Hannah's Hero - Ruby Dixon Page 0,90

from my mouth the last time we mated. I must be more careful with her. Her neck is covered in similar marks from when I sucked on her skin too eagerly. She likes them, but I worry they hurt her and she is just reassuring me.

She sits up, rubbing her eyes, and her smile disappears when she sees the project on my lap. “Another net?”

I shrug. I know she does not like that I am constantly preparing. “I must be ready.”

“You don’t need nets,” she tells me, that bossy tone returning to her voice. “You’re not confronting it. We’re hiding out until it leaves, remember?”

I grunt, because I do not want to argue. I do not point out that we have stripped much of the ripe fruit from the walls. Some is dried for taking home to the tribe, but fruit is not a filling meal and we eat more of it than we should to stave off the pinch of hunger. My belly constantly rumbles for meat, and I am torn between eating more fruit to keep my strength up, and saving it for my mate who even now carries my young.

“J’shel?” she asks, getting to her feet and padding to my side.

I know it is not the answer she wants to hear, but it is the one I will give. “I must be ready, H’nah. We cannot stay here forever.”

It’s early yet,” she protests. “Plenty of time later on to panic.”

I shake my head, putting aside my net and pulling her into my arms. “We must do something soon while we are strong enough to fight him.”

Worry fills her eyes. She puts her arms around my neck and presses her glorious teats to my chest. “You’re not fighting him!”

“H’nah,” I say gently, stroking her soft skin. I love touching my mate. I love reaching out and caressing all this softness, knowing the fierce sounds she makes when I am between her thighs. Only J’shel can make her scream with pleasure. Only J’shel licks her cunt until her legs clamp against my ears and she shudders.

She is mine and mine alone, and I will do anything I must to protect her.

“You must be reasonable about this,” I say gently to her, pressing a kiss to her small nose. “How many days ago did we have the last of the kah?”

H’nah makes a face at me. “You mean, how many days ago did I eat the last of the trail mix or did you? Because you know how I felt about that.”

Laughter rumbles up in my chest. We argued over the food—H’nah has definite opinions on everything and is unafraid to share them, which I enjoy. I gave her my share so she could keep up her strength, and told her it was because of the kit in her belly. She did not like that idea, so I told her I had my kah still…and then gave her the last. When she found out, she scowled at me until I kissed her frown away.

She is frowning up at me right now, her brows furrowed. She does not look pleased. “I don’t want you confronting it, J’shel. All you have is a spear and some nets, babe. That terrifies me. I don’t want to lose you.”

“I will not go anywhere,” I promise her, taking her small hand in mine and kissing the palm. “But he is not going anywhere, and we must make plans.”

“I’m fine with making plans as long as they don’t all involve you flinging yourself into its mouth.”

I chuckle. “Such confidence in your mate’s hunting skill.”

H’nah looks even more upset. “You know that’s not what I meant.”

“I know.” I kiss her palm again. “I will be here for you and the kit, my H’nah. I promise that.”

It feels false on my tongue, a bit like a lie. But I mean it. If there is any way I can get her out of here without having to confront Old Grandfather, I will. I have never felt such happiness…or such fear. Even the Great Smoking Mountain’s second attack did not terrify me like this does.

Perhaps because then, I did not have everything to lose. I did not have my sweet H’nah with her bouncy teats and silly smile and bossy attitude. I did not have the kit in her belly that grows every day. Before H’nah, I was existing. Now, I am alive…and I wish to keep it that way.

So I hold my mate and tease her with words and