Chapter 14

It's still early in the day but I've got a lot to do before I'll be ready to leave again. I need to get as much as I can from the boat and the women need to pack all the stuff they'll want or need for the foreseeable future. Looking at them again lying there looking so peaceful fills me with joy but I need to wake them up. I know from the time when they were passed out before that I could be on top of them going at it and that wouldn't wake them. I looked around the dimly lit hut for inspiration when I noticed the water gourd!

I won't make an ass of myself and splash them with water to wake them up. If I don't scare them to death doing it, they'll surely be pissed at me for doing it so rudely. Maybe if I splash some water on my hands and rub their neck with it, I could get a reaction out of them that wouldn't involve them being pissed at me and possibly cutting me off.

I tried it first on Ines. I lifted her upper body so she would be sitting up and sat myself behind her so she'll be reclining on my chest when she wakes up. I splashed some water in my hands and rubbed it on the back of her neck gently massaging it at the same time. I kissed the side of it and whispered in her ear. "I love you Ines."

Her head moved a little bit but she was still out. I tried again but this time I let the water flow directly on her neck with one arm while holding her up as close to me as possible with the other. It worked! "Oooh ... what ... eh ... ah..."

She turned her head to look at me behind her but my lips were waiting for her. I kissed her on her cheek first, then I brought the hand that was holding her to her face while she moved her body a little to be more comfortable in what we were doing and I realy laid a deep kissed on her for a few seconds then I backed off.

Her eyes were still glazed a little from not knowing where she was or what was going on around her and she was short of breathe but that was more from the kissing than anything else. "I love you my sweet angel, but we have a lot to do if you want to see Forina and our new mate Grindelle today,"

She shook her head from side to side a few times to get the confusion out of it then really looked at me. Her eyes cleared up and a smile appeared on her face. "You did it again my wonderful mate and to all three of us." She was looking at the two other beside her. "They sure look happy!" Then at me. "Are you going to wake them up also?"

"I'll leave that to you if you don't mind. You girls need to pack up everything you want and need. We'll come back here from time to time and probably often but we won't live here anymore. I could tell you a lot more about where we're going to live but I would rather like for you girls to see it with your own eyes before I tell you anything. The way you guys live here and the way of life over there is very different. Here your people live as gatherers, foraging for greens, fishing and hunting sporadically but where we're going they live more with Farming and hunting plus they have a way of storing the meat so that it stays cold and fresh much longer."

Her mouth and eyes were wide open from the shock at what I was telling her. "Wha ... what is 'farming'?

Maybe I said a little too much too soon about that place and I can't just keep calling our new home 'that place' also. I need to find a name for our new home and I think it'll just be something like Newtown just to make it original. "The people in Newtown, that's the name I just made up for the new place, well the people there take the seeds from what they want to eat and put them in the ground in a way that is easy for them to collect when the time is right for it.

There's more land that is clear of brushes and threes so they can plant a lot for everyone to have enough. The down side when you accumulate food like that is that you have to defend it against the ones that don't want to work for it."

"And you want to go live there." It wasn't a question but I nodded all the same.

"It will be better for Blas and Pia there not even mentioning for us but to be honest, I don't really have a choice. I killed the leader that was holding our people there and in doing so made myself responsible for the people living there."

"What about the people living here Rock?"

"What about them love? I asked Andres to come with us and I'll invite any who wants to come live with us and like I said before, we'll be back here often. The more we are the easier it will be to farm for food and to defend Newtown. I really think this will be a better way to live for all involved dearest." She smiled at my terms of endearment.

"So you want us to pack everything?"

"Yes my love but I need to go get a few things first so I'll let you wake up the two sleeping angels and I'll be back in a few hours to lead everyone that wants to go to the ship ok?"

"What is there for you to pick up and where are you going?" She had that frown on her face telling me she didn't like that at all.

"You know I didn't come from here love. When I was sent here, there was a few things that came with me like the rifles. I need to get everything that can help us live a better life and defend Newtown." Her face softened a little. I wasn't out of the woods yet! "I'll be back as soon as I can and then we have a sea trip to take." Now she was smiling. I may just come out of this unscathed.

"Ok, I'll wake up the two sleepy heads and join you on your trip." I wasn't sure which trip she meant. The one to the diving boat or the trip to Newtown but I got out of the hut without any more questions from her.

One look outside told me a lot was going on. The people that have been reunited with each other were around the new huts. Many were tending something cooking on the rock slab over the fire. The kids were making new friends all over the place. The older ones were sitting on the logs around the fire talking and some of the younger were running around while others plaid that game with the bone pieces that I have yet to figure out. But all around me was smiling faces which makes up for a lot of the pain and suffering that's been going around lately.

I spotted Pia with the bunch playing with the bone pieces. She was having fun and I didn't want to interrupt her so I went to see Andres first. Once in front of his hut I called out to him. "Andres! Are you there?" There was no reply. I didn't exactly shout but I know I was loud enough to have been heard from the inside, so I peeked in.

Andres was on his knees between Maia and Raquel. He was looking at them both with worry in his eyes while caressing their faces. I took a few steps inside and said "They'll be perfectly safe brother."

