“You’re okay,” she choked out in relief. “You’re awake!”
She shifted away from him, and his arm reluctantly slipped off her as she stood and paced toward the entrance where she knew the males were attempting to sun themselves and rest. They’d agreed just the previous day that they needed to take advantage of the days with good weather to maintain their own health.
“Rager! Kyx! Warol is awake!” she yelled.
Both males darted up from where they were stretched out over the grass-covered rocks. She stepped back to give them space as they barreled inside, rushing to crouch over their brother. She didn’t catch the softly spoken words, but the affection in their embraces spoke volumes to her. Her heart warmed, but then a sadness descended over her. She knew what she had to do. Once they had settled in companionable silence around Warol, Arie cleared her throat. It was as good a time as any to share information with them.
“Warol is going to need a few days to recuperate, but you need to make for a safer place away from this part of the forest for him to finish healing.” She took a deep breath. “I think it would be best if we separate.”
The brows on all three males dropped into a near identical scowl as she continued, “It is not because I want to, or anything. It’s …” she dropped off helplessly, uncertain of how to tell them.
“It’s… what…?” Warol rasped.
She looked at each of them solemnly and steeled her nerves. “The ehurmu—the feral men who had me—said they saw a huntsman in this area. I think the village sent him after me. I know what they do to your kind and I can’t let any of you risk yourselves by being found with me.” She twisted a length of red hair in her fingers. “Now that Warol is awake, I should probably leave tonight.”
Silence followed her announcement. They did not look relieved at her decision; in fact, it seemed like the complete opposite. Their ears flattened with anger, and their eyes narrowed.
“Over my… dead… and rotting… corpse…” Warol ground out as he heaved in belabored breaths. She scrambled to his side as he attempted to push himself off the furs.
“What are you doing? Don’t do that. You are still injured,” she said as she pushed against his shoulders. Neither Rager nor Kyx moved to help her. They glared sullenly at her from either side of the male. She yelped as all four of Warol’s arms snapped around her and pinned her against him.
“You… will stay…” he demanded, his yellow eyes sparkling like baleful fires. He glanced up angrily at Rager, looking for the lead’s support. Rager’s icy eyes narrowed on her and he nodded.
“Warol is right. You will not leave us and place greater risk on yourself. By this time, the huntsman will have noticed we are traveling together and might try to harm you to get our attention. We won’t risk you either.”
“But…” Arie protested.
Rager turned away from her, effectively dismissing her as he drew himself around the injured male.
“Discussion time on that is over,” Kyx replied as he settled once more against Warol. “You are stuck with us, human.”
She wanted to be angry, but instead she found herself smiling. At length, she settled at his side and curled into the males. One of Warol’s arms immediately sought her out, and she stroked his fur until he drifted back to sleep.
12
Rager and Kyx stepped up security that same day. Both males now took shifts so that one of them was always out patrolling. Kyx often took the day shift while Rager protected the burrow, and then later went out all night. It didn’t take long for Arie to miss having all three males at her side. Warol was the only one who remained with her, and that was not entirely by his choice.
They had spent almost a solid week in the burrow, and as the days passed Warol was getting more and more testy. Kyx had found signs of the huntsman three times in the last few days, but still far enough away that no one was terribly concerned—yet. All the same, Warol chafed at being stuck indoors when he wanted to patrol, and perhaps have a chance to get the jump on the huntsman before he found them. He was spending more time on his feet, but he was still shaky.
“I am tired of doing nothing,” Warol said again, for perhaps the tenth time since they’d woken. “I hate being confined inside like a newborn rog!”
Arie looked up at him, smiled in commiseration, and went back to stitching together the bits of hide that Kyx had helped her cut and shape the day before. She was also getting tired of spending day and night in the den. She never thought she would be one to get cabin fever, but she itched to get outside. Although the males sometimes allowed her to take a short stroll outside for fresh air, with one of them accompanying her, she had more or less been confined inside since she told them about the huntsman.
Not that she didn’t have plenty to do. The weather would turn soon, and she knew she would need warmer clothes if they were to continue traveling. She cursed as she stabbed her finger again with one of the needles from her medical supplies. Ironically, it was the same needle she’d used to put stitches in Warol’s tough hide, so she figured it would work for the pelts as well.
It wasn’t turning out well. She had concluded in her youth that sewing wasn’t her friend. She wasn’t more than a barely passable seamstress, which often made her mother laugh. Arie felt her lips twitch. Her mother never understood how her only child could stitch a wound without trouble but mangled a hem past repair. She gave her work a critical once-over. It might not look pretty, but if it didn’t immediately fall apart, she’d consider it a win.
Rager opened one of his secondary eyes and looked at Warol with a huff. “If you hadn’t decided to disobey orders, maybe you wouldn’t be confined inside. You certainly are whining enough to mistake you for a rog,” he muttered.
The male in question immediately bristled. “If I had waited for you, who knows what those males would have done to Arie. The males were making territorial claims. I made a decision to benefit our f—uh, our human,” he amended with a snap of his teeth.
