3
CASHOL
I made her smile. Laugh.
I consider this a good thing. All of the human females that have joined our tribe carry sadness in
their eyes, but this one in particular intrigues me. She holds herself apart from the others, and for me, it is a challenge to get her to look at me. To smile. She did not know my name when I spoke to her, and that stings a little, but I do not let it keep me down. She knows my name now, and that is all that is important.
I have a jaunty roll in my step as I saunter through the cave.
“You are in a good mood,” my friend Haeden comments as I pass by. He sharpens the head of his spear absently, running a sharp rock against the bone edge. “Should I ask why?”
I cross my arms and lean against a nearby wall, even as Vektal approaches and sits with us. “I am in a good mood because I spoke with Meh-gan. I made her smile.”
“Is she the noisy one?”
“She is the yellow-haired one that is friends with the noisy one.”
Haeden grunts, annoyance flashing over his face. He does not like the noisy one. He thinks she talks far too much. Perhaps she does, but hearing so much happy female chatter is not a bad thing. The caves have been quiet for far too long. Now they are bursting with life, and I am glad for it.
Vektal listens in, saying nothing.
I nod at my chief. “We are allowed to pleasure-mate with the human females, yes? If they are agreeable to it?”
“She has said she wishes to join you in your furs?” Vektal looks surprised.
“No. But I can be convincing.” I grin at him. “I like her. I like making her smile.” I never thought I would have the opportunity to have a mate of my own. It always seemed a foregone conclusion that if there were any females my age, they would veer toward other members of the tribe, the handsomest ones, or Vektal, who is now the chief. I am just a hunter with an unremarkable face and a good sense of humor. But now that the humans have arrived…there is all kinds of possibility ahead of us.
It is hard not to get attached. To want a female for myself. I am already addicted to Meh-gan’s smiles, her laughter. I think about her at night. I think about her when I stroke my cock in private, wondering if someday someone else will do this for me or if I will be forever using my hand.
Not that my hand is not good.
But Meh-gan’s hand would be better.
Vektal gets to his feet, a troubled expression on his face. “Come walk with me, Cashol. I would have a word.” He walks off, heading for the main cave entrance.
I exchange a troubled look with Haeden, who is equally surprised. I shrug and head after my chief, curious.
I find Vektal pacing out in the snow, his arms crossed over his chest, tail twitching. He has a grim look on his face, and for a moment, my heart stutters. It feels as if he is going to tell me to pick another female, because Meh-gan has already resonated to another…or that he wants her for himself.
But…my chief is happy with his mate Shorshie, is he not? And when I left Meh-gan’s side she was not resonating. So it cannot be that. Even so, I do not like the look on his face. “What troubles you, cousin?”
“I just wish to give you a word of warning in private.”
“A word of warning, eh?” I keep a smile on my face even as I step next to my pacing chief. “You are going to tell me not to overwhelm her with my charm?”
Vektal snorts. “I am going to tell you that I do not mind if you court a female, but that particular one, you must go slow. Let her set the pace.”
As if I would not? While I can sometimes have the “subtlety of a smoking mountain” as my father Holvek used to say, I would not push Meh-gan into my furs if she had no wish to be there. “Of course not.”
“She looks healthy and happy, but she is still healing here.” Vektal taps his brow. “Shorshie has told me she endured many bad things when they were held captive by the others. Meh-gan suffered the loss of a kit she carried.”
I am stunned. My heart feels as if it has stopped in my chest. “You mean…she already has a mate? A human mate?”
He shakes his head. “From what Georgie has told me, it is different with humans. They do not require resonance to have a kit. Meh-gan had no mate, and her kit was the result of a pleasure-mating. The bad ones stole it from her, and she carries sadness in her heart.” He touches my shoulder. “If anyone can ease a sad heart, it is you, cousin, but you must remember that she is fragile. You must go slow with her.”
This has given me much to consider. I nod, thoughtful. It has changed nothing about how I feel about Meh- gan. If anything, I am more determined now to be the reason why she smiles each day. But my approach must change. I must be clever, and patient…two things I am not very good at.
I sigh. “I thank you, Vektal. I will remember this and take your advice.”
My chief nods and claps my shoulder once more. “I do not mean to discourage you.”
“Oh, I am not discouraged.” I grin at him. “I do not think a herd of screaming metlaks could discourage me.
But you have given me much to think about.”
Many, many things to think about.
