Ice Planet Holiday (2 page)

Vektal sits up and gives me a heated look. Then, he gets to his feet and heads to the front of the small nook that’s our personal cave and puts the large leather privacy screen in front of the cave mouth. If there’s one thing the sa-khui respect, it’s a privacy screen in front of a cave. We might as well be on another planet with that thing in front of the cave entrance, and it’s good, because I’m about to get frisky on my mate.

As I get to my feet, I head for one of the water-skins organized on a wall peg hung off of a bit of rock. By the time I pour it into a carved bone bowl, my mate is completely naked, his vest and hunting equipment shucked, his leggings torn off in his haste to please me. He stands there with his hands on his tight, narrow hips, and I admire the sight before me. He’s seven feet of blue, suede-like skin over rippling muscles, with proud horns on his head and long, silky black hair that I love to feel falling around me when he covers me.

I’m the luckiest woman on the planet.

I crush a few soap berries into the bowl, then wet the bit of cloth. He approaches me, leaning in and trying to kiss me. I put a hand to his chest, teasing. “Clean up first.”

He grunts agreement, hands dropping down to his sides.

“Turn around for me?”

Vektal does, and I’m treated to a view of broad shoulders bunching with muscle and the most delicious, taut backside ever. And a tail, of course, long and slim like a cat’s with a tuft on the end. It moves when he’s agitated, and right now it’s slowly flicking back and forth. That means he’s in predator mode….which means he’s thinking about how to pounce on me.

This is probably going to be the world’s shortest sponge bath.

I’m totally okay with that.

I swipe the wet fabric over his shoulders, trying to be quick and efficient. But I can’t help but be distracted by strong shoulders and two dimples at the base of his spine, just above his tail. My hands get slower and my fingers trace the rivulets of water that glide down his suede-like skin. I love touching this man.

He turns and reaches out to caress my breasts as I wipe him down. “Is this another human tradition? If so, it is a wonder that your males ever leave the furs.”

“Humans have lots of traditions,” I tell him as I smooth the wet cloth over his pectorals and down the ridges covering his breastbone. Now’s as good a time as ever to segue into what the others want me to ask. “Like holidays.”

“Hawl-ee-dehz?” Vektal forms his mouth around the word and then frowns. “What is this?”

“It’s a day that we put aside to celebrate things.” I dip the cloth into the water again and then smooth it down his arm. He’s being distracting, teasing my nipple while I bathe him, but I need to bring this up. “Like Christmas is a day that we celebrate family.” I neglect the religion aspect. “We give each other gifts to show that we care, and we decorate a tree to make the home special, and we cook big feasts. And then there’s mistletoe and stockings—“

“What are these things?”

“Mistletoe is a plant. You hang it from the doorway—“

“Because it smells good?” he prompts.

“Well, no, it doesn’t smell like anything.”

“It…tastes good? And you hang it to remind yourself?”

“Actually I think it’s poison.”

He frowns. “This sounds foolish to me.”

“It’s what it represents,” I tell him, slapping the cloth against his chest with a bit more irritation. “It’s about showing your woman that you care for her.”

“By poisoning her?”

“You don’t poison her!” I swat him with the cloth. “You hold the mistletoe over her head and kiss her.”

“Why do I need poison when I can just do this?” He leans in and presses his mouth to mine. His tongue brushes against my upper lip and he gently kisses me. Hard to believe that this man didn’t know what a kiss was a short time ago. He’s far too good at it now. It makes me weak in the knees and I forget all about bathing him. When he pulls back, I’m clinging to him. He’s got a smug look on his face now. “I did not need to poison you for that kiss.”

The urge to stuff the wet cloth in his smiling mouth is overwhelming. I scowl at him and fling the cloth down in the bowl. “You know what? Forget I brought any of it up. Just forget it.”

I turn my back to him and cross my arms. I would stomp to the other end of the cave, but ours is a tiny one, and there’s not a lot of maneuvering to be had. I know I’m being unreasonable and hormonal, but I’m on the verge of crying. He’s mocking me and all I’m trying to do is to get him to see that we humans miss some of the aspects of our old life.

