After a few minutes, he heard Asha sigh. Her whole body relaxed. She sniffled once, then pushed his arms away to stand. When she pulled up her shorts, Uh'luka turned his head away in shame. She put on her sandals and headed for the door then, but paused when she saw that he was following.

"I won't be gone long."

Even knowing how upset she was with him, he still intended to follow her to the market.

"I think it's better I go alone."

Uh'luka growled in disagreement.

She tried to slip out of the apartment, but he wouldn't let her close the door. She scowled, "No, you stay here."

When she took a step, so did he.

Asha turned around to shove on his stomach, "Stay inside."

Uh'luka cocked his head at her.

She groaned and dropped her hands. She'd have an easier time pushing a bus than moving him.

Uh'luka followed behind her, closer than her own shadow. He splayed his mandibles at any male that so much as glanced at her. He was so engrossed in guarding her that he didn't notice she was taking a detour to the market. They ended up crossing narrow rope bridges and walked spiraling ledges around the canyon.

Over the years, the walkway had eroded. Uh'luka pressed his back against the stone wall and shuffled sideways to continue. As petite as Asha was, it wasn't necessary for her to do the same. She turned to see if he was still following, then picked up her pace.

They reached a collapse in the tunnel that had once gone through the rock. Asha didn't slow. She ducked under the boulders and wound her way to the other side. Uh'luka ducked under the rock but was still too tall to pass. He had to drop to his knees and crawl.

Uh'luka had never been to this deteriorated part of the city, but the ooman seemed to know where she was going. They came to a broken bridge. Tree roots had followed the rope across the short gap. Even though the rope had worn away, the tree now formed a way cross.

Asha climbed up on the entwined roots and began walking across. His lungs stopped when she wobbled. Her arms lifted up at her sides and she regained balance though. Uh'luka stepped out onto the tree roots, listening to them creak. He didn't get halfway before they snapped under his weight.

Even though he drove for the edge, he couldn't gain purchase on the rocks. It was a short drop to the bottom, but pain jolted through his back. The ooman was there immediately. She leaned over the edge to check on him. When he lifted to his feet though, she turned away.

His lungs seized. He was in the shadow of the canyon, looking up at the sunlight. It was all too much like being down in that cage. The flood of memories made him frantic. He leaped onto the wall and started climbing, but the rock crumbled under his hands.

He could hear her footsteps fading. She was leaving him behind. It made his chest hollow and his guts wrench. He hadn't realized how much he hated being alone now. It made him want to howl like a Yaut pup that had been separated from its mother. Uh'luka resisted the urge to pace and began looking for a different way up.

She felt a pang of guilt at leaving him down in the trench. She told herself it was for the best though. Asha could already see him making a scene in the busy market—whether it was because a vendor was male, or the open-flame torches some had inside the tents. Being shadowed was flattering, but she had to admit it put her on edge. Asha could breathe easier knowing he wasn't tagging along, and the trip to the market was quick.

She was just leaving when she heard tiny yips and whines. Asha shifted the bag of groceries onto her hip and looked around. She didn't see any animal cages but walked around the tables anyway. There was a growl, then a paw reached out from behind the tablecloth. Asha crouched and lifted up the cloth.

It was just as she had expected, a Yaut pup. Seeing her, it ran to the end of its chain and growled. The little thing lifted onto its toes, trying to appear bigger than it actually was. Asha smiled. She dropped the cloth onto its head and looked up for its owner.

"Is the puppy for sale?"

"It is."

"How much?"

The owner pointed to a sign on the table.

Asha grimaced. The price was higher than she expected. She had to be careful with her spending. Her allowance covered bare necessities, and already Uh'luka had devastated her groceries.

"I also take trades."

Asha didn't have much in the apartment, "What would you take? Furniture? Appliances?"

The male eyed her for a moment, "I'll give you thatYaut pup free, as a gift. I only ask for a favor in return."

"Really? Oh...what sort of favor?"

"I'm leaving on a hunt and would like someone to let the hounds out for me twice a day."

"I can do that! No problem!"

He touched a few buttons on his wrist device then brought it closer to hers, "There, my contact was sent to your device. Let me know of your owner will permit you—"

"I don't have an owner."

"I didn't mean to offend you. I merely assumed you were a servant running errands."

"That's ok. I'm just recently blooded…"

"Well then, I'll be contacting you with more information."

"Sounds good."

Asha lifted the tablecloth to peek at the Yaut hound again. It was already curled in a ball, asleep. Its leg kicked like it was chasing something in its dream. Watching a couple hounds for a while wasn't a bad price to replace Ain's hound. She was sort of looking forward to it.