Rager closed his eyes with a snort. “So instead of waiting until we could join you, you decide to act despite there being no immediate danger to Arie and nearly got yourself killed. Excellent. Well done.”
Warol growled but threw himself down next to her, clearly feeling sorry for himself. Arie set her sewing in her lap and ran her fingers through the fur on his back, scratching vigorously right between the shoulder blades. It was a secret spot that she’d stumbled upon and found that it sent all three of them into immediate bliss. With Warol being so cranky, it was also the best method for calming him and improving his overall mood. Another spot was at the base of the tail, which she discovered roughly ten minutes after her initial discovery when going down the length of Rager’s back. But since that also proved to be an erogenous zone, she studiously avoided it to prevent mixed signals. The way Rager had nearly jumped away had embarrassed them both.
True to form, Warol leaned into her hand and grumbled contentedly. Rager muttered something in their own language that she guessed wasn’t complimentary. They rarely spoke what they called Ragii around her out of respect for her, so she assumed they reverted to it when they wanted to spare her ears. Warol volleyed a rough series of words that had Rager jerking up into a seated position and glaring at his brother.
She wondered if they were about to come to blows when Kyx rushed in, breathing heavily. He collapsed beside her, his sides heaving.
“Report,” Rager said, still obviously in a snit. He didn’t even glance at Kyx; his full attention was unwaveringly focused on Warol.
“The huntsman isn’t moving on, Rager. He seems to be tightly circling this area. I don’t think we can delay leaving any longer without risking exposure.”
The lead’s eyes finally shifted to the smaller red male and he sighed. “We knew this day was coming. I didn’t think we could just wait him out. Huntsmen are too persistent. I have never yet known of one giving up their prey. It is always either them or us. Well, at least Warol’s ill attention to where
he was stepping was of some use. Otherwise we probably wouldn’t have known the huntsman was trailing us in time,” he said with a wolfish smile.
Warol snarled but it shifted to a resigned chuckle. “Always a pleasure to assist.”
Kyx snickered at her other side and looked slyly over at him. “No, we all know the real reason for your sacrifice. Arie hasn’t ceased petting your fur since we recovered you. Can’t protest against humans when you practically climb into her lap every day.”
Rager’s deep laugh sent a spark along her nerves as he pushed up onto his feet. “Just as well. I don’t think I could stand being stuck here for one more day listening to Warol complain. We will gather our supplies and leave at nightfall.”
“Nightfall… Isn’t that a dangerous time to travel through the woods?” Arie asked hesitantly.
He nodded, but offered her a small, comforting smile. “It is, but less so for us than him. We will be on the move, putting distance between us while the huntsman sleeps in his shelter. It is the best time for us to travel until we are out of this particular area.”
“Wonderful,” she muttered, not at all enthused at the idea of running around after nightfall. Not only was it more difficult to see the carnivorous plants that plagued the forest, but it was also the optimal time for predators to hunt, including the sleep-bite insect that was as large as her hand. It searched for warm-blooded mammals on which to feed. Its bite had the terrible side-effect of sending its victim into a toxic shock slumber that would last anywhere from two to five days. The good news was that, because of their size, a cautious individual on the watch for them could avoid being bitten.
The Ragoru had far better vision than humans. She would have to trust them to watch for all the dangers.
Kyx nudged her. “You are concerned, rya?”
She smiled at the pet name he’d recently bestowed upon her. He was tight-lipped about the meaning of it but assured her it was a term of affection, which she readily accepted. She found it to be sweet. Arie shrugged helplessly.
“I am, a little. I’m worried about the huntsman finding us because I slow you down, but I’m also worried about the sort of predators and insects that make the forests their home and feeding ground at night.”
He nodded sagely. “Being out at night is not the best option, and if we had more to choose from, I’d definitely recommend we go with another idea. In fact, I wouldn’t even have to say anything, because if there was a better choice, Rager would already be on top of it,” he said with a soft laugh. “I don’t know many males who are as focused on details as he is, especially not among leads, many of whom are content to let their second and third do most of the work. But that is what makes my brother exceptional.”
“Besides,” Kyx added cheerfully as he trailed his fingers down her back, lightly miming her scratching, “the sooner we get you to a safer location, the sooner I can take the time to find all your secrets spots.”
Heat washed through her nether region and she flushed. She knew he didn’t mean it that way—at least she didn’t think he did—but by the gods and Mother of all, why did that strike her as so hot? He breathed in deeply and chuckled, doubtlessly noticing her unmistakable fragrance. She felt her cheeks burn even brighter.
He was going to be the death of her with his careless flirting.
She gave him a disapproving look and pushed to her feet. He didn’t bother to move other than to roll to his back and smile up at her with his upper arms tucked beneath his head, his belly turned toward her with a silent invitation warming his eyes. Arie was possessed with a sudden longing to run her fingers along the suede-like fur of his belly, abs, and chest. Although she often ran her fingers through the soft fur along their arms or backs, and through the long mane of hair flowing from their heads, she’d never dared to touch them there. Even when they carried her, her face and hands were often buried in the fur of their shoulders.
Her finger itched with curiosity, but she ignored it. Instead, she smiled playfully.