A moment later, Vektal puts his hands on my shoulders. He leans in and kisses my cheek. “This is important to you, my mate?”

“We just wanted to have a holiday,” I say, and hate that I’m sniffling. “A celebration. Something to look forward to.”

“Is this why you wished to bathe me? To coax your mate to see things your way?” He nips at my jaw.

I snuggle back against him. “Not really. I just like touching you.”

He chuckles, and I feel the rumble of it blend into the purr of his khui. His hands slide around to my front and he caresses my breasts. “My mate, you know you shall have whatever you desire. You know this, yes? You could ask for my horns to be cut from my head and I would gladly do so if it would make you smile.”

“I like your horns,” I tell him, and then suck in a breath when his fingers tease my nipples. “Oh, I like that, too.”

He pushes his hips against my backside and I feel the hard thrust of his cock against my bottom. “You like everything I do to you, Georgie, my mate.”

Oh, I do. I really, really do. I suck in a breath of anticipation as he leads me to what has now become our favorite wall. Being hugely pregnant means you get a bit more creative with sex, and lately our favorite position has been with me standing braced against a wall, my palms flat against it as he enters me from behind. I place my hands against the rock wall of the cave and push my butt out a little, just because my body’s ungainly and plump and a nice butt is about all I have going for me right now.

And Vektal loves my butt. He caresses it, playing with the rounded globes before sliding a hand between my legs. His fingers stroke over my pussy, and I moan. I’m already hot and wet for him, and his fingers slick through my folds before moving to play with my clit.

I whimper and my fingers curl against the rock. “I want you inside me, Vektal.”

“Soon, my resonance,” he says in that deep, sexy voice of his. I shiver as his finger presses against my clit and he kisses my shoulder. Instead of settling himself between my spread legs, I feel him kiss down my back, then caress my ass again. When he kisses one buttock, I begin to tremble, because I know what’s coming next. And I can’t wait.

He pushes my legs further apart and I obediently spread for him, just in time for his tongue to glide over the wet folds of my pussy. Oh God, he’s eating me out from behind. I love it when my mate gets dirty. My moans grow louder as the ridges of his tongue stroke deep into my core, over and over again. I’m so wet that I can hear him lapping up my juices, and the feel of him there, his horns pressing into my ass as he mouths me from behind?

I wouldn’t trade all of Earth for this.

Big fingers stroke my clit even as his tongue thrusts into me again, and I shatter with a small cry of release. He knows just how to touch me to drive me to the brink in no time, and I’m not ashamed to say that I come fast and hard whenever he touches me. He just makes sure that I come repeatedly. My brain’s in a fog as he strokes my clit, petting me through the rest of my orgasm, his tongue gliding over my folds. It’s like he can’t get enough of my taste, ever. Small shudders of pleasure move through me and I whimper again. If he keeps this up, he’s going to lick me right on through to another orgasm.

Not that I’m complaining.

But a moment later, he kisses my buttock again and murmurs my name, and then I feel his large body pressing against mine. He grabs a handful of my hair and exposes my neck, then leans in and scrapes his teeth against my throat. I shiver with pleasure, because as much as I love him eating me out? I love it when he manhandles me, too.

“My mate,” he growls low in my ear as his cock pushes against my entrance. “My Georgie.”

The noise that comes out of me when he sinks deep? There’s no word for it in the English language. Or in the sa-khui one. It sounds like a strangled groan that ends in a half-scream. He just feels so damn good that I can’t stay quiet. His cock thrusts into me, and I feel his spur push against my back entrance when he pushes all the way in. Every thrust is dual pleasure, and I find myself pressing back against him so each time he rocks into me, it’s a little rougher.

By the time I’m coming? He’s got a hand over my mouth to muffle the fact that I’m screaming his name. He’s quieter than me when he comes. My name is a mere hiss on his breath when I feel his hot seed empty inside me. He shudders against my body, then bites my shoulder gently. “Mine,” he growls again, and my body shivers with delight at how possessive he is.

