Total pages in book: 118
Estimated words: 106646 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 533(@200wpm)___ 427(@250wpm)___ 355(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 106646 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 533(@200wpm)___ 427(@250wpm)___ 355(@300wpm)
I am not looking forward to it.
Even with B'shit tucked against my side, I do not sleep well. I wake up to my cock throbbing and angry, my khui's song an unsatisfied drone in my ears. I get up and start the fire, and notice how small and cramped my fire pit is compared to U'dron's expansive one in his hut. I barely have room to put a tripod over the flames to make tea. I did not care when I made the hut, because I always have tea by the fire so I can flirt with B'shit. Today, though, I wish to make food for my mate and my hut is not equipped for it. It adds to my frustration.
B'shit is quiet this morning, too. Perhaps she thinks of this talk-space we are going to do with S'teph. Perhaps she regrets our touches last night by the rocks. She does not share her thoughts, and my sour mood only grows worse.
I add some meltwater to the pouch over the fire, frowning at the realization that there are far too many tea leaves in the pouch, when suddenly, B'shit is at my side. She puts her hands on my shoulders, leans over, and gives me a soft, sweet kiss. "Thank you, A'tam."
I grunt, but my mood is already improving at her touch. "Why do you thank me?"
"Because I know you don't want to do this but it's important to me." She gives me another kiss, her lips teasing against mine. "It makes me feel like maybe we can figure things out after all."
"Of course we can." But I feel guilty that I am ready to toss the pouch of tea into the fire and give up. It is my impatience, rising again. I kiss her, and when she pulls back and smiles, I make a suggestion. "Go and find your friend. I will make proper tea for when you return."
"You want to start now? This early?"
I shrug. "Is there any sense in waiting?"
She bites her lip, thinking. "I guess not. Okay, wait here." She gives me one more quick kiss and then gets to her feet, grabbing her boots. She slips out of my hut, leaving me alone with my poorly set-up tea and my aching cock. I hear her pause to talk to someone outside, her voice low and somewhat impatient, and so I take myself in hand and work my cock until my seed spatters upon the fire. The coals hiss at me, as if mocking that I cannot wait for my mate. Impatient, it whispers silently.
So I am. I am starting to realize that now.
I dress in fresh leathers and tidy my hut, since S'teph will be joining us and I do not wish for her to think B'shit has a poor mate. I set my tripod up again, and make fresh tea, this time ensuring I put in the right amount of leaves to mix with the meltwater. I do not want to make my mate sick with bad tea. Not when she is just now starting to smile at me again.
I can be patient, I tell myself. I can. If B'shit responds to me like she did last night, I will be the most patient of hunters ever.
By the time the hut is straightened and the tea's fragrance fills my home, B'shit returns, an uncertain look on her face. She is followed by S'teph, the one who shows such interest in the outcast clan. She is a bland female—not nearly as beautiful and clever as my B'shit—but I suppose she is nice enough. "Welcome," I say, and try to keep the sourness from my voice.
S'teph gives us both a warm smile as she ducks inside. "Just so you guys know, there's no one around to overhear. Both Raven and U'dron are taking a walk on the beach and the others of Shadow Cat clan have gone off hunting. We can talk freely."
I shrug. I do not care who hears my words. I have nothing to hide.
B'shit sits next to me, and smooths her hands along the hem of her tunic. She is nervous, I realize. She will not look me in the eye and she cannot keep her hands still. I want to reach over and place my hand over hers, to stop her fidgeting, but I do not think she would like that. She seems…very tense, and I feel somehow as if I am to blame.
"All right." Steph smiles. "A'tam, why don't you make tea for us while I talk a little about how this will work?"
"Tea is made," I say grumpily. I grab the carved cup that I have and dip it into the pouch, then hold it out for B'shit. When she declines, I offer it to S'teph.
"Thank you so much," S'teph says in that mild, too sweet voice of hers. "I didn't realize we were ahead. All right, then. Let's keep this simple. When we get together, this is a safe space to talk. There's no judgment here, just a search for understanding. There are no right or wrong answers, and the goal is to be truthful more than anything, even if it's hard. I've found that sometimes it's easier if there's a physical aspect to things." She pulls something out of her bundled furs, and I am surprised to see it is a foot-sized length of wood, crisscrossed with leather and decorated with a few shells. "This is your secrets stick."