8. Aizor

Chapter 8

The gods, in their infinite wisdom, had decided my mate would only understand me if we remained inside our home. Or inside any crystal structure, perhaps. We'd test this in the morning.

She stared at me in shock as I tugged her back inside.

I marveled at how her nonsense words suddenly became understandable the moment we crossed the threshold and the flap swung back into place.

"What just happened?" she asked, tugging away from my grip.

It hurt that my mate didn't want to be close to me, but I reminded myself to be patient as I explained my assumption.

"Let's test it again." She slipped from our home before I could say a word, and I followed.

Everyone else had gone to bed, but it was late. Only the guards had remained awake. I would introduce her to my clan in the morning.

She turned to face me and spoke, her voice lifting in frustration when I shrugged. I replied, and her face tightened further. She stomped back inside our home, and I joined her, securing the flap for the night.

"This . . . is bad news," she said. "How am I going to find my way home if the only person I can talk to is you and only when we're inside this building?" Her hand flicked out to the crystal surrounding us.

"We'll find a way to communicate when we're outside." I wasn't too distressed about it.

"I suppose." With a sigh, she sat on our bed.

I untied and tossed aside my loincloth.

Her widening eyes dropped to my cocks before she slapped her hands against her cheeks. "Um, Aizor. Boundaries?"

"I understand clan boundaries, but I don't believe that's what you're referring to."

"You took off your clothing."

"Don't you remove yours when you sleep?"

"Where I come from, being naked with a guy in bed is taken as an invitation."

I huffed. "I've told you I won't rut with you tonight. You can trust my word."

"I just met you, so how can I do something like that? And don't think I haven't noticed that you only saidtonight, not for the rest of my life."

"I'll never promise anything like that."

"I'm still wearing this nightie to bed."

"And tomorrow? Will you wear it all day as well?"

"Why not?"

"I suppose you could. The gods might be offended." Theywouldbe offended, but perhaps they could be as patient as me.

"Well, welcome to my world. I'm offended with them right now too."

"If you want them to help you, you need to worship them as we do," I said.

"It doesn't work that way. And I'm still wearing this."

"We'll go to the pools, and you can wash it."

"There's no laundromat here, I suppose?"

"I don't believe so."

"Other than the crystal thing you've got going, you appear to live like a caveman. Crystal house. Crystal spears—"

"Swords, please." I gestured to them resting on a wooden table, still in their leather sheaths and secured to a belt. I'd removed them earlier and would don them when I left my home in the morning.

Her eyes spiraled in a circle. "Okay, swords, then. You wear a leather loincloth. You battled a beast outside a cave."

I smiled at where she was taking our conversation. "As you pointed out, we don't livein caves."

"Semantics."

My mate used such odd words. They made sense, yet they didn't.

Opening the trunk I'd crafted from wood with my own hands, I tugged out my bundle of spare furs. I untied them and spread them out on the floor beside my usual bed.

Someone scratched on the door, and I secured my loincloth around my waist again before letting them inside.

"Krute," I said. "What did you find?" He'd returned after searching the area for intruders.

"I saw one of Nevarn's males up in the hills."

"They dare to come this close?"

"He's much too bold. We should attack his clan to remind them that they need to remain within their own territory."

I was hesitant to do this. Not because I wasn't willing to battle. I never shied away from something like that. But starting a clan war?

I glanced at my new mate who I'd do anything to protect.

"We can't stand back and allow them to do this." Krute followed my gaze. His face remained neutral, but he'd been clear that he wasn't any happier about the gods' mate plan than Muzzire.

"I don't intend to."

"What do you want us to do?" His attention returned to me.

"Broaden the guards' reach."

"And if they come across other Celedar Clan males?" A direct challenge came through in his voice.

"We defend our territory," I said grimly. "No matter what that takes."

His grunt showed approval, thankfully. Battling Nevarn and his males was one thing, but fighting with someone within my own clan? I'd avoid that as long as possible.

"Very well." With that, he left.

I grumbled for a moment.

"Bad news?" she asked.

"Nothing I can't handle." I nodded to reinforce that thought within my own mind and tossed aside my loincloth again. "Let's rest."

My mate may state she wasn't interested in me, but her gaze raked down my body. My cocks perked up, hoping for between-the-furs activity, but they would soon settle back down.

Patience, I reminded them.

Dropping onto the pile of furs I'd spread out, I settled on my back.

Van-eesa eased onto my bed, sliding between the furs. Her intent gaze remained on me as if she suspected I'd pounce.

"No groping me during the night," she mumbled, shaking a finger my way. "Stay on your fur pile, and I'll do the same."

Sitting, I extinguished the light, and its pungent smoke perfumed the air. I laid back on the furs, "When Igropeyou, it will not be a rough fumble."

"Every guy under the sun says things like that. They assume women are panting for their touch. Not this girl."

"You'll soon welcome my affection." I spoke with complete certainty, though I did have my doubts.

"Leave it to a guy to come up with a line like that."

My mate was . . . surly. Unwelcoming. And somewhat demanding.

Yet I would still love her. I'd give her my undying devotion for the rest of my life and pray that one day she felt the same.

"Do you know that many times when a guy's humping away on a woman, she's either thinking about what she'll cook for dinner or pretending to be into it?" she asked in the darkness.

I wasn't exactly sure what she meant. "Are you suggesting you won't enjoy my rutting? That you'll be thinking about meat?"

"Exactly."

I chuckled. "Not while my second cock is sucking on your clit."

"You're not in a position to unleash your second cock anywhere near my clit."

I would be.

It was something to strive for. The gods would not have sent her to me if she wouldn't love me or welcome my cocks.

"Let's go to sleep," she said. "Maybe I'll wake up in my own bed and discover this was just a nightmare."

"Sleep well, my pretty mate. Tomorrow, I'll start teaching you about our clan and your duties here."

"Yeah, that's going to be interesting."

"And by the end of the day, you'll tell me you welcome my touch."