Page 24 of Sweet Giant

She laughed again, her green eyes twinkling bright.

“What about you?” I asked. “What sort of mischief did you get into as a child?”

Her smile faded. “Well, I didn’t really have a chance to get into any mischief. Money was tight and resources were scarce, so I had to go to work at an early age. At just six years old, I swept floors and cleaned bathrooms in a restaurant where my grandmother worked. She would also homeschool me during the evenings after we got home from work, which left me with little free time. I wish I had some funny stories to tell you, but I can’t think of any. I’m afraid I was rather boring as a child.” Her gaze turned distant. “It wasn’t a bad childhood, though. I loved my grandmother, and we took care of each other.”

“Is… your grandmother still alive?” I asked.

She shook her head. “No. She had a stroke several years ago and passed away. I miss her.”

“I am sorry, sweet one,” I said as I caressed her locks. I didn’t know what a stroke was, and I decided not to ask, but my heart ached for her loss, nonetheless. How tragic that she’d lost all her family members.

“What about your parents and grandparents?” she asked. “Are they still alive?” She gave me a comforting look as she placed a hand upon my chest.

“Sadly, they have all passed on from this life,” I said, “though I hope to one day reunite with them in the Afterland.”

Despite her obvious fatigue, we talked long into the night. Whenever I would suggest she close her eyes and get some sleep, she would grace me with a gorgeous smile and say, “Just five more minutes.” This happened at least ten times, and it became a joke between us as the hours passed and we continued exchanging stories about our lives.

She asked about the pokklam berries and where they came from, and I told her about the huge crop that thrived in the Starblessed’s communal cavern, as well as the smaller quantities that could be found inside hollow tree trunks at all times of the year.

“They grow by the light of sun moss,” I explained. “The walls of our cavern are covered in sun moss, which keeps all the alcoves and corridors well-lit. Many of the human females who’ve joined our tribe have expressed surprise upon seeing how well-lit the cavern always remains.”

“Wow, it really never gets dark in the cavern?” Her fingers curled into my fur, and she shifted on my lap, causing a delicious friction against my cock.

“The cavern remains illuminated year-round, though during the winter, the light grows slightly dimmer. It stays warm most of the time, too. It rarely gets cold enough that the human females need to wear a coat or a blanket.”

“Oh, well that’s a relief,” she said. “I don’t like being cold. I don’t like the dark either. I always sleep with a light on.”

I leaned down to smell her freshly washed hair. Beneath the faint floral aroma, I could easily detect the wetness between her thighs. It increased each time she wiggled in my lap.

“Are you ready for sleep yet, sweet one?” I asked in a teasing tone.

Her eyes glimmered, showing a brief glow of green. “It’s nearly two in the morning. I suppose I ought to get some sleep, or I’ll be a zombie tomorrow.”

“A zom-bie?”

She grinned. “Oh, a zombie is a dead person who walks around moaning and looking for brains to eat.”

I reeled back in shock. “Dead people cannot walk.”

She chuckled and smoothed her hand over my arm. “I am joking, Mastorr. Zombies aren’t real. I was just telling a joke. What I meant was—I’ll be tired and grumpy and not quite myself if I don’t get enough sleep.”

I grinned and playfully nuzzled my nose to hers. “Go to sleep, sweet one. Let me hold you as you drift off. We’ll talk more tomorrow.”

Chapter20

LIV

When I awokethe next morning, there was no sign of Mastorr. I’d half-expected him to hold me all night as I slept, though he must have put me in bed and pulled the covers over me at some point. His minty scent lingered in my bedroom, in the halls, and downstairs.

I moved from room to room, calling his name, even though that was sort of silly. I mean, huge as he was, he wouldn’t be difficult to spot in this tiny cabin. There weren’t any places he could hide.

My gaze went to the bay window that faced the stream. It was still snowing, and the house creaked and moaned under the punishing wind. Worry clutched my heart. It was a blizzard out there.

Why the hell had Mastorr left the cabin?

Had he gone fishing or foraging for food? Yesterday, I’d made it perfectly clear that he wouldn’t need to go out for a while. I’d even showed him the contents of the pantry and the fridge.

How long would he be gone?

---