Bronto's Revenge (Barbarian Lust, #2)(6)

Jade chuckled and stopped near the pot. Ivy nearly plowed into her back but stopped short of colliding and embarrassing herself.

“A queen is a powerful woman. She rules her domain. Your sister is beautiful and one day she will rule the chieftain’s heart,” Jade said, turning around. “It suits her, don’t you think?” she asked, draping Ivy’s hair over her shoulder as Ivy’s mother used to do. “Just like baby doll suits you.”

Ivy rolled her eyes and held up her hands, palms facing Jade. “Don’t say it. I’d rather not know.” It was the first time she’d actually talked to Jade at length since Sledge, one of Ivy’s clansmen, forced Ivy into the Barbarian camp as bait days ago in an attempt to capture Wisteria. “I think heartless suits you.”

Jade grinned. “You have spunk. I think I’ll enjoy having you around.” She removed a bowl from the stone table and handed it to Ivy. “Grab yourself something to eat. We’ll clean up when everyone is finished.”

Ivy wiped her palms on her fur bottoms then grabbed the wooden bowl from Jade’s hand. The food bowl was larger than she’d been accustomed to. After the Flesh Eaters chased her clan from their original habitat in the lush meadows to the forest caves, the women rationed food. They survived on small portions while the men ate heartily to build and maintain strength in case another tribe attacked.

“Ivy, come sit with me,” Wisteria said, patting the ground.

Ivy nodded and lowered her eyes. As she walked toward her sister, multiple gazes eyed her up and down from her face to toes. One in particular disturbed her and caused the hair on the back of her neck to bristle.

“This spot is open,” Grunt said.

That was the one. “Thank you,” Ivy replied. “But I’ll sit by my sister.”

He grabbed her by the wrist as she walked by and yanked her slightly backward. “Sit down.”

If his soul was as cold and harsh as his hand, he had no heart. But she’d already known it if first impressions held true. “I said,” she uttered, tugging her arm free, “I’m sitting with my sister.”

Vulcan’s gaze rolled upward from a stick he was twisting between his fingers. Though his expression was calm and relaxed he appeared ready to jump and strike.

Ignoring the throb in her wrist from Grunt’s finger imprints, she quickly shuffled around the circle and sat down beside Wisteria, crossing her legs.

“Ack.” Birmon hopped off Wisteria’s lap, waddled to Ivy and sniffed the scuff on her toe.

“Hi, Birmon,” Ivy said. She lifted her arms, providing him room to snuggle in the space between her legs, but he lay down on the ground, stuck out his tongue and licked the blood off her foot. The wound disappeared right before her eyes. “Wisty, did you see that?” she exclaimed.

“Yes. I told you he’s magical. That’s how easily the slashes from my whipping disappeared.” Wisteria glanced at Vulcan, who was shaking his head, possibly in disbelief. “I guess he likes only women’s blood,” she concluded.

“I’d say so,” Vulcan mumbled.

“How do you know?” Ivy asked.

Vulcan bent his leg and rested his arm over his knee. “The little guy wouldn’t even try to heal my injury.” He winked at Wisteria and grinned. “He made me suffer through the pain and agony. For days I could barely move my arm.”

“You fib.” Wisteria elbowed him in the ribs. “Stop it. I feel horrible enough about that.”

Ivy looked at Vulcan, then her sister. “About what?” she asked, patting a yawn.

“I’ll explain later,” Wisteria whispered, rolling her eyes toward the others present. “It’s personal.”

The only thing personal Ivy knew happened between a man and woman was mating or making love. How could an injury relate to such an intimate act? Unless an accident occurred. In that case she didn’t want to know. Well, she did but she didn’t want all the details. Yes, she did. Any information she could ingest, whether good or bad, might help her understand more clearly what to expect. Her momma never explained it. She’d just said they mated to make babies. The little bit Wisteria previously described so far indicated pleasure.

Wisteria patted Ivy’s knee. “You look tired. Didn’t you sleep?”

“Not much.” Ivy took a small bite of the grains then set the bowl aside. She didn’t have much of an appetite. She never did when sleepy. “I stayed awake with Bronto, listening to the dinosaurs talk.”

Wisteria’s eyes widened. “The dinosaurs talk?” She swiftly glanced at Vulcan. “They don’t talk, do they?” she asked, then faced Ivy again. “They can’t talk.”

Ivy nodded. “They do. They make a humming sound. It’s very relaxing.”

“How do you know it was the dinosaurs?” Wisteria asked.

“Tyran. He thinks they were sourpods.”

“Sourpods?” Wisteria’s eyes again widened.

“The four-legged, big ones that eat plants.”

Vulcan chuckled as he took a stance. “Sauropods. If Tyran said they talk, then they do.” He offered his hand to Wisteria. “I’m going to start chopping down trees for wood to reinforce the huts. Would you like to join me?”

Wisteria nodded, latched on to his fingers and let him assist her to her feet. “Ivy, go take a nap. I’ll wake you in a while.”