strongly about this. I’ve already begun to cut my ties to him in my head, knowing he is adamant about keeping the female as his mate. My time left with him is short. Soon, I’ll have to leave this cave and find one of my own.
Looking at the sleeping human now, facing away from me as she sleeps inside her nook, I can see the appeal she has to my elon. The fur covering her has slipped down her body, revealing the planes of her back. Deep bruises still mar her skin, but I can look past that, and so can he. I see the swell of her hips, her narrow waist, and the black waves of hair fanned out around her. She is soft where we are hard, her body all delicate curves where ours are jagged angles, filled with bony plates and pointed spikes. She’s the epitome of a helpless female who needs rescuing, and my elon is set on saving her.
Grumbling, I tear my gaze away from her and the mortek, who’s curled around her, and stare at the fire. Part of me wonders if Sev’s obsessive need to heal her is because we failed to save our elons. Perhaps this is his way of trying to redeem himself, using the human to feel better about our inadequacy as elons.
Heaving myself up, I walk to the mouth of our cave and rest one arm against the side wall, leaning into it. Dawn is breaking, the twin suns just cresting over the horizon, casting a brilliant shade of orange across the sky. There’s something to be said for our isolation. Here, without the distraction of okkrens, battles, and other Totiv, we can appreciate the beauty of everything around us.
Back at the Kingret, I don’t think I ever once appreciated a sunrise or paid attention to the various wildlife living around me. But here, I’ve learned to be one with Oxious, almost becoming a part of her. And after so many years here, I’m not sure I can give that up. Certainly not for the human, but maybe not even for my elon anymore.
The sounds of tiny pebbles crunching underfoot behind me drift to my ears, and I know someone is approaching. I would recognise Sev’s gait, and this one doesn’t belong to him. Sure as shit, the little human strides to the cave’s entrance, standing as far away from me as she can, her fur blanket tucked tightly around her body.
Good.
She should avoid me.
A part of me is proud of her for leaving, for finding the courage to face the dangers of the outside, even for standing next to me now.
Clenching my fists, I ignore the need inside me. My body is desperate to move towards her, but I keep my feet rooted to the ground. I won’t let her get to me.
Because you don’t deserve her.
I growl at the voice in my head and shoot daggers at the female with just my glare, watching her shiver in response. The voice is right. I’m no mate. I’m not deserving. Sev can vekking have her.
Calm down, elon, you’re scaring her, Sev cautions, his voice replacing that of my inner demon’s.
She should be scared, I counter.
Her new pet disagrees, he warns.
Just then, the mortek prowls between us, his green eyes locked on me and his fangs displayed. The human absentmindedly reaches down and strokes the mortek’s head. I still can’t vekking believe this is happening. The creature is wild, feral, would sooner rip your head off than let you touch it, yet here he is—tamed.
Looking at the beast fuels my anger because it won’t leave her side. So now, not only do I have a human invading my cave, but also a vekking animal. I vekking swear, the first time it shits in here, I’m going to kill it.
Vekk.
I need space, but my stomach has other ideas.
Turning away from the human and her vekking pet, I head back to the fire and sit down. Sev already has a piece of meat cooking for breakfast and a heaping pile of tree fruit overflowing a stone bowl.
In a mishan move, I take a handful of the fruit and chew obnoxiously without thanking him. Sev doesn’t say anything, not even giving me a reaction. Instead, he flips the meat and sprinkles some ground pervian on top for some spice.
The human pads back to us, nestling herself tight against the wall, far from me but next to Sev. I see him gaze at her