He considers this, then asks, “Fang-fish? From the river?”
I’ve seen the river he’s mentioning, and it’s on the far side of the valley. The very first few days I went hunting with Liz, all we did was walk the valley and look at trap lines while she pointed out things I needed to know about. I remember the fang-fish—it looks like a bunch of harmless bamboo sticking up from the banks of the river, but pulling one out shows a big nasty fish with huge teeth and bulging eyes. “River sounds good. It’s a long walk.”
“Not so long,” he boasts. “How many fang-fish would you like for me to catch for you?”
I arch an eyebrow at him. “How many do you normally catch?”
He shrugs, the movement fluid and appealing. “Two or three.”
“Then catch me eight.” That sounds perfectly unreasonable and should keep him away from me all day.
“Oho.” Harrec’s eyes gleam. “A challenge, eh?”
“Yup.” I grin despite myself. He’s hard to dislike when he’s fun like this.
“And what will you give me if I win at this challenge?”
“Nothing?”
“A fierce hunter like myself needs more encouragement than that. Will you let me mouth-mate you?”
I feel all flushed and heated at his suggestion…and confused. He’s still flirting with me even though the others aren’t around? I’m not sure how to take it. Is this legit flirting, or is he still mocking me? “No.” He makes kissing sound incredibly filthy.
“Then you will share my furs?” His tail flicks back and forth, and his grin is wide. “This pleases me.”
I stop in my tracks. “Hold up there, buddy. This is not one of those ‘If you want a kitten ask for a pony’ types of things. I’m not kissing you, and I’m not sleeping with you just because you catch eight fish. Don’t be ridiculous.”
“Then tell me what my prize will be.”
I cast around for something benign. “I’ll…let you take me hunting one day…but only if you come back with eight of those suckers. And good luck with that.”
Harrec wags a finger at me. “I like the way you think, Kate. When I come back to the village tonight with eight fang-fish, I shall save the largest one for you.”
My grin fades. The largest for me because I’m the largest girl? Suddenly this all feels like he’s making fun of me again. “Day’s wasting,” I tell him, pushing past. “You’d better hop to it.”
He laughs and jogs off. “Wait until you see what I catch, Kate. You will be most impressed!”
“Doubt it,” I mutter to myself and stalk toward Liz’s hut. I can hear the sound of voices inside, but I pause before letting them know I’m here. I’m rattled after my run-in with Harrec, my heart fluttering. I’m unsettled; I can never tell if he’s serious or making fun of me, and I suspect he’s making fun of me…which makes my attraction to him all the more miserable. I shouldn’t like the guy who seems to pick on me constantly, but I can’t help it. Which, of course, makes me even more frustrated and confused. I hate the guy when he’s away, but when he’s around me, I like his humor and his clever words…until he turns them on me again.
I shake my head to clear it of thoughts of Harrec. A kiss—or more!—for eight fish. The man’s out of his freaking mind. Composing myself, I push my braid off my shoulder and clear my throat outside of Liz’s hut. The screen isn’t in front of the door, but it just feels weird to walk in, and I think about Harrec’s confusion earlier. “Liz? It’s me.”
“Come in,” she calls out. “I’m just trying to get these two squirts fed.”
I duck into the hut and smile at her. She’s sitting by the fire, her arrows and sharpening stone in hand, glaring at her little daughters. Aayla—the younger—looks like she’s been crying, and Raashel—the older—has a smug look on her face. “Look at me, Mommy,” Raashel calls out. “I ate all of my root cakes and Aayla isn’t eating hers at all.”
“Good job, honeybun. And hey, Kate, have a seat.” Liz glances up at me before looking over at her daughter again. “Aayla, I’m going to count to ten, and if you don’t eat those cakes…” She lets her voice trail off ominously.
Aayla’s little lower lip juts out and she starts to cry again. “I don’t like them, Mommy!”
“Does Mommy look like she gives a shit? No, she does not. Eat that or you’re having your dinner raw tonight.” She looks over at me again, since I’m still hovering in the doorway. “Kids. Oy. I hope you weren’t in a hurry today.”
“I’m not,” I say, and unsling my bow off my shoulder, then fold my long legs down onto the ground next to her.
“Mommy, Mommy,” Raashel says. “Aayla’s not eating her cakes.”
