Bridget's Bane: A SciFi Alien Romance Page 6

  It is also one of the most vexing things about her.

  For all that we are friends, B'shit has made it very clear that she does not want me. If our hands brush, she draws back. If I adjust my loincloth, she gives me a suspicious stare. She has not offered to share kisses again, and she has not tried to sneak under my cloak to share warmth like she used to. I do not push it, of course…but it bothers me.

  We had one good romp in the furs and she was done. I do not understand this. She moaned when I touched her. I have asked her before what I did wrong and she claims it is not me, it is her. I do not know what to think.

  I am B'shit's friend once more, and that is a truth. I do wish to be her friend. But I also held secret hopes that B'shit would realize what a great male I am and that she would demand to be my mate once more. That she would realize how much she missed me and fling herself into my arms and my empty hut.

  She does not, though, and my hut remains as empty as my furs.

  The tribe is full of rumors about us. Some have noticed that we go off together and that we are no longer fighting. One night, B'shit worked late trying to shape one of her pots and her muscles grew tight. The next day she walked with stiff legs, and I'rec confronted me and asked if we were mating in secret.

  I said nothing. They do not need to know that we are nothing but friends. Like B'shit and her pottery, I will keep our friendship secret. It is as fragile as the pottery itself, and I will do nothing to wreck it.

  But it is difficult. Very difficult. And as one day fades into another, I begin to despair. Perhaps I will always only be B'shit's friend and nothing more.

  Then…D'see arrives.

  The new female comes from the skies, in a dark, egg-shaped rock, and I am reminded of when K'thar and R'jaal found L'ren and M'rsl. They said they came from an egg, too. She steps out and she is a dainty female with a mane like a sunset and a wide, excited smile. I smile when she greets the tribe, imagining that she will make a fine mate for one of my clan. So far, Shadow Cat has not resonated to a single female. B'shit has my heart, so I do not look for another, but I know our lack of mates stings for O'jek, I'rec and U'dron. We do not like to be seen as less. So I am pleased when D'see joins the encampment. Another attractive female makes the odds better.

  B'shit immediately dislikes her.

  At first, I think B'shit is angry at me again. She glares at me even though I have done nothing, and storms away when I try to approach her. That night, I go to her clay-making cave and she is not there. The candles are dark and B'shit is nowhere to be seen.

  The next morning, I approach my “friend” and ask her. "Were you not feeling well last night?"

  B'shit just shrugs. "Why do you care?" She walks away.

  Why would I not care? It is baffling to me. I watch as she leaves, frowning to myself. Have I not been her companion every night for this past full turn of the moon? I fetch her water, get new clay, sift and offer advice. Sometimes I just show up to talk when she does not want help but likes the company. Why is she mad now?

  A hand taps me on the shoulder. I turn and see D'see, who is watching me with a knowing look. Her eyes are strange and pale, dead without the bright blue life of a khui in them. But the look on her face is knowing. "Is that your paramour?" She gestures at the retreating B'shit.

  "My what?" I cannot even begin to say that word.

  "Lover?"

  That word I do know. "We mated once but she has decided to just be friends." My voice is sour. "And now she is angry and I do not know why."

  To my surprise, D'see smiles brightly. "I've seen that sort of thing before. She's jealous."

  "Jealous?" I give her a skeptical look. "I do not think you know B'shit."

  "I might not know her, but I know women," D'see says with a toss of her sunset mane. She gives me a winning smile and leans in and touches my shoulder. "She may say that she does not want you, but she is lying. I saw how she watched you. She didn't like you talking to me." When I shake my head again, D'see touches my chin. "Quit frowning. Smile at me. Laugh when I laugh, and then look over at your female."

  Then, D'see laughs.

  I wonder if she is addled, because she is laughing over nothing. But she gives me an encouraging look with her eyes and I realize this is some part of her plan. I fake a laugh, feeling like a fool, and glance back at B'shit. She is on the far side of the camp, but she is no longer walking away. Instead, she is watching me…and she is glaring as if she is angry.

  "Is she looking this way?" D'see asks.

