Raven's Return - Ruby Dixon Page 0,52

her to my hut. It is good to be back, to see the relieved faces of the gathered peoples. There is the scent of food in the air, which makes my stomach growl, but I ignore it. R'ven is cold and tired, and I want to get her comfortable. She is my priority.

The healer walks with me for a little ways, her hand on R'ven's ankle before she nods approvingly and then touches my arm. She nods again. "You're both good." Then she waddles off to join her mate, and it seems like her belly is bigger every time I see her. Her mate quickly takes her under his arm and escorts her away, and I am struck by envy. I want what they have.

But…now I have R'ven. And that is even better.

The inside of my hut is cold, my breath puffing as I gently set the sleeping female down in my furs. They are cold, too, and she whimpers in distress the moment my body leaves hers. I strip her damp tunic off of her, but she still shivers. It is no hardship to climb into the furs next to her and warm her—and them—with my larger form. When she settles into a deeper sleep, I leave her and build up the fire. Once it is crackling and warm, I dig through my things, pulling out a few warm tunics for R'ven to wear in the morning. My stomach growls and I remember I have not eaten anything since yesterday. R'ven will be hungry, too. Perhaps I should go see if there is some food still left by the fire.

I glance over at the sleeping female. Her pale mane is a tangle around her face, her cheek cupped in her hand as she sleeps, open-mouthed and as relaxed as a kit. She feels safe with me, I realize, and hot pleasure washes over me at the thought. She knows I will take care of her, no matter what happens. I reach over and brush my fingers against her smooth brow, unable to resist touching her.

R'ven makes a soft noise in her sleep and instinctively turns toward my touch, and that possessive feeling steals over me once more. This female is mine. Juth will not take her from me. I'rec will not keep her from me. She is mine. I alone know the truths she has chosen to share with me, and she knows my secrets and still looks at me with a welcoming smile and touched me with greedy hands.

Suddenly, I am eager for her to awaken so we can touch again. I think about her hand on my cock and how good it felt. She is not shy about pleasure, my R'ven, and I am hungry to experience more of it with her. I want to taste her all over, I want to hear her sighs when I caress her…and I want to sleep with her in my arms every night. Once, I was utterly focused on resonance. I wanted nothing more than a resonance mate because it would make me a “true” hunter in the eyes of my entire clan and everyone else. Now, though, I find I am reluctant for such a thing to happen…unless it is with R'ven.

I do not want anyone else. Ever.

I watch her for a moment more and then rise. The moment I leave my hut, though, I am surprised to see A'tam waiting there, two bowls of food in his hands. He grins at me, standing up from the edge of my hut's platform. "I thought you might be hungry."

I put a finger to my lips, indicating quiet. "R'ven sleeps."

He grunts, handing me the bowls. "She will sleep through anything if she slept through that chatter earlier. Eat. I brought a little of everything."

One bowl is a hot stew with savory chunks of root and thick pieces of meat. The other bowl is a dry seed mix with raw roots and a few of the bitter nuts that grow here, along with a piece of dried fruit and a strip of jerky. It will hold better, so I save this for R'ven and tuck into the stew. "Where are the others?" I ask between bites.

He knows I mean I'rec and O'jek, and his grin is rueful. "Oh, they are coming. They will have much to say to you." His gaze becomes guarded. "Did you resonate to her?"

"No."

A'tam nods. "Too bad."

I clench my jaw, saying nothing. Too bad, because that means I