Barbarian's Mate (18 page)

I touch my stomach, wondering if even more has changed than I imagined. I really, really hope so. I think of Haeden’s baby in my stomach. I think of us as a family and it makes me shiver with happiness.

He pulls me closer and tugs the furs over my chest closed. “Cold? We will be home soon.”

“I’m good.” I loop my arm around his waist, reaching for his tail. “I promise.”

“Are you anxious?”

I consider this. I am returning home failed in my mission to defeat my cootie. But I’m also really happy the mission didn’t work. I know everyone’s going to be watching us like hawks to see how we react to each other. Ideally I’d like another month alone with my man, maybe get a bit more of the frenzied fucking out of our systems and settle in to being a couple, but I keep thinking of those two girls in the pods back in metlak and sky-claw territory. They need a rescue. And really, I can handle a few people smirking because I finally got laid. “Not nervous,” I tell him. “You?”

He snorts as if the question is ridiculous, and I grin.

“Ho,” the other calls again as we approach, raising a hand. I can tell from the long, smooth hair and the shade of blue that it’s Salukh, Tiffany’s mate. I’m suddenly eager to see my bestie. Up until she mated with Salukh, she’d been my roomie from day one on the ice planet and I’ve missed her more than anyone else.

I wave back.

He jogs toward us and I see his eyes widen a bit at the sight of Haeden’s arm around my shoulders. I guess it is a little surprising to see us so snuggly. I’m not even bothered by that, strangely. I don’t care. I’m happy and no one’s going to burst my bubble.

“It is good to see the both of you,” Salukh says as he approaches. He leans over to clap Haeden on the shoulder and smiles at me. “Many have been worried. I think if you were not back in another moon, the chief would have sent us to find you.”

Haeden makes an irritated sound in his throat. “Jo-see is safe with me. Vektal would not send anyone because he knows I am a good hunter. There is no need for a rescue.”

Salukh just gives us a calm smile and takes Haeden’s overloaded pack from his shoulder, slinging it onto his own. “Of course.” That’s just how Salukh is - he’s chill. Nothing bothers him.

“How’s Tiff?” I ask as we head down to the cave. “She have morning sickness?”

“She is very good,” Salukh says, grinning over at me. “No sickness at all.”

“That bitch. It figures.” I smile. Tiffany is like perfection come to life. She’s beautiful, smart, talented, and nice to boot. I’d hate her if I didn’t love her like the sister I never had. “She’s probably going to be the most perfect pregnant person ever.”

“Not in my eyes,” Haeden says, his tone a little surly as if the very thought irritates him.

And that just makes me even happier. I give his tail a little squeeze (which, okay, probably arouses him).

We make it into the cave and the scents of smoke and roasting meat, the chatter of people, and a baby’s cry fill me with a happy pang of homesickness.

“Oh my God,” someone squeals. “It’s Josie and Haeden!”

A moment later, we’re surrounded by people determined to hug and greet us. I’m smothered in a wave of people as Nora, Stacy, Ariana, Megan, and Georgie take their turns hugging me. Liz shows up next and plops her baby into my arms. “Because you’ll want to see Raashel before her mommy, right?” She smirks. “Get that practice in?”

I blush. “Maybe.”

“Oooh, someone sealed the deal!” She leans in and puts a hand to her ear. “I don’t hear your cootie humming like a freight train anymore.”

“Jeez, Liz, why don’t you be obvious about it?” I say, but I’m smiling. Raashel looks bigger than the last time I saw her, a thick shock of black hair sticking up and pulled into a tiny leather bow atop her head. She’s so stinking cute.

“Didn’t you know? Obvious is my middle name!” She gives me a half-squeeze. “I’m glad you’re back and everything worked out.”

“How are you sure it all worked out?” I ask, curious. I haven’t even had a chance to say much of anything.

“Because you’re all goofy grins?” Georgie butts in, shifting her baby on her hip.

“And Haeden keeps looking over here like he’d like to snatch you by the hair and drag you back to his cave, Neanderthal style?”

I glance over and sure enough, Haeden’s giving me a scorching hot look even as the other hunters greet him and chatter his ear off. I blush again.

