“She seems wise,” he says thoughtfully.
“She would love to hear that.” I can’t help but chuckle. She was a realher way or the highway type.“God, do I miss her.”
I barely notice the tear falling down my cheek until Kitaico is there, swiping it away. We’re so close that I can hear the dueling rhythm of our heartbeats.
“Do you miss her?” he asks, his breath fanning on the side of my face as he tilts his head.
“More than anything,” I sniffle.
“I’m sorry. It’s not the same, but I miss my family too. The males are taken from their homes to be raised together as hopefuls. I haven’t seen my mother in many years.”
I want to ask him what a hopeful is, but I don’t know if I have the willpower to step back and explain it using gestures.
“Would a kiss help?” His tentacle touches my hip, pulling me closer.
Help, hell no. Would it make me too horny to function? You betcha.
I put my hand on his chest, pushing him gently away.
“No.” I shake my head with a forced smile. I don’t want him to think I don’t appreciate the gesture, but I need some time to think about what all this means. I push him back against the lone stool until he sits.
Distract him, he needs it as much as I do.
I turn back to the wall and begin to paint next to my grandmother’s portrait.
I look over at him, trying to understand his proportions and adapting them to my knowledge of human anatomy. His tentacles, especially the longer ones, are super fun to render in this medium. The appendages’ width is as wide as my thumb and made with grand sweeping motions.
I rough out his eyes, glancing back and forth between him and the art, and see his smile grow.
“That’s me!” he says in a wave of pure excitement only someone as genuine as him could pull off. “You’re perfect.”
I smile, knowing that this isn’t really my best work, but accept the compliment all the same.
“You should see what I can do with a needle and skin,” I laugh as I continue to paint.
11
a great honor
It’s beendays since I shared the kiss with Leeenuh, and I can’t stop thinking about how she felt against me.
I tie off one restraint to an anchor point in the craggy ceiling. I get a bit of the bioluminescent dust on my hands as I do and wipe it on my bare chest. Pulling the rope to test its strength, I slide back onto my knees into the nest. My body weight doesn’t threaten to break the rope, so I’m satisfied with my work.
Leeenuh has been waiting patiently for me to rig everything up. She inspects everything with squinted eyes before shrugging and sitting down on the bed next to me.
We’ve gotten into a routine as we ready ourselves for her next heat. When we wake, I prepare food and Leeenuh uses the relief hole and brushes through her fine mane before splashing fresh water on her face and rubbing her body down with one of the torun sponges.
Her grooming habits are always interesting to watch, especially as she cares for her mane. She’s told me it’s called hairuh, but it reminds me of the Fi’len mane. The Fi’len rule the planet that the Korlyan Moon orbits. Their heads are crowned similar to Leeenuh’s, but unlike hers, they don't hold water.
When she wets her mane, it’s soaked for hours.
We mainly work on the restraints, or she helps me with storing and sorting the dried dredlin. Then sleep and repeat. I won’t pretend that resisting her isn’t a challenge, but even in the midst of mundane tasks, I’m pleased to be in her presence.
But there’s always an edge, a line I know I cannot cross. I don’t know if her heat approaches or if I’m just being driven mad when I think her scent is stronger, more enticing than before. I stare at her body. Even Leeenuh’s breasts seem fuller than yesterday.
Leeenuh has been agitated since late last night. She fidgets constantly in her sleep in the nest while I rest in the tidal pool meant for my future children’s nursery. I know the basics of matehood, that I will rut my female until her belly is swollen with my young, but there’s so much I feel unprepared for.
“It will hold,” I tell her confidently, because I know it will. I’m glad of it, as I have no desire for Leeenuh to injure herself as badly as she did before. She nods, shifting uncomfortably next to me.
