Total pages in book: 79
Estimated words: 71832 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 359(@200wpm)___ 287(@250wpm)___ 239(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 71832 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 359(@200wpm)___ 287(@250wpm)___ 239(@300wpm)
"No, but the beach has not been invaded by snails since I got him, either."
"Fair enough."
I'm not sure where Dawn is, but I'm positive she's going to want her gear, too. I stuff it into the nearest basket, heedless of folding things or being organized. We can do that later. "Let me pack all this up and get it somewhere safe, and then we'll do your things."
"I don't have anything I need."
I look over at him and he's running a finger over Makana's narrow nose, his expression soft. It makes my heart melt. Why doesn't he ever look at me like that? If he did, I might not want to run away screaming every time he talks. Another thought hits me — will he look at our kid like that?
Fuck. I don't know if I'm ready for a kid.
I push the thought aside and focus on packing. "What do you mean, you don't have anything you need?"
"Just that. I can do without if I need to. A spear can be remade. A blanket, too. Your comforts are far more important than mine. Make sure you get your things and I'll carry them for you."
Okay, I take back what I said about wanting to run away screaming when he talks. That's surprisingly sweet of him. "Hopefully we're not going to have to choose. I'm sure there's enough time to gather up everything."
"If not, then we are the fools," he comments. "Devi's been warning everyone for weeks."
So she has. Some of the tribe have moved things into the caves higher up along the cliff line, but I've been busy. I also use everything nearby, so it doesn't make sense to put it away just to pull it out again. The way he says Devi's name makes something uncomfortable uncurl in my belly though. "Do you chat with Devi a lot?"
"Why, does it make you jealous?"
It takes all of my strength not to look over at him. "Of course not. We resonated. She has her own spouse. There's nothing to be jealous of." Even if it does make me feel strangely possessive.
"You told me to make friends to please you. Maybe I have been and you just haven't noticed."
As if. I'm highly aware of him when he's in camp. He can't twitch without my khui going off. Still, it does make me wonder why I'm reacting like this. Devi is just about the nicest woman on the beach, and she's far more interested in dead fish that wash up on shore than anything Valmir has to offer. "I'm just making conversation. Why do you have to make everything difficult?"
"Why indeed."
I grab the overflowing basket of Dawn's things. "I'm going to take this up to one of the caves and I'll be back for the rest soon. Wait here and watch Makana for me?"
"If I must." He keeps petting Makana's nose. "Are you having me watch your pet because I'm injured and you want me out of the way?"
"Yes. Are you confident enough in your own masculinity to handle that?"
His head jerks up at my abrasive tone and his eyes gleam with amusement. It's like the weirdness between us disappears and we're back to how we used to be. "I am very confident in my masculinity."
"Good," I tell him, defiant.
CHAPTER 14
APRIL
I spend most of the afternoon running between my hut and the caves designated as safe storage. There's always more to be packed up and tucked away, and every time I want to take a break, another nautilus is beaching itself, and it makes me move faster. I'm sure I could live without rolled-up hides that I haven't had a chance to turn into leather yet, or this pile of bones that will someday become tools, but with how difficult everything is to come by here, I'm not taking chances.
Dawn returns from a hunting excursion with Chalath, Jason and Natalie. She finds me hauling a basket of furs to the caves and I quickly explain what's happening. At her direction, Chalath takes the basket from me and hauls it the rest of the way. I put my hands on my hips to take a break, my shoulders and lower back aching.
"Holy shit, that is wild," Dawn says, putting a hand to her brow and gazing off at the shells on the shore. "I've never seen anything like it."
"I know. I don't think I was prepared for the reality."
"How can you be?" She shakes her head. "This is some crazy dinosaur shit. Devi must be having a field day."
Oh, she definitely is. Devi might be having the best day of her life. Whenever one of the gigantic nautili parks itself, she's out there with a length of rope, measuring the size and making note of it on a piece of leather. Her patient spouse trails after her, holding her things like the world's biggest lab assistant.