Tribe Outsider, page 7
part #2 of Chosen Series
He stayed there, lazily moving his lips against hers while tracing his fingertips over her eyebrows, down her cheek to her jawline, before whispering them across the tender skin of her throat until he could tangle them into her hair. He held her close and deepened their kiss.
Mmm. I’m beginning to love mornings.
The newness of waking up to people she loved—varying shades of blue eyes framed by grey skin, the first thing she saw, reflecting back the same happiness and love she felt—hadn’t worn off, and she wasn’t sure it ever would. She had never lived with any of her previous boyfriends, and she was glad because it meant she got to share the experience with them for the first time.
She pulled back from Frrar with a smile, nuzzling her nose to his before wiggling farther up Tor’s body, having to fight against Tor’s arms banding her middle, to wake him up.
“Rise and shine, sleepyhead,” she gently coaxed, her lips brushing Tor’s ear.
When that didn’t get her a response, she took a lock of her hair and used the tip to tickle his nose, smothering a giggle when he used his tail to swat it away. Apparently, he was unwilling to unwrap his arms from around her in order to use them to fend her off, but he still didn’t wake up.
Time to break out the big guns .
An evil grin spread across her face as she slipped her hands over his broad shoulders, sliding them down his chest, going farther and farther until her fingers were poised over his ribs, ready to strike.
This is payback for the time he woke me up by stuffing his tail in my mouth. Despite what he says, I was not snoring. And definitely not loud enough for that nonsense about bleeding ears to be true. Dramatic male.
Without warning, his blue-grey eyes popped open before she could attack, and quicker than she could process, he flipped her over until their positions were reversed with him on top, looming over her.
She just blinked at him for a second, startled, before realization hit.
“You were awake the whole time, you sneak!” she gasped, an incredulous laugh bubbling up.
Tor gazed down at her, a smug, victorious smirk tipping his lips while his tail waved around lazily behind him, visible over his white furred shoulders, and somehow perfectly conveying his triumph.
How the hell does he manage to make tail movement look triumphant? And why is that smug grin so damn sexy? Hmmph. Aliens…
Arruk grumbled next to them, the sound both amused and put out. She glanced over to see him propped up on his side, apparently woken by their movement. His blue-green eyes were just visible through the sleepy slits of his lids with a barely-there smile curling his full grey lips.
She felt his tail sneak in between her and Tor. Felt it and two of his arms wrap around her middle before he tightened his grip and slid her out from underneath Tor and across the layer of leaves making up their bed until she was pressed against his massive chest, sending Tor sprawling back against Frrar in the process.
Arruk wrapped all of his arms, his tail, and one of his huge legs around her, enfolding her small body into his much larger one until she felt like a dainty little princess cuddled up with a massive teddy bear.
Except my teddy bear is alive and cuddles back.
He nuzzled his face into her hair, inhaling deeply before releasing it in a contented sigh, sending warm breath rushing across her scalp. She snuggled closer, rubbing her cheek against his soft, muscled chest as she draped her arm over his side, gently tracing her fingertips over what she could reach of his back.
They stayed like that until the nest shook with movement. Lily assumed Frrar was getting up since he was usually the one to get them moving in the mornings. She was pretty sure she, Tor, and Arruk would stay in a big puppy pile if Frrar didn’t prod them.
Tor groaned behind her but got up without a fuss while Arruk just pulled her closer in silent defiance. Frrar grumbled when Arruk continued to hold her, not bothering to move. After another couple of minutes—and a bit more prodding from Frrar—Arruk sighed, finally sitting up with a discontented rumble.
He kept his arms around her as he shifted, taking her with him. He let her slide down his body when once he was upright then brought his tail around for her to pet and cuddle, as he knew she liked, while he stretched his four arms wide, yawning hugely.
She loved how each of their personalities showed in the way they greeted the day. Frrar was usually the first to wake and loved being affectionate with her, nuzzling and kissing her or, more often, licking her awake.
And I don’t mean licking my neck.
She couldn’t count the number of times she’d woken to Frrar’s head between her legs, his dark blue eyes glued to her face as he flicked and sucked at her clit until she came for him. The strange part was that seemed to be all he wanted; for her to come. When she’d finally pried an explanation out of him, she was shocked when he told her he liked her taste, wanted it to be on his tongue as he started his day.
Pretty sure I’ve never blushed so hard in my entire life.
Tor was definitely a morning person and, unless she was in the mood to laze around, woke up full of energy, appallingly ready and eager to face the day. Arruk on the other hand was, like her, not a morning person. He always woke up in a good mood but much preferred to wake up slowly.
Lily was curled up in his lap, carding his soft tail through her hands while she watched him blink repeatedly, his eyes opening a little further each time. Feeling playful, she brought the tip of his tail to her mouth and gently bit it. Arruk’s lips twitched and a purr vibrated his chest as he dropped his chin to gaze down at her adoringly. She’d graduated from biting just his lip and occasionally his ears to biting him wherever she pleased. To her utter delight, he started returning her nibbles until it became one of their, admittedly, odd ways of showing each other affection.
