Ever since Jax had joined my dekes a season ago, he had been a joyful spirit, bringing a lightness to every room he entered. He offered his smiles freely, but he was also very shy. He could not speak, so he stayed on the outskirts of the group whenever there were conversations happening. So I was surprised to see him sitting next to Sarah.
He patted her shoulder causing her to look up. Then he handed her a clean cloth to wipe her tears.
“Thank you,” the young female sniffed and wiped her face.
Jax put a fist to his chest and bowed. He tried to get up but Sarah grabbed his wrist.
“Please,” she pleaded. “Stay with me.”
He nodded his head and sat back down. Sarah rested her head on his shoulder and Jax looked like the happiest male in the room.
Neelu and Drondia come back from the storage cavern carrying cloths to bandage wounds while Gogron and Karo brought a barrel of drinking water into the cavern and passed filled cups to everyone.
Nahrul checked on his son Jax and then tended to the cookfire, gathering everything he needed to make a large evening meal for our newly expanded dekes.
Once everyone had been tended to Neeul and Drondia directed the females to the bathing chamber.
“Come, let’s get you all cleaned up. You’ll feel better when your skin is free of dirt and you are wearing fresh coverings,” Neelu encouraged.
Gab-bae was the last of the females to leave the main cavern. She walked up to me, and even though we’d just finished a battle against many beasts, I could not ignore the sensual sway of her hips as she approached.
“I’ll see you later,” she assured me with a kiss on my cheek.
Once all the females left the main cavern I called for my hunters to gather around.
“Thank you all for helping get the newest members of our dekes safely to the mountain. Your bravery and courage will be remembered long after today.”
“It was an easy fight,” Lumod commented. “I have hope again, and I will do anything to protect it. For many seasons I have accepted our fate as a dekes, that we will grow old without mates and sietlings of our own, but now…” Lumod paused to look in the direction of the bathing chamber. “Now I feel a lightness in my soul that I have not known since before my mother died.”
“You have given us hope,” Drovo agreed.
“Me? How have I brought you hope?” I had done nothing more than my hunters. I did not bring the females here, it was by some miracle that our paths crossed.
“You have made a connection with Gab-bae, who freely touches you and takes your hand when you offer it.” Drovo looked down at his own hands. “It is more than any of us ever thought we’d have.”
“Will you teach us how to woo a female?” Axon asked.
“Has Gab-bae taught you about mating and how to pleasure a female?” Lumod added.
My jaw hung open at his bold question.
“I have scented you on her and her on you. It is obvious you have done more than hold hands.”
I raked my hand down my face and sighed. I did not blame him for his question. All the hunters looked at me with eager expressions. None of us were taught the ways of mating. We thought we wouldn’t need to know, but now here we were with a dekes that suddenly had more females than males.
“I have much to teach you, yes.” I conceded. “But first we must prepare the storage room while the females bathe. The best thing we can do for them right now is make them comfortable and make sure they are well fed.”
The hunters all nodded in agreement and made their way to the storage room as they pulled their spare furs from their packs.
Gabby
“Everything is going to be alright, we’re safe now.” I tried to console Sarah who had been shaking and crying since we’d gotten to the mountain.
Our feet dangled in the warm water. We had all washed and had been given clean clothes by the elder women of the dekes.
Neelu and Drondia were very kind and eager to get us bathed and clothed. I had no idea where they’d found all these pants and shirts, but I was grateful to be wearing something clean again, even if it was oversized. I had a feeling the elder Sirrets had pillaged the males’ caves for whatever clothes they could find. Most of us wore oversized clothes, except for Hai who fit perfectly into what Neelu referred to as leftover children’s clothing.
“You’ve been holding your fear in all this time, haven’t you?” Talia asked Sarah. “And now that you’re safe it’s all coming out at once.”