Then Tiffany appears, and Kira, and Harlow, who’s come to the main cave for a few weeks in the hopes that I would return. I’m handed babies to hug and I admire Megan’s baby-bump. She’s so close to giving birth, and Claire is just now starting to show, and everyone can’t stop talking and hugging me. It’s wonderful.

I realize we’re a family after all, the twelve of us. I never had a family in the past, and it’s like fate has handed me a brand new one full of eclectic people.

I’m so happy I could cry, but that would upset Haeden, so I just beam at everyone and hug the babies.

“So what made you run?” Harlow asks, handing over her little Rukhar for his turn for my attention. “And did you bring back my glass disc? I need that for the next rock cutter.”

“It’s in my bag,” I tell her, and press a kiss to Rukhar’s little blue cheek. Of all the babies, he’s the smallest but also looks the most sa-khui. “As for the running, it’s a long story. Look at you, Rukhar! You’re getting so big!”

As if to prove that he’s not going to fall for my clumsy attempt to change the topic, Rukhar grabs a handful of my hair and yanks, burbling. I wince and detangle it from his little fist.

“I’m glad you’re back, though I was starting to wonder if you’d ever return. You can be a little…stubborn.”

I grin, even though Rukhar’s bobbing fist just yanked out several strands of hair by the root. “I wasn’t planning on it at first.”

“What changed your mind?” Kira asks.

Oh shit. No one else knows about the other girls yet or that I found the crashed ship. And Kira…if she finds out there were other pods, broken pods — she’ll be devastated. She brought down the ship by destroying the crew, and while I haven’t shed a tear for the kidnapping, rapey, murderous bastards, it’s different when you realize there were humans on board. “Um, it’s a long story and one I should probably tell the chief first.”

Georgie steps forward and hands her baby to Liz. “I’ll get Vektal. Meet me in my cave?”

I nod and give Rukhar another kiss before reluctantly handing him back. My stomach is in knots. It’s a dual-edged sword, the finding of two more girls. On one hand, there are still many, many unmated men in the tribe who would love the chance at a family. On the other hand, I wonder at how this will affect poor Kira. And I think of the recent fighting over Tiffany’s attention - these poor girls are going to be mobbed.

But that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t rescue them, of course.

I look around for Haeden. He’s standing a short distance away with three other hunters and they talk quietly. He turns the moment I look at him and gives me another possessive look, as if he’s already done with all this ‘reunion’ stuff and can’t wait to drag me back to our cave. Boy, Liz wasn’t wrong about that.

I step away from the others, heading toward the cave that Georgie and Vektal share. Haeden immediately comes to my side and I feel warm with pleasure when he joins me. I lean in close to him. “I told Georgie that we need to talk to her and Vektal privately about the ship and the girls. I worry it’s going to upset Kira.”

He nods thoughtfully. “And the unmated males will be eager to set out in the hopes of claiming one of the women. Some of them are without hope now that you are mine.” He rubs a knuckle on my cheek. “They will have to wait long seasons for Farli to come of age, or even longer for Esha, Talie, and the others.”

Considering that Talie’s a newborn and Farli’s probably thirteenish? Yeah, that’s a long time. “So what do we do?”

“We take it to our chief and let him handle it,” Haeden says. “It will be his responsibility, not ours.”

Maybe it’s selfish, but I’m glad of that. I’m tired of all the burdens and the drama. I just want to curl up with my mate by the fire and relax. I nod and lean against his arm as we head into the cave.

No one’s inside, which means Georgie’s still out hunting down her mate. Haeden’s big hand smooths my hair, as if he desperately needs to touch me. I get that. It’s weird being back surrounded by all these people after weeks of being alone. I know that there will probably be a celebration tonight for our mating. I know that people are going to be watching us and asking questions for the next while, because they’re nosy. I know Haeden and I are going to have to go back out to the ship to rescue the girls, because we’re the ones that know where it is. All of this just makes me tired.

Haeden’s fingers lace through mine, and even though it’s a little strange since I have more fingers than him, it’s still really nice. And as long as he’s by my side?

I’m down for whatever.

