Watching the men communicate without words, I realize how much they can keep from us if they want to. I don’t know what they are saying. None of the human women do. The only way we can communicate without words is if we are touching them.
The device in my ear is useless.
Edilk reaches out and takes Sabine’s hand. No doubt the conversation has turned to mates, and he is making it clear that she is his. Or should that be, he is hers?
Then the new aliens turn their tawny eyes on me and my heart sinks, followed by my stomach.
Am I the one who pushed Sunif away, or the one who was trying to help him? Has Edilk spread Sunif’s secret? At least it wasn’t me this time.
I glanced down, not knowing what to do. This is why I never bothered with relationships. They are messy and people gossip. Even aliens.
It’s clear when the topic turns to Bridget as they take their time considering her, before glancing at Orik and Vari behind me. Bridget’s gaze darts between the new aliens and Orik.
Yeah, everyone is doing the math.
If Sunif doesn’t return, there are four warriors and two women.
Do they want him to return, or am I not the kind of mate they want because I have already shoved aside one? I need to know what has been said about me and Sunif.
I quicken my steps to catch up to Bridget, even though my feet hurt, and I am exhausted. “Is it not considered rude to talk about people when they can’t hear or understand?”
The two new warriors—who Edilk hasn’t even introduced—glance at me again. They can’t understand me because they aren’t wearing the translator devices.
It’s Edilk who speaks. “It is rude to talk about someone where they can hear.”
One of the new guys stares at Edilk. “How do you understand them?”
“They shared their whisperers with us.” Edilk takes his off and hands it over.
“You haven’t introduced us to your friends,” Bridget says. “Though you have told them about us.”
Sabine frowns and glances at Edilk. They are holding hands and after a couple of heartbeats, she nods. “Since I am the first mated woman, I apparently have the highest standing, and I am supposed to do that. Bridget and Mia,” she indicates to us individually. Then to the man with eyes that are almost red. “Yva.” She points to the other man. “Hrad.”
Hrad has a metal stud in his nose, and eyes that are a pale orange. He is the one wearing the device, so knows what Sabine is saying. He jerks his chin in greeting—or at least that is what I assume it is.
“We can discuss over dinner.” Hrad’s voice is rough, as though he doesn’t use it often.
Bridget glances at me, then back at Orik. She is the one they will all be vying for, especially when they learn she is an engineer. Perhaps Orik already knows how valuable her skills are.
Without any more spoken words, we wind our way along the trail to their ship, but I can feel the men’s conversation flowing over my skin as it raises the hair on my arms. There is a charge in the air.
Behind me, Orik or Vari laughs and the other murmurs something my translator doesn’t pick up. Orik didn’t understand when I asked about love. But I think he has it even though they don’t call it that. Bridget stares straight ahead, lips pressed together.
Much like me, she is probably wondering what to do.
There’s no rush, I remind myself.
It’s a lie, or at least a partial one. I am in no rush, but if I want to save Sunif more pain I need to choose him. How can I do that when he isn’t even here?
I smell the cooking meat before I see the ship. When we round the bend and step out from the trees, I see their tiny craft. They called it a ship, and even though I know it sails over water, I didn’t expect it to be so small. So fragile looking.
“It’s made of wood.” I gasp. They expect me to get on that and sail over the ocean to the other continent? I don’t know what is more terrifying, the sailing part, or the idea of meeting more aliens and being part of a tribe. It might be best if they stayed here instead of returning home.
“Yeah, it’s like ships people used hundreds of years ago on Earth. What did you expect it to look like?” Bridget stares at me as if there is no other way the ship could look.
“Bigger?”
“There’s only eight of them…six now. So it can’t be much bigger. There are three masts, room to sleep, and store goods and oars in case there’s no wind.” She says as though she and Orik discussed ship building in one of their many conversations.
