His tone made Aradella push past him to see what was stopping him.
In front of them, there was a wide stream with crystal clear water. On the far side, lying on the ground, was Tanek. He was partially hidden by plants, but they could see that his upper half was bare.
Kaley, wearing Tanek’s shirt that hung halfway down her thighs stepped out of the bushes. She was holding what looked like a glass of red wine.
Mekos and Aradella were about to turn away when they saw Kaley pour the wine onto Tanek’s bare chest.
“They’ve had an argument,” Aradella said and looked away.
“No,” Mekos said in an odd voice. “They have not.”
Aradella looked back. Kaley had dropped to her knees and was licking the wine off Tanek’s chest. “Oh,” Aradella said. “That’s...”
Mekos took her hand and tightened his grip until it hurt, but she didn’t protest.
When Kaley’s mouth moved down to below Tanek’s navel, Mekos and Aradella hastily and awkwardly hurried back into the bushes.
“We should go the other way.”
“Yes,” Aradella agreed. “Do you think people are looking for us?”
“I’ve heard voices but not many and not close. We’re only here for a few days so maybe they’re giving us peace. I smellfruit. Let’s find it.” He hurried down another path, this one more narrow than the other one. They didn’t say so but they didn’t want to encounter his father and Kaley again.
They found a tall tree filled with little red rambutan hanging in clusters. Aradella watched as Mekos lifted himself off the ground and tossed down a pile of the fruit. She tried to split the little bulbs with their soft spines with her thumbnail. Mekos pulled a knife out of his boot and handed it to her. She slit the skin, removed the translucent fruit, and showed him how to eat it around the seed. He smiled warmly at her.
They sat side by side under the pretty tree, eating and listening to the sounds around them. Mekos could pinpoint where every critter was, even the big beetle that was lumbering through the grass.
Suddenly, he moved faster than she’d ever seen anyone move. In one swift action, he pushed her to the ground and rolled on top of her. When she started to protest, he put his hand over her mouth.
With his other hand, he pushed back his hair and she saw his pointed ears twitch, then stop. They seemed to home in on a sound.
He was lying fully on top of her, his body tense, as though he was preparing to leap up. His face was a study in concentration as he listened. His breath was so slow, his body didn’t move.
Aradella heard nothing. She just looked up at Mekos, his face inches from hers, his hand still on the bottom half of her face.
After minutes, his body went limp—but he didn’t get off of her. “I think it was Bear Boy. This is my fault! I wasn’t paying attention and he got too close.”
Aradella’s heart was beating hard. When Hale had explained to her about men and women and procreation, Aradella said it sounded awful. “The man is larger. He’ll crush you.” Hale had smiled. “No, he doesn’t,” she said, her eyes seeming faraway. “Not heavy.”
With Mekos on top of her, Aradella understood. He didn’t feel heavy at all.
He was looking at her face. “Your lashes and brows are dark near your skin, but lighter at the top.”
“I dye them to make myself as plain as possible. It’s not good to make a queen jealous.”
He looked at her for a moment longer then rolled off of her. “I didn’t mean to startle you, but I had to cover your scent with mine.”
Aradella sat up. Her whole body was vibrating. “You couldn’t just talk to him?”
“I doubt it. That boy is half bear. His father is a full bear, which is dominant. I don’t know how he’d react to finding humans out here alone and I don’t want to risk it.” Mekos sighed. “There are more Lelys here than I’ve ever seen before.”
“Women are here with no men, so I guess they get lonely.”
Mekos made a swipe at his hair, exposing a pointed ear. “I know about being lonely.”
“I don’t,” Aradella said. “My life as a princess is a joy. Utterly without problems.”
He laughed. “Let’s see more of this place. I think there are houses and people this way.”