  "She is."

  "She's jealous," D'see pronounces again. "She might not want you, but she doesn't want anyone else to have you, either." The female picks at a bit of fuzz on the front of my vest. "If you want to win her, it might be in your best interest to continue to make her jealous. Make her realize she could lose you. Then she will come forward and claim you."

  "Do you truly think that will work?" It seems too simple.

  "I do. Like I said, I know women." D'see seems confident.

  "And what do you get out of this?" I ask.

  Her expression looks wistful. "I get a friend and a purpose. I could use both right about now."

  I reach out and pick at a bit of fuzz on the fur D'see is clutching around her shoulders, mimicking her movements. "I will be your friend," I promise her. "But only your friend. My heart belongs to B'shit." I do not want another, not even this pretty female with bright smiles and an even brighter mane.

  "That's fine. I'm waiting for a soulmate. Someone that's going to love me for me. I'm tired of being second place." There's a little sadness to her smile, but she tucks her arm into the crook of mine and steers me toward the fire. "Shall we make some plans, friend? You can tell me about her and we can come up with some ideas to make her come after you."

  I like this. For the first time in a while, I feel hope that I might have B'shit back in my furs once more.

  D'see remains locked at my side for the rest of the day. Some of it is shyness, I suspect. There are a lot of new faces and I remember what it was like for Shadow Cat and the island clans when we arrived here on this beach full of strangers after knowing only each other all our lives. It can weigh heavy on the mind, the need to take in names and faces and to try to remember everything. D'see shivers and smiles at everyone, but in quiet moments, she has a lost look on her face. I squeeze her hand to let her know she is not alone. Even in my worst times, I had O'jek and U'dron and I'rec to lean on. I will be that lean for D'see, the brother she has never had.

  She gives me a grateful smile and rests her cheek on my shoulder.

  Because I am Shadow Cat, I think D'see is more comfortable with my clan than with the others. She remains near one of us at all times, and when it grows late and the others start to drift away from the central fire, D'see gets to her feet. "I think I want to go for a walk on the beach before sleep," D'see says brightly. "It's so very beautiful."

  And she gives me a pointed look.

  "I will take you," I say, and get to my feet. I am not surprised to see I'rec and O'jek jump up, too. U'dron casts a longing look at a yawning R'ven, but leaves to join us as well, because Shadow Cat clan must stick together.

  We head out toward the water's edge, and D'see exclaims at how beautiful it is by night. I suppose the water is nice, but I have seen it all my life. It holds no particular fascination for me. Instead, I scan the distant camp for signs of B'shit. It is dark and getting late. Is she sneaking off to do her clay work tonight? Or will she avoid me like she did last night? Perhaps D'see is right and she is jealous. That she will demand D'see take her hands off of me, because B'shit has claimed me for herself.

  I like that thought. A lot.

  We walk on the beach together, the five of us, and eventually D'see gently clears her throat and pauses. "I slept in the women's cave last night and…I don't know if I can sleep there again." She gives us a sad little look. "Everyone's very nice, but I feel like I don't belong, and being there with all the others makes me feel lik
e I'm invading their space. Like they can't talk because I'm around." She bites her lip and gazes at us. "Where do you men sleep?"

  I'rec gestures at the cluster of huts at the base of the cliffs. "We have built huts in anticipation of mates." He gives her a protective look. "If you are uncomfortable sleeping with the females, you can sleep in my hut." After a moment, he adds, "And I will stay with O'jek."

  O'jek frowns at this, but voices no complaint. We all slept in the same small cave since the first death of the Great Smoking Mountain. It will not be unusual for them to share quarters again.

  "Oh, you're so sweet to offer," D'see tells I'rec. She looks at me, though. "But I think I should stay in A'tam's hut." And she gives me a meaningful look.

  "Why?" I blurt. "Mine is not a good hut." I think of B'shit and how she giggled as it shook when we mated. My heart feels as if it is being pierced with sadness. I miss her. I want to turn and leave the group and race to the clay-making cave, just to grab her by the arms and kiss her and tell her that she should be mine.

