Page 5 of Barbarian Daddies

Maur gives me a wry smile. “Don’t worry, darling. You’ll beg us for everything soon enough. You’re almost there. I could taste it.”

They put their clothes back on, the water dripping down their muscular frames, while I’m still coming down from the heavens into which they have so mercilessly hurled me. How dare they please me and leave me wanting more? How dare my pride sabotage me yet again? I’m cursing under my breath by the time I’m left on my own.

I sink back into the hot water, my cheeks burning red.

I can’t push them away anymore. One way or another, I’ll have to do something before I lose my mind for good. I’ll have to do the unthinkable and go to them. Someday. Not today. I’m still too proud today.

But fuck, that orgasm is still echoing through me. It’ll take a while for the afterglow to loosen its grip on me.

2

Cynthia

Acouple of days later, I meet with Amber, Alicia, and Jewel in my red-brick house, strategically built to overlook the Crimson River and its sprawling plateau. The midday sun pours into the room, the heat outside causing the air to ripple slightly as I look out. We’ve gotten used to these temperatures, though I wasn’t sure we ever would. The human body is a constant wonder.

“How are you holding up?” Amber asks as we sit down in the living room.

“What do you mean?” I reply.

Alicia giggles, tucking a lock of her blonde hair behind one ear while her brown eyes actively avoid my gaze. “I think she’s talking about you and the Hadana twins.”

“Oh, that again,” I snap. “I’m fine, for heaven’s sake. We’re meeting to talk about other things. I hope?”

Jewel shoots me a cool grin as she pours herself a cup of fresh water. Her brown hair is a shade lighter, much like Amber’s, while her tan is more of a cinnamon tone, creating an interesting contrast to her gray eyes. She still braids it in tight cornrows running down the back of her head, but she has been weaving the Kreek color threads into it lately.

Sometimes, I feel like I’m the only one who hasn’t fully embraced the Fire Tribe cultures, despite all the work I’ve been doing for them.

“I feel your pain, sister,” Jewel says. “Amber may wrinkle her nose at our resilience, but I say we’re champions.”

“Champions in not getting laid,” Alicia grumbles.

“Oh, my God,” I blurt out. “How’s your scholarly work, Alicia? Any new strategies you’ve thought of lately?”

She gives me a tortured smile and nods slowly. “More or less. I’ve sketched some proposals for Helios and Kharo, but I don’t know if they’ll take any of them to the other tribes.”

“Well, what’s the gist of your proposals?” I ask.

“The Sunnaites have always had a penchant for factions and conflict, even during times of peace. Because there isn’t enough education on matters of logic and critical thinking, because they never cared much for philosophy, in general, they never developed any currents similar to what we have on Earth.”

“Yeah, well, out here, they’re more inclined to shoot first,” Jewel replies. “Take my Kreek boys. Yossul and Fadai lead the clan with an iron fist, but any of the younger fellas could rise up and challenge them at any given moment. They’ve made it their tradition to accept these challenges and fight to the death in order to retain their leadership positions.”

Alicia scoffs. “That’s typical of the warrior Sunnaite. The engineers, the scientists, they’re educated toward pacifism, negotiation. They’re taught to avoid conflict but employ violence by proxy in order to reach their objectives. There’s little consideration for the suffering inflicted upon others, I’ve noticed. By any means necessary, the Sunnaites must prevail. Whether it’s surviving a plague or a civil war or any other high-stress situation, their first instinct adheres to dominance. There’s no room for weakness.”

“It’s kind of sad they don’t allow themselves any room for vulnerability. There’s growth in that, too,” Amber says. “Binzen and Izzo can attest to that. They embraced their grief after Alana died, and they chose to educate Valen with a touch more empathy than most Sunnaite fathers I’ve come across.”

“That’s because you’ve been a positive influence on them,” Alicia says. “Just like I’ve managed to change a few minds among the Tallas clan too. I’ve noticed that each of the clans have taken to developing minor customs of their own. They all worship Sunna’s inner fire, as per their ancient traditions, but recently there has been talk of other traditions. Small stuff, but for me as an anthropologist, interesting stuff.”

“I’m happy with the Kreek squad,” Jewel chuckles. “They’re my kind. A tad too brutal at times, but hey, wartime calls for a different attitude. They’re fucking monsters out on the battlefield. The first year I trained with them was grueling. But once you prove yourself as strong, they change their attitude. They respect you. And they will gladly shed blood for you.”

Amber keeps a half-smile on as she listens to us talking about our personal experiences of living with different clans of Sunnaites. This has been our support group ever since we got here, and it has helped keep my head screwed on straight on more than one occasion.

The Sunnaites may be kind and welcoming to us humans, but I still don’t feel as connected to them as I do my best friends. Then again, the girls and I had plenty of years before Sunna, during which time we built our friendship through thick and thin.

“Kai and Maur have ordered a feast for tonight,” I tell them. “They’re out hunting black-tailed antelopes as we speak.”

“Oh, good. I love black-tailed rumps on a spitfire,” Jewel smiles. “There aren’t many of them left up north.”

“Why not? The north is greener. It’s lush. It’s perfect for them,” I reply.

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