How Not to Date a Skunk (3 page)

His laughter made her open her eyes and peer up at him. “It won’t help.” He chuckled. “But if you are willing to listen?”

“Start talking.”

“Okay, as it was told to me, once upon a time an Indian maiden was born. She was beautiful and perfectly formed in every way, except that she had a head of white hair. Her family and the medicine man took this to mean that she was special, that her beauty would be legendary. And it was. The people came from miles around to admire the Indian maiden with the hair of snow and the beauty of a summer’s morning. But all that attention caused her to become vain and puffed up with pride. She would spend all day brushing her hair by the riverside and perfuming her body with the petals of flowers. Instead of putting people off, this only encouraged the young braves to vie for her hand. And she turned away each and every one, but they kept asking. She would tell them why would she waste her beauty on plain-looking men? She was meant for better things.”

“A bit of a Narcissus, wasn’t she?” Bilana put in.

“Very much so.” Chaska chuckled. “In fact, she was so vain, she declared that only a god would be fit for her beauty.”

“And she got punished for it?”

“Oh, yes. One day when she was brushing her hair by the river, a wrinkled old man came up to her and complimented her on her beauty and asked for her hand. Now, he was an extremely homely old man, wrinkled and short, smelling of pond water and old earth, wearing the oldest of worn and rotting leathers. And of course she told him,

‘Why would I take your hand, as old and ugly as you are? I am fit for better things. I am fit for gods. Now go away! Leave me alone!’”

“But she was in for a surprise. For the wrinkled old man pulled off his garments and there emerged Turtle, handsome, healthy and very godlike. Then the maiden was excited, ready to take the hand of the god she had seduced with her beauty, but she was in for another surprise. Turtle would have none of her.

“‘You think you are fit for gods because of your beauty? Well, I tell you this.

From this day forth, the very sight of you will disgust people. When the braves see you coming, they will run in horror. And that is not all. The very smell of you will be enough to make people vomit. For no longer will you smell of flowers, and no longer will The People lie in awe of your beauty. Everyone will run at the very sight of you!’

And her beautiful skin became furry and dark. And the smell of the flowers she rubbed into her skin was replaced with a repugnant odor. She had become the skunk. The only sign of the woman she once was, was the white stripe down the skunk’s back.”

He finished speaking and smiled at her.

She frowned. “And that explains what?”

“That explains my ancestors.”

“But you are not a skunk… well, not all the time,” she allowed.

“No, but that is not all of the legend.”

“There is more?”

“Yes. After a few years, the maiden learned her lesson. She avoided The People but she remained on the outskirts. She used her smell to herd animals toward her village. She left tufts of her fur to be used as medicine. And eventually, Turtle saw she had learned her lesson. With that, he changed her curse. She would only be a skunk sometimes. As long as she lived her life in benefit to the people, she could retain her beauty and her human form. This she did, but as a warning and a reminder, each of her children carried the same curse and the same burden as their Mother. The curse has been handed down from generation to generation until this day.”

“And you are her descendant?”

“Yes.”

“And I am supposed to believe this?”

“Well, you saw me turn into a skunk.”

He had a point. So Bilana just sat back and tried to take this all in. “You are a legend,” she said finally after several beats of silence.

“My many times great-grandmother was a legend. I am the poor fool who got caught with her curse.”

“But… this is amazing!” She smiled at the thought of what they could do with this information. “I mean, your DNA alone must be outstanding! Who knows, maybe inside your genes is the cure for cancer, Alzheimer’s, paraplegics! You have to —”

“I don’t think so.”

“But…” Her words trailed off as she narrowed her eyes at him. “Why not?”

“You can’t tell anyone what you saw.”

“But — but the world… we need… Why?”

“What do you think the government would do to me and my people?”

“Uh…” Suddenly she remembered all those alien autopsies and government conspiracies. “Maybe…”

“Are we speaking of the same government that used biological warfare on their own people to collect data on syphilis and gonorrhea?”

She could not argue with that.

“If they got their hands on me, it would be the last you saw of me and my family in one piece.”