“All yours,” I agree, breathless and sweaty.

Vektal pulls me against him with infinite tenderness, kissing my shoulder and neck where he was biting it moments ago. Then, he smooths my hair, gets the washcloth I’d used on him, and wipes away any traces of his come from my thighs. After caring for my body, he pulls me down into bed with him, and I go gladly.

“So tell me more about this poison
haul-day
,” he insists.

I groan. “Just forget it.”

“I wish to make this happen for you,” he tells me, and kisses my brow. “Can any plant be used? Or must it be poison?”

“Mistletoe was just the tradition,” I tell him. Truth be told, I don’t know why mistletoe is used, either. “We could even use the leaves of the soap-berry plant.” It’s easily recognizable, grows like crazy, and has bright red berries instead of mistletoe’s white. Close enough.

Vektal nods thoughtfully. “So males can kiss their mates and remind them they need to wash.”

A horrified giggle escapes me. “I think the meaning of the holiday is eluding you, babe.”

“Then tell me more.”

So I do. I tell him about giving gifts, and surprising people. I tell him about white elephant gift exchanges, which he really doesn’t get. “Why would you give someone something that is not useful?” he asks over and over again, and my answer of “Because it’s funny?” doesn’t exactly hold water for him. I move on to other holidays instead, telling him what I know of Hanukkah (mostly from Adam Sandler songs), Thanksgiving (which he understands a little more), and Valentine’s Day. He’s intrigued by that one especially, and the courting aspects.

“And you wish to celebrate all of these?” he asks me. “At once?”

“No, I was thinking just one holiday. A new one we can all celebrate together.” I trace my finger down the ridges on his chest. “Get both caves together, have a feast, exchange presents, and just, you know, be happy we’re all alive and healthy.”

“And no poison?”

“No poison,” I agree firmly.

“Then we shall do a no-poison day just for you, my Georgie.” He kisses me again. “I will send a runner out to Aehako’s caves tomorrow morning.”

“And don’t forget Harlow and Rukh at the ancestors’ cave,” I tell him. “We’ll want to bring them in, too.” I’m looking forward to seeing Harlow and her baby again, more than I’d like to admit. I kind of have babies on the brain.

He nods. “I will go and get them myself.”

Wait, what? The ancestors’ cave will be at least a day’s travel there, and one back. He is going to leave me? What if I have the baby between now and then? “I’m going with you.”

Vektal scoffs. “You cannot walk that far.”

“You can pull the sled that they used to cart Harlow around after Rukhar was born.” When the tribe was hunting for a sa-kohtsk for Rukhar’s symbiont, Harlow hadn’t been able to keep up, so they’d dragged her along on a little sled. She said it was a nice ride. Vektal’s definitely strong enough to pull me along, and the more I think about the idea, the more I like it. It’ll keep us together.

His hand moves to my belly, and it’s clear we’re thinking the same thing. “And our kit?”

“If it comes while we’re there, the computer has medical equipment.” He grunts and I roll my eyes. I don’t get their aversion to everything mechanical. Over the last year, we’ve tried suggesting small introductions of things into the tribe that we could salvage from the ancestors’ ship, but Vektal and his people are wary of all technology, to the point that they’d rather walk two days on a broken leg back to the healer than trust the medical bay in the ancestors’ ship. I’ve resigned myself to a primitive life, but I’m willing to use the computer as leverage if it means Vektal doesn’t leave my side. “Besides, feel my stomach. That baby’s lodged in there firmly. He’s not going anywhere. He hasn’t even turned yet.”

As if to prove this point, the baby kicks my girl parts again.

Vektal strokes my stomach, thoughtful. And since I’m a little manipulative, I stroke other parts of him until he agrees.

It’s a win/win situation, really.

“
N
ot like that
,” Bek snarls in my ear as he pulls the flint scraper out of my hand. “You’re doing it wrong again. It’s like you don’t want to learn.”

