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She could have left me here. Instead, she has taken care of me to the point of exhaustion. The dark shadows under her eyes are testament to that as is the tightly drawn features of her face. I have vague recollections of her quiet, soothing voice and her hand softly gliding through my hair interspersed with nightmares that I would rather not remember.
Haley nuzzles her face closer against my neck with a whimper, her plump lips brush lightly against me. She releases a deep sigh and a gust of warm breath fans across my skin. My hearts pick up pace, sending a rush of blood through my veins. Haley shifts, pressing her hips down against my hardened cock, and I clench my jaw in determination. She moves her hips again and a muffled groan is ripped from my throat and into the quiet of the cave.
At the noise, she jerks awake with a start. Her blue eyes are cloudy with sleepy desire as she locks gazes with me. I watch the lust fade from her face as she becomes fully alert, and a pang of regret hits me.
One day soon, I tell myself. One day soon Haley will welcome me with eager arms and soft eyes. I am a patient male. But for now, I will wait.
Haley braces her hands to sit up causing her hips to shift against me, pressing firmly against my hardened cock again. Her gaze darts to me and a gasp emerges from her soft lips when she feels my length pulse beneath her.
My mate reacts by scrambling away to kneel at the edge of the sleeping pallet, air rushing in and out of her lungs in a pant and her startled eyes watching me. A red flush spreads over her face and down her chest to disappear beneath the thick garment she wears, and I can sense the embarrassment she feels as if it were my own.
I inhale deeply and my nostrils flare when I get another whiff of that same sweet musk. No, not just embarrassment. Something else. Something exciting that makes my hardened cock throb with need that will have to go unanswered. I steel myself and push down the urge I feel to place my mouth between my mate’s lush thighs. I do not think that would help matters right now.
Holding my hands up in what I hope is a reassuring manner, I assure her, “You are safe. I will not hurt you.” It is obvious my mate can understand my words and I assume she must have some sort of translator chip implanted.
I hope she believes me, because I am telling the truth. The thought of anything hurting Haley, let alone me being the one responsible, makes both of my hearts ache and feel like they will rend into pieces.
Haley studies me, her blue eyes roaming over my face as if trying to determine if I speak the truth. Then, as if finally coming to a decision, she nods and her face brightens with a soft, trusting smile that makes my breath catch in my lungs.
She is like the sun shining after the rainy season. Like the first taste of fresh marca nectar after the cold weather has left. The glint of Haley’s smile makes my spirit sing and my second heart pound out its joy. She makes me feel as if I could wrestle the largest anuroi and run the length of the landmass we call home without stopping if it would please her.
I begin to rise, eager to show my mate the same care she has shown me, but before I can even make it to my feet, a hiss releases from between my clenched teeth. It feels as if the whole of Laedirissae tilts on its side and my head swims with dizziness. My entire body aches as if I really have wrestled an anuroi and I feel as weak as a newly born kitling. It is clear that even with my recently awakened amoris heart I am still not fully recovered.
At my hiss of pain, Haley moves closer with the tin of salixa gel in her hands, and she urges me to lie back down so she can inspect my wound.
The aching wound is high on my side, just underneath my arm, and while I can’t see it very well, I can smell the regeneration of new tissue as it heals at a fast pace thanks to the gel and my body’s own abilities. I can thank Haley for that. The mating bond enhances not just my strength and speed, but also my ability to heal at a faster rate.
Without the bond giving my body a boost, I would most likely still be unconscious from the poisoned arrow that pierced my skin. Because now that my thoughts are no longer muddled from the pain and fever and I can think clearly, I realize exactly what was different about the arrow that pierced my skin.
The searing pain that spread so quickly through me followed by the sickness that laid me low, and the bitter smell I remember when I pulled the arrow from my flesh all lead me to one thought. The arrow had been dipped in bane nectar.
The nectar is harvested from spiky red flowers that only bloom at high altitudes, and it is poisonous to Laediriian males. Once the nectar has entered a male’s bloodstream, it can cause serious reactions and without treatment, at times, even death. Usually, it would take a male many days to recover enough to even be lucid after being struck with such an arrow. With the mateblood flowing through my body and my amoris heart beating in my chest, I should heal twice as fast.
Still, I will not heal as quickly as I would like. And in that time, my mate will be vulnerable.
I am eager for my mate and I to leave Tussoll territory, especially now that I know they have somehow joined forces with the Pugj. If seeing two Pugj casually entering their village didn’t convince me of their alliance, then being struck with an arrow poisoned with nectar only found near the Pugj’s settlement certainly did.
My thoughts are on edge as I think of the Tussoll allying themselves with our enemies. The Pugj have attacked them in the past just like they have my own tribe. How could they? The Pugj have attacked them in the past just like they have my tribe. The Tussoll were one of the last tribes attacked at the end of the last hot season. According to news shared during trading visits, three of their warriors were carried off in the raid never to be seen again. Few males have ever escaped once taken, but those that have have returned with chilling tales of their captivity. My hands clench into fists as I recall the stories of the torture the Pugj inflict upon their captives and the fate of those who didn't manage to escape. It is unthinkable that any Laediriian would join forces with them.
Haley’s hands feel cool against my flesh as she spreads more of the gel on my side and the slide of her skin against me soothes not only the pain leaching out from the wound but also my troubled thoughts. She speaks in a hushed whisper while doing so and I focus on the sound of her voice.
Even though I do not understand her words, her bright, soft voice brings a sense of comfort to me and lulls me into a peaceful state. I feel myself drifting on a pleasurable cloud of sensation. My eyelids droop and I focus on the brush of her delicate hands. She glides one over my chest and it settles just on top of my second heart, and I stifle a moan.
I crack open my eyes and watch her graceful movements in the dim light of the cave. I have so many questions for my mate. There are so many things I want to know about her, her hopes and dreams, the planet she hails from, what species she is. . . everything about her. Everything about Haley is fascinating to me.
Later, when I mention that I need to make my way outside to empty my bladder, the familiar pink color stains her cheeks enthralling me. As does the tiny chuckle she releases and the obstinate set of her jaw when she refuses to allow me to rise on my own or to make my way outside by myself.
She is stubborn, like me. I have truly met my match, I think as I ruefully shake my head.
My eyes stray to Haley as her arm clasps firmly around my waist as she guides me out of the cave and to a thick stand of bushes that I point out to her. My mate may appear weak, but she is stronger than I realized. It is hard to look away from her or to concentrate on anything but her, even though my bladder feels like it will burst.
Haley leaves me by the bushes, her voice a stammer as she points back towards the cave, and I find myself feeling a sense of loss at her absence. I shake my head and I attend to my personal needs as quickly as I can.
As soon as I am finished, I slowly edge my way back to the cave. Each step is painful and it takes all of my energy just to raise my feet. Spots swim in front of my vision, but I ignore them. I’m weak, and I know I need to be stronger before attempting to travel back to my village.
I chuckle as I think of the determined flash in Haley’s eyes. She will not approve of my walking around without her assistance, but weakness in a warrior is unacceptable. And now, that I have met my amoris, it is more important than ever that I am at full strength to protect her.
The rest of the day passes slowly, and I work on building up my strength and endurance by taking short walks across the cave when I am not resting. We have resided in this cave too long already, and I am determined to leave as soon as we can. The Tussoll have not found us so far, thanks to my mate’s ingenuity in keeping signs of our presence minimal, but if we spend much longer here then we risk discovery.
