“Let me tell you of the offer made to me today,” he murmured.
The pleasure that bloomed on her face as he told her of Nargis’s proposal was almost as sweet as tasting it on her skin. Almost. His lips caressed her again, sipping at the flavor of her with his stroking tongue when she threw her arms around him in excitement.
Borth could not yield soon enough for him.
Chapter 11
Crystal took another bite of the fruit-filled pastry that had been set in front of her. The fact that Grish was watching every single bite with great interest only enhanced the appeal of the experience as she made a subtle show of sucking the fruit filling from the utensil and licking it clean with relish.
Not that she wouldn’t have done that anyway.
It was fabulous, definitely the best pie she had had in quite a while. It was strange to consider that something like pie would be an intergalactic concept, but she supposed there were only so many ways one could make a doughy pocket filled with goodness. The fruit itself was unfamiliar, with a sweetness added that cut through the natural tart flavor. It was like eating a pie made from Granny Smith apples.
As she devoured the last bite, she regarded the female Wanit seated at the other side of the table. It was strange seeing her up close. The gray of her skin was less Area 51 steel gray and more a soft, buffed hue that contrasted with the scarlet braids that fell over her shoulders. She wasn’t wearing red this time, though a red cloak had initially covered her pale yellow dress. Despite a simple design, like a long tunic, it was embroidered with so many tiny beads accenting the work that Crystal felt plain sitting next to her. And Talimia could cook!
Well, Crystal couldn’t hold that against her. She had fed her, even if the female stared at her as if she were afraid that Crystal would jump her and try to eat her as well. Smothering a chuckle, Crystal licked her lips, catching the last traces of flavor with her tongue.
Catching Grish watching her, she winked at her mate, earning a lascivious grin for her effort as she shifted uncomfortably in the chair. It was almost gratifying to see that he enjoyed it as much as she did. Poor Borth was missing out on the food and a show. That performance didn’t even need any acting on her part. Gods, it was good. If anyone deserved to be awarded the honorary title of Martha Stewart of Antari Minor, it was likely Talimia.
With a longing look at the other goodies laid out on the counters, Crystal put her spoon down with a satisfied sigh before smiling at the other female. Although Talimia was obviously shy, the female’s gray skin stained with a purple flush at her obvious pleasure—and likely some of Crystal’s food flirting with Grish—as she returned her smile.
“That was wonderful. Thanks, Talimia.”
“You are quite welcome,” the female replied, a brilliant smile breaking out across her face. “Nargis and I appreciate what you were able to do with our programming, and in so little time, too. This was the least we could do. I am very glad you enjoyed it.”
“We enjoyed it very much, didn’t we, Grish?” Crystal teased her big mate, to the delight of their guest, who muffled her laughter behind a hand.
He chuckled and nodded in agreement before kissing the top of her head and discreetly clearing the dirty dishes. As much as she loved to tease him, she appreciated that he angled his body so that their guest wouldn’t get an eyeful of the large erection straining against his pants. Not only because it would mortify the Wanit, but because as the days passed, Crystal was feeling increasingly possessive of her males—even Borth, despite his pigheaded avoidance of her.
It really wasn’t even because they made an effective barrier against the Calystii. She hadn’t given them much thought as of late. No. She genuinely enjoyed being with them, despite being stuck in the middle of nowhere. Even that was starting to look up after meeting the Wanit neighbors. Maybe she would actually be able to do something useful.
It would never be a hopping metropolis, but just how much was she going to miss the lights and parties? It wasn’t like there wasn’t a town. Besides, linking in was where everything was at, especially with alien tech. Once she was able to link in, it would open worlds up to her, even on a farm. She already knew that Grish had put in an order for the equipment.
Overall, she was starting to feel hopeful.
The only thing that cast a shadow over things was the knowledge that her position was tenuous at best. She wasn’t really their mate, and regardless of her presence, she knew that Borth and Grish could still be considered eligible males. It was frightening knowing how fast things could change, though it wasn’t something she was about to admit to anyone.
It would help to allay her worries some if Borth started responding to her methods. He was avoiding her, no matter what torment she set up for him. Just that morning, at early hours so that she knew he would not yet be out of his room, she hacked into the comm system in his room to give him a personal wake-up call. Through the comm, she could hear him curse her soundly, but he refused to speak directly to her and, as far as she could tell, ignored the incident completely.
Stubborn male.
Grish leaned down and brushed his nose against her jaw affectionately. She didn’t even try to resist melting into his touch. At least he wasn’t a difficult nut to crack. He wasn’t shy about his interest in her nor about showing affection.
She loved that. He seemed to know exactly when she needed that extra physical contact.
“I am going to step outside and join Borth and Nargis—if you will be all right?” he murmured against her skin.
She wanted to roll her eyes because it wasn’t like the Wanit was going to try and murder her. But at the same time, she wanted to crawl into his arms, grateful that he was making sure she was okay when she was feeling a little emotionally vulnerable.
At her nod, she felt his lips pull into a smile before they brushed against her in a feather soft kiss. “Good. I believe that my friend is getting ready to bring out the tansil. We will enjoy a pleasant smoke while you… do female things,” he finished uncertainly.
