When I return to my new cave with supplies, the main cavern hums with happy voices. The others have arrived, and the sound of happy chatter is a constant hum in the air. I think Rukh and his mate Har-loh—who live at the elders’ cave more often than not—have the right of it. With everyone returning, there will be faces everywhere and no privacy. This thing between Jo-see and I will play out before all.
At the thought, another surge of fierce possessiveness rises in me. Whatever she may think, she is mine.
Jo-see is standing in the cave when I return, her pack at her feet. My khui immediately begins a pounding beat in my chest at the sight of her, and my blood pulses hard with the need to claim her. But her face is drawn and tired, her small shoulders hunched with exhaustion. Her khui starts to sing to mine and she looks down at her chest, confused, then jumps with surprise when I set my bundle down. “What are you doing here?” Her small human brows draw together. “They said this is my cave.”
“The cave you will share with me,” I agree, keeping my tone even, though it is a struggle. “We are mated.”
Her small, pink mouth pinches into an angry line. She rubs her forehead and there is exhaustion on her face. “Do not do this, Haeden. Please. I’m too tired.”
“I did not say I would climb into your furs. I know you are tired.” Her refusal of me rankles, but I expect it. I must learn patience. My khui sings on, unaware of the tension between us. I must remember that this is different. Jo-see is not Zalah, to preen her pleasure mate in front of me. She is small and human and exhausted. “Sit and take off your boots. I will build a fire and make some hot tea.”
There’s a look of surprise on her small face, as if she didn’t expect me to be courteous to her. Have I truly been so terrible to be around? If I snap at her, it is because she pulls me to her and it worried me. Now, it seems my fears were not unfounded. She hesitates for a moment, and then gracefully collapses in the furs with a little sound of pleasure. My cock tightens in response, but I ignore it, digging out the firepit in the center of the cave. Someone has already lined it with round, smooth rocks, and so I set up a pyramid of dung and tinder, and then go to retrieve a burning coal from another’s fire. When I return, her boots are off and she’s curled up under the blankets, her small, pale face the only thing showing under the furs. Her eyes are closed and she doesn’t stir when I move to the firepit and blow on the coal, feeding it tinder until it becomes a flickering flame. I set up a tripod and a bladder to create the tea, but I suspect Jo-see will be asleep before it is ready.
I glance over at her, and the urge to stroke her smooth cheek with my finger is overwhelming. overwhelming. What will she feel like in my arms? Zalah was tall and wiry, as muscular as myself. Jo-see is nothing like her. She is small and soft and full of smiles that have genuine joy.
Someday, I would like for those smiles to be aimed at me.
“You won’t try anything, will you?” Her words are a soft husky murmur. “Just because I’m sleeping?”
I am offended at her words. Does she think I would crawl over her while she sleeps and shove my cock between her legs? My khui thrums harder at the thought, and I scowl to myself. “I would never do such a thing.”
“Just checking,” she says softly. A moment later, I hear the gentle sound of her snore. I adjust my aching cock in my breech-cloth and drop tea leaves into the bladder of water.
I am disturbed by her ideas of what I would do to claim her. Does she truly think I would force her? Is that why she is so miserable at the thought of mating to me? Are human men like
this? If so, she should be glad that she resonated to a sa-khui hunter. We do not mount females without their welcome.
I rub my chest thoughtfully. The purr there is both comfort and torture, but I am glad it is there.
Excerpted from Barbarian’s Mate by Ruby Dixon Copyright © 2023 by Ruby Dixon. Excerpted by permission of Berkley. All rights reserved.
BARBARIAN’S MATE by Ruby Dixon
The next novel in the international publishing phenomenon the Ice Planet Barbarians series, now in a special print edition with a bonus novella!
Josie has always dreamed of finding The One, but the hunter chosen for her is nothing like what she expected (or wanted)—but he might be exactly what she needs.
“Resonance” is supposed to be a dream—that’s when your soulmate is chosen for you. And every woman on the ice planet has hooked up with a big, hunky soulmate of their own—except me. So do I want a mate? Heck yeah. More than anything, all I’ve ever wanted is to be loved by someone.
But the soulmate chosen for me? My least favorite person on the darn ice planet. Haeden’s the most cranky, disapproving, unpleasant, overbearing male alien . . . so why is it that my body sings when he gets close? Why is he working so hard to prove to me that he’s not as awful as I think he is?
I hate him . . . don’t I?
Romance Science Fiction [Berkley, On Sale: July 11, 2023, Trade Paperback / e-Book, ISBN: 9780593639467 / ]
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About Ruby Dixon
Ruby Dixon is an author of Science Fiction Romance. She likes fated mates, baby-filled epilogues, and cinnamon roll heroes. She also likes to write biographies of herself in the third person, because it feels more important that way.
Ruby also loves coffee and dirty books and will probably be a cat lady at some point.
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