I stare at him. Calloor is the last person I’d hook up with. Why would he even think I’d be interested?
Eskar makes a growling sound that makes the hair on my arms stand on end. “My mate has chosen me.”
I roll my eyes. “I haven’t chosen anyone. We haven’t been here two days yet. You can’t be that hard up, Calloor. And you…” I point at Eskar. “I’m going to pick your barb out of my ass. Ava, with me.” I stalk off behind a tree and undo my flight suit. “Get the thorn out of my butt.”
Ava squats and studies my ass rather too closely. “Are you sure it was this side? There’s no thorn. Maybe he didn’t sting you?”
I bite my lip, wishing that were true, but I remember the heat of the sting. My butt cheek throbs, and I touch the exact place where it should be. “There, is there anything?”
She’s quiet for a moment. “A tiny white mark, no bigger than a fingernail.” She touches it with the pad of her finger.
“Ow.” I immediately cover the spot with my hand. But when I touch it, it doesn’t hurt. “Shit. He’s right, my body has metabolized his barb, whatever that means.” I pull my flight suit up. “What now?”
Ava draws her gun. My eyes widen—I’d never taken her for one of those human purity believers.
“It wasn’t my fault. Don’t shoot me.” I lift my hands.
The blast streaks past my head, and I cringe too late.
“I’m not. I just shot dinner.” Ava stalks into the darkening forest.
Chapter 7
I’m notready to return to the others. I don’t want to be anyone’s mate. I want to go home and slot back into my old life. The one where I know what I’m doing, and what’s expected of me. I know how to do my job. And I have learned that men only like me for as long as I’m useful.
Calloor doesn’t have the balls to make a move on Ava, which is why he’d settled on me. Honestly, even if he was the last human on this planet, I wouldn’t. Not that I’ve even been thinking about what would happen if we aren’t rescued.
But I can guarantee that Calloor would dump me the moment the rescue ship appears in the sky. Men like him are always looking for the next girlfriend upgrade.
I stalk back to the camp.
“Where’s Milford?” Wright asks. He’s standing with the bags like he’s guarding them.
Eskar is sitting at a table and chair that looks like it was once part of the ship but has been repurposed to outdoor furniture. He stands when he sees me, eyes wide and hopeful.
“Ava shot something and called it dinner.” I hook my thumb in the direction I’d come from.
Harding heads off to help her.
“I don’t think she wants help,” I call after him. But he seems to know her better than I do. They’ve been a team for longer.
“Did she convince you to stay with your own species?” Calloor grins.
I glare at him as I walk past. “You have no chance.”
“When we’re rescued, I’ll make sure everyone knows what you did.”
I stop and turn. “I’m not doing anything. I’m talking to the Paohl, making friends.” My body wants to get very friendly with Eskar, whatever is in the mating barb is potent. “You are the one trying to get into my flight suit.”
“Give it a few weeks and you’ll want some of this instead of blue boy.” He leans in closer. “You don’t even know what’s in his pants.”
I’ve had dry spells that lasted for months. A few days won’t break me. I couldn’t imagine begging Calloor for anything. Eskar on the other hand… “Why don’t you try being useful?”
“Is that what you look for in a man? What did he do besides sting you?” There’s a sneer in his voice I don’t like.
“Saved my life when I was drowning.” For that I at least owe Eskar a conversation about the mating barb—that and I’d like some answers. I join him at the table and sit opposite.
We face each other in silence for several breaths. “So, there’s no thorn in my ass.”
