“Kan eye elp?”
I cock my head, not understanding her. She points to the knots around my bound foretentacles. Does she want to help with making the restraints?
“No, no, let your mate handle such things. Rest for now, Leeenuh. Kitaico can take care of you!” I flash her a broad grin.
“Em nought tyurd!'' She seems annoyed by my suggestion.
I thought females loved naps and being taken care of? Maybe the human females are different than Andjins ones in that regard?
“Sleep for a bit. We’ve got nothing but time to wait until your heats are over. Why not nap?”
She sighs, as if in resignation, and flops her head back into the nest. Even if I’m as frustrated as Leeenuh, I can’t let it prevent me from being an excellent mate.
So, the task at hand is restraints for when sweet little Leeenuh becomes the wild, cock-crazed female of last night.
I will have no problem making the ropes, but I worry with all her struggling that they’ll dig into her wrists and injure her still. Maybe something soft can be used as a buffer?
I stand, scratching my head.
I could harvest some torun sponges to pad out the wrist portion—I know there’s a wild patch right near the entrance of the nest.
I sneak a quick glance at Leeenuh out of the corner of my eye, trying not to draw attention. She pulls the thick blanket up higher under her chin and closes her eyes.
I knew she needed rest. Maybe the Great Mother was right about picking me as her mate.
I wait until her breathing slows and I’m sure she’s sleeping before I slip out the nest entrance and into the cool salt water.
7
playing doctor
The constant buzz of my tattoo machine becomes a soothing white noise, heightening my concentration. Every stroke matters, especially the delicate purple lines, as a single mistake could jeopardize the line-work of my current design.
“You know that’s forever, right?” my grandmother says.
But Grandma has been dead for years.
When I turn my head, there’s no sturdy woman glaring disapprovingly at me. Oddly enough, the smell of her hairspray lingers in the air. Her hairstyle remained unchanged, with its smooth and lacquered appearance, since before I was born. She always smelled faintly of Aqua Net.
As I gaze back at my work, I notice the swirling purple mark gradually forming into a distinct shape. With my palm as the canvas, the jab of the needles in my machine is more than a dull ache. I use a clean cloth to carefully wipe away the excess ink from my skin.
A tingling sensation courses through the vortex etched on my hand, as if it’s awakening. The marks on my body ignite, sending waves of searing heat through my flesh. With the flickering flames of the tiny campfire cradled in my palm, I press it against my chest, feeling its pulsing heat—I want its warmth despite the pain.
I shoot up in the bed, my breath coming in quick gasps—it was only a dream.
I stare at my tattoo, the mating sting that Kitaico marked me with. For the first few weeks after my abduction, I used to dream of Grandma every night, the only enduring link to Earth my mind could summon. It was always her tight embraces that made me feel safe, or the aroma of a hot tater tot hot dish, as she poured me a glass of wine in her cozy apartment kitchen.
You know that’s forever, right?
Just like a tattoo, I have a feeling this mark will be difficult to remove. But forever? Maybe Kitaico could tell me how to do it…but would he be upset that I want to know if the mark will disappear? Would I even be able to get my point across?
I scan the cave, looking for my yellow protector, but he’s nowhere to be found.
I seriously doubt there are any hidden spaces I don’t know about in here, but that doesn’t stop me from crawling out of the bed and pulling back the curtain to his storage space.
As I pull back the fabric, I’m greeted with the slightly pungent odor of stores of dried fish, woven mats, a strange purple fruit, and various primitive tools. The space is packed full, and there’s no sign of Kitaico or any secret spaces.
So, the big yellow softie really left me here, even with all his claims of being my protector against the dangers of his world.
My heart thumps in my chest. Even though there’s no imminent threat, it doesn’t mean my brain doesn’t instantly start catastrophizing.
But outside that nearby entry, just beyond its swirling blue waters, lies some scary shit.
Giant scorpion-whale-shark thing? Check. Horned-up exiled aliens that want nothing more than me in heat? Double check. Currents that I doubt I can maneuver well enough to get to the surface? Triple check.
I don’t know what to do, so I sit on the edge of the bed and pull my knees against my chest. How have I become so utterly reliant on a near stranger? Sweat begins to collect at the back of my legs.
The water at the entrance ripples, and I brace myself for what is surely a terrifying sex-crazed alien exile to burst through the pool.
But instead, it’s just Kitaico. He pulls himself up onto the cave ledge using his elbows—his arms full of soft-looking purple puffs. Despite the lack of use of his arms, Kitaico stumbles only slightly as he rises to his feet. The impressive muscles of his core engage as he stands to his full height, towering above me. I let my eyes trail his body as the rivulets of water stream down into the defined vee of his hips.
My arms swing wide around his body, and his yellow skin shifts to a deep blue. I’d like to think I’m only hugging him because I’m relieved, but as my fingers slide down his lats muscles, I know it’s just an excuse to touch him.
“Leeenuh, are you alright?” he asks as he drops the spongy things in his arms. He clasps my chin in his hand and tilts my head up to meet his gaze.