“Well, hell,” she sighed, slumping back in her chair. “And this is how you are supposed to help people?”

His eyes hardened, and he sat up, his gaze growing hard and cold. “I give my blood, my essence, and the skin from my back to my people, woman. I spend every moment of my life trapped in the reality of what I am. I can give no more.”

“But the medicine —”

“Is given freely by my people. But is it our fault you and your kind refuse to believe in our ways?”

“Now hold up just one minute!” She was indignant, and she made no effort to hide it. “Don’t you dare paint me with the same brush you use to tar and feather others who don’t want to listen. I made it my life’s ambition to learn about The People’s ways.

And I do my utmost to respect them.”

“And that is why you have such a lovely photo grouping on your camera.”

“I was going to delete them if it was not acceptable for me to have them. That is why I followed you all into that back room.”

“And I should believe you because?”

“Because if what you said was true, and if you believe in the words of the elders, I would have never made it into that room if I was not supposed to be there.”

“And if I asked you to delete the photos?”

Without a word, she popped open the bottom of her camera and withdrew the memory stick. “Here.” She held it out for him, her gaze never wavering as she looked into his black eyes.

“You don’t —”

“Take it!” she insisted. “I am not a liar.”

“I believe you.” He settled back and pushed her hand away, indicating she could keep the photos. “I believe in the words of my elders.”

“Good. I am a trustworthy individual. All I really own is my pride and my integrity. I will not compromise either.”

“So you believe the words of the elders?”

“Until I don’t have a reason to believe. And after what I just saw and what you explained to me, I am discovering that I am having a Fox Mulder moment.”

“X-Files?”

“Yeah, an ‘I want to believe’ moment. And seeing that proof is staring me right in the face —”

“Good. Then it is settled.”

“What is settled?” She carefully placed the memory stick back in the camera with more care than she used to jerk it out.

“You are now my mate.”

It was a good thing she was sitting. Because if she had been on her feet she would have busted her ass when he dropped that bombshell.

“Mate?”

“That’s what I was there for.”

“Mate?”

“I was away from my home when the season came upon me. The Standing Rock Tribe here is very closely related to my tribe through several family members and was delighted to host my search. They have a Gucge, a skunk, as well, though he is not quite ready to mate. But I took him under my wing to show him how a proper Gucge is supposed to behave. But I think my heat triggered his, and he became aggressive enough to challenge me.”

“Mate!”

“Yes, he wanted one, so the battle you observed was set up. It was hoped that I would choose a maiden from his tribe, thereby strengthening our ties and adding fresh blood to my tribe, but I chose you.”

“Mate!” She shrilled the word this time, and it pulled him out of his soliloquy.

“Well, yes.”

“I didn’t sign on for a mate, man!”

“Yet you agreed in the presence of the elders that you were going with me.”

“Marriage is an institution, and I am not ready to be institutionalized!”

“You agreed.”

“Maybe I do,” she added as an afterthought before she leapt to her feet and began pacing. “Need to be in an institution,” she clarified as he tilted his head to the side, looking like a confused little furry woodland creature. “I am seeing people turn into animals.”

“You are amusing, mate.” Chaska chuckled, rising to his feet and standing directly in her path of pacing.

“I am not your —”

Before she could finish, a wave of scent hit her, so powerful it nearly dropped her to her knees. Her eyes widened as she inhaled deeply, taking in the smell of wood smoke, of pine and earth and man musk. It was so addictive that she inhaled again, moving closer to the source.

She didn’t realize she was up on her toes leaning into him with her nose buried in his neck until she felt his corded arms encircle her. Then she only had the strength to pull back enough to look up into his glittering black eyes.

“Hello, mate,” he drawled, pulling her close enough that she could feel the hard bulge of his cock boring with intent into her stomach.

“Well, hello,” she whispered in response before she could stop herself.

His grin was the last thing she saw as a wave of scent washed over her, and she was swept away with a hungry lust so powerful it left her a quivering mass of femininity in his arms.

