Barbarian's Treasure by Ruby Dixon

Author:Ruby Dixon [Dixon, Ruby]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Romance, Alien Romance, Science Fiction, Erotica
Publisher: Ruby Dixon
Published: 2020-04-30T16:00:00+00:00

15

MEGAN

I weep uncontrollably, burying my face in the snow like a child.

“Come, come,” Cashol says in the gentlest voice. “Your tears hurt my heart, my mate.” He rolls me onto my back, and when I can’t bear to look him in the eye, scoops me up and carries me, bridal style. “Let us get out of this snow and get you near a fire.”

I shake my head, because I can’t imagine being carried back to the cave like a baby after one freaking day of hunting. No one will ever let me live this down and the tribe will make fun of me. “Please don’t take me back just yet.”

He considers for a moment, then changes directions, heading farther away from the main cave. “There is a hunter cave in this direction. We can rest there.”

“Thank you,” I tell him as I shift in his arms. I notice he’s got his spears and his pack on his shoulder, and I feel like such an ass for letting him hold me. “I can walk.”

“No.”

Surely he can’t mean to carry me the entire way to the cave? “Cashol—”

“I said no, Meh-gan,” Cashol repeats, tone firm but gentle. “Allow me to carry my mate.”

I let him carry me after that, because I really don’t want to pick a fight over something I don’t want to do. I’m achingly tired, and very aware at how out of shape I am compared to him. He’s just bounded over these snowy hills like they’re nothing, whereas it feels like an utter slog for me. It’s just another thing for me to worry about. Like, what if the rest of the tribe feels I can’t keep up and they leave me behind to die?

A fresh round of tears erupts and I bury my face against his neck.

“Please, do not cry, Meh-gan,” Cashol murmurs as he walks. “I cannot stand it when you weep. If it was possible to let the hopper go, I would have, but it truly was not fair to release him wounded like that.”

I just cry harder, because he really thinks I’m upset about the hopper. That I have such a tender heart that I can’t handle killing things. Which…I do. But the tender heart is not the problem as much as I’ve been thrust into a society that I don’t fit into, and I worry they’ll find out I’m dead weight and get rid of me. I’m not as full of perseverance as Georgie, or as athletic as Liz. I’m not as sweet as Nora or as chatty as Josie. Ariana doesn’t fit in well because she cries a lot, and I’ve seen the exasperated looks people toss in her direction.

I don’t want those looks directed at me.

Each time I fail at something, I feel…awful. Worthless. And it just adds to the stress of fitting in. But I don’t want Cashol to know that. I don’t want anyone to know that I’m struggling. I just want to blend in and be happy.

So I swipe at the tears icing up on my cheeks and try to smile.

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