Page 24 of Keeping His Mate
He takes a few hesitant steps toward me, keeping a watchful eye on the mug. His little nostrils flare as he approaches, but he’s clearly not sure what the mug is or if he should trust it. I hold it closer to him, now with one hand, and he paws at it gently. Then he smacks the mug out of my hands entirely and plops his butt down on the floor beside Bruvix’s feet.
“We should probably be using a bottle or something to feed him. Do you have anything like that?” I ask.
“A bottle? Yes, I have many,” he says, reaching into the wooden crate beside the basin with his casks of ale and pulls out a few glass bottles.
“No, not like that. Like, a baby bottle,” I correct. “Something pliable that we can tip upside down and feed him.”
“Oh, to simulate a teat?” he asks, scratching the side of his head.
“Yes!” I exclaim. “So, like a rubber top that we can cut a hole in and attach it to a soft bottle. Maybe one of Kaiva’s fluid bags would work?”
Bruvix grunts in response. “How will we get one?”
“Excellent question,” I say because I have no idea. I can’t exactly ask to borrow one without an excuse as to what I need it for. “I’ll just hand-feed him for now.” Scooping the contents of the mug into my bare hand, I cup both palms together and hold them out toward Stanley. He’s definitely more interested than he was before, now that the mug is out of the picture. Trotting over, he sniffs at my fingertips and gently licks the outside of my hands. “That’s okay, Stanley. Take your time.”
He does, at first, but as soon as he gets a taste of the formula, he starts snuffling and snorting as he shoves his snout into my hands, mouth wide open. I’m glad the root mash is so starchy and thick, otherwise, the tibbi would make the formula too messy to hold in my hands.
I spoke too soon.
The moment Stanley finishes eating, he sneezes, and it shakes his entire body, causing droplets and chunks of the formula that were on his face to fly all over me. “Well, shit,” I mutter under my breath as I look around and find this portion of the entryway splattered with his sneeze as well. “I’m sorry,” I quickly tell Bruvix. He’s a bit of a neat freak and I’m sure he regrets letting me and Stanley crash with him. “I’ll clean all of this up. And I-I’ll come up with a better way to feed him.”
He growls, the sound low, and not exactly angry, but definitely not pleased. Then he crosses his arms over his chest and says, “I must leave for the midday training session. I shall return later.” The door slams shut behind him, and I’m worried he’s going to tell Varrek about Stanley. And not only will Varrek be furious, but he’ll also probably have me return Stanley to the forest, which he’s certainly not ready for, health-wise. He needs more time to heal, and I need more time with him. I won’t abandon him. That's not what I do.
I keep Stanley in my sights as I change into a clean tunic and leggings then wipe the pup’s lunch off the shelves and the cask basin.
Within an hour of leaving in a huff, Bruvix storms in just as I finish cleaning, and I immediately notice the bandage covering his left shoulder. “What happened? Are you okay?” I ask as I rush over to him.
“I am fine,” he replies with a tilt of his head as if surprised by my concern. “Here,” he says, handing me three empty fluid bags with rubber caps on the ends. He must’ve gotten them from Kaiva.
But how?
“Oh my god! How did you get these?”
“I let Ahlvo nick me with his sword at training,” he says with a mischievous grin. “Varrek sent me to Kaiva’s, and I grabbed these from her stock when she left the room.”
“You...stole these?” I ask, my voice breaking at the end. “For me?” Here I thought he was hatching a plan to get me out of his hair. But no, he was deliberately getting injured so he could help me care for Stanley. He wants me to stay.
“Well, yes. Feeding Stahn-lee by hand clearly does not work, and I–”
Before I can overthink it, I pounce on Bruvix, throwing my arms around his neck and smashing my lips into his. I’m sick of waiting for him to make a move, and I want him to know how much I appreciate what he’s done. How much I want to feel his hard body pressed against mine.
When he groans against my lips and his cock hardens against my belly, I’m certain he has no doubt.
CHAPTER 11
BRUVIX
Her lips are softer than I remember. Of course, I had the berry drug coursing through my blood at the time, so perhaps my recollection is not accurate. It does not matter, though. Nothing matters apart from the fact that Elle-noor is kissing me. She moans as I part my lips, letting her tongue glide against mine, then tracing my bottom lip before giving it a bite that sends a jolt straight to the head of my cock. It thickens as she presses her body against me, wrapping her legs around my middle and crossing her feet behind my back. I hold her tighter, one hand getting lost in her soft mane, the need to feel all of her at once setting my skin ablaze.
She pulls back, breaking contact, and whispers, “Have you never been kissed before?”
Clearing my throat, I silently curse myself for not being more skilled at this. “I have,” I begin, “but not often.”
She tilts her head as her eyes dart between mine, searching. “How is that possible?”
I shrug. “People do not like looking at me. You assume the few who do, sought to kiss me? They are mostly warriors who like only females.”
“I don’t get it,” she replies. “I’m looking at you right now, Bruvix. There’s no part of you I don’t want to kiss.”