“She knows when I see her later I’ll, uh, fill her with my seed,” he growled. “Don’t you, little girl?”
“Um…” Danni felt her cheeks get hot as a sudden mental image of herself and the big Kindred in bed together popped into her mind. He was so big and muscular—she wondered what it would feel like to have him on top of her…inside her…
No, stop that! Stop it right now! she told herself quickly.
“Yes,” she made herself say to Bravik. “I…I’m sure that’s true. I’ll see you at the feast…my darling,” she made herself add, since the H’rakens seemed to prize endearments almost as much as they enjoyed excessive PDA.
“See you at the feast, little girl,” Bravik echoed. Then he turned and left the little dwelling with Kozen, leaving Danni alone with Navii.
Twelve
“Does your husband not love you as much as he should?” was Navii’s first question, the minute Bravik and Kozen were out of the door. “I do not mean to pry, but the two of you are not very affectionate with each other,” she added apologetically. “It’s hard to tell you’re even Joined.”
“But…but he just kissed me,” Danni pointed out, wondering again how she and Bravik could possibly satisfy the H’raken’s requirements for PDA without crossing way over the line of professional courtesy with her coworker. Nothing but full on fondling and dry-humping seemed to make the horny aliens happy!
“No, you kissed him. And it was such a brief kiss.” Navii shook her head, then brightened. “I know! I will tell Kozen to show your male how to treat a female.”
“What? No! No, please don’t do that!” Danni pleaded. The last thing she and Bravik needed were fondling lessons from the Head H’raken!
“It would be for your own good and the good of your Joining,” Navii said earnestly. “I would not be so bothered for you if the two of us were not such good friends.” She shook her head. “Well, hopefully the light of the Mother Stone shining into your living area will heal the rift between you.”
“There’s no rift—honestly, there’s not,” Danni protested, but her new friend only pursed her lips.
“Let me recommend that you sit in the living area for a good long time before you move to christen your bower tonight,” she told Danni. “The more light and power you absorb from the Mother Stone, the longer and more passionate your love-making will be. It will be healing to you both.”
“Um, okay. Thanks for the advice,” Danni said weakly.
“Come with me now, dear friend,” Navii said. “We shall go to my own dwelling—I am certain I have some clothing that will fit you.”
“Are you sure?” Danni looked at her doubtfully.
The H’raken woman was about her height—which meant she was tall for her people—but she was also quite a bit slimmer than Danni, who had full curves to contend with. Still, the nearly see-through white shift she wore was quite roomy, so maybe it would be all right.
“Oh, yes!” Navii laughed, her good humor apparently restored. “Let us go together now and get you changed for the feast!”
She led Danni back to the main street and down a little way to a large house made of closely-grown tress, just like all the others. Inside was the happy noise of children at play.
“How many children do you have?” Danni asked as they walked through the front door.
“Oh, so many!” Navii laughed. “Would you like to meet them?”
“Oh, yes—I would love to.” Danni smiled eagerly. She had always loved kids of all ages. In fact, for a time she had considered becoming a teacher but the siren song of medicine and after that, anthropology, had been too strong. Also, it was painful to be around kids all day, knowing she couldn’t have any herself. Still, she liked to meet other people’s children.
“Tancy, Lancy, Toola, Loola, Yolii and little Gazimba—come!” Navii called.
At once a lot of pastel children started piling into the room. Four of them seemed to be between the ages of five and ten, Danni thought. But there was also one adolescent girl carrying an infant.
“These are Tancy, Lancy, Toola, and Loola,” Navii said, giving each of the four younger ones a hug and a kiss and sending them off again. “And this is my oldest girl, Yolii who is so good with her baby brother Gazimba,” she added, beckoning for the teenaged girl holding the baby to come forward.
“Mother…” There was a look of worry on the girl’s face as she stepped closer. “Has Father come home? Is he well? He was not…” She dropped her voice. “Not taken by the Riivers, was he?”
“Yolii! You know we do not speak of such things within the gates of the township!” Navii scolded gently. “But yes, your father came home safely. How else could he have brought our esteemed guests back with him? This is Danielle. She has come with Commander Bravik, the other half of her heart, to stay with us and learn about the Mother Stone and her healing light,” she said, gesturing to Danni.