“I’m excited to meet your sister. I’m a little sad that she’ll think I’m a low-intelligence species and a pet.”
He started up a soothing rumble and ran a hand up and down her back. “It won’t be for long. This is probably the last time I’ll ever see my sister, and I want to be able to say goodbye.”
She let out a long breath. “That’s sad too.”
“It’s not as sad as you think,” he countered. “She probably won’t be the same person I remember from childhood. I’m sure she’ll be civil and perhaps even cordial, but that will be it.”
She huffed out a laugh. “So now my sadness switches again. I can’t imagine being indifferent with my family. Sure, sometimes they drive me crazy and occasionally we get into arguments,but I’d never treat any of them like an acquaintance instead of family.”
He didn’t know how to respond, so he hummed and pulled her fully on top of him. She snuggled on his broad body, her face against the bare strip of skin at his neck.
“You’re the best bed,” she murmured.
He sounded the rumble she called a purr. “You’re the best blanket.”
“It’s like we were made for each other,” she said, her voice fading as she succumbed to sleep.
“We were,” he whispered, overjoyed to be holding the most perfect human that ever existed. “Every day I’ll do my best to deserve you.”
Chapter 10
Han
The thick jungle flew past them as the leaper took long jumps over the dense greenery. She caught flashes of movement and occasionally heard a yowl or growl loud enough to pass through the leaper’s armored body.
She leaned forward to talk to the Leemron operator. “Nothing can get to us, right?”
The catlike Leemron hissed out a laugh. “Only a herd of nafty could bring us down, but it’s too early in the season for them to be this far north.”
Han was a station and city girl. She’d rarely ever dealt with wilderness or wildlife, so the Leemron’s assurances didn’t calm her.
“Do they have accurate calendars? Could they accidentally move north sooner than they’re supposed to?”
The Leemron hissed again, making Han realize he thought she was joking.
She wasn’t, but she let it go. The operator wasn’t concerned, so she shouldn’t be either. She tried to relax back into the chair, but the moment she heard another strange animal sound, she sat bolt upright, gripping the armrests with white knuckles.
“Han, are you well?” Zeph asked. “Is the motion making you feel bad?”
Before she had a chance to answer, he picked her up and snuggled her onto his lap. His hibiscus scent surrounded her, familiar and comforting.
Although last night was the first time they’d been intimate, it felt like they’d been together forever.
“I'm fine,” she said, snuggling against him. He rubbed a cheek on the top of her head and the scent got even stronger.
Despite their time in the cleansing unit that morning, Zeph’s plating was still bright red. She looked forward to when he returned to his natural sand-like coloring. Now that she’d realized how lax security and law keeping were on the planet, she didn’t bother using the thinsill to hide herself.
She’d felt even more relief when she talked to the Leemron operator and found out Sandar and her husband were the only Talins on the planet. A research group was scheduled for next year, but that was it. The Leemrons on the planet weren’t interested in anything but either surviving or studying the wildlife.
Something banged against the belly of the jumper, making her jerk in Zeph’s arms. “What was that?” she cried out loud enough for the operator to hear.
“Nothing to worry about,” the Leemron answered. “Sometimes the tiffors that live in the trees attack the leaper. They’re harmless.”
“I doubt that,” she mumbled, gripping one of Zeph’s hands in both of hers.
Zeph stroked her back with his free hand. “You have nothing to fear. I’ll protect you.”
“That’s sweet,” she said. “I’ll get to see you get eaten first.”
