Total pages in book: 82
Estimated words: 77764 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 389(@200wpm)___ 311(@250wpm)___ 259(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 77764 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 389(@200wpm)___ 311(@250wpm)___ 259(@300wpm)
F’lor just giggles wildly. “God, you’re ridiculous. I love that. And I love you.” And she licks me again.
I decide then and there that I like being ridiculous. I grin down at her. “Have you eaten?”
We get much done before nightfall. By the time the twin suns disappear from the skies, several small tents are set up for the humans to huddle in, and the roaring fire has been replenished with fuel. Bowls are passed around for the stew simmering over the fire to be shared, while large chunks of meat are spitted over the coals, roasting away their flavor so the humans can enjoy them.
Most of the humans have a khui at this point. They seem to do fine with a khui from even a smaller beast, and F’lor watches over them, touching wrists and checking toes and fingers to make sure no one is suffering from the nip of cold. The males have been helping me hunt—except for the scaly one, who recovers by the fire, the cold affecting his limbs. He will need a khui in the morning, I decide. Him and the rest of the taters. I expected them to be greedy and steal khuis for themselves first, but the taters were more concerned with getting khuis in the humans.
“They are delicate,” K’th explains to me. “And they are prized. I do not have many memories, but the ones I do have tell me that a female is the greatest of things to be won, and so they should be protected.” He crouches by the fire, watching one of the females with great interest. “The memories in my head are not good ones, but I think I should like to be a protector.”
“Then you shall be,” I agree. “We can always use more protectors.”
He rubs his chin thoughtfully. “And then perhaps I will purr for one of these females?”
“Perhaps.”
K’th grunts. “Perhaps it is good to be a clone after all, if it has brought me here.”
There is so much meat from scavenging khuis that everyone feasts. The weather grows a little colder that night, but with blankets and hastily constructed tents, there is less despair than yesterday. The females are managing, and F’lor takes time to sit with each one and reassure them. I keep the taters busy with hunting khuis and discussing how we hunt animals to survive, and that while we do not have tater games, in a way, this planet is our opponent. With each successful hunt, we are proving our dominance.
They like that idea very much.
Once the human females are settled in their tents, F’lor moves around the camp, checking on the remaining males. One of them has bundled off to a tent with the human male, but others remain close to the fire. My mate finishes her rounds and then moves to my side, pushing her way into my lap and wrapping her arms around my neck. She leans in and nips at my ear, her small teeth an erotic scrape more than anything else. “So are you sitting out here or are you going to go to a tent with me so I can ride your face like you promised?”
I am torn. As the leader of this small group, I should remain by the fire and keep watch…but I also want to touch my mate. It is clear she hungers for me, as well. I hesitate. “D’see and O’jek will be back in the morning, I think. Can you wait until then?”
F’lor sighs. “Fine.” She presses a kiss to my cheek and climbs out of my grasp. “I guess I should get some sleep. Come get me if you need anything.” And she heads to the far edge of the camp, where a small tent is set up facing away from the others. She has very clearly set this up for us, and casts me another woebegone look, her lower lip protruding, before she ducks into the tent.
I am a fool yet again. I get to my feet, turning to K’th and one of the other males, the one with the cat-like face. V’mir. “Watch the camp. My mate needs me.”
The cat-male huffs with amusement. “Smart move. We’ll be here, friend.”
Striding over to the tent, I decide it is not such a bad thing to leave my needy humans and taters on their own for a bit. They are not children. It will be good for them to be independent.
And it will be good for me to lick my mate’s cunt.
F’lor is tucked under a small, sad-looking fur when I enter the small tent. It is made of a few stretched skins, with two spears propping the skins off the ground. It is barely tall enough for me to get into and I drop to my knees the moment I enter. My mate sits up on her elbows in surprise, tilting her head at me. “Everything okay?”