"I will call for the tribe to make offerings to the Temple," I tell him, my eyes still trained on the hut. His are too, and from the corner of my vision, I see him slowly release a breath, his broad chest deflating a little like he'd been holding his breath awaiting my response. Perhaps he thought I would not care for the Temple now that I have my female? It would be an incorrect assumption, but then again, he knows that my offerings to the Temple were sparse even before I was gifted with my very own mate. "We will let the Goddesses know we are thankful for our gifts," I tell him, my lips curling into a grin. Mavyx nods though he doesn't return the smile. "You should go," I say, clapping him on the shoulder, "get some rest." He's been standing guard here all night. Protecting the females including his mate that I know still confuses him. He's been doing that, while I've been shown that the Promised Lands lay between my female's thighs.
Mavyx shakes his head, ready to argue. It's what I would've done so it doesn't come as a surprise, but I shoot him down with a raised brow. "Your High Spear wishes to stand guard over the females before they come out for their food, Mavyx," I tell him, teasingly. "Don't make me beat your ass in a sparring match over this."
He grunts, a barely-there smile ghosting his lips. "As if you could." With one last glance at the female's hut, he turns and leaves, though I notice he doesn't go in the direction of his hut, instead he takes a few steps away and then launches into the air. No doubt, to circle the village, using the skies as a vantage point to protect from above. I shake my head. But then again, it's probably what I would've done too.
Moving to a nearby cache of weaponry, I select a life-stone spear and dagger, tucking the latter into my belt. Then, I settle into my guarding stance. It will not be long until the females have finished talking and laughing and soon, their little bellies will rumble for food. And my males will nourish them. I am definitely planning on my Zahreenah allowing me to feed her. Just the mere thought of her gingerly taking food into her soft little female mouth from my hand is making me hard. I adjust myself, trying to hide my excitement the best I can when I hear a small part of the conversation inside the hut.
"Are you going to try and signal for help when you go back to the ship?"It's the scared one - the one who still does not fully trust any Trixikka males - Bea. I do not know what it is the females need help with. Whatever it is, I'm sure none of my males would dream of declining-"Maybe someone could come and take us all home."The blood in my veins must surely freeze. Take the females home? Take my Zahreenah home? Away from these lands? Away from me?
I hold my breath, waiting for someone to shoot down this preposterous notion of my female being taken away from me. My wings flare and my grip tightens on my spear as though some foe might come storming out from the underbrush of the jungle surrounding my village, intent on taking my mate away from me.
Instead, all I hear is my Zahreenah.
"Yeah, Bea," she says quietly - so quietly, I almost miss it. Although the words are somehow also loud enough to echo around in my skull at the same time. "Maybe we can try and get home again."
Chapter 24
SERENA
The placating lie I'd told Bea tasted bitter in my mouth as soon as the words were ushered. Her eyes had been so full of hope when she'd asked if we were going to try and send for help when we go back to the ship, it almost hurt to meet her gaze. I shouldn't have gotten her hopes up, not really. I'm sure deep down, she's aware that we're royally fucked where rescue is concerned. If we send out a signal, there's no telling who might pick it up. And from what little we gleaned from Z'irri, the wider universe out there isnotkind to human females. But there she had been, so very hopeful as she looked between Alana and I after her question was out. Alana had nodded profusely and I was again keenly aware of how desperate she was to keep her secret. If Bea thinks we're going to see about sending out an intergalactic S.O.S., then let her, I suppose. It's a bit like a magician's sleight of hand, making you look in one direction when he's slipping a card out of his pocket in the other.
If I thought we had any kind of chance of being rescued from this jungle planet, would I risk sending out a signal for help? For the others, maybe, though I think the Trixikka would hate me for it. WouldIalso want to be rescued? I don't think so. Not right now, anyway. I'm not convinced that what Rynn says he feels for me is anything more than a biological reaction to seeing someone with tits for the first time, even if he might call it fate, or love, or mates. Whatever. But God damn, he makes me want to believe him. The way he'd made me feel last night? The way he had no experience, no expertise, no familiarity with what we were doing with each other, and yet somehow wound me up so tight and then made me explode and melt? That was unnaturally good.
Why would anyone want to go back to crappy old Earth when you can get dicked down likethaton the regular here on Planet Bird-Man?... that's what I tell myself anyway - that I'm high on post-amazing-sex-endorphins and thinking with my pussy. There's no way that I'd turn down the chance to go back home because I havefeelingsfor Rynn. None.
It's all a moot point anyway. We're not going back to Earth. Ever. Not that there was anything back there for me.
As we walk from the girl's hut out to where the Trixikka have prepared food for us, I give Alana's hand a squeeze and offer a smile. News from the other tribe had come, and where I'd been horrified to hear Dove was both found and then disappeared again, the news that one of the other girls, Tessa, had been a nurse back on Earth brought a small amount of relief. If we can't find any information in the ship's database that could help Alana... If she is indeed pregnant and will need to give birth on this jungle planet... she's going to need all the help she can get.
