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Hruk’s brow furrowed as he considered this.
“And maybe you never would have met me and saved my life,” Serenity added.
Hruk took her in a strong embrace and claimed her mouth with his. For a long moment, the forest and wind and chirping birds seemed to disappear, and all that was left was the joining of their lips.
At last, Hruk broke their kiss. He stood up, picked up his knife from where it lay atop the boulder, and slid it back into the sheath on his leg.
“Come on,” he said.
He took Serenity’s hand, and together with Jagga and Grodd, they made their way back down into the canyon below.
CHAPTER 38: SERENITY
There were still several hours left before it would be time to take up their battle positions within the tunnels. The remaining time was to be spent resting in preparation for the ambush that Alyx had planned and the fighting that would come after.
Serenity and her three companions were provided with a small private room underground. The space was cramped and there were no windows. The only light came from a few tallow candles that reeked like bacon grease, and the only comfort came from the bedding of dry straw scattered liberally over the stone floor. All in all, it had the feeling of a dungeon cell, but that didn’t bother Serenity one bit. As long as she had her three mates by her side, that more than made up for the uncomfortable accommodations.
Her ukkur mates.
Their massive bodies filled the small chamber with warmth, and their presence filled her mind with a sense of security and protection.
For the first time in a long time, Serenity felt truly serene.
She knew she should probably be anxious about the coming battle. Alyx’s plan was a good one, but something could always go wrong. However, Serenity had a deep and abiding sense that it was all going to work.
Jagga had left most of his and Grodd’s belongings back in the forest that morning. However, he had brought with him one small satchel of goods, which he was now rummaging through. He pulled out a few fleshy green stalks that reminded Serenity of aloe leaves. Jagga broke one of the stalks, and sure enough, the inside was succulent and flowing with a clear viscous fluid that had a sweet smell of nectar and citrus.
“You got a lot of sun this morning,” he said to Serenity. “This will soothe your skin.”
Jagga was right, she had gotten a lot of sun. In all the excitement, Serenity had not even thought about it. But now that Jagga mentioned it, she noticed that faint tingle in her skin that usually turned into a mild sunburn.
“Hold out your arms,” Jagga commanded.
Serenity obeyed. Jagga squeezed the broken stalk over her arm, spilling a liberal amount of the fluid over her skin before proceeding to rub it in. The stuff had a slightly oily, gel-like consistency that felt amazing. Serenity probably could have applied the ointment herself, but she rather enjoyed the sensation of Jagga’s strong, lubricated hands sliding over her bare skin.
“How does that feel?” he asked.
“Feels…good,” Serenity answered in Jagga’s language.
“Good.”
After slathering one arm in ointment, Jagga went to work on the other. Then he moved around behind where Serenity was sitting, swept her hair around to her front, and started massaging the oil into her shoulders. The combination of the slippery fluid and Jagga’s strong fingers made Serenity groan with pleasure, and she leaned back into the sensual massage.
One of the straps holding up her top fell down her shoulder. The other followed a moment later.
“Jagga,” Serenity whispered. “Shouldn’t we be resting?”
She was wearing the translator device, which meant Jagga could not understand her English words, but he must have gotten the gist of what she said because he responded, “It’s important to be thorough, Serenity. I don’t want to miss a spot.”
He pushed her top down and rubbed more of the gel onto her bare back. Then his hands smoothed around her ribs and cupped her breasts. Serenity didn’t think she had gotten too much sun on her front. After all, she had been bent over Grodd’s shoulder most of the morning. But she didn’t complain about that now.
Jagga’s hands moved in slow circles, coating Serenity’s breasts in the fragrant oil. He gave extra attention to her nipples, rolling them between his fingers until they were nice and hard.
By now, Hruk and Grodd had taken notice. They knelt in front of Serenity, watching intently as Jagga rubbed her down.
Their loincloths tented with arousal.
“Guys,” Serenity whimpered. “We really should be resting—oh!”
