Page 19 of Fated to the Alien Hero (Warriors of Tavikh #7)

Evren

Seven turns have passed since the village put together Astrid’s and my tent. Seven turns of her sleeping in my furs with my arms and tail wrapped around her. Seven turns of kissing and exploring each other. Learning each other and what pleases the other. My cock twitches with the thought of her gripping the base of my tail last night. Like my ears, I had no idea how sensitive it was. Every time Astrid squeezed it, it was almost as though she squeezed my cock itself. I nearly spilled my mating fluid like an untried kit.

When we woke this turn, she told me she had a surprise for me when I returned from my hunt. Rassim nearly sent me back to the village early my distraction was so great thinking of all the things she could surprise me with. Finally, we managed to bring down several dreri as well as a lone dhibani that must have wandered away from the herd. I lead the hunting group through the hills and along the path to the bottom.

“Your mate is not going anywhere, Evren,” Katem calls out.

“I am anxious for this surprise Astrid says she has for me. When you find your keeshla , you will be in a hurry to reach them too.”

“That is, if I have one. Perhaps my mate is still back on Earth or even on another planet with no way to get here.”

I shake my head. “Have faith, brother. Deeka will bring your mate to you. Just wait and see.”

“As much faith as I have, it is possible some of us are meant to live this life alone,” Katem says with a hint of sorrow.

“Do you truly believe that?” Daveel asks.

Katem borrows a human gesture and shrugs. “I do not know. But I also do not want to get my hopes up only for them to be shattered in the long run.”

I understand what my tribe brother is saying, because I once felt the same. It is best to prepare for disappointment because then success is that much sweeter. Like shurup nectar. “I will say a few extra prayers to Deeka for you. For both of you.”

“You have my thanks,” Katem says and Daveel nods.

The closer we get to the village, the more my pace quickens until at last, the entrance is in front of us. I hurry past the two guards and drop my score off at the tanning tent. After barely offering a farewell, I leave the other warriors and make my way to the tent I share with Astrid hoping she is there. She has been visiting several of the elders who are teaching her how to prepare meals since she recently discovered this is a skill she enjoys.

I reach our tent and enter. To my great joy, she is standing at the table placing items inside a basket. She lifts her head at my arrival and squeals a happy sound. I brace myself as she rushes forward and jumps into my arms wrapping her arms and legs around me. My hands grip her lush ass and give the globes a squeeze.

“You’re home.” Astrid pecks kisses all over my face before finally reaching my lips.

I kiss her long and hard and soon she is rubbing her cunt against my stomach. My cock aches and swells with the need to release the mating fluid that builds up within it. The scent of my keeshla has not left me in several turns. I smell it each night as we lay in our furs and it remains with me when I wake and leave for a hunt. It is strong and potent and never fails to make my cock twitch.

At last, Astrid takes mercy on me, because she ends the kiss, but then tortures me again by slowly sliding down my body leaving a trail of damp heat in her wake. Her face is flushed and her hardened nipples poke through the chest covering she wears making my mouth water with the need to suck on them.

“Are you ready for your surprise?” Astrid asks, slightly breathless.

“I am ready.”

“Great, let’s go for a walk then.” She steps away, picks up the basket she left on the table, and grabs a fur to drape over it.

“What is in there?”

“It’s part of your surprise.” She threads her fingers through mine and leads me out of our tent and through the village. “How was your hunt, by the way?”

“It was successful. We brought back enough meat to add to our stores that will last many turns.”

“That’s good. And no one got hurt or anything?”

I shake my head. “All was well.”

The fact that she cares what happens to my tribe brothers is one of the many things I love about her. She has the most wonderful and kind heart.

We continue walking outside the village border and along a familiar path on the outskirts of the bari field. Astrid has my curiosity kindled as she guides me toward the hillside path that leads to the waterfall I showed her. It does not take us long before we reach it. The weather has warmed these last seven turns which has made the water less cool.