He didn't even look up at me. "Are sure?" He said with that same worry in his voice now.

"Yes my friend. Absolutely sure. Not only will they be fine but they will love you more for it."

"I won't doubt you because I don't want to but now what do I do with them. Do I wake them?" If it work with Ines...

"Get Maia in a sitting position with you behind her." He was kneeling by her side so all he had to do was lift her up a little and turn himself so he was behind her.

"Now what?"

I took a water gourd they had and gave it to him. "let some of this drip down on the back of her neck." I shouldn't of said 'drip' because that's exactly what he was doing, letting the water drip down too slowly to have any effect. "A little more at a time brother."

Her head started to move up and I was the first thing she saw looking up. In retrospect I should of gotten out of there before he started to wake her up but what could I do. I didn't get a chance to do anything because she started to speak before I could do anything.

"What? ... Where?..." Then she looked at the arm around her and turned back to look behind her. "What uh..."

"I love you." Was all the little fucker said when she looked at him, but damn if it wasn't the best thing he could have said to her at that moment. My heart swelled when she put her arms around him and planted a big kiss on him.

"You my mate will so be lucky tonight you won't believe it! But what is Rock doing in our hut. He wasn't here when you started on me." She was asking him but he just looked at me and shrugged, begging with his eyes.

I laughed inside but dare not show it. "You were out for more than a little time Maia. When I came here looking For Andres no one answered back so I came in and saw you already asleep. I showed Andres how to wake you up and now we have to wake Raquel."

"Yes we do!" She literally pushed him to it. "Get to it Andres!" I didn't hear any of the sting that she usually put in her voice when she asks him stuff. I don't know if he did, he might, because he looked at her for a few seconds before placing himself behind Raquel.

A few seconds later we had a waking Raquel but this time the first thing she saw upon waking up is Maia right there holding her hand and caressing her face. "I ... HE!..." She tried to say more but Maia interrupted her.

"Shuuut Raq, I know. It's alright ... Feels good doesn't it" I saw the smile light up her face. Yep, Andres did good.

She did about the same thing as Maia did before and turned and kissed Andres who looked at me, a little stun. It was my turn to shrug, but this time I couldn't help the smile that crept up on my face.

I know I was pushing it but I had to. "Did you tell them?" I asked Andres. He looked at me like I had punched him in the stomach. I tried real hard to keep a straight face I swear, but failed miserably so I turned around quickly before the women saw me.

"Tell us what?" Came out of both their mouth at the same time. It's uncanny the way it came out and when I turned back to look at them, they both had the same expression on their face. I wondered for a second if it was a thing with these women mated to the same man. I'll probably never know.

"Well ... It's about ... uh ... When we got there..."

"Andres ... out with it ... please." Maia paused before saying please. I knew it wasn't in her habit to do so and for her to even talk softly like she was proved to me that she was changing.

"We ... well not me but rock..." he had a hard time getting out what he needed to say so I helped him some.

"What he's trying to say is that in taking over Newtown, that's the name I gave the new place anyway, we had to kill a few men and in doing so Andres and I gained a new mate." There's nothing like going directly to the point in my opinion.

"You did!" That was Maia.

"We did?" That was Raquel.

"Yes I did, well we did, all three of us..." He said grabbing their hand in the process. " ... but she's not like us."

"What do you mean 'she's not like us'." Maia asked with Raquel nodding in support.

"She doesn't look like us. Her name is Samira by the way and she is the daughter to the new mate of Rock. I don't know how to describe her really, she's like ... like..."

I had to help again. "Ladies..." I paused to get their attention. " ... why don't you wait to meet her..." I didn't get to finish. I think they both realized at the same time that Samira might be close.

"Did you bring her with you?" This time it was Raquel that spoke first.

"Where is she?" Asked Maia right after.

Andres raised both his hands in surrender. "No I didn't bring her with me and before you ask why..." He took a big breathe. " ... I didn't bring her because we're going there to ... eh Newtown like Rock said." He wanted to say more but they both hugged him at the same time.

I decided to cut the celebration short a little. "Now if you ladies don't mind, I need Andres for some time."

"Can you pack everything we need for a few days Maia." Asked Andres and both of them nodded at the same time. I still say it weird when any of them do or say something synchronized like that.

"Do we need to pack any food?" Maia asked him and he looked at me.

"No we don't. There's more than enough food there and we can hunt for more later, I'm sure." I answered for him.

"Then we have little to pack." came from both of them.

From behind me. "We're already done packing!" Fatima said as all three of my mates came inside the hut.

The five women rushed together for a group hug and started whispering like they didn't want us to hear. I looked at Andres and shook my head at the door hoping he'd understand. I didn't even get two steps towards the door before we were stopped by Maia.

"Where do you think you are going?" Maia said making sure we heard her.

We both turned towards them. I pointed to my chest and innocently asked "Me?" And I swear I heard Andres say the same thing at the same time. I looked at him and he was still pointing at his chest like me. NOW this was getting downright scary. For the women to do that is passable but for me and Andres to do that is just not natural.

"Both of you yes!"

I looked at Andres wanting to make sure that I wouldn't speak at the same time he did. He just pointed at me.