The rest of the meal passed awkwardly but not unpleasantly. Maelic frowned. He was seriously considering begging the female to join him. He couldn’t imagine leaving her here. She would lose this land—then what? While he had no doubt she could bounce back and survive, he wouldn’t stand for his mate’s life being mere survival. Even if she never touched him again, he would never let her struggle alone. He’d be damned to leave her like that. X-Zone planet or not.
She stood, collecting plates. He watched the way she moved—efficient but tired. The slight slump in her shoulders when she thought he wasn’t looking.
“Want to see the tree?” she asked, voice brighter than her expression. “I wanted to wait to decorate properly, so we could do it together. Maybe even watch some Christmas movies.”
She was trying to distract herself. From what, he wasn’t sure. The farm? Their earlier conversation about Lunthra? Him?
Maelic raised a brow but nodded. He’d follow wherever she led.
He’d attempted to cheer her up this morning, but it had been more complicated than he understood. Who could have guessed there were specific decorations for a dead tree?
His eyes flicked to the stand and it finally clicked.Oh, these humans have a specific device for that.
He also noted she’d kept his choice of decoration up.
“I see you kept my work. What else could be done here?”
Delaney laughed and moved to a plastic box. She opened it and held up a glittering green glass ball. “This is an ornament. We hang these on the tree. Along with wreaths, lights, and other decorations that vary by family.” She smiled.
“I don’t understand the purpose.” He frowned and leaned forward to investigate the box himself.
“Well, Christmas trees symbolize life and family. There are many reasons to have one. I can’t tell you the exact reason, but that’s why we always put one up. It’s tradition. You put presents under it. Well—” She paused, searching for words. “For children, it means Santa and presents.”
“Santa?”
“A mythical being who brings presents to children on Christmas Eve. Comes down the chimney.”
Maelic felt a growl build in his chest. An intruder bringing toys to his young? What if they were tampered with?
Delaney stared at him. “He isn’t actually real, Maelic.” She burst into laughter.
“Oh. You lie to your young, then?”
“It’s part of the magic. Not every family celebrates this way.”
He nodded, not truly understanding but not going to push it. Who was he to question someone else’s customs?
He reached down and picked up a sprig of something artificial. He turned it this way and that. “What is this?”
Delaney looked startled, then recovered. “Oh, that’s mistletoe.”
“Mistletoe? It’s fake, but based on a real plant, yes? Is it like the tree?”
She laughed. “Kinda. You hang it on a door, and if you and someone else go under it at the same time, you kiss.”
He blinked. “Kiss?”
“I know you’re a virgin, but kissing? You don’t know what that is?”
He shook his head. The word translated through his cipherbots, but the action was foreign. Pressing mouths together seemed risky, but he paused. Humans didn’t possess fangs or poison in their mouth cavities like other species. His cock twitched at the idea of pressing his lips to Delaney’s soft ones.
He lifted the mistletoe over her head with a small smirk. “Does this count?”
She laughed and shook her head, seeming a little flustered. She’d kissed his cock with gusto not even a few hours prior. He raised a brow.
“Yes, it does. Alright, fine.” She laughed and leaned up, eyes drifting shut.
He leaned down and experimentally pressed his mouth to hers. It was fine. Pleasant, even. He was about to pull away when he felt that hot little tongue of hers slip out against his lips. He moaned and opened his mouth, granting her access. He cupped her face, kissing her back harder, his tongue wrestling with hers, her moans going straight to his cock. He growled and pulled back, breathing hard.
