Total pages in book: 25
Estimated words: 23407 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 117(@200wpm)___ 94(@250wpm)___ 78(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 23407 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 117(@200wpm)___ 94(@250wpm)___ 78(@300wpm)
Surely, she could scent the spice with undertones of sweetness laced in it? And when her little nostrils flared, the way her pupils dilated told me it was taking effect on her in the best of ways.
“This isn’t my home.” She rolled her shoulders back and tipped her chin up.
I watched with pleasure at seeing the defiance on her face and the strength and fire in her eyes. We said nothing, knowing the situation wouldn’t be solved overnight or for the duration of the storm.
Instead, we let her stand where she was as the three of us made our way into the meal-prep area.
We’d seen humans throughout our years, knew how they lived, observed their creature comforts. We were animals in every sense of the word… cooked on an open fire, bathed in the river, slept on furs on the ground.
We needed nothing but our female. But we knew Goldie would want things she was familiar with, comforts to help with the transition of her being with us.
So we’d built what the humans called a kitchen. There was a large basin where fresh water could be poured into it. We built a stove, they called it, with a piece of metal sheeting atop the open flames where we could cook raw meat for her.
Such modern things were certainly convenient for humans but not something we particularly cared for. But it was no sacrifice. We just wanted Goldie to be happy. We wanted her to know she was ours, and that there was nothing and no one who would take her from us.
Although we were on the other side of the cottage and she was still in the hallway, we could see Goldie clearly. Ursid went about making porridge, and Bruin was cleaning the fish. I set the furs over the back of a chair, planning to cover our beds with them to ensure Goldie was warm throughout the storm.
We argued about which room she’d stay in, at least at first, but we wouldn’t force her. She could pick her own; although, inside, I wanted her in mine. It was the biggest and the one that had the most room where I could devour her in the best of ways.
I knew all three of us wanted to go to her, but we stayed back and focused on preparing a meal for her. I gathered fresh water earlier and went about setting the table. This was something we were unfamiliar with—eating this way.
But we’d watched Goldie throughout the years, seen her do these actions. She'd eaten at the table like we crafted for her, and while she enjoyed her meal, she would read what we knew were called books.
Once the fish was prepared and the porridge was done, I gathered fresh berries and set them in the center of the table. And then we stood back and watched her. She wasn’t in the same spot; she had moved closer, her curiosity saturating the air.
“Come and eat,” Bruin said. His voice was gruff and growly, but I knew he meant nothing aggressive by it.
Still, I shot him a frustrated glance and silently told him to be gentler.
“I’m not hungry,” she whispered almost instantly, and right away, her stomach growled.
Ursid chuckled and pulled out one chair, his long claws gently scraping the wood.
“Come sit, our sweet, little female. Let us feed you.” He made sure his tone was softer, or as gentle as creatures like us could speak.
She still didn’t move, although she eyed the food. Her stomach rumbled again.
“We’d never hurt you,” I finally said. I turned and moved toward the shelf that held a few of the books I’d taken from the village. The covers were soft, brown leather, the pages aged parchment in a yellowing shade.
“Do you not remember us? Remember who led you back home?” I watched the act of her little pink tongue moving along her full lower lip. “We’ve been watching you, Goldie. We’ve been protecting you, making sure you were safe.”
I could see the way her breathing changed, picking up a little. The truth of my words was not lost on her. She knew who we were. She felt that instant connection, had for as long as we’d been watching her.
But we were patient, painfully so. We waited... figuratively and literally.
All three of us took a step back, waiting for her to feel comfortable enough to come forward. Finally, she let out a deep breath and crept closer.
I wanted to growl in pleasure, let her hear me purring in contentment. But I held it in, knowing the noise might have that wall going back up in place.
She stopped several times, eyeing us and then the food. Her belly rumbled in response to the sweet smells and sight of the warm dinner.
Although I tried to keep my desire buried deep, there was no stopping my arousal at having Goldie near. I was fully erect, my cock throbbing, pre-cum a steady drip out the tip, landing on the wooden floor at my clawed-feet.