My mouth becomes dry and my tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth.
“And I thought Bridget would’ve chosen Orik by now,” Sabine continues.
Bridget shakes her head. “He has a lover and I’m not sure stepping in between them is a good idea. I’ll wait to see who else is at the ship. Or maybe I’ll wait until they return home.”
Sabine’s smile falters. “There will be discussions about that. Edilk doesn’t want to leave Aldit and Ruby. Tiril either. He doesn’t trust the colony.”
“You think they might stay here? But there’s nothing here.” I’d been expecting to go to the tribes, to see how everything worked. If we are here, does that mean there is a chance for me to go home?
“They might. There will be a vote at the ship. We are all banished now, and we need to start thinking about the best way to survive, but as Edilk said, there is no threat from other tribes here, and we don’t have to stay on the colony’s doorstep.”
Bridget stands. “I’m going to see if Orik will take me to the river.”
“I’m sure he will,” Sabine lifts her eyebrows.
Bridget shakes her head. “I’m not desperate for alien dick.”
Sabine glances at me. “That’s because you haven’t had it yet, right?”
Bridget laughs as she walks toward the men. Orik turns as though he knows he’s about to be summoned and he doesn’t seem worried about it at all. He grins, with no teeth showing, as though it is all a game.
As soon as Bridget is talking with Orik, Sabine turns to me with all humor gone from her face. “So, what is the real story between you and Sunif?”
I want to lie and say I’m his mate, but she will be able to tell. “We’re making the best of the situation.”
“He’s glowing and in rut. You can’t just sleep with them and walk away. They mate for life or the need for sex drives them—”
“I know,” I snap. “As I said, we’re making the best of it.”
“What the hell does that mean? I don’t want you breaking this up. Ed and Sunif have been friends for a long time. They are the leaders of this tribe of banished.”
“How much doesEdknow about his friend? Because I didn’t cause that rut. I haven’t slept with him, or any man for that matter.” I rake my fingers through my wet curls, trying to finger comb them. If I’d known I was going to be kidnapped, I’d have packed the things I’m missing right now. Like my hairbrush and clean underwear.
“What do you mean?”
I glare at her. “Exactly that. He had a mate.”
“But he’s fourth born. It says on his hand.”
“You can read the markings now?”
“Not all of them, but I’m learning. He couldn’t have a mate unless he stole her. Did he…?”
Sabine can’t even say it, but I see the rest of the question form on her lips. Did he force a woman?
“She chose him.” I don’t want to tell her everything. It’s not my place, or my story.
“Did she leave him?”
“Effectively. He survived the rut alone. When he wasn’t around women, it didn’t come back. But he never told the others because he didn’t want them to throw him out.” I stare at the dirt. “We agreed to be fake mates.”
“Why would you do that? That’s no different from what the colony was offering.” She’s staring at me like I am the alien.
What the colony offered me is all I expect. “Do you love him? Already?”
“I don’t know, maybe. He likes me well enough.”
“Is that not settling?”