Lily finally climbed out of Arruk’s lap when Frrar started pointedly taking the nest apart.
“Yeah, yeah we’re getting up, Mr. Demanding. Don’t get your tail in a kink,” she grumbled playfully, smirking at Frrar as she got to her feet, moving to pull on her boots and vine belt.
The guys finished disassembling the nest while Lily stood on a branch adjacent to them, one hand against the impossibly huge trunk of the tree to steady her even though the limb under her was at least three feet wide—more than big enough for her to walk on comfortably .
She was much more at ease with heights in the trees—so long as she couldn’t see the ground—but when she wasn’t near one of her guys, she liked to be extra careful. The image of Arruk falling was still one of her recurring nightmares, and she had zero desire to tempt fate.
Frrar stepped across to her, lifting her with two hands around her waist and two cupping her ass, bringing her to his chest. He gave her a moment to settle herself, nuzzling her neck as he waited.
She had noticed that Frrar had been staying extra close to her lately. She liked the closeness, but more than that, she sensed he was worried about something and needed to be near her. When he lifted his head, she caught and held his eyes, silently acknowledging his recent behavior, but decided not to question him about it.
She trusted him to come to her when he was ready to share his concerns but still wanted him to know she had seen that something was bothering him. She stretched up to gently bump her nose to his, telling him without words that she was there when he was ready.
She knew he understood because his eyes softened and some of the ever-present tension released from his shoulders. He lifted her higher, kissing her forehead in silent gratitude before turning and descending the tree, joining Tor and Arruk, already at least ten feet below them .
When they got to the ground, Lily headed to the bushes while they stayed behind, giving her privacy to relieve herself but remaining alert and close by, their ears perked to listen for danger.
She had just finished and was tying the knot at her hip tighter—having been forced to cut her panties along the seam so they could be tightened, no longer sliding off—when she heard rustling behind her.
Glancing over her shoulder, she had her mouth open, ready to scold whomever followed her into the bushes for not having any patience… but there was no one there.
Her mouth snapped shut with a click and her back went ramrod straight, senses immediately on high alert as she scanned her surroundings, straining her eyes for any movement and ears for the slightest sound.
It could be one of the oversized yet harmless forest animals, but it could also be a predator. The guys may only have to worry about pantari being big enough or brave enough to attack them, however, she was significantly smaller and, therefore, a tasty looking meal for a variety of the carnivores present in the forest.
Despite how much she wanted to, she knew better than to call out to the guys. Whatever it was, it may not know exactly where she was hiding and calling out would just give away her position. Plus, she had no way of knowing if the guys would be able to get to her before whatever it was pounced. If it had claws and teeth, it could do a lot of damage to her unprotected skin in a very short amount of time.
Lily tried to slow her breathing, desperately wanting to calm her pounding heart, so she could hear past its thumping beat in her ears. She silently slid her hand along her side until she could wrap her fingers around the hilt of her knife, eyes bouncing from one spot to the next, searching for the shape that didn’t belong, for predatory eyes staring through the foliage or movement that couldn’t be attributed to the almost nonexistent breeze.
Tense seconds passed while she remained alert, her senses strained to the limit, before another noise came. This time it was a sound that was almost familiar, but it took her a moment to place it.
That almost sounds like whimpering.
She remembered the time she found a fox pup caught up in a snare that some thoughtless hunter had forgotten to take down. She’d followed its cries into the woods surrounding her property. She remembered how it sounded, the loud panicked cries, but also the quiet whimpers in between. What she heard now sounded nearly the same.
Lily debated for a moment whether to go deeper into the forest to investigate the sound or go back to her men, but she couldn’t banish the image of that helpless little fox struggling to free itself. It would have died if she hadn’t helped it.
But this wasn’t Earth.
Blindly following strange animal sounds into the bush was beyond stupid… and, yet, she couldn’t make herself turn away.
Just because it sounds like a baby animal doesn’t necessarily mean it is. It could be a horrific alien beast mimicking a distressed pup to lure dangerously soft-hearted human women so it can eat them. Alive.
And then crunch on their bones.
More than the image of a baby animal in distress, a second possibility popped into her mind and had her feet moving before she’d even consciously made the decision.
Expelling a resigned sigh, she separated the huge leaves of the bush and stepped through as quietly as she could, her stone knife still gripped securely in her hand.
The chance, minute though it was, that it could be Seti or one of her babies propelled her forward when common sense screamed at her to turn around and book it back to safety.
She paused when she was standing on the opposite side of a tree from whatever was making the sounds, steeling herself, ready to flee back to her guys at the first sign of danger.
She clenched the knife in her hand tighter and took one more bracing breath.
Please be Seti…
Chapter 9
L ily slowly walked around the wide trunk, eyes flicking from her feet—careful to not step on a twig and give herself away—to the path in front of her. The trunk was at least thirty feet wide, giving her plenty of time to wonder at her sanity and questionable decision-making skills.
This is a bad idea.
She heard more rustling up ahead at the same time a terrible scent hit her, no longer hidden beneath the smell of growing things and sweet fruit. Another step and her eyes landed on the tip of a long, thin, whip-like tail, nothing like the fluffy tail of a citri. Her heart skipped a beat as she immediately recognized the white and yellow pattern in the fur.
