“And what?” A bunch of commotion resounded from the supply hut. They both looked back but the ruckus stopped.
Wisteria leaned sideways and whispered into Ivy’s ear, “Did you make love?”
Again Ivy nodded.
“You’re not being very cooperative,” Wisteria stated.
She was right. Wisteria had told her when she’d made love to Vulcan and she’d even tried explaining what happened so Ivy wouldn’t be afraid during her first time. “It didn’t hurt.”
“Aw, that’s good,” Wisteria said, caressing Ivy’s cheek in a motherly fashion. “What did you think of the silly condom?”
“We didn’t use it.”
Wisty’s mouth dropped open. “He didn’t cover his penis?”
Ivy raised her brows. “Penis?”
“Cock.”
“Cock?”
“His organ. Didn’t he teach you anything?”
Oh gosh, his organ had a name? Two names actually. “We talked about it but decided not to use it.”
“Oh Ivy,” Wisteria solemnly said, dropping her hand to Ivy’s lap and giving her hand a squeeze. “What if his seed implanted in your womb?”
“I don’t mind.”
“That’s how babies are made.”
“I know that. Wisty, we’re way beyond the breeding age. Momma sheltered us too long. Maybe it’s time we start bearing children.”
“Even though Father is gone, Momma will never accept a Barbarian child into the family.”
It surprised her that Wisteria still referred to him as Father after all he’d put her through. “I’m never going back there. Not without you. If I ever birth Bronto’s child I will live here. He’ll take care of us. He’s a good man.”
“You’ll be forced to relocate to the secondary camp. Bronto is a combatant. He’s required to stay here. You’ll be separated from both me and him.”
Ivy despised those rules. In her opinion, men, women and children should not be required to live apart from each other. In that case why start a family? Maybe one day their laws would change. “This is too premature to discuss. We’ll not talk about it again until the time comes.”
She pulled her knees to her chest, rested her chin on them and peered straight ahead. Bronto had started constructing the pen while Vulcan continued tossing him pieces of wood.
Sighing in contentment, she locked her eyes on Bronto. How much longer did he intend to work? It grew harder with each breath to remain apart. After they’d made love she’d fallen asleep with her back nestled to his chest, his arms tucked securely around her neck and waist, but she woke to daylight and an empty hut. How she yearned to be in his embrace again. Something happened to her emotions after they’d made love. She couldn’t explain it but she wanted to cry and rejoice and hold him all at the same time.
Even now her eyes tingled as they filled with tears yet she smiled as he squatted and ran an arm across his brow. What was wrong with her?
He gazed in her direction then he suddenly jumped up. The distance made it impossible to see his facial features but he shot to full height and his shoulders extended as if alarmed.
She raised her chin from her knees. Just then someone grabbed her by the arm from behind and pulled her to her feet. She shrieked. She lost balance and fell against a tall, solid body, her shoulders bumping into a bare chest. She yanked free and spun around. Grunt stood behind her, his eyes narrowed. He grinned as he grabbed her upper arm again and squeezed.
“Come with me,” he said, his voice low and commanding.
Wisteria stood, clenching her fists.
“No,” Ivy seethed, refusing to show her fear.
He squeezed her arm even harder. “You’ll be my woman.”
She tore away from his grip. “I’ll never be your woman. Bronto has my heart.”
“He’ll rut you,” Grunt said, jarring her head up by the chin, “then leave you. But I will crawl between those pretty legs—”
She smacked him across the face. Hard. Very hard.
Wisteria gasped, clasping both hands over her mouth, and she yelped when Grunt raised his hand.
He slapped Ivy so forcefully the blow knocked her sideways. “You beast,” she yelled, digging her feet into the ground to brace herself. She rubbed the sting from her cheek and after regaining her balance she stepped forward and smacked him again.
“Ivy!” Wisteria screeched when Grunt raised his fist.
Ivy jumped out of his reach. Then things began happening too fast to comprehend. Grunt flew backward and back-slammed onto the ground. As he struggled to rise Bronto kicked him in the chest, knocking him down. Grunt tried rolling over but too soon Bronto dropped on top of him, straddling his waist.
Ivy ran to Wisteria to get out of the way before being pummeled by one of Bronto’s swinging fists. One blow after another connected to Grunt’s cheekbones and nose. A trail of blood shot through the air from his nostrils.
“That’s enough,” Vulcan shouted. “You’re going against the rules.”
“I have no rules. I now live by the Barbarian culture,” Bronto seethed.