Total pages in book: 81
Estimated words: 75650 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 378(@200wpm)___ 303(@250wpm)___ 252(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 75650 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 378(@200wpm)___ 303(@250wpm)___ 252(@300wpm)
“They are unborn young.”
“You sound so shocked. I’m pretty sure we’ve eaten young dvisti before.”
“Hunters try to take the kills that will not affect the herd overall. I would not rob a mother of nursing young, nor would I steal an egg. What if there are less animals to hunt in the next year if I do so?”
She laughs again, clearly amused by my reluctance. “That’s kind of sweet, I suppose. But no, we have animals—chickens, mostly—that are kept just to lay eggs. They lay an egg every day and people go and gather them.”
I am shocked. “You keep the animal captive and steal its young every day?”
“It’s not as bad as it sounds, truly.” Stay-see giggles again and reaches over and pinches my cheek as if I am a kit. “It’s cute that this is your line in the sand. You eat your meat raw and you eat everything on the animal. Why is an egg different?”
“Because it is,” I say stubbornly. It just feels…wrong. Especially now that I have a kit of my own.
“Well, I am going to find an egg-layer or two on this planet at some point and then we are going to have scrambled eggs out the wazoo.” She tucks her head against my shoulder and puts her arms around my waist, snuggling close. I am so surprised by this that I do not move for fear that she will get up and leave. “There are creatures that lay eggs here, aren’t there?”
“Sky-claw,” I say, gently placing my hand on her shoulder. “And scythe-beaks. And some of the creatures that live in the great salt lake.”
“Well, shoot. I don’t want to see any sky-claw. And we’re not going near the ocean. What about scythe-beak nests? Where do they make their homes?”
“On the sides of cliffs.” She’s so warm as she curls against me. Her hand rests on my belly, and I want it to go lower. Now I am thinking of what she did last night when she pulled off my loincloth and caressed me with her hands and mouth.
“Mmm. I guess it’s too much to hope for a few eggs, then.” She sighs. “It was nice to think about, though.”
“I will get you eggs the next time I go hunting,” I vow. “Once you and Pacy are settled in the new cave-home.”
“No.” Stay-see pats my stomach. “I don’t want you to do that. If they’re up on cliffs it could be dangerous. We’ll just skip it.”
“Shall I get you other kits to eat for your early meal?”
She giggles. “You make it sound like I’m a monster devouring the young.” She raises her hand and makes a mock-claw. “Rawr. Though I don’t know why I’m the fearsome one. You’re the one with fangs.” She reaches up and pokes one of them with a fingertip.
I do not move. I do not breathe. Her hand is too close to my mouth, and she feels warm and soft and lovely against me. I want to stay like this forever.
She studies me, and her fingers move from my teeth to my lips. She traces them gently, and then licks her own lips. “You don’t remember kissing, do you?”
I shake my head. “What is it?”
“Mouth on mouth?”
Ah. I have seen the others push their mouths against their human mates and thought it was a strange gesture. “Do you want to do that?”
“You don’t sound all that interested.” She seems amused.
“I would rather put my mouth on your cunt and—”
Her fingers press over my lips, and her expression is shy. “You go from zero to a hundred, don’t you? There’s no ramp up for you.”
Ramp up? “If we are talking about places to put our mouths, I am telling you my favorite.”
“But you might like kissing, too.”
I shrug. “I will kiss if you wish to. I will do anything you wish to do, Stay-see. My greatest desire is to please you.”
“Then we start with kissing,” she says, stroking my cheek with her soft fingers. “And we move on to the other stuff when I’m ready again.”
I nod. “Then let us do kissing.” We can start there. I want her to be comfortable with me. I want her to crave my touch like I crave hers.
She shifts and sits up, watching me. “Why don’t I take the lead?”
Is she worried I will do it wrong? “Did I do kissing before?”
“Oh yes.” Stay-see gives a dreamy sigh. “You were a great kisser.”
“Tell me more about that.”
Her mouth curves in a smile. “I’m not sure there’s a lot to tell. I just liked kissing you. You didn’t know how to do it at first, of course. It’s not a sa-khui thing…much like eating eggs.” Her lips twitch as she gets on her knees and slides one leg over my thighs. A moment later, she settles onto my lap and puts her arms around my neck. “But you learned it really fast, and then you got really, really good at it.” The look on her face is dreamy as she scoots closer.