spears of Uu'kata (CLEAN(ish) Version)

Chapter 28 - The Morning After

Ahnekk awoke to the howl of the wind as it jerked at the thick, leather walls of the tent. Pushing them in and snapping them back out. He didn't hear any thunder though, and the rain had stopped.

Frowning, he looked to the entrance to see Gondroll stepping out of his boots. He looked exhausted.

Ahnekk looked down. Charlotte slept in the circle of his arms, stretched out along his body. The sight of her filled his belly with flutters.

Carefully, he smoothed a lock of golden hair from her cheek and tucked it behind her ear.

Her eyebrows pulled together in a cute frown and she made a sleepy, pleased little moan that made his chest clench.

He looked up as Gondroll approached, shoulders slumped.

"Echnar?" Ahnekk asked in a whisper.

"He's okay," Gondroll whispered back, pulling his shirt off over his head. "He won't be able to use that leg for a few weeks. And he'll have a limp for a while, but he'll fight again. If Shodara will let him."

Gondroll stopped by the tent pole and frowned down at Charlotte's empty pallet. He bent over and picked up the fur.

"Ahnekk... Ahnekk she's gone!" he said, panic in his rising tone.

"Shhhh, Gondroll. She's not gone. She's here. With me," Ahnekk said, lifting the fur covering Charlotte so Gondroll could see her lithe body, pressed against his.

Gondroll gasped, his eyes bouncing from Charlotte to him and back again.

"Did you... Did you?" he asked, his tone disbelieving and hopeful.

Ahnekk splayed a hand over her hip and caressed her pale, smooth skin with his thumb.

"Yes," he said, though he almost couldn't believe it.

"Is she... Okay?" Gondroll asked.

Ahnekk looked her up and down. Oh, but he liked the sight of her against him.

He nodded and said, "I think so. I was careful."

Gondroll knelt reverently on the pallet and gazed lovingly at her. He'd fallen in love with her hard and fast and looked like he was about to weep with joy.

"Gondroll," Ahnekk said, drawing his eyes. "Why did you look so sad when you came in?"

Gondroll's face fell and his shoulders slumped.

"It's Tasha" he said. "He's gone."

Ahnekk felt his face darken as his heart gave a pang of sorrow.

"I'm... sure he died a warrior's death," he said, voice suddenly raw.

Gondroll shook his head. "No, I mean he's gone. He never returned from battle and his body wasn't recovered."

Ahnekk frowned hard. Tasha wasn't among the teams that entered the structure so he couldn't have been inside when it collapsed. And for all that the humans were vicious killers on the battlefield, they'd always let the Uu'k'asht collect their dead so if Tasha had died, there would be a body.

He was going to offer us his spear...

The thought hurt. He had been excited to add Tasha to his clan and shelen. He would have made a fine mate.

"He's not the only one," Gondroll continued. "His entire quad never returned. It's like they vanished."

"Or were taken," Ahnekk said.

Gondroll pressed his lips together, standing and slipping out of his trousers.

"That is a frightening thought," he mumbled as he laid down and cuddled in close with Charlotte between them. He reached out and caressed her from shoulder to hip and little bumps on her skin followed in the wake of his fingers. She shivered and snuggled in closer to Ahnekk and started to snore softly.

"Spears and storms even that's cute," Gondroll said.

Ahnekk huffed. "Do you have anything for the ache she will feel when she wakes?" he asked.

Gondroll nodded his head. "I will take care of her when she wakes," he said, laying his head on a pillow and yawning.

"You have had a long night, Gondroll. Sleep."

Gondroll nodded again and closed his eyes as Ahnekk reached across Charlotte and laid an arm over his shoulder.

Ahnekk fell back to sleep with memories of Tasha haunting his dreams.

***

Charlotte awoke warm and comfortable and pressed against Ahnekk's wide, dark chest.

A dull ache radiated through her pelvis and she winced at the discomfort, remembering what they'd done last night.

They'd... they'd made love. That's all it could have been. It was too gentle and tender to be anything else.

She didn't know what to think of that. She'd only ever screwed before. Letting yourself love was dangerous. Stupid. How ironic was it that the first time she'd actually made love to someone, it was an alien she would have killed without a thought or regret only a few months ago?

She remembered when she first met him, the first time she'd felt his huge hands on her skin. She was freezing, furious and terrified.

But here, now, in the circle of his arms, she felt safe. How long had it been since she felt safe? Well, she made herself feel safe. She'd learned how to protect herself just so she could bring herself safety.

Swallowing, she wondered if she'd done the right thing. She wasn't sure and she had a knott of regret churning behind her breastbone.

She hadn't let Ahnekk make love to her because she loved him. She liked him, sure. He was big, powerful, and beautiful. But a night of good sex can't replace a lifetime of hardship, hate, and war so quickly. If only it could.

So why had she done it?

She hated herself a little for the obvious truth she had to face.

As a part of the clan chief's shelen, she would be safe, protected, and cared for.

She hated that it boiled down to that, but she was still an enemy on an alien world and she had to look out for herself. If screwing them was the only way to...

No. It wasn't the only way. She knew in her heart that Ahnekk would protect her and still care for her even if she had told him no last night. And she'd still done it.

Charlotte shivered and suddenly realized she could hear breathing coming from behind her.

Looking over her shoulder, she saw Gondroll cuddled up to her.

Her stomach did a little flip of excitement, as though every doubt in the world hadn't just been dancing through her thoughts.

She reached back and up and touched his dark gray cheek. He inhaled deeply, nostrils flaring as his eyebrows came together, and his eyes fluttered open. He stared at her in confusion for all of about three seconds before he focused and smiled a beautiful, sleepy smile, his arm tightening around her.

"Hey," she whispered. "Are you okay?"

Gondroll snorted softly and propped himself up on his elbow. "Am I okay? You are the tiny one who took Ahnekk last night. Are you okay?" he asked, raising a hand to her face where his thumb could caress her jaw.

Charlotte winced. "I am a little sore," she admitted reluctantly. It didn't stop her from wanting more. From wanting Gondroll. Now that he was naked and right up against her, her brain seemed to short out.

"I have something for that," he whispered, letting go of her to twist around and dig in something on the other side of the pallet. He came back around with one of his jars. This one had some kind of pink goop in it. He reached in and scooped out a handful, then just stared at it for a moment. His eyes slinked to her, a heady warmth in them, then back to his hand, and lower.

What was going through his head?

She found out a second later when, instead of giving her the goop he reached down and gripped himself.

"Oh, is that how we're doing this?" she asked, trying not to laugh at his almost childlike excitement.

"Yes," he said. "This is how we're doing this."