Heathen

|30|

Barre

I am eager to get back to my den. The sun cycles spent traveling through the great woods goes by a lot quicker this time around. It's likely due to the fact that I am eager to travel fast, versus before when I did not want to give Elodie up, so I opted to spend as much time as possible with her.

The journey takes a scarce few days, most of it spent carrying my very pretty mate. Her legs are little and weak. Elodie would always have moments where she wanted to walk, saying she is well and able. I would allow it for a while, but always ended up scooping her up into my arms. I didn't have the heart to tell her it was because she was too slow.

As we get closer, Salsh starts to get antsy, and Elodie fights to keep up with the rasler and his never ending energy. I let myself grin. I find it freeing to be able to show my emotions here, because in the palace I had to hide everything I felt, unused to the crowds of males watching me.

Now though, I am able to smile and laugh as much as Elodie permits me.

My mate looks back at me, waving an arm to try to quicken me.

"Come on, Barre! Hurry up, slow poke." She insists, blissfully unaware that I'm walking to match her little human pace.

I allow myself my normal stride. My longer legs, and experience with the forest floor, has me surpassing Elodie much swifter than she had imagined.

"Hey! Wait up." I shake with deep laughter, slowing once more and throwing an arm over her shoulders.

"Make up your mind, tiny."

"I'm not tiny, you're just huge." Elodie insists, folding her arms over her chest as she stumbles over a tree root. "I'm actually considered tall on Earth."

I roll my eyes, not believing her. There is no way that humans come that much smaller than my mate.

Grinning, I realize I don't mind it at all. I like her being small. For one, she relies on me, for another, I can toss her around the nest easily. She also bends all types of ways, ways I never imagined. I find I like our nest play more than I ever thought possible.

I rake my hungry eyes over her. My kit may already be firmly planted in her warm little womb. We mate many times a day.

"Look! There it is!" Elodie's exuberant voice pulls me from my daze. I knew we were close to my home, but thinking of all the naughty things my little human female does with me made me too distracted to realize just how close we really were.

I halt, reaching for my mate's hand and squeezing it as she stops at my side. I look from her smile to the cabin. This is our den. Our future. Our life together. It's everything good that we have ahead of us.

Looking at all the land I own, I no longer see solitude. Instead, I picture little kits running around. I see my mate, rounded belly and orange hair, picking from the vegetable garden and smiling at me as I bring home a fresh kill from the great woods.

"Let's go." She urges, and I can never say no, so I let her lead me wherever she pleases.

Salsh immediately lays down on the front porch, and Eldoie stops to pat him on the head. The cabin is just as we left it, rain drizzling down onto the roof, not another person in sight or even remotely close by. No one will bother us here. It's just me and her.

We're about to walk through the front door when Elodie stops me with a little hand on my chest. Her fingers are nimble and warm, and I can hardly think when they're touching me.