Just as she thought, the marketplace was crowded.For a moment, she was overwhelmed as Vaxa landed their hovercraft—in a large, dusty space specificallyforthe hovercrafts—and they were immediately met with cries of delight, oflavrix’anand Vaxa’s formal title ofxrivix’an.
The Luxirian people, from what Kate had observed, were an interesting study.Most of the time, Luxirians seemed efficient, almost clinical, in their dealings with others.They hardly expressed strong emotions—damn Vulcans, the lot of them—but they revered intimate bonds between family and friends, they loved their food, and they loved mating.Vaxa had told her that it wasn’t an uncommon sight—especially when there were more Luxirian women—to see couples having sex in public.It had shocked her, given what she had witnessed around the city, but they were a people of contradictions.
So, it didn’t surprise her when the normally subdued species suddenly swarmed towards the pair of them with loud cries of happiness and prayers to the Fates.Vaxa snagged her quickly, pulling her in front of his chest, and draping his arms in front of her body, like a shield.He was calm, however, his heartbeat steady against her back.It was just a precautionary measure.
He walked them through the impossibly loud crowd.Luxirians reached out to touch her belly, which made her jump at first.But Vaxa wasn’t alarmed, so she figured she had no reason to be.Gradually, she relaxed, keeping an even pace as they approached the market stalls lining the terrace.
Smells swarmed her.Delicious, smoky smells that made her stomach rumble.She was eating for two now and one of them was a future Luxirian.She knew how much they ate, how much hermateate.
Kate smiled at the Luxirians around her, feeling their hands sliding across her belly, brushing against Vaxa’s strong arms.
She told herself that this was her life now.As the Prime Leader’s mate, she had a responsibility.And even though it wasn’t a responsibility she had ever thought would be hers, she wouldn’t give it up for anything, not if it meant giving up Vaxa.
“Are you hungry?” Vaxa asked her, his voice rumbling in her ear.“There are many choices here.”
Kate’s appetite had faded somewhat due to her nerves, but she nodded so she didn’t worry him.He always made sure that she didn’t skip meals, especially when she was working at the archives.She could get a little too caught up in her work sometimes.
“Yes, I’m not picky.I’ve liked everything you’ve made me try so far.”
He nodded, steering them towards a small stall at the end of the narrow terrace.People packed them in on all sides and Kate was suddenly glad that she had never had a problem with claustrophobia.
They passed stalls of many kinds.Clothing—mostly men’s clothing, to be fair—and weapons—blades and daggers gleaming and glinting in the sunlight—and tapestries and cushions—just like the ones in their own home—and colorful glass vials that held a liquid that looked like oil.
She cocked her head to look at her mate.“What is that?”
Vaxa turned his gaze to the side, pausing briefly to regard the bottles, before he gave her a small, almost secretive grin and a heated look.
He maneuvered her to the edge of the stall and the man there, a younger Luxirian, with bright blue robes that were frayed at the edges and hems, greeted them with a wide smile.
Vaxa spoke to him in Luxirian—shereallyneeded to be better about listening to the language instead of trying to read it—and then her mate fished perfectly square, thin, light blue crystals from this pocket.It was their currency.Vaxa had paid for things with it before.There were three different types of crystals that possessed different values, or at least, she had only seen three types.
Vaxa handed over the money and Kate was aware that every eye in the marketplace was on them.People were talking to one another, looking at the pair of them, looking at her stomach, studying Vaxa’s face.She felt like she was display but she realized that perhaps, that was the whole point.She was sure that Vaxa made regular appearances in public, so he must be used to his people’s scrutiny.
In exchange for the crystals, the vendor handed over a small bright cerulean vile of oil.Vaxa said something to him and then led her away.He slipped the vile into his pocket, and when she repeated her question to him, he simply purred, “I will show you later, female.”
Something in his tone told her that they’d just bought some form of magical alien lube, witnessed by an entire market full of people.
Terrific.
They continued towards the last stall, which she could clearly see was a food stall.Dried meats and fruits hung from the roof.This vendor was hunched over a fire, cooking, not paying any attention to the market around him.
Before they reached him, however, Kate heard a familiar voice.
Vaxa turned and Kate saw Keriva approach.Keriva was one of the most well-known seamstresses in all of Luxiria.She had been away to one of the outposts for the past week—apparently an elderly woman there wanted to create an entirely new wardrobe—so Kate hadn’t seen her until just now.
Even though Vaxa had told her once that Keriva had held strong, romantic feelings for him, Kate knew that that was in the past.She didn’t feel threatened by the Luxirian woman’s presence, no matter how beautiful she was.Rather, she considered her a good friend.
“Go,” Vaxa said.“I will get us our meal and come find you.”
Kate anxiously looked out at the crowd, which Keriva was currently trying to push her way through, but then nodded.“Don’t be too long.I may get mauled,” she joked.
Vaxa frowned, not understanding her humor.“I would never let that happen.”
Kate bit back a smile, knowing that some things were a lost cause when it came to her mate, or just Luxirians in general, and she stepped away from him.He left, although he kept a close eye on her, just as Keriva managed to break her way through the crowd.
“Hi,” Kate said with a wide, pleased smile, reaching out to touch her friend’s arm.She’d learned that Luxirians didn’t really do the whole hugging thing.“I didn’t know you were coming back today.”
“I was not supposed to,” Keriva started, tossing her dark, silky hair down her back.Some of the men nearby stared.“I needed to get some supplies,” she explained, pointing over to a stall that was filled to the brim with silks and the light, airy material that Luxirians loved.“I return this evening.”
