Page 35 of Warrioress

That meant that when it came to their triad’s lead, he was going to have to work on him. Kam smirked to himself as he waited from where he was crouched by the fire, his eyes drifting along the trees and ridges of rock, searching for said male just as Vrin stepped out from among the shadows. The male scanned their small camp, resting for a moment on the fire, and Uma seated languidly on the rocks near it, before turning to Kam as he walked over and tossed some hoppers onto the snow.

“Laro has not returned from hunting yet?”

“Not yet,” Uma replied, propping her feet close to the fire. She tipped her head back and offered him an amused smile. “It looks like you won the blue-ribbon prize.”

A sly smile hitched the corners of Vrin’s mouth, and Kam chuffed quietly to himself, pleased to see that his brother was feeling flirtatious. While things seemed to be progressing slowly with Laro, at least that was a good sign of things falling into his plans as far as it came to Vrin.

“Can I choose my prize?” Vrin countered. “I do enjoy the hunt. We could make it interesting.”

“If you still wish to hunt, then go find some more hoppers or something larger than we cook into travel rations,” Laro growled as he emerged, a young broad-snouted rutter gripped in one hand. He tossed his catch to the ground beside Vrin’s catch. “She is not here to be terrorized for your amusement.”

Kam made a face at Laro’s back. He had terrible timing. If he had been gone just a little longer, then perhaps there would have been some progression between Vrin and Uma.

“Terrorizing?” Vrin scoffed but moved over to pick up a hopper, unperturbed. “It would have nothing to do with terror, unless she enjoys that.”

Uma hid a smile behind her hand, but Kam noted that it did not escape the male’s attention and Vrin grinned over at her even as she wagged a chiding finger at him. Laro, however, barely glanced their way as he found a comfortably place to sit and dragged the baby rutter over with one of his lower hands and tore open its belly with his claws, giving the abdomen a cracking rip. Uma jumped slightly at the sound, her brows rising as Laro worked quickly and efficiently to clean the animal while Vrin began stripping the fur hides from the hoppers. Uma made a face at the hoppers—some humans have a strange softness for little furry creatures—and leaned forward facing Laro, her arms resting across her knees.

“I can’t believe you found a piglet,” she observed with awe. “Piglets this young are usually furiously guarded by their mothers. I would have expected you to be decorated with wounds for new scars after tangling with one of them.”

Laro grunted dismissively. “It would not matter either way. What is one scar or five? It would not be noticeable among all the others. As long as my hide and flesh are not split open gruesomely, it would not even be noteworthy.”

Kam choked back a groan and swiped a hand over his face.

Uma frowned in reply. “Ah,” she murmured. “Well, if it makes any difference, I would notice, but only because I would be concerned about you being in pain. Being gored by a full-grown rutter is no joke.”

Laro’s gaze lifted briefly to her face, his eyes barely focusing on her before dropping away as he grunted again, his head dipping slightly in acknowledgment before returning to his work, entirely oblivious of the way she was watching him, and he prepared the rutter for roasting. It was so pitiful that Kam was uncertain whether to laugh or outright interfere. Finally he stood, spitting the small animal on a thick branch that Kam had not even noticed the male holding in a lax grip in his lower hand. Kam did not care about any of that, however. He was more interested in watching the way her dark gaze followed Laro as the male settled the spit over the fire where Vrin’s hoppers were already roasting.

Kam’s head cocked as he peered over at Laro, a smile curling the corners of his mouth. The male had straightened beside the fire and was stretching leisurely, unaware of the female’s gaze fastened upon him as his muscles worked visibly beneath his hide in the places where the fur was naturally the shortest. And he had not a clue. Kam smirked with amusement and shook his head.

“What are you laughing about?” Vrin asked as he dropped at Kam’s side and handed over a spitted hopper.

“Not laughing,” Kam denied in ragii. “Just enjoying watching the captain.” He cast a sly glance toward his triad brother. “What do you think of her?”

Vrin paused mid-bite to peer at him suspiciously. “Why do you ask?”

“Just making conversation. Why are you so wary?”

“I am not wary—I just know how your mind works. You do not do anything without a reason. And why are you asking in ragii, knowing that she hates it?” Vrin countered.

Kam’s smile widened. So, Vrin was also sensitive to what made Uma happy. That was also a positive move forward. “I am the adorable, fun one. Just ask the captain. Unlike you. I am merely curious about your thoughts since you did not get along at first. In any case, although she cannot hear us clearly over here, such truthful questions between us should not be said in a way that she might misunderstand our intention or feel some hurt from them.”

“Then it is better to not play your game at all.” Vrin lowered his spit to glare at him. “Do not say things if you know that they might harm her, or else I will be inclined to disregard the affection I hold for you and pound you into dust to teach you your error.”

Vrin was threatening to teach him his errors. Kam blinked at him, barely holding back his laughter. This was coming from a male who intentionally intimidated any female who tried to get too close, too fast, to their triad when they were visiting the taverns and mingling among the humans in the citadel. The same male who thought scaring pushy females was a satisfactory way of communicating his displeasure with their attempts. And he was worried about Kam?

“I was just curious about your opinion, brother,” Kam countered lazily and took a bite of the hopper. The fragrant flavors dripped over his tongue, but it was hardly noticeable when he was focused entirely on Vrin and the tiny unspoken responses that said volumes about what he was feeling. Protective. Possessive. Anxious. All of these appeared to be present to some degree in addition to his lust. Was it enough to get the desired result, however?

Vrin eyed him for a long moment before finally grunting. “She is likeable human,” he grumbled and took a huge bite of his food, shutting down the conversation.

Kam glanced between his brothers and smiled secretively to himself. Laro was oblivious but clearly protective given the way he had quickly guarded her against Vrin’s seemingly questionable intentions, and his response to Uma’s past. Vrin was likewise responsive but in denial. It seemed that they would need another push. But how to proceed?

“So, question,” Uma suddenly said, her gaze running thoughtfully over Laro before looking up at him with a smile. “Nothing big, just something that has been rolling around in my mind. When you said that the lead demonstrates for a female... what does that mean?”

Laro spun toward her so quickly that Kam chuffed quietly as the male tripped over his own feet and nearly dropped to the ground.

Laro swallowed nervously as he looked everywhere except at Uma. “You wish to know about displaying?”

She nodded and her eyebrows raised. “Ah, yes. Is that a problem...” she leaned forward and whispered, “because it is some big Ragoru secret? I understand it has something to do with your cock, but I am not sure what the significance is or how it all works in terms of selecting a mate.”

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