Of Another Dimension (26 page)

Slamming his fist into the floor, he let out one last guttural growl before he snatched his pants up and stormed out of the room, slamming the door shut behind him.

"What the fuck was that?" I asked the empty room, bewildered, horny, confused and completely unsatisfied.

I got up on shaky legs and made my way to the bed.

Crawling in, I laughed bitterly, shaking my head sadly.

Why on e
arth… or, erm, ‘Hell’, did I even contemplate the idea of anything with Teivel?

He
doesn't even know what he wants.

I thought about what I was about to do tonight and a sense of shame started to swell up inside me.

What will Kieve think of what you did tonight, Lil?

Dread settled into the pit of my stomach.

Kieve... wow, Lil, you really are a selfish bitch
, I chastised myself.

Your mate is out there, thinking your upset with him,
and sweet Sieren who's always treated you like a princess too, and here you are messing around with their asshole brother.

Mated to him now too.

....Well, erm, half mated... I think… I’m not exactly sure... but I do know I have to bite him back first...

I steeled myself and hardened my heart against it.

That is
not
going to happen
. Not if I can help it!

I'll pull out all of my damn teeth if I have to!

New resolution set, I tucked the blankets around myself tightly and tried to fall asleep.

Chapter 19

I woke up early the next day and groaned when I went to move and my body protested.

The large red arm that was slung over me gripped me tighter, tucking me tighter against a warm, solid chest.

I slid the arm off of me and slid out of my side of the bed. The tail that was curled around my upper thigh slowly slid from my leg.

Looks like Teivel snuck back in at some point and got kind of friendly.

Taking my clothes with me, I went into the bathroom and quietly changed.

When I came back out, Teivel was watching me avidly from the bed, his bare chest rippling as he sat up, hair still down, a glorious mass of onyx waves as he quietly studied me, yellow eyes full of wary curiosity

Hmph. He should we wary.

Chin held high, not making eye contact, I walked sedately out of the room and shut the door quietly behind me.

Let’s see how
he
likes being shunned.

I made my way to the kitchen and was surprised to find Gostach sitting at the table with a large mug in his hands.

Don't know why I'm surprised. It is
his
kitchen.

"Sleep well
, my sweet?" He asked kindly, smiling in a friendly way, but there weren't any sexual overtones in it this time.

"Sure," I muttere
d noncommittally and shrugged.

He offered me a mug of something and I accepted it without questioning the contents.

Fuck it, why not?

Hopefully it has alcohol in it.

I sniffed at the contents and Gostach chuckled at me.

"Sit
, sweet, I will not try to win you over anymore. I promise," he swore, surprising me.

I sat down in the farthest chair from him and he laughed, grinning at me widely.

"You are smart not to trust males, little Lil, but I am a mated male now and you need not fret over me anymore."

Oh
, shit! He mated Teila!

Hahahahahah!

Poor Gostach.

Hope he likes
‘em feisty.

I looked at him dubiously and he tapped the side of his nose.

"I can smell even better than a Sodraden," he informed me, getting an 'O' of understanding from me. "I could not only smell your fear of me yesterday, but the anger simmering in my friend Teivel at my advances towards you."

My mouth flapped open and closed like a fish's a few times.

He grinned unrepentantly.

"He is a fool and sometimes fools need a good shove," he said with a wink.

I tried not to let my relief show when he admitted he'd only been flirting with me to irk Teivel.

I wonder if it has a smell...

Can you smell relief?

Probably, if the small chuckle he let out meant anything...

Or am I that transparent?

Teivel came out just then, fully dressed, his hair in its custo
mary braid, swinging in a thick long rope behind him.

He strode forward confidently, determinedly making his way to the table.

He walked right up behind me and placed a proprietary hand on my shoulder.

"Gostach," Teivel greeted his friend, massaging the mating mark he'd put on me last night with his thumb.

I shivered and tried to shrug his hand off when Gostach turned to get Teivel a mug.

Teivel's grip tightened and I stopped squirming.

He better hope I don't get my hands on him later!

I swear
, I'll squeeze something so hard the head will pop off!

Get all cave man on me now, will he?

I won't embarrass him in front of his friend, but I'm not a doormat and I won't have any part of his 'hot one minute, cold the next' crap.

Teila stumbled down the hall.

Someone had a
hard
night, I thought, snickering inside.

She was wincing with every step she took and she was swimming in one of Gostach's shirts.

On me, his shirt was a nightgown.

On Teila's stick thin frame, it was a short circus tent.

Gostach hopped up and hurried over to his mate.

Teila shoved at him when he scooped her up and nuzzled her neck, careful so his horn didn't touch her.

"Hello, Teila, my heart," Gostach purred, "Are you hungry?"

At her glare he gave her a shit eating grin.

"For food, miquatka," he chuckled.

I craned my head to look up at him from my seat while he stood up with his woman.

"What does that mean? Miquatka?" I asked Gostach interestedly.

Teivel stiffened behind me.

"It is from the old language, not many speak it anymore, so your translator will not recognize the words..." he began, easily restraining a grumpy Teila as she struggled uselessly in his arms.