I
let
Jo-see do the telling of the strange ship and the pods she found inside. It is her discovery, and so it is hers to share. Even if it was not, I am content to remain at my mate’s side and simply watch her talk with her friend Shorshie. She is enthusiastic, tucking a strand of her soft mane behind her ear as she gestures with her hands. Her voice grows loud as she speaks, as if, if she is louder, the words will come out faster. It does not bother me as it did in the past. I find it…amusing. I touch her leg to let her know she is loud, and she casts a smile in my direction and lowers her voice, and I am filled with pride at my mate.

She is perfect.

“Two more females like you and Georgie? I am pleased. The males without mates will be pleased.” He gives Jo-see a curious look. “Why is this a problem?”

“Because everyone on that ship was killed,” Jo-see says, glancing over at me again. “And I don’t know how Kira will take it.”

He shrugs and rubs his chin, glancing at me. “She will be pleased we can save two females, will she not?”

My thoughts are the same as his, but Shorshie looks to her mate. “I think it’s more complicated than that. I can talk to her. Maybe she will want to go with the hunters on the journey. Make penance for her crimes, though I can’t say that I’m sorry they died, considering what they did to us. But Kira might feel differently.”

Jo-see nods. “That’s a good idea. I’ll go, too.”

I speak up. “No.”

Everyone turns to me.

“No? What do you mean, no?” Now, Jo-see is frowning.

I ignore her show of temper. “I mean no. You will stay here in the safety of the cave. I will go.”

She sticks her tongue out at me and makes a thbbt noise. “You’re not the boss of me.”

“I am your mate,” I tell her evenly, doing my best to be stern and failing. A smile curves my mouth when she sticks her tongue out again. “Your mate that pulled you from the belly of a sky-claw—“

“Wait, what?” Shorshie says.

Vektal’s expression darkens. “Sky-claws?”

I nod. “The cold has driven them over the mountains.”

“Then no females go,” Vektal says staunchly. “We send hunters, and only the biggest and strongest.”

“What the heck is a sky-claw?” Shorshie interrupts. “And how did Josie get in the belly of one?”

Jo-see gives me a frustrated look and gives a short explanation of the sky-claw and how she cut forth from its belly and fell into my arms. She shudders as she tells it, and I caress her back to comfort her. I understand her bad memories; I still wake up at night with nightmares of my mate snatched from my arms.

“I realize it’s dangerous,” Shorshie protests. “But—“

“No,” says Vektal, crossing his arms over his chest. He looks at me and I nod slowly. On this, we are agreed. It is too dangerous to send a female out, especially one of the small humans.

“You didn’t even hear what I had to say,” Shorshie snaps.

“I know what you will say, my resonance.” He looks at his mate. “You will tell me that a human female must go. I will say no. You will say I am wrong. But I am not wrong and it is too dangerous. If what they say is true, we nearly lost Jo-see. I will not lose another, not a mother with a kit.”

“All right then, if you’ve got this all figured out,” Shorshie says, anger in her voice. “Who are you sending?”

He looks over at me. “Haeden will go.”

I nod at my chief. Of course. It will be frustrating to leave my mate, but she wants the females rescued, so there is no choice.

“We will send the unmated males, since they will give us no rest unless we do. So Hassen, Bek, Rokan, Taushen, Harrec, Vaza if he wishes to go.”

Shorshie’s brows go up and she nods as if impressed. “And which one of those men is going to open the pods and get the women out?”

Vektal opens his mouth to respond, and then scowls at his mate.

“Exactly,” she says. “You need a human to go. Not just because it will be less scary for the women if another human is there and can talk to them—“

“We can speak human—“

“You can speak English,” she corrects. “What if they’re Spanish? French? Marlene is French, remember? We’re just lucky she knows English, too. Anyhow, that doesn’t matter. What matters is, if you get there, you need someone that can open the pod. You need a human. Is it dangerous? Yes. Does it need to be done? Absolutely.” She crosses her arms over her chest, mimicking his glower. “Oh, and you can’t send all the single guys, because they are going to scare the ever-loving crap out of those poor girls.”

His expression hardens as he watches his mate. After a moment, he looks over at us. “We will need to speak privately.”

I nod and get to my feet. “Tell me when I shall go, my chief. I am ready.”

“You are
not
going without me,” Jo-see protests. She stands and lets me lead her out of the cave.

