The Primitive King ~ ON HOLD ~

TEN

ALVARA

Shortly after we decided to meet, if we could convince Iden, the men arrived back at the house. Iden was furious that I'd escaped and I knew it the moment he entered the dwelling. He quickly opened the door and stomped in chest heaving.

"Goddesses Alvara! I can't have you leaving the cave every time you get bored, there are people and animals that will hurt you. You're lucky we are in Draekuhn! The plants may have gotten you otherwise!" He ranted, finishing as he threw his hands in the air and breathed heavily. My stupid brain could only think about how ravishing he looked, and I just wanted to ride him into the sunset.

Cuby gently spoke on my behalf, balancing the sheer testosterone emanating off of Iden.

"Iden, she didn't know any better. You don't want to scare her, we all know you're a good man but she does not." He surprisingly had a bit of zest in his tone, and Iden immediately deflated.

"You're right, she doesn't even understand what I'm saying to her right now. I am just at a loss, she came here on a ship. I want to think it's from another civilization halfway across the planet but the reality is she could very well be a threat. I don't know how to handle her, especially with the language barrier." He finished, sitting down and placing his head in his hands.

Cuby made eye contact with me, then said "Perhaps it's a little more than the language thing..." and had a wicked smile on his face. I had to alphabetically list the planets of the league to keep the blush off of my face.

Iden met his eyes inquisitively, then shot his gaze to Bakra accusingly.

"You can't keep your muncher shut for one day, can you Bakra?" He spat and glanced towards me again, softer this time.

"I need to get her back, hopefully, nobody spots us on the way. This was so reckless and I can't even tell her why. Goddesses." He spoke and stood up, gathering me in his arms and leaving without another word to the two men that "rescued" me.

The trek back was a few minutes long, and by the time I got over the fact that he was so warm and pressing against me, we were nearly there. My mind couldn't help but drift to mine and Cuby's conversation. Would he expose me?

And what if Iden really is a good man, do I simply just need to be open and honest with him? I imagined he gained the respect of his clanmates somehow, it didn't seem like he was the type to beat others into submission.

I was scared to be vulnerable in any way, and this was just yet another boundary I put between myself and others. I'd need to think about that more later, but for now, I'm happy to go to sleep. The day was exhausting and I had a feeling Iden felt the same.

~~~~

A week had gone by since I'd seen Cuby and Bakra. Seven nights of sleep, and six wakeups. The days blurred a bit because my life had become a mundane routine. Iden was closed off and distant, barely even looking at me. I either really upset him by leaving the cave or he's repulsed that I'd make a sexual advance on him.