Page 50 of Caveman Alien's Terror

“One of the endless needs your kind struggles with,” Praxigor rumbles. “It hurts me to say that I’m almost getting used to it. Oh, your pet brought something.”

I look over at Luna, who’s curled up ten feet away. She’s alert, ears turning this way and that for no reason that I can hear. Beside her on the ground is something I recognize.

“My dress!” I get up off Praxigor’s lap and get the primitive garment. “Did you go back for it?” She must have — I didn’t see her carry it before. It’s dripping wet and quite heavy.

“It must have been so hard for you to drag this all the way! Where did you find it?”

Luna licks a spot on her chest and ignores me.

“She must have climbed up the rock we slid down,” Praxigor drawls. “That dress didn’t come down with us.”

I squat down and gently scratch behind one of Luna’s ears. “Thank you,” I sniff. “You’re incredible.”

She generously lets me scratch her, closing two of her eyes in what I think is pleasure.

Praxigor stands up, stretches in a stunning display of male beauty, and looks me up and down, making me acutely aware of my nakedness and sending new tingles down below. Now his injury looks romantic to me, a sign of how he cares despite his gruffness.

I quickly look around. I should be pretty clean after that endless waterfall shower, and that patch of grass looks both soft and inviting…

The dragon saunters away without a word, into the jungle.

I can’t take my eyes off him until he’s hidden by the foliage.

“Did I offend him?” Before, I was both disappointed and relieved when he walked away like that. This time, there’s no relief, just an empty feeling. I wish he would have stayed.

I check the dress, feeling for the little dagger in its special sheath. It’s still there, but now I don’t think I’ll ever need it. I hang thedress on a bush to dry it out, which will take a good few hours. “Until then I guess I’ll just be naked.”

But it’s not exactly unpleasant to be this bare. Praxigor seems to approve.

“Not that I crave his approval,” I lie out loud. “It just feels good, is all. Luna, what do I do about this? I really like him. Especially when he’s being nice. You know he could have left me behind any number of times. At the end he was carrying me, even if he was wounded and I was not. But that’s his thing. He saves my life and makes me feel safe, and all he asks is that I tell him how scary he is. When he’s barely scary at all anymore. Not to me, anyway. It’s actually really charming, isn’t it?”

Luna yawns, stretching her many limbs into the air.

“I know,” I sympathize. “It’s boring to listen to tales of someone else’s love life. Because that’s what this is, right? I love him, and I should stop pretending I don’t.”

I check the water in the creek, squat down, and drink a few mouthfuls. It’s clear and refreshing. This valley is a nice little place, shielded and as idyllic as any place can get while still being in the jungle of Xren.

“Who are you trying to tempt?”comes a sudden whisper in my ear.

“Oh!” I yelp and lose my balance, dropping to my butt in sheer surprise.

Praxigor grins down at me. “I never knew a woman to be so eager to mate. I’ve barely arrived when you get down and spread.”

I close my legs and get up. “You startled me, that’s all.”

“Most who are surprised by a dragon suffer worse than that,” he drawls as he dips one foot in the creek.

“Yes, yes,” I tell him, annoyed about him scaring me. “You’re very big and scary. And I nearly died from the shock.”

His eyes sparkle. “That would have been unfortunate. Because I have taken such care to keep you alive.” He offers me a shiny piece of fruit.

I slowly reach out and accept it. My mouth waters already. “A salen fruit? What’s the price this time?”

His gaze runs up and down my naked body. “Perhaps you can suggest something.”

“The only thing I can think of is just as good for me as for you,” I tell him as the heat spreads from my center. “It’s what they call a win-win scenario. Specifically,Iwin.”

He has the most attractive smirk. “I don’t mind if you win, as long as I win, too.”

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