Hemalo growls a response, and then I feel his body begin to move over mine. His cock drags inside me, and I moan at the sensations that even the smallest of movements gives. He thrusts deep, and it sends another wave of pleasure through me. Instinctively, I raise my hips as he pumps into me again, and the sensations double in their intensity.
I cling to him, whimpering. “My mate.”
“Yours.” He begins to rock into me, harder and faster, our bodies focused on an insistent rhythm. “My fierce Asha. All yours.”
He is the fierce one right now, though, his body moving over mine with possessive heat that takes my breath away. I cannot keep up with his movements, my toes curling in response to the pleasure spiraling through me. It is too much to take, too fast, and the vibrations of my khui through my body as it sings only intensifies things. A gentle wave of pleasure crests through me, quickly followed by a harder, fiercer one. I cry out, and my mate only hammers into me harder, a look of grim determination on his face.
I am gasping, lost in endless pleasure as I come. I reach up to his face and caress it. “Give me your seed. Let us be whole again.”
Hemalo shudders atop me and then surges hard and deep, body quaking. His release bathes my insides, a liquid warmth that pulses through me and leaves behind an intense feeling of satisfaction. I hold him against me, enjoying the mindless, endless pleasure that moves through my system. It seems to go on forever, and I love it. I do not mind even when my mate collapses on top of me, his cock throbbing deep within me. I wrap my legs around his hips, anchoring him to me. I want him to stay here forever. I am not done with him. Not in the slightest. It is going to be many, many hours—days, even—before I let him up from these furs.
“My Hemalo,” I sigh happily, stroking his sweaty mane back from his face.
He presses another kiss to my mouth and then nuzzles my nose. “You are pleased?”
“More than pleased,” I tell him, and then pat his flank. “Though I hope you have saved some of your strength, because I am going to want more.”
A chuckle escapes him. “My mate is insatiable.”
“Your mate, and her khui,” I agree, feeling it sing in my chest. It is not silent yet. It will need more time to end its song, and that pleases me. “It wants us to mate more.”
“It is just as demanding as you,” Hemalo teases.
My smile fades as a sobering idea hits me. “We are going to make another kit by the time resonance is fulfilled.” I tighten my arms around him. “Oh, Hemalo, the thought brings me such joy and such terror.”
“It brings me nothing but joy,” he murmurs, caressing my cheek before letting his hand slide down to one of my teats. He grazes my hard nipple, teasing the peak of it. “You will be a wonderful mother to our kit.”
“I still think of Hashala,” I admit to him. “And I still want her. Is that terrible?”
“It is normal,” he reassures me. “You will never stop wanting her. But I imagine she will have wanted a sister…or a brother.”
I like to imagine that, too. I smile softly at him. “How do you always know what to say to bring me out of my worry?”
There is a smile in his eyes as he leans forward and presses another tender kiss to my mouth. “Because I know you better than anyone. You are my heart, and I am yours. We will always be there for each other.”
He says it, and I want to remind him of the past, when we have split apart so badly. But this time, it feels different. It feels…weighty, and real, like when Rokan predicts the changes in the weather. And I think, maybe, that Hemalo is right about this. We struggled in the past, but now we are stronger than ever. As long as we are together, we can take anything.
I slide my hand to his tail and grip the base, giving it a squeeze. “How is your cock, my fierce tanner?”
He groans and buries his face against my neck. “Stirring already.”
Mmm. I smile.
19
ASHA
Three Days Later
When I wake up on a chilly morning three days later, Hemalo has his head resting on my teats and his tail is wrapped around my leg, anchoring me to him. I slide my arms around him, enjoying the feel of my mate in my arms…until I notice my stomach rumbling with hunger. Strange. It has not been noticeable since I resonated, because the singing of my khui to Hemalo has drowned out all other urges.
Curious, I think of my mate and wait for my khui to begin its loud song, but there is only a gentle, sated thrumming.
That means…
I press a hand between our bodies, touching my flat stomach. Inside me is our kit. Three brutal season from now, I will be holding my own little one. I am both filled with wonder and utterly terrified at the same time. I close my eyes and hope that this one turns out healthy and strong. If it does not…
Hemalo’s arms tighten around me in his sleep, as if he can sense my thoughts.
If this little one does not turn out healthy and strong, we will grieve, but we will get through it together, I realize. I will not shut myself away from my mate with my sadness. I will tell him all of the hurt and anger I hold, and he will understand it and help me get better. I feel calmer with that realization, and slide out of the blankets. Hemalo sleeps on, even after I crawl out of bed. He is exhausted, my mate. We have spent the better part of the last several days in a mating frenzy, and between matings, napped and held each other as we talked. I am…starving. Starving and cold. Our fire has burned down to coals, and I put on a tunic and leggings, and shove my feet into my boots before heading to the fire to stoke it. We are out of fuel, though, and we are also out of dried meat. There is nothing to eat and nothing to burn. I should be annoyed, but I feel too good. I will just have to go out and get more supplies, then.
I glance back at my sleeping mate and then pull a fur blanket over my shoulders, pushing the privacy screen aside and peering out into the vee-lage. Things seem quiet, which means it is early, but I do not mind that. In truth, I need only fuel…and perhaps the sight of one particular person. I am brimming with the need to tell someone about what has happened, someone other than my mate.
As if my thoughts have summoned her, Claire appears out of her howse, a bundle in her arms. She pauses in the road and glances down at my howse. I step out of the doorway and wave at her.
Her round, human face brightens, and a big smile creases her face. She heads toward me, waddling as fast as she can with her burden perched over her belly. “Asha!”
I put a finger to my lips, pulling my privacy screen back over the entrance of my howse, then move out to meet her. I am surprised—and pleased—when she puts her arms around me in a hug. It is amusing to think this small human is trying to hug me, and I wrap my longer arms around her and hug her back.
“I’m so glad to see you’ve returned,” Claire gushes, pitching her voice low as she glances around. “Everyone is wondering how things are going. You two have been so quiet in your house.” Her cheeks turn a bright red. “Well, not so quiet, but you know what I mean.”
I laugh. “We finally stopped resonating,” I tell her, and put a hand to my stomach. Mine is completely flat, and hers is rounded like a ball, but I feel like we are united at this moment. “This morning, I think.”