  D'see moves to my side and whispers. "For our plan."

  Oh. The plan to make B'shit jealous. I nod. "I guess…I will sleep with O'jek."

  O'jek rolls his eyes. "Glad I get a say in things."

  But D'see moves to his side and gives his arm a happy little squeeze, beaming. "You guys are so sweet to accommodate me. You don't know how much I appreciate it."

  O'jek makes a grumbly noise under his breath, but his gaze remains locked on D'see. It occurs to me that she is working us all, twisting us around her small fingers and getting us to do what she wants, but I find I do not care. O'jek is happy, gazing at D'see. I'rec will be pleased that she has allied herself with us, and B'shit will be jealous.

  I hope.

  9

  A’TAM

  I try not to notice that O'jek's hut is far better than mine. The floor is even, there are no holes in the mortar that the moonlight shines through, and his fire pit is broad and even. D'see should be staying here, not in mine. I lie in my furs and I think about B'shit, about her smile, about how when she kisses, she makes this perfect little gasp when my tongue strokes hers. I like her stories about Earth, her awful mother that sent her somewhere called a board-deen-skool and her antics there. I love imagining a tiny B'shit, causing trouble and being stubborn, and when I can stand it no longer, I peel my furs back and quietly put my boots on.

  Tonight, I will see if B'shit is making clay.

  I glance over at O'jek, but he sleeps on. I get to my feet, letting my camouflage deepen in color until I am the same dark shade as the shadows around me. There is a cold breeze whistling against the door flap, and I wonder if B'shit will be cold. I move back to my nest of furs and pull the heaviest one off, slinging it over my shoulders like a cloak and heading for the door again.

  O'jek sits up, looking over at me with sleepy eyes.

  I freeze, wondering if I should make up an excuse of some kind.

  But O'jek knows me well. He just studies me, and then says, "B'shit?"

  I nod.

  "Are you two mating in secret?"

  There are rumors in the camp of such, but I do not confirm or deny it. Neither does B'shit, and that makes me wonder…does she want others to think we are together? Is that why she does not correct them? So I shrug and head out, letting O'jek wonder. I pick my way silently across the encampment. It is quiet and bitterly cold this late at night, loose snowflakes flying past and turning to wet drops on my skin. The banked fire is abandoned, everyone tucked under their furs. I head to the far side of the camp, where the sands turn abruptly into cliffs riddled with tiny caves amidst the tumbling rocks.

  I see the faint light coming from B'shit's cave, and I do not know if I am pleased or frustrated at her stubbornness. It is a cold night, and if this snow turns into a storm, it could be dangerous for the humans. She should not be out here alone. I deliberately make my footsteps heavier, so she can hear me coming, and when I stick my head inside the cave, I clear my throat.

  B'shit jerks in surprise, her hands flying into the air as she smothers a shriek. "You scared the shit out of me, asshole!"

  "I was loud as I approached," I point out. This is another thing I worry about with B'shit. She grows so absorbed in her work that she never notices my arrival. "You should not be here," I tell her. "What if I was a tidewater kaari? You would be a tasty snack."

  "Don't even start," she mutters, her clay-covered hands going back to the coils of pottery in front of her. She kneels in front of a flat rock that she uses as a table, and her candle flames flutter wildly on a lip of rock above her head.

  She is not wearing a heavy fur, I notice, and I immediately take mine off. "Here. I brought this for you."

  "I don't want it." B'shit turns her attention back to her pottery and does her best to ignore me. "In fact, I don't want you here at all."

  There is no teasing, no warmth in her tone, and I scowl to myself. "Why not?"

  "Because I don't want your company?" She makes it sound like a question, but I know it to be a statement.

  "You have not minded my company every other night," I point out, moving forward and draping the fur over her shoulders. "I have been here all night long, every night. We are both not sleeping. I thought you enjoyed my presence."

  "Yeah, well, I thought I'd enjoy a lot of things," she says in a sharp voice.