I'm reminded of her other fear. The fear of a Trixikka not taking kindly to her having a child that wasn't fathered by one of them. One Trixikka in particular might, anyway. Glancing around, I don't see Mavyx anywhere. Chastity had teased Alana about the fact that he'd stood guard over their hut all night. Maybe the stern-looking Trixikka had gone to finally get some sleep.
Come to think of missing Trixikka males... where is Rynn? A group of six or seven winged healers, carers, and craftsmen lay out fruits and meats for us as we sit on the floor around the fire. Some other, larger-built males who must either be part of Rynn's legion of 'Protectors' or his huntsmen come forward, offering even more food to us.
"We should probably ask if we can help them prepare food or something soon," Bea says as she takes in the platters before us. "Or something else useful to the village." Being continuously waited on hand and foot clearly made her feel a little guilty.
"We can do that," I tell her, patting her leg.
"Fuck that!" Chastity laughs, plucking one of the small, pink berries and popping it in her mouth. "These guys want to treat us like Queens, I say we let them." She's already eyeing a group of three burly guys standing by with spears in hand and wicked-looking opal daggers strapped to their hips like they're expecting to do battle in our name at any moment now. One grin from Chastity in their direction has them puffing up their chests enough that I almost want to laugh. They don't even notice when a huge shadow swoops over our little breakfast gathering.
One second I'm amused at the three Trixikka trying to impress Chastity, the next the ground almost shakes with the force in which another male slams down into the ground from above. I gasp, watching the huge male straighten, blocking the view of the three lesser males behind him. It's Rynn.My Rynn. Holy hell, is he magnificent with his huge dark wings spread wide. He rolls his neck, tucking his feathers in behind himself, and then glances over his shoulder at his men. "I could have been anyone," he chastises them, "and you idiots let me get close to our females. Do not let thateverhappen again," he snarls. The three Trixikka murmur their apologies to their High Spear, only allowing a few very quick glances back at Chastity.
Rynn stalks toward me, the fire between us blazing in his eyes.
"You know, you're a real party pooper, chief," Chastity huffs after realizing her audience is now too afraid to pay her much attention. I can only imagine the type of party she was envisioning happening with the three of those muscle-clad males and if my cheeks weren't already heated from the nearby cookfire, they are now.
My Rynn ignores her jibe. Instead, he sits beside me, his legs crossed, and then leans over, his hands coming to both my sides. "My female does not sit in the dirt," he declares before lifting me. I let slip a small yelp, clutching onto him as he settles me across his lap, his huge, dark wings arching around us slightly and his tail wrapping around my waist.
Before I have time to tell him he's being ridiculous, Rynn snatches a yellow, plum-like fruit and takes a bite. Inside the flesh is white and juicy. He offers me the now more manageable bite and I reach for it with my hand. He pulls away, shaking his head, pressing the sweet, succulent fruit to my lips. He wants to feed me. Why does that make my girl-parts start fluttering? Tentatively, I part my lips to allow the morsel inside. Rynn begins to let out a rumbling purr and I can feel the vibrations all along my side where I'm pressed against his chest. This purr of his reminds me of how he was post-sex last night, keeping me tucked against his body at all times. The memory makes me feel warm. He does not pull his fingers away from my mouth straight away, even after I have taken the fruit and swiped my tongue across his thumb. "Eat, my mate," he tells me, finally reaching for a new mouthful to feed me. "I will care for you, always. You will never need for anything while you are with me."
"Hot damn!" Chastity near whoops. "Which one of you beefcakes is gonna feed me like that?" she laughs.
I snicker and crane my neck to get a look at the scrambling Trixikka so very eager to please my friend. But Rynn draws his massive wings closed around us, enveloping us both in the twinkling night sky painted across his feathers. "You will stay here with me," he says and I assume he means he wants my full attention. He always has my attention. He doesn't have to ask. That's just the way it naturally is.
"Ok," I tell him, stroking a path up and down his forearm and bicep, watching the flutter of skin-stars in the wake of my touch like twinkling ripples in calm waters.
Reaching outside the curtain of ink-black feathers, Rynn brings a whole platter inside our little 'den'. "Eat," he says softly. "I can provide you with many foods, my Zahreenah."
I do so in silence, picking a piece of fruit and then a hunk of cooked meat. All the while, Rynn watches my every single move, every single breath in this little space of ours he's created. It's a little uncomfortable being watched so intently when I'm doing something so mundane. I'm used to being watched while doing 'other' things, but this? This feels odd to me. To try and break the tension simmering beneath my skin, I pick up a berry and offer it to Rynn's mouth instead of my own. His brow quirks but he takes the fruit, his huge hand coming up to grip my wrist before I can pull away. I watch as his tongue licks at my fingers, remembering how that tongue had felt on my clit. He's chewing on the berry and still clutching my wrist before he swallows and asks, "do you feel it, my mate? What you are to me? What we are to each other?"
