Page 117 of Theirs to Crave

I pouted, relenting. Of course, he’d have to go and be all sweet so I couldn’t stay mad at him.

“You can’t run away if there’s danger,” Revik continued. “You’re too slow. And you can’t climb.”

“Jerk!” I gasped, pinching his side. I took it back. I could stay mad at him just fine.

“And you smell so fucking good—any untrainedka’vekcould follow your trail, even if they were asleep,” Revik went on, doggedly insistent on making his point.

Awww. Okay, now I was back to being happy with him.

“If someone touches you without your permission, I will kill them. Or Litha will. Zaf prefers not to end the lives of others, but to keep you safe, he would send many spirits to the sky. But we might not always be there, so you need to know how to hurt them, sotheycan’t hurtyou.”

I sputtered, but my feral little heart warmed, and Revik nuzzled my hip—apparently quite pleased by the idea of me maiming some faceless threat.

???

“Pass me thelellek, would you, Estrella?”

I handed it over, grimacing as I watched Ria scoop up a big portion. She made a happy “yum” sound as she chewed, and my lip curled involuntarily.

Litha popped a piece in her mouth like it was some bitter, revolting excuse for popcorn, and I stuck out my tongue. No more kisses for her. Not until she’d done something to clean the icky taste from her mouth.

“Safe to say you’re not bringing roastedlellekas your contribution to the festival, then?” Cass bit her cheeks, fighting a grin.

“Definitely.” I snorted. “Wait, what festival?”

“The one the village is holding to celebrate the coming dry season?” Shane supplied, raising an eyebrow. “The event everyone’s been talking about for the last two storm breaks?”

I blinked and turned to my three. They looked remarkably nonplussed for such big, strong alien types. Zaf’s ears disappeared into his hair, he was so embarrassed.

“Of course, we always gather to celebrate the beginning ofilot va’heth, the dry season. And I was aware anAthulenvangapproached. I just hadn’t...I was...” His chagrined gaze slid from my face, catching on my breasts and heating before dropping to his lap.

Ria coughed in a fruitless attempt to hide her laughter.

I patted Zaf’s thigh, leaving it there as I smiled beatifically at my family. “We’ve been a little preoccupied. Please, fill us in.” I began drawing delicate, swirling lines through the soft fur covering Zaf’s bulge with my pinky—firming my grip on his thigh when he twitched.Stay, said the look I shot him out of the corner of my eye.

Zaf trembled, his sex swelling and hardening beneath the teasing brush of my smallest finger.

I was definitely going to pay for this later. I shifted, anticipation rising.

“Aksha and the other storm-touched sayilot va’regnevwill end soon. We will endure one, perhaps two more.” Yin’s tail-tip flicked, betraying xyr amusement at my antics.

“Where is Aksha?” I asked. The tiny Teterayuh with a giant personality was notably absent from her usual place at the next table. As was Saytireka, come to think of it. Which explained why I was in such a good mood.

“She hurts today. She and her mates remained in the den,” Yin answered.

“Is she alright?”

“Aksha will persist,” Yin assured me, empathy in xyr expression. “I will tell her of your concern.”

Litha’s tail swept across the small of my back. “We always gather with theKheerthaat the start ofilot va’heth, at one village or another. This season cycle, all will come here, toLenvang Sounga, to celebrate. More will come—and the celebration will last many days longer—since it will also fall over anAthulenvang. It will be our honor and duty to host them, though they will bring food and gifts to share.”

I held up a hand. “Hold on, I’m confused.”

Litha took it, brushing her thumb across my knuckles, her ears pricked forward attentively.

I kissed her. I couldn’t help it. She was so damned cute.

“Who are theKheertha? More...different people, like the Svestrix?”

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