“Come, lazy. Let’s get packing.”
Kyx looked aghast. “Lazy? Did you not see the way I nearly fell into the cave? I ran far at top speeds!”
“And you caught your breath and were acting ornery within ten minutes,” she said with a laugh.
His eyes sparkled with amusement. “Well, okay, that’s a fair argument,” he conceded as he sprung to his feet. Arie shook her head with silent laughter as she began to pack her bag, but was stopped short when she was hauled back against a solid warmth. He leaned forward, his breath teasing her ear as he whispered, “But never say I didn’t offer.”
The absence of his warmth behind her was abrupt, but it did nothing to calm the rapid beating of her heart. Warol turned to look at her from the entrance, a small frown pulling his brow low, but then he turned his head slightly so that his eyes tracked Kyx’s movement through the burrow. All four gleaming orbs were narrowed on the male, but when he returned his attention to her, his face relaxed with the sort of sedate pleased expression she’d learned to recognize. Warol stepped to her side and bent to assist her with packing her bag.
She bit her lip and smiled when he coughed and gruffly handed her bag to her. His ears lay back and his tail was flattened against his muscular thigh. Even his hands seemed to twitch. He was obviously uncomfortable, and for some reason, that made the gesture seem all the sweeter to her. Not once since he’d awoken had he reverted to complaining about her, or disdainfully calling her ‘the human.’ She imagined that if he had the ability to blush like a human, he’d be beet red.
“Thank you, Warol,” she whispered. He was slightly hunched down to help her with her bag, so she took the opportunity to stand on her toes and brush her lips against the soft suede of his cheek. The contact was brief, but something within her took notice, and she wasn’t the only one. When she pulled back, she noticed the wide-eyed look with which he regarded her, one hand raising slowly to his face.
“What kind of tasting was that, and what purpose does it serve?” he asked with a husky voice as a shiver ran through his body.
Arie stifled a giggle. “I wasn’t tasting you. That is called a kiss. It is an expression of affection for many kinds of occasions and needs. I was thanking you.”
“You thank many males this way?” he asked, a scowl darkening his features.
“Well, no, the occasion until now has never warranted it,” she said. “I hope you did not find it too objectionable.”
He seemed to think about it for a moment, and then shook his head, his features softening and his lips curving in their species’ version of a smile.
“No, it was…pleasant. I would welcome such expressions.” He then paused and growled, “As long as you do not share them too freely with everyone.”
Arie raised her eyebrows at him. “Can I share them with Kyx and Rager?”
She didn’t plan on doing a lot of kissing. Bestowing a kiss on Warol had been an impulse. She doubted that she would have the nerve to repeat it, much less feel free to kiss the others. Warol’s brow furrowed as he appeared to consider the matter seriously.
“Our triad shares everything. I think I would be comfortable and welcome such sharing of affection among all of us—but no one else. If any other approaches you for this kiss, I would wish that you never share it with them.”
“I don’t anticipate that being a problem, since there is only us together out here,” she agreed.
Warol shrugged, an expression they had picked up quickly from her in their early days together. “There are often other triads that we cross paths with, although we don’t often come into contact with each other. We prefer it that way, especially as some of the triads are less than savory. But it can happen.”
Swallowing nervously, she asked, “Is there a chance that we will run into any?”
He rubbed one hand through his scruff. “There is a good chance of it now that we are about to move into the North Forest. There are several Ragoru territories that border it, and they often travel
through the neutral zone on their hunts. If they see a sign of us in their territory, they may come to investigate.”
Arie wrapped her arms around herself and shuddered. She definitely didn’t want that to happen. She liked the triad she was with, but didn’t know how she would feel around other Ragoru, or how they would feel about her, a human, in turn.
Warol stepped close to her and nuzzled her jaw as she’d seen them do among themselves many times in a gesture of comfort. Her body responded to it instantly, her muscles relaxing, allowing her to lean against him as his arms came around her. For the first time, she felt the soft suede of his pectorals against her cheek and reveled in the sensation. Two of his hands alternated as they stroked her back.
“Do not worry, Arie. We will not allow any harm to come to you.”
Those were the kind of words that men often threw around carelessly, but coming from Warol she felt the strength and assurance behind them. He would protect her if it became necessary. She allowed herself to find comfort in his embrace for a few minutes before pulling away so they could join Rager and Kyx.
13
They stood together at the entrance of their den watching the sun sink behind the mountains, the entire sky flaring orange and red, then finally fading into pale yellow and gray as the blanket of night settled all around them. A flock of bats, each one the size of a platter, burst out from a rocky slope to the west, their bodies blocking out the quarter moon that still hung low on the horizon. Arie shivered and wanted more than anything to retreat inside the burrow, chasing the night away with the comfort of a warm fire.
Rager stood at the fore, his body alert and pulled up to his full height. The fur on his back and the scruff around his neck bristled, making him appear even larger. Even his tail was held out stiffly from his body. Although this had been his idea, it was apparent to her that he was not comfortable with it, just as Kyx had assured her earlier.
Red: A Dystopian World Alien Romance Page 10