Page 20

Kala

I did not sleep the entire night. Instead, I remained still within my pallet holding Iris while I stared at the inside of the roof of our dwelling listening to the soft sounds she made.

Not once did she stir. Not even when Sorin woke and joined us.

He wiggled his way in between our bodies and promptly fell back to sleep.

Every time I closed my eyes I saw Iris pleasuring herself and coming apart.

What started as merely cleansing myself for the evening turned into far more than I ever expected.

Her arousal scent filled the tent and I could hardly believe my eyes when I glanced over at her and witnessed what she was doing.

Even now my cock slightly hardens as I picture the flush of her cheeks and the desire that shone from her gaze as she met mine and did not look away in shame or embarrassment.

Beside me, Iris stirs. Her eyelids flutter and slowly open. She breathes in deeply and releases it before staring up at me. Her smile is like a thousand moons shining brightly down from the sky. It is nearly blinding.

“Good morning.” Her voice is a whisper and rougher than usual.

“Good morning to you as well.”

She glances down and strokes Sorin’s floks. “This is a nice way to wake up.”

“It has been many sun cycles since he has shared my pallet.”

“Is it okay that he’s in here with us?” Iris turns her gaze up to me. “I know this is our bed, and Sorin’s a little old to be sleeping with his parents.”

“While I would have preferred to wake to just my mate in my arms, our kit will only be a kit once. One turn, far too soon, he will be grown and wish to live in his own dwelling without his gogo or momo. But until then, he is welcome to lie with us for a part of the night so long as I get you to myself for the rest of it.”

“I’ve never cuddled with anyone before so I’m glad it’s all right that he’s here. I like that he shows so much affection. All three of us have missed out on too much of it,” Iris says quietly.

Before her, I would not have thought I needed affection, but I have become spoiled by it. From what I’ve received from both her and our kit.“Perhaps you are right.”

“What’s the plan for today?”

“I need to go hunting.”

“Will you take Sorin with you?”

Normally, yes, but I suspect he will wish to stay here with his momo.

At least until he is confident she is not going anywhere.

“Not this turn. You and he can spend time together around the village. When I return, I will find a chest for you to place your belongings. If there are any changes you would like to make to our dwelling, you are welcome to do so.”

“It would be nice to add some color. Maybe some flowers to brighten it up and give it a nice smell. Not that it stinks in here,” Iris hastily adds. “I just think they’d be a nice addition.”

“Whatever you wish to do is fine with me.”

“Will you be gone the whole day? Just so I can have an idea when you might be back so if it gets too late I don’t start to worry.”

I study her. “You would worry?”

Her brow crinkles and she pushes herself up onto her elbow. “Of course I would. I know you’ve been hunting your whole life and you’re skilled at it, but that doesn’t mean I won’t worry you might get hurt out there. I want you to be safe.”

No one has ever expressed their worry over my safety. They worry they’ll go hungry if I don’t return with food. But worried about me as a Krijese? Not to my knowledge.

“Thank you for your concern. It means much to me. To put you at ease, I will most likely be hunting until the evening meal.”

“You’ll be careful? Not that I don’t think you will be, but Sorin is usually with you.”

I reach out and thread my fingers through her hair that has escaped its confines during the night and spills down around her shoulders. “I will always come back to you.”

Iris leans into my touch. “You better.”

Sorin is next to stir. He slowly opens his eyes and focuses in on his momo. “You are real. I thought perhaps I had only imagined you in our tent with us.”

She leans down and kisses his brow. “Good morning, sweetie. Did you sleep well?”

“I slept at ease.”

“Good. Looks like you and I get to hang out together today. What do you think we should do?”

Sorin glances up at me. “Will you be with us?”

I shake my head. “There is more hunting that needs to be done.”

Our kit turns back to Iris. “There is much to show you.”

“Then I suppose we better get our day started,” she says. “I also need a few minutes of privacy, please.”

“Come, let us go see if they need help with the morning meal.” I stand and wait for Sorin to rise as well, which he quickly does. I help Iris to her feet next. “We will be at the main fire when you are finished.”

“I’ll be there in a few minutes.” She brushes her lips between my mouth claws and then does the same to the top of Sorin’s head.

I guide him out of the tent and give Iris the privacy she asked for. Together, he and I walk across the length of the village to the main fire where one of only three remaining females and an elder who shares a tent with Moshi and Ashrif ready the meal.

“Greetings. Can we assist you with anything?”

They nod at our arrival and the female shakes her head. “It is nearly ready.”

