Page 38 of The VaDorok’s Unexpected Mate (The Mate Index: Dorok #1)

Katie smiled as Kull dabbed at her face with a wet cloth, studiously removing the remaining traces of blood from her skin.

He was ignoring Zalla, that much was obvious, but more importantly his attention fully focused on her as if she was the most important thing in the world despite his mother making small noises of protest and casting beseeching looks his direction while the chief spoke grimly to the female and her nephew.

It was exactly what they deserved. Although no true harm had been meant, Katie still couldn’t wrap her mind around exactly how they imagined it all playing out.

As if Kull wouldn’t have used his considerable skill to track her down.

She snorted in amusement, drawing a small smile from the male in question.

“What amuses you so, ulukska?” he murmured as he moved on to another spot to clean.

She shook her head and whispered, “I just don’t understand how they thought this trick was even going to work against your stubborn hide. Do they not know you?”

He chuckled softly and continued to dab at her with the cloth. “Clearly not as well as they thought. Certainly not as well as you do, ulukska.” His eyes shifted to his mother, and his smile faded as a grim look overcame him. “I do hope that Zalla finally learns from this humiliation.”

Katie glanced over at Zalla, and the female met her eyes with a hopeful look.

Katie groaned inwardly. She was so not getting involved in mending bridges.

Absolutely not. Even Ren was refusing to get involved.

Any time Zalla tried to look at him entreatingly, he looked away, disappointment clearly evident on his face.

She was getting no help from that corner either.

Unfortunately, a female nearby, dressed in a similar manner as the hunters, kept glancing over at Katie hopefully. She grimaced in response and tried not to look directly at her so as to not encourage her.

“Ignore Tev,” Kull murmured. “She has been a friend since I was a youngling, and though she supports my decision, she is also naturally sympathetic to my mother. She will not interfere, but she will encourage reconciliation whenever possible, much like Torok.”

Ok, that was even more awkward. A childhood friend, who was likely something closer to a sibling, wasn’t going to just let it go. So much for trying to ignore things and just let Kull handle it as he saw fit. It seemed that she had married... uh, mated... into a messy family situation. Lovely.

“Kull—about Zalla—perhaps we should just—”

He met her eyes and frowned. “No.”

Katie pursed her lips as she returned his regard. He didn’t even let her get a complete sentence out. Fine. No skin off her nose. She rolled her eyes, and her gaze drifted toward the other women gathered with their big alien mates loving on their big alien pregnant bellies. That reminded her—

“What is with all the humans looking like they swallowed one of your larger baskets?” she asked. “We have only been here for one planetary month... however that time is reckoned by your moon cycle...and yet all the pregnant women are absolutely huge.”

He lowered his hand and tucked the cloth into a small pouch on his belt as he glanced around at the other women around them.

“I see nothing amiss. This is normal for VaDorok reproduction. Males are only seasonally fertile in the spring. This, paired with a rapid gestation, permits offspring to be born in the warm season without putting too much duress on the mother during the colder parts of the year,” he explained.

“The first month is the period where there is the most rapid growth. Similarly, the first two lunar cycles following birth are those within which younglings rapidly grow larger to compensate for their small birth sizes.”

“I see,” she murmured and tried not to wince.

Ballooning up like that didn’t sound comfortable at all. Then again, neither did lugging around a baby that likely at least doubled its birth size within the first couple of lunar months after it was born. Was that what she had to look forward to?

“I don’t suppose there is any birth control?” she whispered.

Kull’s brows rose but he gave her an understanding smile. “Yes. There is a plant that can do this. Truthfully, there is no rush, ulukska. I will acquire enough to keep us well supplied until we decide that we are ready for young of our own.”

Katie nodded, grateful that he wasn’t going to make a fuss about being the only human-VaDorok couple not breeding. After everything, even the thought of being pregnant so soon made her break out into a cold sweat.

Taking his hand in hers, she smiled and gave his hand a squeeze in thanks.

He glanced down at their joined hands, and although he didn’t say anything or react, she knew he understood what she wanted to say.

It was like a wordless thread of communication that she could feel anchored between them.

As for Tev, she gave the female an apologetic smile and shook her head in refusal despite Tev’s wordless pleas.

All she could do was not allow herself to be swayed or affected by them to any significant degree.

Regardless, Katie was absolutely last person that anyone could hope to use in order to manipulate Kull.

She knew from experience how terrible it was to have one’s own decisions and desires treated as inconsequential.

She wasn’t about to let anyone just steamroll right over the boundaries he erected.

Instead, she turned away, giving her mate her full attention as he picked up a small piece of meat and fed it to her.