I head for our cave at the back of the new tunnel, letting her speak her thoughts. She is unhappy at the thought of being parted from my side, and I am pleased by that, even if it does not override my need to keep her safe. She will stay here, and that is the answer.

People watch us curiously as we head to our cave, Jo-see bickering at me as I hold her hand. I am smiling, and I think several in the tribe are as surprised by that as they are that I am listening to Jo-see’s endless stream of angry words. In the past, we did our best to ignore each other.

But in the past, she was not my mate. I did not try to know her like I do now.

“You’re not listening to me,” Jo-see says as we enter our cave. I have made it a cozy home for us even though she would not stay there with me. The bed is thick with furs, enough for a sa-khui and a small human mate to curl up at his side. The fire pit is lined with perfectly spaced rocks, and my supplies are neatly stored in woven baskets. Someone — likely Salukh - has set my traveling pack down in the corner.

“I am listening,” I tell her even as I move the privacy screen in front of the mouth of our cave. With it up, no one will disturb us.

“I have to go—“

“No, you do not. The chief will send another female, but it will not be you.” I move to my mate’s side and peel her worn furs from her shoulders. She is wearing several layers, and I remove the first one and toss it aside.

Jo-see puts her hands on her hips. “I’m an adult. You can’t control me, Haeden. This is bullshit.”

“I am the mate that almost lost you.” I finish unwinding the thick furs from around her body and peel away her second cloak of shaggy dvisti fur. “I am the one will cry over your body if I lose you. And I will not let that happen.”

She gives me an unhappy look. “I should have some say in this, you know.”

“Whatever say you have does not matter, because you have my kit in your belly.” I put a hand to her flat stomach and meet her gaze. “It would destroy me to lose you, Jo-see. I cannot imagine losing you both.”

Her lower lip thrusts out slightly, and I sense victory. “It’s going to take days for you to get there, and days for you to come back. Longer with the new women. I don’t want to be apart from you for that long.”

I pull her close and nip at that full lower lip of hers. “Knowing you are here will bring me back faster. I will make them run through the snow. I will insist the human females be carried like fresh meat.”

A small reluctant giggle escapes her at that.

I kiss her cheek, then her jaw. My soft, sweet Jo-see likes to be kissed everywhere, and I am all too happy to please her. “And we will not take Vaza, because he is old. We will take young, strong males and whatever human woman has the longest legs. And every night after a long day of running, they will complain that I drive them too hard, but it will not matter, because the only thing that matters is coming back to my mate.”

She sighs and wraps her arms around my neck. “All right, but you can’t go explore the island without me, okay?”

“I will go nowhere that I do not have to.” I pull the laces of her tunic free. “And for now, I wish to go nowhere but to bed with my mate.”

“It’s the middle of the day, Haeden!”

“An excellent time to enjoy resonance, is it not?”

Her hand cups my cock through my breechcloth, and it seems that we both agree.

The group gets ready to leave the next morning. It’s been decided that Hassen, Taushen, Bek, Rokan, and my Haeden will go. Raahosh will accompany them because he is the best tracker. The human selected is Claire, initially, but Kira has put up a quiet stink to Georgie, and when the party gets ready to leave in the morning, it’s Kira and Aehako who join the group. Claire and her mate will stay behind.

Kira brings Kae to me. “Can you watch over her while I’m gone? Stacy will feed her, and she’s starting on solids with a not-potato mash, but I don’t want Stacy to have to juggle two infants.” She presses a kiss to her baby’s head and she looks upset, but determined.

“Of course. Hurry back.”

Her smile is grim. “Oh, I’m going to make them rush. I can’t bear the thought of leaving Kae behind for longer than I have to.”

“You don’t have to go,” I protest.

“I want to see,” Kira says quietly. “I need to know.”

I nod and hug Kae close. Poor Kira’s been quietly distraught, and I get that. She wants to know just how many girls she might have accidentally murdered. I get that. I do. So I volunteer to go again. “I’m perfectly fine with going and reporting back.”

“Absolutely not,” Claire says at my side. She sets her pack down on the ground, ready to stay. “You’re preggers.”

“So are you!”

“I’m also half a foot taller than you,” Claire points out. “And stronger.”