Crystal watched appreciatively as he left the room, then turning finally to fully face the other female. With the Wanit’s nice clothing and incredible homemaking skills, Crystal realized she didn’t know what to talk about. What could she possibly have in common with her? Generally, she had a hard time making friends with other women, even among humans.
“I guess we’re supposed to do female things. Not sure if I know what those are.” She laughed uncomfortably. “My skills involve more tech than socialization with other women. In fact, my abilities in the latter and most things my mamá would have considered part of a woman’s daily life are pretty lacking. I may be able to plug into the systems and do some mean coding, but there’s no way I could ever have made all this wonderful food.”
There. Might as well go for blunt honesty.
To her relief, the other female didn’t appear shocked or dismayed at her admission. Instead, Talimia’s smile widened with amusement, her shyness dissipating in the face of Crystal’s honesty. The female leaned forward, her dark eyes sparkling.
“My guess is that they expect us to do the exact same thing that they are, except in the comfort of the kitchen rather than walking around in the dirt and mud. The scenery is lovely, but sometimes I am not certain what exactly I am supposed to do any time I go out my own door.” She chuckled, her low, throaty voice comforting Crystal. “Wanmira has such spaces, but I was raised in one of the largest cities of our province. Sometimes all of this space is… overwhelming.”
Talimia shrugged and pulled out a long, thin silvery pipe tipped with a small bowl. It looked delicate, with beautiful engravings of flowers with small inlaid gems. Crystal would have assumed it must’ve been for something else if she hadn’t watched Talimia place a small, sticky lump in the bowl. Even that she produced from a decorative container that she retrieved from a small, ornately stitched pack on her belt.
“It is the way life is here. I do enjoy the peace of being able to do
as I like without fretting over the expectations of my family. They did not approve of Nargis because he was from a lesser family. He grew up doing all of this but came into the city for trades. When I saw him, I knew that he was the one I had to hunt.”
Crystal startled. “I’m sorry—did you say you hunted him?”
The Wanit grinned, displaying surprisingly sharp—though small—fangs.
“In my culture, the females select the males they wish for as mates and engage in the hunt. We pursue them and demonstrate our interest. Traditionally, this was done with the assistance of one’s sisters and closest friends. We track and corner the male so that she can safely pin him and make her proposal. The male runs to prove their strength and ability to provide. It is expected of him, even if he chooses to decline the female. It is considered a great insult to not run at all. My family did not support my choice, and my friends abandoned me because if I mated with him, I would no longer retain my position in our society. But I hunted him all the same, and Nargis gave me a long and difficult pursuit. He is a worthy mate,” she finished with a satisfied smile as she brought the pipe to her lips.
Crystal watched in fascination as Talimia pressed a small button on the pipe that made the bowl glow as it heated the sticky substance. The female took a puff on it before allowing a spicy-scented smoke—that reminded her only vaguely of a seasonal mix of clove, ginger, and cardamom—to escape from her mouth in an elegant stream.
“How long was this hunt?”
Talimia licked her bottom lip thoughtfully, fondness burning in her eyes. “Five glorious months. He took me on quite the chase,” she answered with a laugh.
“I guess I shouldn’t feel so bad that I’ve been here for a few weeks now and still haven’t managed to get Borth to stop running away from me,” Crystal muttered under her breath.
Another peal of laughter left her companion, letting her know that her new friend had definitely heard her.
Damn, were all aliens so sharp?
“My Nargis has spoken often of your Borth. Says he has never met a male who so desperately wanted a mate but was terrified of actually acquiring one. He had offered more than once to introduce him to daughters and sisters of business acquaintances, but Borth has always rejected the idea, no matter how much interest he appeared to show. I am glad that Grish found a way to work around it, but now you must hunt your male. It is not easy to hunt alone—I know that much from experience.” She sighed as she handed the pipe to Crystal.
Crystal glanced down at the small pipe. “This isn’t a narcotic, is it? I’m not really into doing drugs. I tried acid once just before linking in with a virtual reality unit in my youth, and now I prefer to keep my mind under my complete control.”
“No, there is no harm. It is a pleasant sensation breathing it in because the smoke is cool and refreshing. It is good for relaxing,” Talimia added with a small smile. “But do not feel obligated if you do not wish to partake. Not everyone enjoys spice.”
That didn’t sound all that bad, though it was hard to link the scent of the spices to anything like what the other female described. Curious, Crystal put the pipe to her lips and pushed the button as she drew in a small amount of fragrant smoke. It was like breathing in the cool spring air after a rain as it filled her lungs. Even her tongue tingled as the smoke passed over it. She smiled and attempted to hand it back, but her friend put up a hand and produced a tiny yellow sphere.
“Wait. Try it this way first. I do not have many of these left, and I will have to make another order to our homeworld, but you must try it with the zanilo. It comes in many different flavors, but this is my favorite. It enhances the flavors and adds a fruity bite. Just place it under your tongue.”
Crystal did as instructed, and a small shiver of pleasure ran through her, the fruity, citrusy flavor bursting over her tongue, mingling with smoke as if she were eating the most decadent dessert.
