Free Barbarian's Mate by Ruby Dixon Page A

charred and most of the supplies here are cooked beyond inedible to a sa-khui tongue, but Rukh does not seem to mind. His Har-loh is happy and that is all that matters to him.
    I toss aside my carving knife. “Anywhere. I—“
    I stop. Jo-see is in the doorway, her arms crossed over her chest. She’s watching me, her gaze on my face. As our eyes meet, she gives me a tentative smile.
    My khui flares to life, thrumming hard in my chest. Its song is wildly desperate, and my blood pounds in my ears, my weakened body unable to cope with my khui’s excitement. My cock stiffens in my breechcloth and I adjust myself with one quick hand, my tail flicking.
    “Can we…can we talk?” Jo-see takes a step forward, her hair spilling over her shoulder. She looks vulnerable and beautiful all at once and my body hungers with the need to touch her. She’s looking at me as she speaks, and it feels as if the first time in almost a moon, she is seeing me.
    I feel a surge of triumph deep in my bones.
    She has come to accept the resonance.
    Rukh grunts and gets to his feet, though I am barely aware of his presence. “I go check on my mate.” He tosses aside the fire-stick, glances at us, and then leaves the room, hitting a panel on the wall. The wall seems to close together and slides shut behind him.
    We are alone, and I inhale deeply, filling my nostrils with her sweet scent.
    My mate is coming to me.
    My mate.
    My khui hums even louder as she takes a few tiny steps in my direction. She looks fragile and hesitant, yet she is moving toward me. This is good. I force myself to remain still as she approaches. If I grab at her, I will lose her. I clench my fists at my side, determined to remain motionless, even though my khui is all but frantic in my breast. It senses her nearness and grows wild.
    She moves forward and then stops, brushing a lock of her long hair back behind an ear. “I…” she pauses and licks her lips. I stare at the pink flash of tongue, my cock aching unbearably at the sight. Humans have smooth tongues, I have been told. At first I was repulsed by the thought, but now I imagine Jo-see’s small tongue on my skin and nearly spend in my loincloth.
    “Yes?” I growl the word.
    Jo-see blinks, a little startled, and then rubs her arms. “So…remember when we talked? And I said I would never give in?” Her gaze drops and she gives a small little sigh. “I can’t hold out any longer. This is me…giving in. You win.”
    I frown at her words, not entirely certain I understand. She is speaking the human tongue, and there are some words I do not grasp. “Win?” The image that comes to mind is of conquest, not of matings. “How do I win?”
    “I’m crawling to you.” She spreads her hands. “I give up. I can’t fight this thing any longer.” Her eyes are curiously shiny, but she puts a tight smile on her face.
    This…is not how I imagined her coming to me. In my dreams - and there have been many - her eyes are heavy-lidded with lust and she runs her hands on my chest, as if unable to stop from touching me. In my dreams, she is eager to give in to the khui’s song. The woman before me seems…defeated.
    But my khui is singing a powerful song, and my body is excited. I reach out, hesitant at first, to see if she will shy away. When she does not, I touch a lock of her long, smooth mane and let it move through my fingers, soft like water. “You wish to be my mate, Jo-see?” My voice is husky with need, and my cock strains against my loincloth. If she moves any closer, she will feel it for herself. The thought makes me absurdly aroused.
    “Honestly? No. I don’t want it. I don’t want you.” She gives a small shake of her head. “But…” her hands go over her chest, where her own khui is humming frantically. “I can’t…I can’t do this anymore. I feel like we’re stuck treading water and just getting weaker and weaker. The sur-jree ma-sheen is no longer an option, so…this will have to do.”
    She