When she went home, Uh'luka opened the front door before she could put her hand on it. His chest rumbled at seeing the bags of food in her arms. He bent forward, sticking his face into the closest bag. She heard him inhale. Uh'luka straightened with a snort, then turned and stalked into the house.

"Don't act so repulsed. It's just fruits and veggies."

A lazy growl rolled past his teeth.

"The meat will be delivered at regular intervals. That way you can't engorge yourself."

He huffed.

As she put away the groceries, a wall of heat settled against her back. Her movements slowed. For as big as he was, Uh'luka could be unnervingly silent. There were no footsteps, no sound of breathing. It made her spine tingle with a sense of danger.

While his body was normally cold-blooded, an internal heating system kicked in when aroused. She knew better than to tease him, but she couldn't help herself. Asha took a step back as she straightened. He was as solid as a statue. His thighs, his abs, his pecs were all as hard as stone.

Asha let her eyes close for a brief moment before tearing herself away. She cleared her throat and shut the pantry door. She couldn't stay in the house with him. They both needed a distraction. His heat was still at her back as she walked to her room, but he stopped at the doorway.

She grabbed her training gear. Once she had the shin guards laced up though, she realized that they were actually the smaller forearm guards. She undid them in a hurry and they knotted. He had her flustered. Asha let out a breath, considering a cold shower before training. Since she'd just need another one after sweating though, she proceeded to suit up.

As she grabbed weapons off the nightstand, a purr floated to her ears. She put the dagger in its holster and turned her head just enough to see Uh'luka. His toes didn't cross the threshold, but he was leaning inside the bedroom to watch her. As his eyes looked her over, the vibratory noise grew louder.

Asha put her hands on her hips, "You're more turned on by me in armor than a bikini, aren't you?"

His chest rumbled.

"That's an odd fetish."

He cocked his head but continued to purr.

As she walked towards him, his nails dug into the doorframe. His eyes dilated, making them seem darker. She froze. Her gaze was on his massive chest as it expanded and contracted rapidly. She fought the urge to back away and gave him time to relax instead.

The tense state didn't last long. His shoulders lowered and his breathing slowed. Uh'luka took a step back, getting out of her way. As she brushed past him, he leaned towards her with a purr but nothing more.

"I'm going to training. Please don't get into trouble."

"I'm going with you."

"No." She didn't look back at him as she headed for the door.

"Asha—"

She saw him move and figured he'd try to block the door. She jumped forward to reach it before he did. Instead, his fingers closed on her wrist. He yanked her back and with the forward momentum she'd gained, her shoulder made an audible "pop". When she cried out his grip released, but it was too late. Pain wrapped around her shoulder.

She sucked a breath in between clenched teeth. When she tried to move the arm, pain fired up. She whimpered. There was a noticeable, but small dip in her shoulder now. There was no doubt it was dislocated.

Uh'luka lifted his hands to her, and she shrank away, "I have to call Zagros, he'll know what to do."

"I can fix it."

Uh'luka got closer, forcing Asha to take steps back, "No, I'd rather have 'The Machine' fix it."

"It isn't necessary."

He backed her into a corner and when she tried to turn, he held out his arms to trap her. Uh'luka gripped her good shoulder and guided her to a chair. She pictured him violently yanking it back into place like they did in movies. It made her sick to her stomach thinking about the pain she'd be in. She winced when he grabbed her arm.

"Relax ooman."

Her leg curled around the chair as she grimaced, "Just do it."

"Inhale."

She took a shaky breath while gripping the armrest with her good hand.

"Exhale."

She slowly breathed out through her nose but curled her toes in preparation for pain.

"Ooman, you must relax. What I'm about to do won't hurt."

"Pfft! You have a much higher pain tolerance!"

Uh'luka crouched in front of her. She cringed when he moved her arm, placing it so her hand rested on his shoulder. His fingers slid up her arm, gently massaging her muscles as they went. He applied pressure to her shoulder, pinching the muscle at the base of her neck. Her face puckered.

"Does that hurt?"

"Not yet."

"Then relax."

As he continued, Asha said, "That's not helping."

"Sit up straighter."

Once she did that, he moved her hand onto his shoulder more, raising it slightly. His hand moved up and down her arm, gently squeezing the muscles as he went. After a minute, she had no choice but to relax. All the sudden, her arm slid back into place. It was an odd sensation, feeling it move back into the socket, but it didn't hurt.

"How did you do that?"

Uh'luka sat back with a hum, "I've treated many of my own injuries."

"How am I not surprised?"

As he stood up, Asha slowly moved her arm, testing it. Almost all the pain had vanished. There was just a little residual soreness. Asha beamed up at him. She'd have to keep that trick in mind.