***
“Your prisoner is good-looking. Strange for a male to be so muscular and tall,” Amira stated as she sat beside Laylla and helped her to prepare part of the stampa beast for their meal tonight. They would drag the rest of the carcass back to the village tomorrow, but for tonight they could feast on one small part of the beast.
“He is not a prisoner,” she protested. She glanced over at the shelter worriedly. She felt guilty over the way she’d dragged him across the clearing. But he had been defying her, and she couldn’t allow that to go unanswered. If she had, then one of the others would have been within their rights to claim him. And that thought made her feel uneasy. So, she’d dragged him as a punishment and to show him who was in charge.
She hoped he did not push her to do so again.
Amira raised an eyebrow. “Then what do you call him? A prize? He has not been fought over. Although you may well have to fight for him if you wish to keep him.”
“Keep him? I have not said I will keep him.”
“Ah, then you intend to put him in to live with the unclaimed males? I believe it will not take long for him to be claimed, although no doubt the elders would rather he took part in the ceremony a few times first.”
The idea of someone else claiming the male sent a shard of jealousy through her. What was the matter with her? She did not get jealous over a male. Having a male of her own would be nothing but a nuisance. She would be charged with his protection, his care, and everyone knew how needy males could be.
No, best she just participate in the ceremony as the elders had dictated and raise a child on her own. Caring for a child would be enough of a challenge. She did not need a delicate male to watch over and protect as well. That would take up far too much of her time and attention, and she had better things to do than cater to a male’s needs. Their emotional needs alone would overwhelm her.
But there was something about this male. Perhaps it was his handsome face with its chiselled features and strong jaw. Or his hard, tight body. The males of her village were all soft and short in stature, their features not nearly as hard or defined as this male.
Or perhaps it had been the defiance in his eyes as he’d dared to disobey her. The way he’d challenged her had been shocking and a little intriguing. No male ever challenged a female. Not that she had ever witnessed, anyway. Although there were tales told of that other sky ship that landed years ago, about the males on that ship, their strength, their forcefulness, their refusal to submit.
“He is too disobedient. He would need too much training.”
“But wouldn’t it be worth it to have one such as him warming your furs?”
“Amira!” she said, shocked by the other woman’s forwardness. Amira had as little experience at having a male in her furs as Laylla did. Although that wasn’t to say that she didn’t know what to do once she had one there. The elders were most thorough in their preparation of females before the ceremony.
She grimaced at the memory of the elders teaching her about how to bring a male to pleasure. How to cater to his needs. To be truthful, it all sounded rather boring to her. And one-sided.
What about her pleasure? Her needs?
What was she thinking? It was up to the female to provide and cater to the male. Not the other way around. Although she couldn’t help but wonder whether this male would be different.
“I wonder where he comes from?” Amira asks. “Do you think anyone will be looking for him?”
“If he had a proper female, she would not have sent him out alone. Either he is unclaimed or running from his female,” Laylla stated.
Amira sighed. “I really hope he doesn’t have a female.”
“You wish to own him?” Laylla asked sharply. Too sharply, if the way Amira’s eyes widened was any indication. But she could not help but feel possessive over the male.
He is not yours.
“Me?” Amira said with a laugh as they placed the food on the spit. “We both know I could never hold onto him.”
“You are a great fighter. I would not have you hunt with me if you were not.”
“But I’m slowed down by my leg, and there are others who are better and faster than me. You’re the best fighter we have. You could keep him if you decided to claim him.”
Laylla stood abruptly. “Enough of this. I have jobs to do and no time for such foolish talk.” She strode off, trying to ignore the smirk on Amira’s face. Yes, she knew she had reacted too strongly for someone who was pretending to be indifferent.
And that just made her even angrier.
***
Rich watched the women move around the campsite from where he’d been ordered to sit inside one of the small shelters. He’d thought about making a move to escape, but his best chance was to wait until darkness had fallen.
In the meantime, he’d gather what information he could. Stealing one of those two-headed beasts would be ideal, but he wasn’t certain he could grab one without upsetting the rest of the herd and causing a scene. So, he’d have to head out on foot.
His stomach growled.
But hopefully he wouldn’t have to leave until after he’d tasted some of the food currently roasting over the fire. The carcass of that dead beast might smell like rotting flesh left in the sun too long, but cooked it smelled delicious.
Or maybe it was just that he’d gone too long without eating any real food. The freeze-dried crap he’d been surviving on was just about unpalatable.
One of the woman removed the meat from the spit and was now cutting it up with a wicked-looking knife. He watched that knife warily. From what he’d seen, no one had blasters or any form of advanced weaponry. Instead, they carried spears, knifes and some, like the smaller female with the limp, had carriers filled with arrows and a bow.
Primitive.
And yet, without any of his weapons, he was helpless as a babe against their old-fashioned weaponry. If only he hadn’t lost consciousness when he’d landed, he could have fought these women off easily. Although, the thought of harming the blonde-haired goddess caused his gut to tighten, even if she did deserve to suffer after the way she’d dragged him across the ground. He held a hand up to his temple, wincing as he encountered a bump. Ouch. She hadn’t done his head any favors, that was for sure.
His princess turned to look at him. The sun was setting, and it was hard to make out her features, but he’d be willing to bet she was frowning. She strode towards him, something held in her hands. Then she crouched in front of him. Being so close to those stunning blue eyes made his head spin. And that wasn’t due to the concussion he suspected he had.
“You’re magnificent,” he said without meaning to.
She held out something with both hands—some of the roasted meat rested in a hollowed-out shell that looked similar to the husk of a coconut.
His stomach grumbled again, and she pressed it into his hands with a command.
“Urgle.”
“Urgle? I’m guessing that means eat. Or it’s an insult of some sort.” He shrugged then winced as his head protested.
Her gaze narrowed and she raised her hand, brushing back his hair. He jerked his head back, reacting without thinking. She made a scolding noise and reached back with one hand to hold the back of his head while inspecting the lump on his temple with her other hand.
There was a tsking noise, and she gave him a sharp look.
“What?” he said bad-temperedly, almost feeling like he was being reprimanded. “You didn’t do it any favors by dragging me across the ground.”
She studied him closely, those blue eyes mesmerising. His gaze dropped to her plump, red lips. He wondered what it would be like to kiss her. If he leaned in just a little…
Another whiff of the cooked meat hit him, and his stomach grumbled loudly.
Princess pulled back, her eyebrows coming together in a frown. She reached for a piece of meat and pressed it against his lips.