"I am not
your
anything!" she interrupted him. "We had sex, that's it! Release me, you beast!" she hollered.

"You chose me
, sweet Teila. You took me into your body of your own choice and now we are mated. Now you are mine," Gostach explained patiently, sounding happy as a pig in mud.

"What?!" she shrieked, "
I never would have slept with you if I had known that! Mate you? I did no such thing!"

He nodded his head, letting her know that 'oh yes, she had'.

"We must be going then," Teivel announced, pulling out my chair.

"You can't leave me with
him
!" Teila shouted, pounding on Gostach's meaty shoulder.

"Careful
, mate, I am not averse to making your sweet little bottom even more red than it already is."

Teila flushed blue and I couldn't help the snorted giggle that escaped me.

"I don't know what you're laughing about," Teila sneered. "At least
he
," she hooked a thumb at Gostach, "actually wants to be mated to
me
. My male didn't leave me before the deed could be finished! I bet he
couldn't
finish it and who could blame him."

"You eaves dropping bitch!" I hollered and lunged at her.

Teivel picked me up and secured me to his chest while I flailed around, raging, kicking and screaming as I tried to claw Teila's eyes out.

I called her every name I could thi
nk of and some I didn't even know that I knew existed as I cursed her all over creation.

Teila raged back at me, throwing anything spiteful and everything else she could come up with in my face.

Gostach tossed Teila over his shoulder and his hand made a deafening 'crack' that echoed in the tiny space as it landed over Teila's tiny, prissy little ass.

"Silence
, mate," Gostach commanded in his deep scary voice.

Teila cried out, but otherwise shut up.

"My apologies for my mate's behavior," Gostach said remorsefully.

His face hardened when Teila started up again and his hand came down on her rump even harder.

"Enough!" he roared and I jumped in Teivel's arms.

I felt silly dangling from his strong grip as all the fight in me left me, legs swinging uselessly a foot or so off the ground.

"If you'll excuse us," Teivel said quietly and set me on my feet.

"Of course
, my friend, and don't you worry. I plan on having a little chat with my female about the repercussions from when we ease drop on our friend’s private moments."

Teivel nodded his head, but said nothing.

"Until we meet again, sweet Lil," Gostach said with a nod to me and a wave at Teivel.

I waved and let Te
ivel lead me outside, his large warm hand on the small of my back.

I could still make out Gostach's voice as we headed to where Gostach had graciously put up our talanax for the night.

Teivel had planned on leaving them tied up under the eave so he didn't inconvenience his friend.

It wasn't ideal, given the weather, but when Gostach had heard what Teivel had planned he'd insisted they rest in his large barn out of the cold with the rest of the animals.

"Wipe that look off your face, mate, we don't sneer at guests!" Gostach barked out from somewhere in the house.

I smiled a little as I used the post by the barn to hoist myself up onto my mount.

"What are you smiling about?" Teivel asked as he hopped up onto his own talanax.

He gave me a look when he realized I wasn't going to ride side saddle, my dress rucked up around my waist, my stocking pants showing as I gave my talanax the command to go.

I'm not too concerned with whether or not he likes the way I choose to ride right now.

"Oh
, nothing." I smiled secretively, knowing it would bug the shit out of him.

Teivel's smile fell and his lips tightened.

That is
exactly
how we rode for the next few hours as we made our way home.

****

It was late in the day when we finally made it back and I wanted to kiss the mushy wet ground when we stopped and got ready to dismount.

I am going to be so sore later
, I thought as my muscles protested.

I grunted when I slid off and my feet thumped on the ground, grimacing as I tried to give myself a minute to adjust to standing up right after so many hours riding on the back of a talanax.

Of course, Teivel didn't have that problem and left me standing there while he took his talanax to put it up for the night.

We had both been seething at each other for almost the whole ride home.

Whenever he's upset he just shuts down and shuts the offender out.

How the heck can you build on that and why am I even contemplating trying?

And, naturally, his avoidance and flat out snubbing is pissing me off.

No, Lil, you're supposed to be shunning him
, remember?

There was a noise off into the distance and I looked up to see Sieren riding back on Licorice, my talanax.

I looked around expecting to see Kieve and even though I was happy to see Sieren, I was really disappointed my mate wasn't with him.

Sieren sped up when he saw me and pulled up right next to me.

He hopped down and picked me up, hugging me tightly to his massive chest.

"I'm sorry, chomcharra. Forgive me
," he murmured against my skin, placing small kisses along my temple and hair line.

"I missed you, ya big lug," I whispered as I hugged him back.

Sieren made a happy noise in the back of his throat and I chuckled at it.

It was true, I'd missed him
.

You never really realize how fond you've grown of someone sometimes until you've been given a chance to miss them.

"Where's Kieve?" I asked, wondering where my 'hunk ‘O’ love' was.

"He is almost done
. We finished sooner than planned and he should be leaving early tomorrow." He pulled back and grinned at me, studying me, taking me in, acting like he hasn't seen me in a year.