“This is amazing!” she said with surprise and returned the pipe. “I’ll bet smoking with another chunk of that pie stuff will be epic.”
The female’s eyes danced with laughter. “Ah, yes, it’s quite good with ombranel, if that is the pie of which you speak. Perhaps we should have a bit more.”
As they enjoyed additional slices of ombranel, they continued to pass the pipe back and forth. Crystal had never felt so relaxed without her mind also feeling sluggish and sleepy. Instead, she felt like she had just enjoyed a wonderful sauna. She felt so boneless and comfortable that not even the tiny tremors bothered her. After the last few days, she had almost become accustomed to their daily occurrence. Whatever their source, they didn’t seem to be going anywhere and weren’t strong enough to be any kind of inconvenience. Most times, she could barely feel them.
Talimia sat back with a content sigh. “So, tell me of your hunt.”
Crystal filled her in on everything she had tried, and the female nodded thoughtfully.
“You have done well by making sure you are on his mind every day. I have known some females in solo hunt who have used this strategy with particularly elusive males. I would perhaps remind you that the hunt is as much sensual as it is presence. You want him to be eager for you and yearn for you even though he is running.”
“Sensual, huh?” Crystal said around another puff of smoke.
“As for your attempt to appeal to him through food—well, I can help you with that. I will teach you myself. I will send you a complete list of what you will need to acquire from the market so we can begin daily lessons.”
Crystal stared, a warm feeling settling within her. “You would do that? Are you sure it won’t be an inconvenience?”
“Not at all,” Talimia retorted cheerfully. “I am actually looking forward to it. It will be good practice for if Nargis and I manage to produce offspring—Wanit breeding cycles being as infrequent as they are. I do hope to have a daughter to pass all my knowledge on to one day. Until that day, I have you. We can start in a week. It will give me time to prepare a menu of where to start.”
A grin stretched over Crystal’s lips. “Sounds like an excellent plan.”
Chapter 12
Crystal hummed over her datapad as it communicated directly with Borth’s personal viewing screen in his room. She was due to start her cooking class in two days, and now Grish told her that Borth wasn’t going to go with them to the market. She hadn’t even fucked with him at all for a couple of days, hoping to see if her sudden absence would bring him out seeking her—out of suspicion if nothing else. It hadn’t worked.
This avoidance thing was getting out of control. It had been several days since she last saw him. For such a big guy, his ninja skills would have been laudable if he weren’t pissing her off so much. Which brought her to her current act of vengeance.
Or rather, hunting, as Talimia put it.
In fact, with no response from Borth at her latest tactic, she was finally taking her friend’s advice. The Wanit had kept in touch almost daily through comms, to see how things were going and to encourage her. She had heartily approved of Crystal’s plans. And although it was no worse than any of her other tactics, this one was bound to push in a way that the others had not.
It even pushed her out of her own comfort zone. More comfortable in the digital world than the physical world, she never felt particularly sexy or desirable.
Now she was using it to further her ends with Borth and prayed that it worked.
Despite her awkwardness over what she was about to do, she felt no shame at all over it. She wasn’t ashamed of her body and had too much to lose if she didn’t win. Sure, she still had her escape plan if all else failed, but that little taste of the way things might be with the Ugaar brothers, they had occupied her thoughts nonstop for weeks now, her imagination growing increasingly erotic.
The kisses she shared with Grish were starting to frustrate her more every day, ramping up her desire and leaving her unfulfilled. Lately, she had begun imagining that Borth was with him and the things the males might do to h
er if given full rein. That had been a revelation for her as she realized just how much this hunt was affecting her. She already knew that she wanted him, but the erotic fantasies were making her urgency—and Borth’s absence—more keenly felt, especially knowing that Grish was holding back, waiting for his brother.
Although she wanted them and wanted to be a part of their family, she wasn’t one to lie to herself and insist she was in love with them. She didn’t know what she felt. She wasn’t even sure if it was Grish’s thorough wooing and reluctance to move their relationship on to the next level that made Borth more appealing than he might have otherwise been to her. There was also the possibility that she was reading the entire situation wrong and he truly didn’t want her. If that was the case though, he was going to have to have an actual full conversation with her and spell that shit out.
Until then… Well, she didn’t want to miss out on finding what could possibly be a forever kind of thing. Was it wrong to want at least a taste of what it could be like, of having a family for however long she could, if nothing else?
It may have been masochistic to push the issue because if he truly didn’t want her around, this was all going to backfire. She couldn’t ignore that possibility. Yet she couldn’t resist reaching for it all the same. The fact that he was the biggest, grumpiest male she had ever met didn’t dissuade her in the least.
She always did have the problem of wanting to have what she was told that she couldn’t.
Borth drew her to him despite the fact that he kept himself isolated with his pain, wearing a big invisible ‘fuck off’ sign presented to the whole world. She got that and respected it, but she also saw how close he was with Grish, and she wanted that too. For whatever reason, she wanted to be one of the people he desired to keep close, to shelter beneath that big snarly defensive barrier he carried around with him.
Teril's Fire: A Mate Index Alien Romance (The Mate Index Book 12) Page 9