His pleased purr at the way she ate from his hand rolled through her, heating her blood even as it brought a smile to her face about how ridiculously decadent it was to be feeding each other bits of food from their fingers.

It really didn’t seem like something that would happen in real life but rather something that existed in old movies featuring lovers in moments of romantic bliss—like Cleopatra sailing down the Nile with Mark Antony feeding each other clusters of ripe grapes.

Except Katie was wrapped in furs, sitting in the coldest and iciest location she had ever set foot on.

She smiled warmly at Kull and likewise offered him a piece of meat in turn.

His lips curved in response seconds before they caressed her fingertips as he accepted what she offered.

She took the bite that he offered next, her lips lingering on his fingertips in a kiss as she brought up food to his lips, ignoring conversation that hummed around them.

It seemed that, despite Zalla’s very public chastisement, everyone was focusing on the manner in which Jegar returned to the gathering grounds.

The consensus appeared to be that it served him right.

Zalla’s dismissal from the gathering grounds and Borax forbidding her from returning without personal invitation from Kull was likewise considered just and well-deserved.

The sentence was considered a severe one but one earned for attempting to endanger a member of the tribe—which Katie and all the humans were apparently counted as—in addition to plotting against another member of the tribe—her son.

Of course, that part was a bit harder to ignore.

Especially when the female was escorted away wailing about how unjustly Borax was treating her.

She would have been lying if she said that the unhappy look Tev gave her in parting, before following after Zalla to console her, didn’t bother her at least a little bit.

Unfortunately, nothing would be resolved so soon after Zalla made such a big mistake, and, knowing Kull’s temperament, Tev should have realized that.

Katie wasn’t going to be guilted into anything.

Rather than wasting time and more energy worrying about them, Katie allowed herself to get lost in the affectionate interplay with Kull.

They lazily fed each other bites of meat until all activity shifted back to the center of the gathering grounds.

She wasn’t sure why they were all heading that way but not one to be left out, she stood and drew Kull along with her as she followed the other women trailing behind Sara, who was at the head of their little group.

Katie exchanged a curious look with Kull, but when Sara joined Vidok at the fire and the chief’s baby was brought forth for blessing, everything more or less clicked into place.

Part of the gathering was a ritual for the baby—one that Sara appeared to be primarily leading with the assistance of her mate.

She had to admit that it was kind of odd seeing someone as irreverent and carefree as Sara taking on that sort of position within the community.

“Naming ceremony,” Kull whispered to her unasked question. “They introduce the new youngling to the tribe and to the gods that protect us and care for us. As Vidok’s ulukska, this is now Sara’s leading role and one of many responsibilities that she will have as mate to the warrior-priest.”

Katie shook her head in wonder. “Don’t take this the wrong way—but I’m glad that you are a recluse. I don’t think I would want to be in the center of attention this way.”

Her mate chuckled and hugged her to his side.

His tail curled around her hip, and its tip seemed to twitch there languidly as they watched Vidok walk around the assembled humans and smear some sort of blue pigment on their bellies.

She was glad that she was able to skip that particular messy ceremony, though the intention of celebration and blessing was incredibly touching.

She wrinkled her nose as the sloppy, goopy mess painted on the other women, and Kull laughed at her expression of disgust. She shuddered a little bit and clung happily to his hand when he reached out for her.

Turning away, they began to head back to their own tent, but something possessed her to look back over her shoulder.

Her eyebrows flew up at the sight that greeted her.

Messy as it was—especially evident by the way it was quickly transferred to the white fur of their mates—it also appeared to pack quite a punch in a rather fun way that she had not expected.

Within very short order, every anointed human woman was practically climbing their tall mates within a sudden and unmistakable ardor.

She would have said that they were high, but that wasn’t right.

.. more like exceptionally horny. Katie regarded them curiously, her head cocking.

Then again, wasn’t that the natural state of pregnant women?

She would bet her bottom dollar that there was something in that pigment that boosted their natural hormones.

At least their mates obliged them by carrying them off to their respective tents.

“Horny as hell,” she mumbled in amusement, drawing Kull’s attention.

The male scoffed. “The holy herb that makes the anointing paste has that effect. It brings the mated pair closer through pleasure. It is both celebration and support of their offspring.”

“Really? Huh. I wonder how good it is. Hopefully, it’s worth the mess that it makes.”

Kull smiled secretively and she jumped in surprise moments later when a cry of ecstasy broke through the air that sent a shiver up Katie’s spine.

“Damn, I change my mind, where can I get some of that?” she demanded, half turning.

Kull caught her arm and laughed as he gently drew her once more toward their tent. “You do not need it. I can make you scream without it.”

She paused and looked over at him, her lips curling provocatively as excitement stirred deep within her. “Remind me.”