Somewhere along the way, though, it stopped being scary. I stopped wishing for Earth and started to appreciate my new surroundings. The air here is cleaner and fresher than anything on Earth. The water tastes utterly pure. The food tastes better, though I'm still not a fan of chowing down on raw meat like the sa-khui. I have a new appreciation for hard work, too. Nothing here comes easy. All meat has to be caught, all herbs and roots have to be foraged. Clothing has to be made from the animals that are caught, the hide treated into wearable leather or fur, and then cut and sewn into whatever is needed.
Nothing is handed to the sa-khui. Nothing will be handed to us, the humans dumped here on this cold, forbidding planet.
But it doesn't mean that this life isn't worthwhile.
As I stand, breathing in the crisp air, my mate comes up to me. He's wearing a pack on his back, a spear at his side and another cloak in his hand. He stabs his spear into the snow and immediately puts the fur cloak around my shoulders, bundling me up. There's a look of intense concentration on his face as he tends to me, and I can't resist the smile that curves my mouth.
This planet is harsh, but maybe because it is so damn harsh, it gives you some amazing things in return. Things like a resonance mate who loves and adores you even when you want your ass spanked in bed. Things like a caring, giving community of people who look out for one another. Things like love, and devotion, and unity. Tenderness and caring.
And I'm rather good with that trade-off.
Dagesh tsks at the sight of my neck. "You have small bruises here from my mouth. I do not like that."
I beam up at him. "I love it. It shows the entire world that you were so hot to trot for me that you lost control."
My mate snorts at that and just pulls the fur tighter around me. "Are you warm enough? Did you eat enough? Do you want to drink something before we go?"
Such a fusser, my mate. "I'm good."
His hand slides to my ass and he rubs it through the many layers of leathers I'm wearing. "And this does not hurt too much?"
Heat flushes my face. Last night he spanked me within an inch of my life, and I came twice before he ever put his cock inside me. It was amazing. When we were done, he fussed over my backside, because I had palm-sized red marks on my skin, but I've noticed he's less upset about the marks on my ass by the day, which pleases me.
"My ass is perfectly fine, but if you want to take a look for yourself, I'm down with that."
I expect my sensible, dependable Dagesh to refuse. He pinches my butt, hard enough to make me squeal, and considers it. "Perhaps I should have a look, just in case."
Oh, he wants to play, does he? Heat courses through my system, and when he sets down his pack, I practically wriggle with anticipation.
"You can look," I promise. "If you catch me."
And I take off running. He's going to catch me. That's the whole point. He's going to catch me and fling me down into the snow and we'll have rough, dirty sex and it'll be amazing.
We can always go back to the cave tomorrow.
19
Current Day
NORA
"And after we had our yoo-ish wedding, your mother kissed me and said she was the happiest female in the land." Dagesh tucks the blankets high under Anna and Elsa's chins, and finishes the completely made up and absolutely squeaky clean story of how we settled in to one another. "As your mother says, we live happily ever after now."
Elsa's mouth hangs open, already asleep, but Anna smiles shyly at my mate. "I'm gonna live happy ever after with Analay when I get older. Does that mean we get a yoo-ish wedding too?"
"If you like." He tweaks her braid. "Go to sleep. It is a long time until you grow up. For now, you are still my little girl, and my little girl needs a good sleep if she is to go hunting with her father in the morning."
I'm torn between smiling at how good Dagesh always is with the girls, and my utter frustration that Anna's brought up mating Analay again. I know Analay's just a kid, but Anna is too, and I don't want her feeling like her life's been decided for her. Maybe it's because I'm so very pregnant that I'm getting all Mama Bear. I know it doesn't bother Dagesh like it does me.
My mate moves around our hut, banking the fire and tidying up. "You can leave that," I tell him softly, so as not to wake the girls. "I'll get it in the morning."