Liz pinches the bridge of her nose. “If your daddy was here, Raashel, he’d tell you no one likes a snitch. And he’d eat those cakes of yours, Aayla. But he’s not, so eat them so you can go to school already, okay? Ariana is waiting on you guys.” She looks over at me and crosses her eyes. “They’re always like this when Raahosh is gone for a few days.”
“Is he gone?” I ask mildly. In a way, I’m kind of glad it’s just going to be me and Liz in my lesson today. Raahosh is…well, he’s a little glare-y.
“Yup. He’s spoiled my girls rotten.” She gives them an affectionate but exasperated look, then reaches over and grabs the last cake from Aayla’s plate and shoves it into her mouth. “Go on, you two. Go to school.”
Aayla’s tears immediately dry, and she launches herself toward the door, quickly followed by her sister. “Bye Mommy!”
Liz finishes chewing with a little shake of her head. “Okay. We’re just going to be practicing our aim today, so we’ll set up a target on the outskirts of the village and work with that.” She reaches over and grabs my quiver, examining my arrows. “And the first thing we need to talk about is how dull these arrows are. They need to be sharp enough to pierce hide or else the kill won’t be clean. Where’s your sharpening stone?”
Ugh. Are they that blunt? Harrec was right.
I hate that.
2
One Month Later
HARREC
She still refuses to go hunting with me. My Kate is a poor loser.
I find this charming, though. Kate is competitive and a poor loser. This is fun. As time passes, I learn more and more about my human female…because I’ve come to think of her as mine. There has been no resonance between any of the new humans and the hunters except for Bek and strange, smelly Ell-ee. That suits me fine. If I am not meant to have resonance, at least there are females to share furs with. Since they have not resonated, I have decided that Kate shall be mine.
I have been in love with her since the moment I first saw her. I grin to myself as I flex my bad hand. The spot where the fishhook ripped through my palm has healed, but it is still stiff and aches occasionally. I should have been paying more attention, but my thoughts were focused on the tall human with the hair like a cloud, just like it has been every day since the humans arrived.
I was never jealous when the first group of humans arrived. I did not resonate, and I figured it was not meant for me. I did not feel strongly toward any of the small, delicate, flat-faced creatures, but I did want a mate. I pursued Tee-fah-ni once long ago, but my heart was not in it like Taushen’s was. She resonated to Salukh, and I am glad for my friend. I assumed I would need to be patient, wait for one of the kits to grow up and see if my khui sprang to life then.
But the moment I saw Kate, I knew she was to be mine. Unlike the other humans, she is tall and strong, her hips curving and sturdy, her teats large, and her legs long. She stands tall above them all, and I know that her body would fit perfectly against mine in the furs. I would not need to bend down to touch mouths to her. I could hold her close and not feel as if I was about to break her. I like that.
I also like her strange mane. Out of all the females, she is the palest, her hair like a cloud of snow or a bush in a snowstorm. Unlike Shorshie’s big brown curls, Kate’s curls are tight and wild, and her colorless mane falls to the middle of her back in a dense nest. I want to touch it and see if it feels as soft as it looks. Even her small brows are pale and colorless. Fascinating.
She is not completely pale, though. When she is upset, her cheeks flush a bright red. I find this adorable, so I do my best to make her blush. She dislikes my flirting, I think, but she will come around. I will give her time.
I have all the time in the world to woo her.
I watch as she sits with Hemalo, frowning at the skin in front of her. It’s stretched over a frame, and bits of gristle and blood vessels hang off of the underside. It is the skin from her first kill, and he is showing her how to clean the hide. Ever since she arrived here, my Kate has done her best to learn what she can. All of the females are, but while Suh-mer and Buh-brukh take to learning village life, Kate wishes to learn to be a hunter. She is like Leezh, fierce and strong.
I like that. I like that very much.
I flex my hand again and watch as she picks up her scraper.
“Dude, you’re totally creeping.”
I glance over and see Mah-dee standing nearby, her son Masan perched on her hip. She raises an eyebrow at me and then looks pointedly over at Kate.
“What is this, cah-ree-pen?” I ask. After seasons of being around humans, I am surprised when new words continue to appear.
“It means you’re being weird around her. Let her breathe.” She gives a little shake of her head. “You want her to pay attention to you? Freaking lay off her for a few days. Let the poor thing breathe.”