She was not sure who made the first move, but suddenly clothing was flying around them, and she was touching bare flesh, bare, hot, soft, muscular, delicious flesh.

Her back hit the couch and, before she could react, he was on top of her.

“God, yes!” She hissed, her nails digging into his back, desperate to feel more of him against her skin.

“So much perfection, mate.” He purred, burying his face in her neck and licking at the sensitive skin there.

Bilana threw back her head, her hands tangling in Chaska’s long, white hair as she tried to pull his head lower. She spread her legs and made a place for his hot, hard body between them. “Mmm,” she moaned as she felt the press of his cock against her stomach, before he began to slither lower.

“Ohhh, God.” Bilana moaned as his tongue traveled down. He lapped at her navel, nipped at her sides, and finally inhaled her deeply.

“You smell so good…”He trailed off, nuzzling the crease where hip met thigh.

“I bet I taste better.” She wasn’t quite at the demanding mark, but it was getting to be a close thing.

“Let’s find out.” His voice was dark and husky as he gripped her thighs and spread them wider. “God, yes.” He purred, observing her for a moment before he dropped his head and nuzzled her pussy.

“Chaska.” She moaned, demanding, closing her eyes as anticipation built.

Then, before she could think to say something else, he was there. His broad tongue laved her clit. Instinctively, she closed her thighs around his head, holding him in place. He moaned his appreciation of the act.

His hair was a thick, cool, white mass that slithered around her thighs, adding sensation to her already throbbing pussy. She could feel her juices slipping down to moisten the crease of her ass and couldn’t care. Maybe he would lap that up, too! It had been so long since she had been rimmed.

But then thoughts fled as he latched onto her clit and sucked the swollen nub hard, his tongue flicking under the hood. She was moaning uncontrollably when he changed his grip on her thighs and pushed them back and out, making more room for himself as he settled down to eat.

And eat he did. He abandoned her clit and dipped lower to nibble lightly at her labia, lapping at the fluids that slicked up her pussy lips. Bilana could feel her inner walls tightening, begging, and weeping with joy. Her stomach clenched as waves of pleasure washed over her. God, this felt so good!

Her hands went to his hair, pulling and tugging until he eased his slurping and raised his head enough to reclaim her clit.

“So good —” She panted, her head twisting from side to side as he grunted in agreement.

He lifted his head, his lips glistening with her juices, and gave her a slow, wicked smile. As she watched, he slowly licked his bottom lip, cleaning her away before he dove down for more.

“That — Oh, God, so hot —” She dropped her head back, and a long, whining moan rolled from her throat.

Her toes were curling and her clit was itching and burning, a sure sign that she was about to…

“Chaska!” She screamed as her thighs again slammed around his head, her hips ground up and she rode her first orgasm to completion on his face.

She was still panting and huffing, her nipples so hard they hurt, her body sheened in sweat when she reached for him again. She was so empty! She needed to be filled.

“Mine!” She all but roared as gripped his hair and pulled.

This time, Chaska went with her direction and allowed himself to be rolled onto the couch as she switched positions with him.

“So hard.” She moaned, running her hands over the solid planes of his chest and stomach. His hair surrounded his head like a pale nimbus, giving him an otherworldly beauty that stole her breath. But it did nothing to ease her growing addiction to his skin.

She had to touch him.

She lowered her head and nipped at his hard nipples, laving the pain away as he hissed and arched his chest up toward her.

“More!” he demanded and she dropped low, resting her ass on his hard cock.

She sucked his nipple back into her mouth before nipping at it again. “Yes,” he breathed, tossing his head back, his hands gripping her sides possessively.

This was heaven, Bilana decided, sucking on his flesh, relishing the taste of him.

He was salty and oddly sweet, almost like some edible flowers she’d once had in a restaurant in France. He was not an acquired taste — more like a necessary one.

And then she was off, licking at his pecs, attacking the other nipple with fervor, smiling as he hissed when she pinched the one she’d so recently claimed. And through it all he encouraged her, gripped her hips, slapped her ass, and growled his pleasure out loud.