“Of course I do,” I say meekly, getting to my feet and abandoning the hide I’ve been working on. “I’m not trying to make you angry.”

He huffs in exasperation and I glare at the back of his head as he sits in my spot and begins to vigorously re-scrape the hide. “You’re going to ruin all of my furs again, Claire.”

You’re doing it wrong, Claire. You’re a fool, Claire. You don’t think, Claire. Why must you always do things badly, Claire?
I’ve heard the criticism over and over again for months now, and I’m so sick of it I could choke. I settle for mentally beaming laser-beams of hate at my ‘mate’.

Actually, he’s not my mate. We haven’t even resonated. I was just feeling super vulnerable when we landed here, and afraid. I thought they’d keep me safe if I latched onto a guy, and Bek was flattering and sweet at the time. Of course, that all changed when I moved into his cave and he became a control freak. Now I just want to get away from him and his smothering, controlling ways, but I can’t figure out how to break things off.

Other than in the furs, of course. I’ve made it clear for moons now that he’s not welcome in my bed. At least he takes good direction in that aspect. Every other aspect of my life, though, he is determined to handle…and ultimately be disappointed with.

He sighs as he scrapes the skin once more, then tosses the scraper aside. “I’ll finish this later. Isn’t there anything you’re good at, Claire?”

I cross my arms over my chest and remain silent. I’m pretty good at picking out a jerk, I think, but I don’t say it aloud. Bek hasn’t started to hit me…yet. But I’m wary, because I see all the signs there. My mother was married to an abuser. Maybe that’s why I gravitated to Bek; I recognized the type.

Sad that I can’t even have a new beginning on a new planet.

There’s a ruckus in the main part of the cavern, voices rising in excitement. I head to the front of our shared cave, curious. “What’s going on?”

Bek pushes past me. “Stay here. I’ll see what it is.” I start to follow, and he turns and shakes his head at me, glaring. “I mean it, Claire. Stay.”

For a moment, I contemplate it. He’s in a foul mood and I don’t want today to be the day to push him over the edge. Not when I don’t know how to disentangle myself from this awkward situation. But a lot of the days here on Not-Hoth pass with a boring sameness, and I’m drawn to the excited chatter in the main cavern. Bek hates it when I hang out with the other humans. He feels threatened by them, probably because they don’t like him. They never have.

Wish I’d paid attention to that.

I keep my expression meek as I tiptoe out of our shared cave and into the main cavern. I can hear Josie’s loud voice over all of the others, and Tiffany’s throaty laughter along with Kira’s softer chuckle. My human friends. I miss them. I hate that Bek’s hiding me away like I’m the ring and he’s Gollum. Jerk. “My precious,” I mock under my breath, and head toward the crowd. It’s easy to duck behind a few taller people - I’m short and all of the sa-khui are gigantic.

It’s a runner from the other cave. I rack my brain for a name and come up with Ereven. I remember him. He always had a friendly smile for humans but kept mostly to himself. His horns are less curled than most and arch over his head, and his hair has been lopped to shoulder length in a messy chop, as if he can’t be bothered with the ornate braids that most sa-khui favor. His friendly grin creases his face as Josie hops in front of him, bouncing around like a jumping bean.

“What’s going on?” Bek demands as he strides forward. A few others move away, just because he’s abrasive to be around.

Aehako claps him on the shoulder, smiling. “We are going to have a No-Poison Day!”

“Holiday,” Josie corrects, bursting into hoots of laughter. “Every day is no-poison day.”

Bek just frowns as if displeased, and shrugs Aehako’s hand off. I know it bothers him that Aehako - who is one of the younger hunters in the tribe - is leader of the second cave. But Aehako makes a good leader because he’s approachable and friendly and still gets things done. Bek? He’s not any of those things.

Bek’s also jealous that Aehako and Kira resonated
after
becoming a couple. I haven’t resonated to him, so it’s just another one of my failures.

