Barbarian's Bride (Ice Planet Barbarians)

I put a finger to my lips, indicating that they should be quieter, but luckily Shema keeps on sleeping. The girls settle down in front of me and pick through the bits of leather that Hemalo has given them. They're pretty, the little castoffs, in all kinds of colors and shapes. I'm teaching them to sew them all together, and once it's made a patchwork fabric, we're going to cut it down into a tunic. I figure if they practice on scraps, they won't waste good leather…plus the patchwork effect is rather nice and it gives them something to do while I nap all the damn time.

Asha leans over and points at one of the scraps. "This is very pretty. Zalene has a tunic in this color, yes?"

Elsa nods.

My Anna turns to me and gives me a thoughtful look. "Mama, how did you and Daddy resonate?"

I blink, my tea cup halfway to my lips. "Uh, where did that come from?"

Asha just smirks. She gets to her feet, snatches my tea cup from my hand, and goes to refill it. "Yes, No-rah. Why do you not tell the girls about your resonance?"

That shit-stirrer. I arch a brow at Asha for being, well, herself. "I'm just curious how this came up."

Anna blinks those big eyes—so like her father's—at me. "Analay asked his mama and she told him. And Zalene heard about that and so she asked her mama and her mama told her their story. How come you haven't told Elsa and me your story? With Papa?"

"You've never asked," I bluster, blushing just a little. I can feel my face getting hotter and hotter, and Asha's smirk of amusement just grows. "Besides, it's not much of a story. We saw each other and boom, resonance."

Asha holds the tea cup out to me. "Oh, but that is not the full story, is it?"

I glare at her as I take the cup. She knows as well as I do that the full story is far too dirty for children's ears. She's overheard some of our…nocturnal happenings with those sensitive sa-khui ears of hers, and she knows darn well why I've avoided the subject. "It's not," I admit when both girls turn to look at me. "And maybe if you're both good, I'll tell you the story tonight before bed."

Elsa and Anna smile at me, straightening in place, and I know they're going into “well-behaved” mode. They play quietly while Asha smirks at me.

I don't care. I've bought a few hours at least. I sip my tea and try not to think about what to tell my kids. Mommy likes being spanked and held down by Daddy. Isn't that romantic?

But of course, it wasn't always like that…not that I can tell them those parts either.

* * *

The girls are on their best behavior for the rest of the day, much to my chagrin. Anna and Elsa share their toys, play quietly together, and even help me make dinner. Dagesh will be home soon, and I'm ready to see his smiling face. He keeps his hunting nearby during the brutal season, especially now when I'm heavily pregnant, so he can be back every night. Normally he's back before the suns go down, so today must be productive for him. I hope he's not too tired when he gets home, because then I feel guilty that I can't help more. I'm not much of a huntress, so I handle the home stuff and raising the girls. Lately though, he's taken on a lot more in the house because I've been so damn tired, and that just makes me even more guilty. I sit near the fire, drowsing, thinking of my mate's gorgeous smile and the way he crooks it up in the corner when he's watching me and he thinks I haven't noticed…

"Mama?" Anna tugs on my hand. "You look sleepy. Don't sit near the fire when you're tired or you'll fall in." She uses on me the same imperious tone she uses on her sister.

I blink, sitting upright. Oh. I look over at Anna. "I'm okay."

"You're tired," she says firmly in her little tyrant voice. "Go lie down until Papa gets home. We'll stir the stew."

"Just let it simmer," I tell them, yawning. I push off the enormous rock I'm using as a seat. "Wake me up if you need anything. I'll just take a quick nap."

Both my girls are there, pushing me into bed, and Elsa tugs the blankets over me as I shift my weight and get comfortable. I mean to only close my eyes for a moment, because even though the girls are far more self-sufficient than I was at their age, they're still young and I should watch them but…

…I jerk awake to the sound of Dagesh's laughter. It rumbles, smooth and pure and deep, echoing in our small hut. Rubbing my eyes, I try to roll over so I can look at them. My efforts fail spectacularly and all I do is flail on my back like an upside-down turtle.