The male who had spent the morning in her bed looked so disoriented and aloof compared to the fierce version who’d been between her legs the night before. His nostrils flared as he took in the smell of food. Her lips quirked up.
“Hungry? I made an Earth delicacy.”
He assessed her like she might be a landmine. His antennae gave an interested flick upward and he nodded slowly. The smell of syrup and coffee dominated the room. She wondered how those familiar scents would smell to an alien.
Awkward would be a generous way of describing the atmosphere as they ate. She chuckled at how he handled his fork, gripping it like she might hold a pencil. He paused, brows knitting together, and finally spoke up.
“Thank you for the sustenance… and last night. I was not myself…” His face darkened a little. “I apologize for such disgraceful behavior when you had only been trying to care for me.”
How did one respond to that?‘Oh, it’s no big deal. Thanks for giving me random but amazing head while you were in some sort of weird alien fuck frenzy.’
“Oh? Uh, it’s no problem. I definitely wasn’t expecting it but it was really nice.” Her brow quirked. “Is that how your kind say thank you?”
Maelic coughed on a bite of pancake.
“N-no.” He cleared his throat, looking everywhere but at her. “I was struggling with my biology. There was… a medical device. It was ruined during the crash.”
He paused, his wings twitching with obvious agitation. “Artaisan males are sensitive to pheromones. Without regulation, they can send us into ruts.”
“Wait, like pheromones? I think I read a book about that.” She leaned forward. “Are you like an alpha? Do you have an omega?”
He blinked, absolutely confused.
“What is an alpha?”
“Uh, well, you are pretty close to what I think one would look like… but anyway, it’s a fictional concept. Okay, so not an alpha then.”
“You also seemed to have a nightmare last night, something about Mamir? What does that mean?”
Maelic stiffened. “I rather not discuss this.”
Alrighty then.
Her gaze drifted to the window. The snow had finally stopped. When she looked back, Maelic was watching it too.
“I must get to my ship and assess the damage.” He stood, wings shifting. He wasn’t looking at her.
Her fork paused halfway to her mouth. He was leaving. Right. Of course he was.
“You should shower first! I managed to scrounge up some clothes for you.” She set the fork down, voice coming out brighter than she felt. “Then if you don’t mind, can I join you? I swear I won’t get in your way. But it kinda seems like a once in a lifetime deal to see an actual alien spacecraft.”
Those red eyes swept over her face, lingering like he was deciding whether this was a terrible idea.
After a beat, he slowly nodded.
“I find that to be acceptable.” He bowed his head.
Delaney smirked, widening her eyes in a way that wasn’t fooling him for a second.
“Oh, great. I think you’re gonna be a big fan of your new wardrobe.”
Chapter Six
Delaney
Fewthingscouldbeatthe sight of a giant mothman in a too-tight Christmas sweater. She held back her giggles but couldn’t keep the stupid grin off her face.
“Oh! That looks so good. Does it feel okay? You know”—she looked pointedly at his wings—“for those bad boys?”