  I frown. What is that supposed to mean? But she says nothing else, just concentrating on making ropes with her clay, rolling the lengths under her palms. She ignores me and my skin prickles with discomfort. I will take B'shit's anger if I must, but I prefer her kisses. I do not like being ignored at all.

  It is like she knows what will get under my skin the most and does it.

  B'shit adjusts the warm fur I have draped over her shoulders and glances up at me. "I think you should go, A'tam. I'm really not in the mood tonight."

  That much is obvious. Still, I hesitate. "We are friends, yes? Even though you do not wish company tonight, we are still friends?"

  My question makes her uneasy. B'shit shrugs, her attention focused on her clay. "I don't think it's a good idea." She gives the clay a whack with her palm, flattening it in a vicious move. "Maybe you should go be friends with Daisy. You already seem buddy-buddy."

  Her tone is angry, and a slow smile spreads over my face. Even though she is sending me away, I am utterly pleased. "It is true, then. You are jealous of D'see."

  "No, I'm not."

  I laugh, because she sounds so grumpy. "Yes, you are. I can tell in your voice. You do not like that she is my friend." D'see was right. If she spends time with me, B'shit will grow jealous and realize she wants me because she thinks D'see will take me away from her. She is like a kit that does not want another to play with her toys. It is ridiculous…and yet it pleases me, because for all that B'shit claims she wishes to be friends, she views me as her male.

  And she does not like that D'see is interested.

  B'shit makes a face, smacking her clay again. "Go away. You're bothering me."

  "Am I?" I smirk. "Or is D'see bothering you?"

  She looks up at me with narrowed eyes and then flings the clay rope at me. It smacks against my chest, because there is no room to dodge in this tiny cave. I just laugh harder, which infuriates her. "For someone who is not bothered, you sure are angry," I point out.

  "Go. Away." B'shit grits out, grabbing another handful of her precious clay and holding it up in a threat.

  "Oh, I am going. Perhaps I will see what D'see is up to." I grin at her and turn to leave the cave. Not that I do not already know what D'see is up to—she is sleeping alone in my hut—but I want to see my B'shit's reaction.

  Another handful of clay smacks against my back with a wet splat. Laughing, I squeeze back out of the cave and head back for my hut.

  B'shit is mad. D'see's plan is working.

  Now I just have to sit back and wait for B'shit to fall into my arms once more.

  10

  NOW
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  BRIDGET

  "Okay, okay, stop." Raven raises her hands in the air. "What is with your hips? They're so tight." She moves toward me, where I have my hands on my hips and I'm trying to do sexy circles with them.

  Emphasis on “trying.”

  Raven moves like a goddess. She's fluid in everything she does, from bending over to pick up a stray blanket, to gracefully dancing, to working her hips in a filthy gyration. No matter the movement, Raven makes it look effortless and beautiful. I remember watching my mother practice in her studio, too. How she'd lift an arm above her head and just look so elegant and poised as she moved, as if she was born with a song in her heart.

  I am not cut from the same cloth. I have no sense of rhythm, and everything I do is awkward. Even now, Raven shows me the same move she's shown me a half a dozen times before, and I still can't do it. I'm supposed to sexily squat (somehow) and move my hips in a suggestive grind (again, somehow). Instead, I sink halfway to the floor and topple forward each and every time.

  It's been two weeks of sexy dancing lessons with Raven, and I can tell she's frustrated with me. I'm not surprised. I'm trying hard, but I was born graceless and I'll probably die graceless. I know my mother despaired of my two left feet, always saying I was more my father's child than hers. Even so, Raven just makes it all look so easy that I hoped maybe I'd pick up a few things from her. That she'd be able to unlock the secret sex kitten lurking just under the skin.

  Turns out that the only thing lurking under my skin is a pair of lead feet. Sigh.

  Raven adjusts my hips again, then nods, and watches me as I sink toward the floor. When I immediately face plant, she sighs. I stay on the floor, frustrated and just a teensy bit embarrassed. "I say this with love, but maybe you should take up cooking," Raven jokes. "If you can't win the way to his heart with dancing, maybe food is the way to go."