“There is nothing to tell. It was a temporary attachment, the kind the unmated warriors sometimes form for comfort and release. I ended it so he wouldn’t be obligated to me.”
“And you don’t want to be considered?”
A part of me wants her to look at me as a possible mate. I want to experience the rut and all that entails. But I also want Orik to be happy. He never wanted to leave his tribe. None of us wanted to leave, but he took a while to accept being banished despite almost dying.
I study her for several heartbeats, as I’m not sure what to say.
She holds my gaze and I feel as though she already knows the answer.
“I do, but—”
“Who would do you think would make the best mate?”
“Orik. He is funny, and he is a very good cook.”
“And he is good in bed?” She lifts an eyebrow.
I laugh. “Yes.”
“And who would make the worst mate?”
That is much harder to answer. “I do not know you well enough to answer that. What some hate, others love.”
She presses her lips together. “You’re going to ask the others the same thing.”
“I am.” She nods, her gaze never leaving me.
“Hrad, Yva, and I have been banished for longer than Orik. Hrad is skilled at planning raids, but that also makes him cunning. Yva is a skilled fighter…but he likes to argue.”
“And you?”
“I am a skilled hunter.” I am the one who sensed Orik’s failing charge. At first I thought him an animal who’d succumbed to the storm. “I am used to being on my own.”
“That’s not true, you have Orik.”
“Had.”
“I’m sorry.”
I incline my head. I do not want to talk about the breaking of the attachment. “Are you ready to bathe?”
7
BRIDGET
In my undershirt and underwear, I float in the cool sea. It didn’t take long for me to wash my hair, or myself. While I didn’t like the push-pull of the ocean on my legs, or the way the waves tried to knock me over, I trusted Vari not to let me drown.
I am floating without his touch, the first step to learning how to swim, and I can actually do it.
He said I needed to learn this, so if I fell in, someone has time to jump in and save me. Which makes sense. But I still want to learn how to swim.
I know he is nearby, and I know that I can’t stay here forever. I draw in a deep breath, not ready to move yet. As soon as I am done, I will have to deal with the others. I’m still puzzling over Vari’s decision to break up with Orik, so Orik has a chance with me.
I don’t need kam to sense the hurt that caused Vari. It must have devastated Orik. It’s no wonder he didn’t have breakfast with the others. If Orik was interested in me, he would have made a better play on the walk back to the ship. Instead, he made it very clear that he had Vari, and in his tribe taking two mates was common.
Vari might believe Orik will be a good mate, but if he doesn’t want to be, then I don’t want to force him. It seems to me Vari is the one who is a good mate.
I lower my feet to the sandy ground and stand. This time I don’t accidentally go under. I need to keep my mind open, as there are two more aliens to consider.