I stick my tongue out at her because everything she says is the truth. Claire’s always been a quiet one but since mating to Ereven, she smiles a lot more and seems a lot more lighthearted. She looks pleased even though she’s not going on the journey. Pregnancy hormones I guess.

And okay, I’m a little excited about the whole preggers thing. Because she’s right - I’ve missed my period. Granted, it might be due to the recently-lost IUD. Or it might be that all the stress of the traveling caused me to skip. Whatever it is, I haven’t had it and I’m hoping desperately that I’m pregnant too.

But…I still want to go with Haeden and the others. “What about…what about the sky-claws? I bet they can snatch Kira just as easily as me. We probably weigh the same.”

Kira looks over her shoulder at her mate. Aehako moves forward and ties a thick rope cord to her waist as a belt, and then ties the other end around his hips. Tied together. Of course. If one gets snatched, the other will be dragged along. It’s a smart solution, and I kind of wonder if Haeden deliberately didn’t do it because he wanted to carry me.

Carry me, that is, and then pause to fuck me every half hour. I press a hand to my heated cheeks. “It’s still not fair,” I protest.

“It’ll be fine,” Claire says, smiling encouragingly at me. She pats me on the shoulder. “I know you’re disappointed but I’m sure they’ll go as fast as they can.”

I grumble a response but then Haeden emerges from our cave and my gaze goes to him. The man is positively mouth-watering as he strides through the central living area, his spear in hand. His movements are graceful but strong, and the fur cloak over his shoulders is lightweight, as the snow doesn’t bother him like it does me. It barely hides his strong chest and I think of the next two weeks and how I’m not going to be able to sleep with my head pillowed on that rock-hard chest or wake up holding his tail. For the next two weeks, I won’t be able to have sex with my man, to hear that wicked little snort he makes when he’s amused by something, won’t have his touch.

It is going to be a long freaking two weeks.

I give him a mournful look as he approaches and, to my chagrin, the waterworks start. I sniff, wiping at my eyes as I juggle the baby.

He pulls me against him, mindful of Kae, and tosses his spear aside so he can wipe away my tears. “My Jo-see. It is a long trip but it is a worthwhile one. Do not weep.”

“Of course I’m going to weep,” I say crankily, leaning into his touch. “I miss you already and you haven’t even gone yet.”

“But I will be back,” he says in a low, husky voice. “And we will start our life together.”

“I suppose I do have reunion sex to look forward to,” I say, trying to make him smile. He looks so somber, like he’s just as bummed to leave me as I am to have him go.

“And lots of
frankissing
.” He leans close and nips at my ear, then whispers, “All over. Even your ankles.”

I smack at his chest but my cootie, the most obvious cootie on the planet, is purring loud and happily for all to hear. Someone nearby snickers. Screw them. This is my mate, and he’s leaving me for two weeks. I curl my fingers in the front of his vest and press a kiss to his mouth. “You hurry home fast or I’m tossing you aside.”

He snorts. “Bring someone else to your furs and I will ram my spear up his nethers.”

That shouldn’t amuse me nearly as much as it does. His jealousy keeps the smile on my face even when we say our goodbyes and the tribe members left in the cave linger at the entrance to watch them go. The group begins up the snowy hills and finally heads off over the horizon. One big, familiar body remains on the ridge for a long moment after the others disappear. He raises a hand, and I raise mine back.

Then, Haeden’s gone and I’m left in the cave with the rest.

As if on cue, Kae starts to cry, wailing in my arms. Yeah, I know how that feels, Kae.

I turn around and Liz is right there, holding her baby. She takes one look at me and bursts into tears.

My eyes widen. “Liz? You okay?” I’d hold out my arms for Raashel but I’ve got a wailing Kae on my hands already.

She wipes her face with a corner of Raashel’s blanket. “God, I’m glad I held in all the bawling and snot until they left, or I’d never live it down.” She sniffs hard.

I give her a wary look, perching Kae on my hip and giving her a bounce. “Is everything okay?” Liz is normally the cut-up, the wise-ass that nothing gets to. Her mate is leaving with the others, and I admit I’m a little surprised Liz didn’t volunteer to go with them. Sure, she has the baby, but she’s left Raashel with Nora or Stacy before for a day or two. “Are you and Raahosh…you know, good?”