Since our help is not needed, Sorin and I sit near the fire.

“We should build seats like the Tavikhi have for Momo and the elders. It is getting more and more difficult for them—especially Ashrif—to get up off the ground,” he says.

Wood-crafting is not a skill any of the Krijese possess. Sorin knows this. “We have survived this long without them and we will continue to do so.”

“But we should not have to.”

“I understand you have learned of many things while spending time with the Tavikhi and I am glad for this. But we are not Tavikhi. We are Krijese. None of us know how to craft these seats you wish us to sit upon and there are none of us who have the time to learn. What we have time to do is hunt and make sure we have enough food to add to our stores so more of our people survive the cold season.”

“Is everything okay out here?” Iris approaches wearing fresh coverings instead of the ones she calls pajamas.

“All is well.” It is the first falsehood I have spoken.

She cocks her head. “Are you sure? Because it doesn’t actually appear that way. What are you two arguing about?”

“Sorin suggested we build seats similar to the Tavikhi. However, we do not possess these skills or do we have time to learn them. We have never needed to because we have always sat on the ground during meals. It is the Krijese way.”

“I see.” Iris glances between our kit and me. “Out of curiosity, would you be willing to change your ways if these seats were an option?”

“They are not.”

She narrows her gaze. “Humor me, please. If benches were to become available, would you use them?”

“Yes.” I am not so opposed to changing our ways that I would punish those who would benefit greatly from an object that made their life easier.

Iris bends down and gives me a quick kiss. “Thank you, that’s all I needed to know. Now, no more arguing, please.”

“Yes, Momo.” Sorin ducks his head.

“Yes, sweeney.”

She grins and shakes her head and my hearts swell with emotion.

When she lowers herself to sit next to us, I discover I do not like Iris placing herself on the ground.

Her coverings are nice, but now they will be dirty.

Perhaps there is something to what Sorin wishes for.

That does not mean I suddenly have knowledge I did not previously possess or the time to gain it.

Not with all the other ways in which I need to take care of my people.

“It looks like it’s going to be a nice, warm day.” Iris stares up. “That’s one thing I love about Tavikh—well one of the things really—and it’s the fact I can actually see the beautiful sky.”

“You could not on Earth?” I am not sure what I would do if I were unable to look up and see the sun and the moons above.

“Not clearly. At least not where I lived. There was always so much smoke and fog in the air from the factories that it was constantly overcast and gloomy. The colors on Tavikh are bright and happy, whereas Earth was gray and dull and depressing.”

“What is gray?” Sorin asks. “This is not a color name Talek has taught me. I know the fiku trees are black and their leaves are purple. The nenuphar bush is a dark purple, but the flowers that bloom on it are called blue. The blooms on the trendafili bush are red. Bari is yellow. Gogo, I, and other Krijese are a mix of black and green while Tavikhi are purple with yellow hair.”

These are all the names of colors he has tried to teach me, but they do not stick. Except looking at Iris—who appears suitably impressed with Sorin’s knowledge—I find I would like to learn the names of her various colors.

“Wow, great job on remembering all those,” she praises him. “Gray is what you’d get if you mixed every color together, but it doesn’t make something pretty. It’s drab. Boring. It can even be a little depressing.”

“That does not sound like a place I would like to live,” Sorin announces with an exaggerated shudder. “Our sky is too beautiful and this gray color sounds awful.”

Iris huffs out a short amused sound. “There are shades of gray that are better than others, especially if they have a purple hue, but you’re right about Tavikh’s sky. It’s one of the most lovely things I have ever seen.”

She is one of the most lovely things I have ever seen.

More people arrive to the fire and once everyone is present, we form our line to be served.

It is the best morning meal I have eaten, because it is done with my kit and mate at my side.

Iris and Sorin speak of their plans for the day, although they are more ideas of things for them to do than actual plans.

Once we have finished eating and cleaned up, we return to our tent so I can get my war axe and prepare to leave.

Iris helps me secure the sheath around my chest and shoulders. Although I have done this action countless times, I enjoy her assistance and the casual touches she gives me. She lays her hands on me when we have finished.

“You’re going to be careful, right?”

“Aye.”

She gives me a kiss and draws Sorin into her side. He leans into her and rubs his cheek up and down it like he does to my chest when he is feeling affectionate.

“I will return near the evening meal.”

Iris nods and I must force my feet to move because I do not want to leave them. It is a first for me. This need to remain with my mate. As much as I wish otherwise, I quickly exit our dwelling and lope into the forest before I talk myself into staying.