Page 26 of Caveman Alien's Bride

Piper is sitting on a log of her own, way over on one end, marking distance to the cavemen.

“This is a weird wedding day,” I comment as I sit down beside her. “I guess this counts as the reception— hey!”

Korr'ax grabs my arms and lifts me back to my feet.

“Wife,” he says in his language and points to me. “Married.” His green eyes pierce me.

He leads me to the other log and sits down, then pulls me down to sit beside him.

“Pretty possessive husband,” I say to Piper, not entirely happy about what he just did.

“You can leave anytime you want,” she says, her eyes shooting arrows at the caveman. “Just keep that in mind. He got you at a weak moment, when we were hunted by predators. You were totally forced into this.”

“Breti'ax,” Korr'ax says and points to the old man, then to the priest. “Gerut'on.”

They both give me a little bow.

I nod back. “Let’s see how it works out,” I say to Piper. “He has a different side when it’s just me and him. I guess we can't expect an interspecies marriage to be all smooth sailing.”

“Not when the wedding includes putting a collar on the bride,” Piper agrees drily.

I touch the leather collar. It’s more of a necklace than a collar, nicely braided and decorated with white fangs from various predators. “At least there’s no leash to go with it.”

Piper looks away. “Not yet, anyway.”

The man called Breti'ax takes the first skewer off the fire and hands it to Korr'ax. He looks carefully at it, barks at the old man, and gives it back in exchange for another. This one passes his inspection and he winds a green leaf around one end before he carefully hands it to me, making sure I don't burn my fingers.

“Spees,”he rumbles before he gets a skewer of his own. The priest gets the next one, and then the old man takes one forhimself before casually handing one to Piper.

It's clear what's going on here: they're demonstrating the hierarchy. Korr'ax is the highest, then me because I'm his wife, then the priest and then Breti'ax, the old man.

“I guess I'm the lowest rank,” Piper says as she bites into the skewer. “Not complaining, though. These guys know how to cook.”

She's right. The skewers have both tender pieces of meat and cubes of roots and vegetables, as well as a sprinkling of dried herbs.

“Just don't ask what kind of meat this is,” I tell her, juice dripping down my chin.

“I wasn't going to,” she says. “You know they belong to a tribe, right? And we're going there now?”

I finish the skewer and lick the twig. “I kind of figured. It's not like they're a traveling band of cavemen, these three. They have pretty good resources behind them.”

“Which could be good news, or really bad news,” she says.

Korr'ax takes the used twig and hands me another skewer, still sizzling. I give it right over to Piper.

All three cavemen stiffen. Korr'ax's eyes pierce me again.

“There is such a thing as being polite to guests,” I tell him with a sweet smile. “And Piper is our guest right now.”

The clearing is dead quiet for three heartbeats, and I'm sure Korr'ax will draw his sword and kill at least one of us.

Then he chuckles and hands me another skewer. “Seroot somyah haren vilyestark konehar.”He strokes my hair with his fingertips and smiles.

The two other men laugh nervously.

“Don't take any risks on my behalf,” Piper says. “I'm not staying with these guys any longer than I have to. Like I said, I'm not going to be a third wheel.”

“Wait,” I plead. “Don't leave. Let's see where this is going first. Remember we said these guys may be a good thing, but we also may have tomakethem good?”

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