“It’s a holiday,” Josie babbles. She’s always talking. She slings an arm around Tiffany’s shoulders and grins. “With food and presents and we can take one of those pink trees and make a Charlie Brown Christmas tree, and—“

Tiffany claps a hand over Josie’s constantly-moving mouth. “She says she’s excited.”

Everyone laughs except Bek.

“Well, you are all invited,” Ereven says. “Vektal wants us all back at the main caves.”

“There’s no room,” Bek says with a scowl.

“Come, friend,” Ereven’s voice is smooth and easy, unruffled in the face of Bek’s displeasure. “You know all will make room. We have in the past, and we can do so again. It will be good to have all faces in the main cavern once more.”

“We can do as before,” Aehako says. “The single women in one cave, the couples doubling up. They will just have to keep their cocks in their pants for an evening or two.”

Kira blushes and bats his arm as more laughter ripples through the cave. “Aehako!”

I’m excited, though. I love the thought of going back to the main cave for a few days. It’s nice here and more spacious, but I want to see how Georgie and Megan and the others are doing. I want to hold the babies. I want to see everyone. Sometimes the others go and visit the main cave for a few days, but Bek never wants to. I’ve been here all year.

Bek grunts unhappily and glances back at our cave, where I’m supposed to be hiding instead of lurking behind Farli’s much taller shoulders. “Claire and I are not going.”

My heart sinks. I know he likes to control who I spend time with, but to keep me from the celebration? Hot tears rush to my eyes and I swipe my fingers on my cheeks, trying to be strong. It’s just another disappointment. I’ll get over it.

“Not going?” Josie bellows. “Why not?”

Everyone looks at Bek, and I’m both gratified and even more heartbroken to see that Kira, Tiffany, and Josie all look upset.

“There is no reason to go,” Bek spits out. “There is work to be done! The brutal season was hard and we must store food for the next brutal season, not waste it on a feast to celebrate poison.”

“What the hell is with this poison crap?” Tiffany mutters.

“You can’t stop her from going!” Josie says again. Out of the corner of my eye, I see Haeden glare and stalk away. He’s the only person in the caves more remote than Bek (and me by proxy) and he can’t stand Josie and her loud ways. She makes another harrumphing noise. “That’s bullshit!”

I smile to myself as I hear the cussword come out of her mouth. Josie likes to cuss in English because no one grasps it other than us. She has my back, and she’s braver than I am for standing up to Bek.

“She’s not going, and neither am I,” Bek says.

I swipe another round of tears from my cheek, and as I do, I notice that Ereven is looking at me. I don’t know how he’s managed to see me through a sea of tall shoulders, but our eyes meet. His smile tugs a little wider, and the look he gives me is calm. Easy. As if everything is handled. And he turns to Bek and puts a hand on the hunter’s shoulder.

“My friend, it was not a request. The chief wants
everyone
there for the celebration. No one’s staying behind.”

And just like that…I’m going. This time, when Ereven’s gaze flicks back in my direction, I beam a smile at him. It’s like we’ve got a secret between us.

It feels nice.

E
ven though I
have to walk next to Bek as we gather our traveling things and trek as a group back to the tribal caves, I don’t mind. It allows me to be silent and to think.

Now’s my chance. Now’s the time I can make a clean break of things. If we’re all crowding into the caves together, there won’t be a lot of privacy. That means if I dump him, he won’t be able to confront me. Not with everyone piled on top of one another. I can make a clean break and by the time we come back, his temper will have had time to simmer down.

And the only thing I feel right now? Relief. Utter relief. There’s been no affection between us for months and months - or moons and moons - now, and all I feel is smothered resentment. Maybe he’d be a good mate to someone else…but not to me.

When we round the bend and the caves come into sight, someone gives a loud cry of greeting. Moments later, people flood out of the caves, trudging into the snow, and reunion after happy reunion is made. Georgie and Vektal are missing - gone to retrieve Harlow and her mate - but Megan is there, rounded with pregnancy, and Marlene, and Nora, and Ariana, and all the other girls that resonated. I’m enveloped in hug after hug, and not even Bek can interrupt this moment of joy. Everyone looks wonderful, and Liz is busy passing her baby to everyone to hold.

