Page 6

Marron

" T he human females are getting into the alcohol."

Beren falls into a chair next to me, laying one of his arms on the back of mine in a manner that might be kind if I did not know this male from working with him for more than a year now.

He is keeping me close because he is warning me that he could end me in a single moment, and I will not know when it will happen.

Beren is a male who prides himself in caring for his mates and the two females under his care. This is all very good, but it is not so good for me when he looks at me like he is still uncertain whether or not he will seal me for how frequently I manage to find myself alone with his ward.

"I can see that." I shift in my seat, trying to figure out how long I will need to sit here to not be seen as rude when I get up to find somewhere else to be.

I am about to turn and tell Beren that I think Toron is calling me, but instead of getting to do that, Beren's hand moves to my shoulder, tightening in a way that has my eyes widening and my stomach dropping.

Oh, I have done it now. He saw me arrive with Tori and will now tell me that Thro and I are out of jobs.

Hopefully, that is all. If he tells us we need to leave the tribe as well, I will never forgive myself.

"Do you know how females act when they drink the alcohol?" Beren asks.

I shake my head, not quite sure what this could have to do with him killing me and hiding my body somewhere in the fields, but so long as it keeps me alive for a little while longer, I will take it.

"Some of the females cry, some get loud and laugh at everything, and some will get very touchy and want their hands on their males.

Many of the females end up in one of those categories at some point through the night, maybe even multiple.

" Beren shrugs and sighs. "You do not need to worry about most of this, but you do need to know there is a good chance your female tries to woo you.

" His voice remains even and calm. None of this is what I expected when he grabbed my shoulder.

Wait, did he say my female?

"I do not know how your female acts when she drinks, but we will find out tonight." Beren frowns more deeply as his eyes track over to where all the females are laughing and talking.

One of the other females from the tribe fills all of their cups with the alcohol that the humans like, and Tori quickly drinks hers before looking around for me. Beren hisses and then squeezes my shoulder tight again to get my eyes back on him.

"She will attempt to arouse you. It is one of the females' main desires when they consume that liquid. She is not herself, though, and she cannot think clearly. I am telling you because you must be a strong male tonight when she inevitably gets you alone."

I shift in my seat, moving my cock to the side now that it is hard from thinking about Tori trying to woo me. I have no shame about it. Beren has now called Tori mine twice, and he has even admitted that I am the male she will try to find to force her affection on when the alcohol fogs her senses.

"I can go back home now if that would be easier."

I pray to the goddess that he does not accept my offer.

I want to stay here all night, preferably until Tori is fast asleep, because I can hold her in my arms. I have decided I will offer to carry her to her bed when she inevitably falls asleep, and I hope no one wishes to stop me because this might be the only time I can touch her until she decides she is ready to claim me in front of everyone.

"No, no." Beren shakes his head. "That would be wonderful for my own mind and well-being, but Nia has told me you are allowed to be near her tonight, and I am not allowed to stop you."

My body becomes rigid as I try to piece together what he is saying. My brows pull together, and my lips flatten. Have I been allowed to sit next to Tori all of this evening? Surely not. That would be tossing aside the rules in front of so many brothers and their mates.

Granted, all of the ones here to visit us are friends with Beren and his mates and are the original females who came to this tribe.

They all found their mates without the mating ceremony, so they may be willing to allow me more liberties, especially since Tori has not once rebuffed my advances.

No, not even my advances, since she has always been the one to approach me.

Well, except for all the times I walk upon her bathing, but that is only because of the first time she called me over.

"If you were to approach her tonight, none of us would have stopped you." Beren tightens his grip on my shoulder as I try to stand. I snap my head over to him and barely stop myself from shooing him off me. "I will let you go, but I am telling you that I trust you to take care of my ward."

"That is all I want," I murmur, fearing that if I say it too loudly, everyone here will know I have wanted the fiery-haired female for so long.

Beren already knows because I repeatedly tell him that I will be his blood as soon as his ward offers me the chance. I can see now that my reminders have chipped away at his sternness. It must be why he is allowing me liberties tonight.

"I know, and you are an honorable male." Beren stands, offering me his hand to help me to my feet.

"That is why I am telling you how she will act with the alcohol.

She will tempt you to be very dishonorable.

" He steps back and glances over my body as though he is sizing me up. "You are a strong male."

I puff my chest. "I am."

"Good, now, be strong in will, and remind yourself that if she tries to mate you tonight, it is because she is not thinking clearly." Beren crosses his arms over his chest and then tilts his head toward the females. I turn to face them, and my chest deflates.

"I cannot speak to them when they are all together."

I turn back to Beren, but he has already forgotten me. He is walking toward his mates, who are more focused on one another in a more intimate way than Beren probably likes out in his front yard. I turn my attention away from them before seeing things I wish not to.

Their home is empty tonight since Jen is staying in the great hall with some of the other young females. I do not know where Tori will go. I have a feeling that is why Beren and his mates are going inside now, so they will be finished with their lovemaking when Tori is ready to go to sleep.

I flex my hands by my sides, forcing my claws into my fingertips so they do not look intimidating if I try to touch my mate. Not that I will do anything more than maybe cupping her face or wrapping my hand around her shoulders.

I take slow steps toward the small group of females.

Many of them have moved closer to their mates as the alcohol begins to make them freer in their affections, just as Beren said it would.

Tori's face is flushed before I am even near, and for once, I do not think it is just my eyes on her that have her looking so pink.

She walks to me before I can finish closing the distance between us, and then her hand is in the air, hitting me in the abdomen with an open palm that she rests against me.

I am surprised, but even more so when she begins to slur her words.

Even as she struggles over her words, she's trying hard enough that I can understand most of them.

"Did you know you could come talk to me this whole time? " She pouts and steps closer to me, her chin having to lift so she can peer up at me. I do not dare move my body, so I am stuck looking straight down. I am sure I am looking foolish, but any male would look foolish for his female.

"Beren told me." I don't move. I barely breathe, and then she narrows her eyes at me and steps closer. She is going to be the death of me in all of three beats in my chest.

"How do you feel?" I change the subject to think of something other than her warmth permeating through my tunic. The night makes it cooler, and we are away from the dying fire, so I am starting to chill.

"I feel good." She smiles up at me. Whatever she was narrowing her eyes about has passed.

" I feel like I want to run my hands all over your body, maybe wiggle my hand into your pants, and stroke your cock until you're crying out my name.

" I keep a straight face as well as I can while she says her human words.

If she presses her abdomen against me, she is going to feel my cock twitching in my pants as I release. "That's how I feel."

"It is good you feel good," I say through clenched teeth. "I am also feeling very good. Yes, very much so."

Tori giggles and then turns around, leaning on me for support as her back presses against me.

It is not until she wraps her hands in mine and my arms around her that I understand what she wants.

Once I do, I become the most accommodating male.

I kneel behind her so she can be closer and wrap my arms around her waist before snuggling her into me.

"I like this," Tori says as her fingers skate over my scales. "I want this more."

"I do as well," I say, thinking about how wonderful it would feel to have her in my arms, especially when I am alone in my bed at night. It will be so much better when I can breathe her in and know she is mine. "I think about this often."

Tori turns her head to look at me from the corner of her eye.

I think she might hide things from me in English again.

Or try to hide them. I planned to tell her I was learning her language when she agreed to mate me.

I thought she would like it. She has started to tell me arousing things in her language, though.

She did it earlier, and now she is doing it again.

I do not know how much I can keep my knowledge a secret when she has a very pleasant way of describing things she would like to do to me.

"Can we be alone?" Tori asks.