“You’re Aehako’s mate?”
“I am.”
“But you didn’t resonate. How can you be mates?”
Oh boy. Am I going to have to explain the birds and the bees to this kid? “Well, ah, sometimes when two people love each other very much, they want to be together all the time despite the fact that they can’t have a baby.”
He wrinkles his nose at the thought. “Does this mean you’re moving into our cave? It’s already crowded.”
“I don’t know. Um, is your brother Aehako around?”
“He is with the chief.”
“Thank you,” I murmur, and straighten my clothing before emerging from the bed. I’m still dressed, thank goodness, but my leathers smell like smoke and sweat and I kind of wish I had something else I could change into. Clothing’s been at a premium with twelve new people to tend to, though. Maybe someone will have extras I can change into. I slide out of the furs, glancing around. I’m still in Sevvah’s cozy cave, though this portion has been sectioned off with a strategic rocky outcropping and a large woven basket to give the illusion of privacy. Nearby, I can still hear the heavy breathing of someone else sleeping, and the low murmur of Sevvah’s voice nearby.
Sessah’s right. The cave is definitely small and crowded. I’m grateful for the bed, of course, but I think longingly of my loft apartment back on Earth that had seemed so small two months ago and now seems like unrivaled luxury. When the babies get here, we’re going to be falling over each other with the crowding.
I…suppose that won’t be a problem for me and Aehako. I feel a guilty pang at the thought. It was his choice to mate me despite knowing my flaws, so I can’t worry about it. I tell myself this as I slide on soft boots, give Sessah a pat on the head, and then emerge from the private cave into the main interior of the tribal caves.
I yawn as I pad out into the main area and realize…I slept great. For the first time in what feels like forever, I slept without overhearing everyone having sex, the whispers picked up by the translator, everything. No wonder I feel so utterly refreshed. Even now, the cave is crowded but not overwhelming with voices. Instead, it’s like a low, pleasant hum of conversation.
This is…awesome.
Of course, a small downside is that I have no idea where my mate is now. I can’t follow the sound of his voice via the translator. I’ll have to hunt him down the old fashioned way.
Nearby, Tiffany and Josie are scraping skins stretched on frames. Josie gives a happy squeal at the sight of me and waves her gore-covered arms. “I’d hug you, girl, but I’m gross! I’m so glad you’re back!”
Tiffany’s the more reserved of the two, and she just smiles at me.
“I’m glad to be back, too.” I rub my earlobe. “I feel so much better without the translator.” I wonder how much they know about the ship returning and wanting to snatch us all again, or if that’s being kept on the down-low.
“I almost didn’t recognize you,” Josie says in a sunny voice, then turns back to scraping her skin. “Maybe I should check out the old mothership and see if it does breast implants. I’m feeling pretty inadequate around the sa-khui ladies.” She shakes her small chest back and forth, trying to make what little she has jiggle.
“Oh, stop it,” Tiffany says and nudges Josie with an elbow. “For real. No one’s gonna give you boob implants because you’re a skinny white girl.”
Josie sticks out her tongue, and Tiffany returns the gesture before they both start laughing.
Yeah…I’m thinking they weren’t told about the ship. They’re entirely too…happy. I gesture at the mouth of the chief’s cave. “Is Vektal in there?”
Tiffany leans over to look at the entrance of his cave. “I don’t think so? I thought I saw him walk outside with a few of the others earlier. You might check with the hunters if he’s not in the furs with Georgie.” She winks.
Oh, yikes. The last thing I want to do is run into them having sex. Lord knows I’ve heard it enough already. “Um, maybe I’ll check with the hunters first.”
“Good call,” Josie cackles. “I saw more than I wanted to, once.”
“These people need some damn doorbells,” Tiffany says, and shakes her head.
I can’t disagree with that. I give them both impulsive, one-armed hugs around their shoulders that they can’t quite return because of their hands, and then trot off to find Aehako and the chief. Marlene is tending to a small fire where the cooked human food is prepared, and offers me a root-cake – not unlike a hash-brown cake – for breakfast. I nibble on it as I walk. If there was some coffee around here, I’d say this cave was downright cozy.