She stuffed another cookie in her mouth.
The movie ended, and oddly enough, Maelic looked moved by it. She cocked a brow.
“It was so touching that those two females found true happiness with their true mates.”
She snorted and nodded.
“Yeah, I mean… it’s not exactly realistic. Love isn’t instant like that.”
Maelic studied her, giving her a wry smile.
“It is not. Love is something that is built over time, yes. I also realize you humans do not have any sort of mating bonds to assuage doubt of commitment.” He tilted his head. “But it seems you do have bonds. Marriage, is that not correct?”
Delaney nodded.
“Yes. We do get married, but it’s not exactly the same thing. People usually know each other for years first.”
“What about your grandparents?”
“Well… it was different back in their time.” She shifted next to him. “They did get married quickly. Grandpa always said he knew when he saw Grandma that she was the one for him.”
Maelic cocked a brow, expression smug.
“A wise male, your grandsire.”
His hand closed on her arm, his thumb rubbing a soothing circle. Her heart skipped a beat.
He leaned down, breath tickling her ear. “I think I understand how he must have felt.”
She swallowed.
“Just let me hold you,astara. I will not ask more than that from you tonight. We can just talk.” His eyes held a vulnerability she hadn’t seen before. She couldn’t find it in her to say no.
She didn’t want to.
“Fine, I can do that much.” She leaned into his arms, relaxing. He was so warm, and the rumbling from his chest was soothing.
“Tell me about your life on Lunthra.”
Maelic stiffened. After a beat, he nodded. He took a breath—deeper than necessary, like he was bracing himself
“I left when I was only fourteen cycles old.” He paused. “I mentioned that I lost my parents, but there was more to it than that.” His voice took on a bitter edge. “We had left the planet to celebrate my parents’ mating anniversary. Just some galactic tourist fleet trip. It should have been perfectly safe, but things went very wrong. A slaver intercepted the voyage.” His jaw tightened. “Barvarti.”
He said the name like a curse.
“I was too young to do anything. My pheromones were entering a very unstable period, and I was not yet ready for my first damper mask. The shock and scents of everyone around me made things very difficult to control.” His voice went hollow.“I lost control of my senses. Couldn’t focus. Couldn’t fight. Barvarti’s males were everywhere, and I was useless.”
His jaw locked. She could see the muscle jumping beneath his skin.
“Barvarti grabbed my Papeer. I remember…” He stopped. Started again. “I remember my Papeer telling me to run. Begging my Mamir to run with me. But I couldn’t move. I was frozen.”
Delaney’s chest tightened. That nightmare.Run. Please—just run—
“My Mamir tried to shield me. She put herself between me and Barvarti’s weapon.” His voice cracked. “I screamed at her to stop. To just run. But she wouldn’t leave me.”
The silence stretched, horrible and heavy.
“Barvarti smiled,” Maelic said flatly. “He looked right at me. Made sure I was watching. Then he shot her. My Papeer lost his mind. Attacked. Barvarti shot him too.”