“I do let her breathe,” I protest, caught off guard. I do not hover around Kate that much…do I? Perhaps I do, but I want her to know of my interest. For a strong, smart female, she is rather clueless when it comes to letting a male woo her. I make it a point to say hello to her every day, to challenge her and praise her on her hunting…and tease her to do better. I treat her like I would one of the other hunters…and she responds with feisty, angry words and an upturned nose.
Of course, I do not mind this, because she is beautiful when she is angry. But I would like her to soften toward me. Perhaps I am cah-ree-pen too much after all.
“You think I should go help her with her skin?” I ask Mah-dee.
She rolls her eyes at me. “You should leave her alone. Aren’t you guys all going on a trip to the Elders’ Cave tomorrow? Let her have a day off from your clingy ass, hon. She’s not going anywhere.” She nods at her hut. “Come on. I’ll feed you and you can come chat with Hassen.”
I frown as she hands me her son. “But I do not wish to chat with Hassen.”
“I know,” Mah-dee says. “That’s the point. You want to stay here and give her googly eyes from the shadows, but you’re not going to win her like that, okay? So come sit down and eat and take a chill pill.”
I have heard this chill-pill before. It is not a real thing. I ruffle Masan’s hair and chuckle. “Well, if your mother is going to feed us, how can I refuse?”
Masan leans in and squeezes my nose, then waits. I obediently make a honking noise, and he breaks into peals of laughter. Ah, kits. They are such fun and so simple to understand. Not like my Kate at all. With one last look in her direction, I follow Mah-dee back to her hut.
I duck inside and raise a hand to Hassen as I enter, holding Masan under my other arm with ease. My fellow hunter sits by the fire, a spread of weapons and supplies near his feet. “Ho, friend. Readying for a hunt?”
He nods, rubbing his chin. “It is my turn to go on the far trails this time.”
Mah-dee makes a face and leans over her mate, pulling his face to her teats and holding him close playfully. “And I’m going to miss the heck out of him.”
“Mmm.” He nuzzles his mate’s teats through her tunic, making her squeal and causing Masan to giggle aloud. I ignore their flirting and sit by the fire.
“Wow,” Mah-dee says, moving to the fire and ladling a bit of stew into a bowl. “That was the perfect opportunity for you to make a crack about how we need to calm down, and nothing from you? You feeling okay, Harrec?”
I rub the scar on my palm absently. “My thoughts are elsewhere t
oday.”
“Uh huh.” She hands me the bowl and a carved spoon. “With a certain tall blonde?”
“Of course.” There is no sense denying it. Everyone in the tribe knows of my determination to win Kate. “It has been a full turn of the moon and I am no closer to winning her into my furs than I have ever been. It is almost as if she truly does not like me.”
“Imagine that,” Mah-dee says, and glances over at her mate. She picks up another bowl and ladles it full of food, then sits next to her son and pulls him into her lap while he eats. “Or it’s like you don’t get the hint, Harrec.”
“Hint?” I stir my spoon in the food, but I am not hungry. “What do you mean?”
“Leave it, my mate,” Harrec cautions Mah-dee. “We promised we would not get involved.”
“Get involved?” I echo, questioning. “What do you mean?”
“He means we’re not taking sides,” Mah-dee says with a wave of her hand. “Not going to play matchmaker. Things like that.”
Hassen just shakes his head at his mate. “She thinks you need help wooing her.”
“I do?”
“Oh boy, do you ever,” Mah-dee cries. “You’re coming on like a bad rash, dude.” When her mate gives her another shake of his head, Mah-dee turns to him. “I’m not interfering, babe. I’m just offering some advice. That’s all. They’re all leaving tomorrow for a few weeks, so get your panties out of a knot. I’m just going to give him some tips on how to win his lady.”
Hassen rolls his eyes. “Because you are the expert on wooing?”
“I wooed you, didn’t I?” She gives him a sultry wink and then pokes her son in the belly. “Eat, Masan. After you finish eating, Daddy’s going to watch you while Mommy does laundry.”
“Because Mommy is rewarding her mate when he does,” Hassen says in a low voice, giving Mah-dee a heated look.
These two are never very focused. “Let us discuss Kate more,” I interrupt. “What do you mean, I am on her like a rash?”