I catch a glimpse of an apple-face, dark hair, and tiny horn-nubs, and fall in love. “Can I hold her?” I ask, even though my back aches from carrying my pack all day.

“Of course!” She plucks the baby from Josie’s arms and transfers it to mine. “Just not too close to the boobs or she’s going to think it’s feeding time.”

“I don’t think we’ll have to worry about that,” I joke, glancing down at my flat chest. Liz just chuckles. I hold Raashel close, smelling her sweet baby scent. She’s warm and soft and so cuddly. I can’t stand it. I’m hit with a pang of baby fever so strong it surprises me, and I’m envious of all the other women, chatting and laughing and pregnant.

And happy. Everyone seems to be happy but me.

I carry the baby as the crowd slowly heads inside the tribal caverns. There’re so many people talking that the voices are a dull roar, and it actually feels nice. Instead of overwhelming and crowded like Bek has been complaining about, I love it. It feels like family, like Thanksgiving and Christmas all rolled into one big party.

There’s chatter about the holiday we’re going to have. No one can decide on a name, though the aliens are calling it No-Poison Day for some reason. Nora refers to it as Thanks-Christmas-akkuh. A few days from now, there will be feasting, and presents, and games. Everyone’s excited. I find I’m excited, too. Not about presents - I don’t care about that. I’m excited to feel the warmth of family again, and I realize how lonely I’ve been over the last year, letting Bek quietly herd me away from everyone else.

Not again.

As I pass baby Raashel into Tiffany’s waiting arms, I feel someone looking at me. I glance up, expecting to see Bek glaring, but he’s off talking to hunters. Instead, it’s Ereven, the hunter with the tangled hair and the smile that never seems to see a moment’s anxiety. He gazes at me thoughtfully, as if he wants to say something. When I give him a challenging look, he just gives me that lazy smile and saunters away.

Weird.

I shrug off my pack and glance over at Bek’s back. Still turned to me. Time to make my move. “Where are the bachelorettes sleeping?” I ask Liz.

“You guys are staying with me and Cashol,” Megan says. Then she tilts her head. “You’re not staying with Bek?”

“We’re done,” I whisper. “Can I put my stuff down now, please?”

“Of course.” She puts a hand on my back and leads me toward her cave. Inside, I see baskets of furs and supplies, and an area that’s been put aside for bedding. It only looks big enough for two, but I put my stuff down anyway. Josie and Tiffany won’t mind. I unroll my furs and start to make my bed, my hands shaking. I’m so nervous I’m sweating despite the cool air. I’m just waiting for him to notice that I’m not following at his heels like a puppy.

Josie drops down next to me, and Tiffany, and they’re both chatting and oblivious to my panic. They set their furs down next to mine, and Tiffany starts to talk about holiday dinners and food she misses, when a bellow rises above all the voices in the cavern.

“
Claire
!”

I flinch. I don’t get up, though.

Tiffany looks at me, and then immediately puts her bedroll against one side of mine. Josie does the same, and this way I’ll be sandwiched between them. I’m so grateful for that small move that I could cry.

“Claire!” Bek bellows again, and Megan frowns, moving to the front of her cave. She pulls out the privacy screen, but before she can cover the doorway, Bek shoves his way in. He’s enormous in the small cave, and I feel helpless as he glares at me. “There you are. Get your things. We’re staying with Zolaya.”

Silence falls. I don’t get up. I lick my lips and stare down at my unrolled bed. “I’m not going with you.” My voice is a whispery, fragile thing. I wish it were stronger, but I’m a chicken. When he doesn’t move, I add, “I’m staying here with the unmated women.”

“You’re mated to me,” he grits out.

“No, I’m not.” I can’t look him in the eye. I know I’m being a coward, but I don’t want to hear more about how much I disappoint him, or how I can’t do anything right. I’ve had enough.