“Let’s go inside the cave,” Astrid says.

We dart behind the cascade of rushing water into the dimly lit cavern behind it. The tendrils of vine still glow as always. She sets down the basket and fur and, like the first time, gently runs her fingers along the walls making the flora flare brighter before it returns to its regular shade. My mate turns toward me.

“I brought us a picnic to start.” She takes the fur and spreads it across the ground. Then she kneels on it and opens the basket. “Have a seat, please.”

I lower myself onto the fur and observe what she is doing since I do not know what this ‘picnic’ is she refers to. One by one, she removes items and sets them on the fur between us. There is an assortment of dried meats and fruits along with several root vegetables. Lastly, she brings out a vessel I recognize as one the elders use to store their special brew.

“So a picnic is eating food from a basket on the ground?” This is clearly one of the unusual things humans do.

Astrid chuckles. “Basically, but it’s supposed to be romantic. Years ago on Earth men and women would go on picnic dates. They’d lay out a blanket and spread out food to eat. Usually champagne was involved, but since you don’t have that here, I figured this stuff the elders make would be the closest and next best thing.”

“So this is another kind of date, besides a walking one then.” I am not opposed to a walking date, but I do like the fact food is involved in this picnic date.

“Yeah. Then, after the main course is finished, the couple has…dessert,” Astrid says.

I cock my head. “Dessert? I am not sure I know what that is. My translator says it is a sweet to be eaten after a main meal. Is the dried bizele you brought dessert?”

To my surprise, her neck and cheeks brighten in color that I have seen happen when the humans are feeling shy. Or what they call embarrassed.

“Actually, I thought you might want to eat,” she pauses and takes in a deep breath. “Me.”

My eyes narrow. “I do not understand. Tavikhi do not eat humans. The only thing on this planet that would eat you is a luani and perhaps a dhembe.”

Astrid stares at me for several beats of my heart and then she attacks me with laughter spilling from her lips. I catch her in my arms and we roll until she is beneath me. She strokes my face and pushes my hair back behind my ears, dragging her finger along the sensitive tip of it and making me shudder all while still laughing.

I cannot stop myself from thrusting against her. She is far too tempting lying there bathed in the soft glowing light of the plant. Astrid is beautiful when she laughs, although she told me she does not care much for her top two teeth that are crooked. To me they are just one more thing that makes her my Astrid. I love them because they are a part of her.

Finally her laughter slows and she huffs out a final chuckle. “I’m sorry for laughing.”

“Do not be sorry. I could listen to the sound of it all the time.”

“I know, but I was kind of laughing at you. Not in a mean way,” she rushes to say. “Just in a you are adorable way.”

“You have had far too little joy in your life, so if I can make you laugh in any way, then I am happy for it. Even if it is at me.”

Astrid’s smile softens and she caresses my chest. “I love you so much.”

“I love you as well.” I move to roll off her, but she wraps her legs around me and pulls me closer so I settle more fully between her thighs and my cock is cradled within the slit of her cunt.

“Dessert means the couple has sex,” she says and arches slightly into me.

I am barely able to hold back the groan, especially after her words penetrate my mind. “Dessert is sex?”

Astrid glances away before meeting my gaze again. “In this particular case, it does.”

“Are you sure?”

She nods. “I’m very sure. We love each other and we’re mates. I know I’ve been holding back the last week, but that’s because it felt weirdly wrong to jump into having sex with someone right after my husband died. Even if he deserved what happened. I don’t know why we’ve waited, but I just couldn’t. Thank you for being so patient with me.”

“You are worth being patient for. There is nothing I will not do for you and that includes waiting for us to become mates in truth until you were ready. We have the rest of our lives to mate.”

“I want you, Evren. I want to make love with you. Completely and wholly,” Astrid tells me. “No more fooling around. I need to feel you inside me.”

Instead of answering her, I claim her mouth with mine and sweep my tongue inside. She said that the dessert happens after the picnic, but in this case we will have our dessert first.