Oh shit …
She froze mid-step, the breath locked in her throat as the fine hairs on the nape of her neck stood on end.
When the tail didn’t move, she lowered her hovering foot to the ground as silently as she could and braced a hand against the rough black bark of the trunk.
She kept her feet planted, unwilling to sacrifice the only barrier between her and the creature, but she angled her upper body forward to peer around the tree.
As she leaned farther and farther around, more and more of the beast came into view. She noticed the unnatural stillness of the pantari’s body right before her gaze landed on the deep gashes gouged into its side.
The breath wooshed out of her and her shoulders relaxed a notch, but anger and sorrow immediately swept in to replace the fear. She knew the chances of it being her little fur ball were basically nonexistent, but she was still painfully disappointed.
Not only is it not Seti, it's the exact type of animal that killed her.
Despite being upset, now that she knew it was dead and she wasn’t about to die horribly, she started cataloging details. She knew the pantari were big, but standing so close to one, she realized it had to be at least three times her size.
Scanning the body, she noticed the pool of blood it was lying in was more purple than red, but there was also a small trail of bright red blood, the color of hers and the guys, leading away from the body deeper into the forest. Someone had been injured fighting this thing, but as she swept her gaze across the little clearing, it was the only body she could see. From the state of the carcass and the smell of decay, she assumed it had been dead for a day, maybe two.
I hope whoever fought this monster lived through it.
Movement in the corner of her eye had her whipping her head back around just in time to see a miniature pantari face peeking over the neck of the corpse. It spotted her immediately and snarled, the sound thin and weak.
As she stood there, staring at it in wide-eyed surprise, it jumped on top of what had to be its mother, trying to defend its body from Lily, as if she was the scary monster there. The little cub was skinny with purplish blood matted to the white and yellow fur of its belly and six legs.
Any satisfaction she felt at seeing the beast dead melted away in the face of its starving cub trying to protect its mother’s body, unwilling to leave her side even after days. She knew from her own experience when she had first arrived on the planet that it wouldn’t last much longer, a day at most, in the heat of the forest without water and food.
You poor baby.
When Lily didn’t make any threatening moves toward it, the cub stopped growling but stayed crouched, watching her suspiciously with its little white hackles raised.
“Its okay, little one. I’m not going to hurt you,” she soothed, her chest tight with sympathy as she lowered to a crouch, trying to appear less threatening.
Keeping her movements slow and smooth, she reached around for the pouch on her vine belt, untying it then pulling out a small handful of berries. She didn’t know if pantari were strictly carnivorous or if they were omnivores, but fruit was all she had to offer.
The cub’s eyes were fixed on her hand, tracking her movements as she picked out a couple of the flesh-colored frrlin berries and gently tossed them.
They came to a rolling stop about halfway between her and the cub. She watched as it raised its pink nose, oversized fangs on display as it sniffed, before it leapt down from its dead mother’s shoulder, stumbling as it landed, telling her just how weak it was.
It kept its eyes on her as it leaned down to sniff at the berries, and Lily could’ve sworn she saw a grimace pass over its features. It gave her a look that clearly said, “What the hell is this nonsense?”
I’ve either gotten scarily good at reading alien faces, or the animals on this planet are weirdly expressive.
She shivered as she remembered the angler fish- dragon smiling at her when she’d ventured outside their cave. That terrifying thing had entirely too much awareness in its eyes. Thankfully, the cub in front of her struck her as a particularly smart animal, but still an animal with no sentience.
“Sorry, buddy, I’m fresh out of steaks here,” she drawled. “It’s berries or nothing.”
It flicked its eyes from her to the ping pong ball-sized fruit, as if to make sure nothing else was going to magically appear, before it leaned down and gingerly took a berry between its sharp teeth, baring its saber-toothed fangs. It tiled its head back, chewing quickly before gulping down the fruit, reminding her of children trying to eat their most-hated veggies without letting them touch their tongue. Lily laughed at the cub’s dramatics.
“You’re cute, kid. Even if you are going to grow up into a shevari-eating monster,” she muttered, oddly sad.
Arruk watched the bushes Lily had disappeared into, still not understanding why she insisted on hiding while she leaked her water, but he had accepted it as one of her little quirks. When he turned back to Frrar and Tor, they began speaking at the same time, and he realized they had noticed his anticipation to find Drrak.
“Lily needs more mates. Do you think Drrak—” Frrar started before he was drowned out by Tor speaking over him.
“Where is Drrak? Is he going to Present? Do you think Lily will Choose him? Why did you not tell her more about him?” Tor spoke without pause, not giving Arruk time to answer a question before asking another.
Arruk just sighed and waited patiently for Tor to get it all out, knowing it was pointless to try to interrupt him.
“Is it because of his tail or his scars? Lily will not care! She is not like other Pashas, you know that! Is he here? Hiding somewhere?” Tor asked, glancing at the branches above and around them, making both Arruk and Frrar rumble in amusement.
