Page 20 of His to Worship
“Yes! Sedona,” I gesture to me, then to Renata, “Renata. Both of us are hungry.”
He spares Renata one quick glance and then looks back at me. “Sedona is hungry.” Man, this dude has a one track mind. It’s like Renata exists only as an extension of me.
He points at the fire where he'd started cooking and gives me a signal to wait. As he moves about, preparing our food, I give Sedona some drinking water. When Kuvier is done fixing our food for us, it looks like a backwoods taco and he hands it right to me. I immediately hand it to Renata. Kuvier flashes his teeth at this before he makes another mala taco and thrusts it at me, giving me a pointed look.
“Sedona eat. Now.” I repress a giggle at his stern tone, but take a bite to appease him. I actually am pretty hungry.
I look at Renata who is still staring at her portion cautiously. “Don’t worry about it sitting well. I ate a ton already and I’m fine.”
She relaxes a bit, clearly having been worried about that. Then she bites hers with her front teeth, very gingerly, and I almost laugh out loud. But, after the first bite seems to go down well for her, her next bite is much bigger.
“I don’t know if I’m just hungry, but this is weirdly good.”
“Agreed. The meat is yummy. It’s called ‘xiixii’ and the flatbread is ‘mala.’”
“I like that a little less.” Renata declares this after she takes a bite of the flatbread separately. “It tastes like a sweet croissant but has the texture of ground corn. It’s a weird combo.”
I nod in agreement at her assessment, but I kind of like it anyway. I look at Kuvier and give him a soft smile and he preens under my gaze. Slowly he steps forward. Renata makes a small sound of distress, but doesn’t move, and I’m not focused on her anyway.
My entire attention is on Kuvier as he settles right next to me. He reaches around me and gently takes the food from both of my hands. He pulls off a piece and wraps the mala around the bite of meat. I expect him to pass it to me, but instead he holds it expectantly in front of my lips. I hesitate for a second before taking a bite.
“Well,” Renata clears her throat and I lean sheepishly away from Kuvier, “you guys have certainly gotten to know each other.”
My ears go hot but I choose not to answer, chewing slower to give me an excuse for my silence. I can’t help the pool of heat that gathers in the pit of my stomach. Kuvier’s nostrils flare, and the look he gives me is so heated it makes me nervous.
I look away shyly and carefully smooth down my cornrowed ponytail, only to be reminded of the way he had gently detangled it for me with his claws days ago. The soft scratches and tugs felt amazing, both relaxing and somehow sensual. Despite the fact that I managed to tame it, with help, I still wish that the bug aliens hadn’t taken out my protective style. Not only was that expensive as hell and took literally forever, but it also would have been nice not to worry about my hair at all for like two months. Plus, I looked hot.
My eyes flicker to Kuvier of their own volition. Not that I have anyone to look hot for while stranded on an alien planet. Right? The look on his face makes me gulp and feel even less certain of that statement.
A loud crash sounds from outside, making us humans gasp and jump. Lightning flashes across the sky and I turn my gaze right back to Kuvier, looking to him to see if I should be worried. A flicker of concern passes over his face, and I immediately feel the worry set in for me as well.
He starts looking around the ship crate we’re in, before he gets up and walks around us and the fire to step partially outside. His eyes scan the remnants of our crash and the valley we’ve found ourselves in. I can tell by the tension in his shoulders that he is not happy with his appraisal of our situation.
Several minutes later, Kuvier sets to work, his hands moving deftly as he reinforces the shelter, making it sturdier, slightly wider, and more weather-resistant. He gathers more supplies from his pack, and soon, our small fire crackles to life, blazing larger than before, the warmth becoming almost oppressive for me underneath the already hot cloak.
Renata and I exchange glances, both of us silently wondering at his nesting. Once the fire is going strong, he takes out all of the items in his pack, sitting criss-cross just two feet from me. After a moment of sorting the items in his pack, he ends up with two small piles, one pile of food, and one pile of the red-colored reeds that I recognize as what he has been tossing in the fire. His organizing apparently done, Kuvier stands and deftly pulls a long curved scythe from somewhere in his utility belt. Renata scrambles away as he approaches us, but I oddly have no worries for my safety as this hulking, nearly seven foot alien holds the weapon, handle first, out to me. I carefully take the thing from him, and he says some words I don’t understand in his language.
I shake my head, telling him that I don’t understand. He sighs and then Kuvier tries to convey something to me. He points to the fire, then to himself, and then gestures outward into the distance, making sounds and saying one or two words in his language. I furrow my brow, struggling to grasp his meaning. He repeats the gestures, a hint of frustration in his eyes. Despite my best efforts, I can’t quite piece together what he’s trying to say.
Finally, Kuvier lets out a small huff and steps closer. He wraps me in a hug, his warmth and strength enveloping me. It takes me by surprise, but I hug him back instinctually, wrapping my arms around his wide middle, feeling a strange but welcome sense of safety in his embrace. Then, he pulls away, and without another word, Kuvier disappears into the cold, harsh landscape, leaving Renata and me staring after him in shock.
Renata nudges me gently. “Well, he was something else, wasn’t he? You think he’ll be back?”
I answer slowly, still feeling the warmth of his hug. “I think so. He left behind all of his rations, and furs, and those kindling reeds. He also seems determined to help us. I just wish I knew what he was trying to say.” And I’m hoping beyond measure that I’m right and he’ll come back.
“Me too,” Renata says, settling back down by the fire. “But for now, let’s take advantage of what he’s given us. We need to get through tonight.”
I sit beside her, setting the weapon down next to me. The fire’s warmth soothes my frayed nerves. As the flames dance and flicker, I can’t help but wonder where Kuvier has gone and what he plans to do next. Despite the uncertainty, I’m weirdly not as stressed about this whole thing as I should be. We might be stranded on an alien planet, but with Kuvier, we have a fighting chance.
And that’s more than I could have hoped for just a few days ago.
THIRTEEN
- kuvier -
It did not take long after my female’s distrustful companion hatched from her egg for me to realize that the females will need more than what I brought to ration on this trip. I had packed anticipating being gone no more than four blinks of the Mother’s second eye. With three people—and possibly more, as I have the belief that more females will hatch soon—those rations will be gone in the blink of my eye. With three bright spots still lingering in the sky, and the crackling light of a fresh storm approaching, I know that time is of the essence.
So, despite the fact that the idea of leaving my sweet mate makes me physically wish to crawl out of my own hide, I must make haste to a nearby cache to secure the necessary supplies for us to weather this storm. I have no real concern for the other female, but I know she matters to Sedona, so I will ensure she is also cared for to please my mate.