And then I feel even worse, because I've been around Zoey for years. I love my sister. But she's such a tough little scrap. She never took any shit from anyone, thanks to us. Alice isn't quite like that. She talks a big game but there's a vulnerability to her that I never felt around Zoey. I never had feelings for Sophie other than friendship, so maybe I just didn't pay much attention.
But Alice is killing me.
I want to take care of her like a mesakkah takes care of his mate. I want to drag her against me and protect her from the outside world. I want to feed her and clothe her and make her smile. I want to touch her and kiss her until all her worries fade. I want to watch her sleep, just to make sure that she's relaxed and protected, and how keffing creepy is that? I never wanted to watch Zoey sleep. I never wanted to watch Sophie sleep. But the thought of watching Alice sleep, cradled against me, fills me with…all kinds of things.
I watch her shiver as we get out of the water, and I'm fascinated by her, even when she surreptitiously picks at the clinging material against her backside. I find that adorable. I find everything about her utterly charming. I've heard from other males that when a mesakkah finds the female that he feels is his mate, he turns possessive and obsessive with her. I thought that was just foolishness.
Now I know differently.
I'm that obsessive, possessive fool. And I'm happy about it.
I keep grinning as we head back to our makeshift shelter, my arms full of the strange, underwater fruit. I've got food for my mate, and shelter. And if she's cold, I can warm her with my body heat. Maybe we can even kiss again. I'm open to everything.
Just as we duck under the shelter, it starts to rain. Not a gentle rain, but the hard, incessant downpour. Alice shivers and curls into a ball under the leafy cover, and I'm relieved to find it gets rid of most of the rain, if not all of it. I set the fruit down and maneuver my larger body next to hers in the hopes of shielding her from some of the worst of the droplets.
"I guess we should be lucky it's not cold," Alice grumbles as she crosses her arms over her chest and huddles smaller.
"If you're cold, I'll warm you up."
She snorts. "Your cock isn't the hand-warmer I had in mind."
I laugh, because she always says such delightfully absurd things. "You can sit in my lap and I'll put my arms around you. My cock doesn't have to be in the picture."
Alice gives me a sidelong look, and a plop of water lands on her nose from above. With that, she moves into my lap, settling herself with her back against my chest. She fits neatly between my legs, and so small and fragile it immediately makes me feel protective. Humans should not be so keffing vulnerable, I decide. It should be a crime. I slide my arms around her and rest my chin atop her head. "Better?"
"Is it going to inflate your ego if I say yes?" There's an amused tone in her voice.
"My ego is already impossibly inflated."
She laughs, the sound delightful, and I'm lost all over again. Alice settles against me, a small sigh escaping her, and there's no sound but that of the rain pouring from above. The shelter drips on me, but I don't mind. I've got my female protected, and that's all that matters. Outside of the shelter, the carinoux paces, as if patrolling, and eventually flops down into the muddy earth near the entrance of our shelter, watching us.
The downpour tapers off to a few drips, and she gestures at the small pile of fruit we've brought with us from the stream. "Should we give those a try?"
"We can, but I should be the one to try it. Just in case it's poison."
She elbows me. "That's a terrible idea. You're just going to take a big honking bite out of it, aren't you? Instead of being cautious."
Well, that was my plan. "You have a suggestion?"
Alice leans forward, and since my hands are on her knees, when she moves, her breast brushes against my skin. My cock surges to life and I close my eyes, clenching my muscles and hoping fervently that it won't become a full-on erection.
And if it does, that she won't notice.
She picks up one of the fruit and sniffs it, then holds it up for me. "I still can't smell anything. You?"
I lean forward and obligingly sniff. "Nothing."
"We could peel a little and then lick it? See if it stings the tongue or lips. And then wait a half-hour and see if there are any adverse side effects."