“Eggs?” Bidan questioned, sounding shocked.“You eat the eggs of mammals?”
“Um…” Oh God, had she just offended the poor guy?“Well, like chicken eggs.Bird eggs.”She made a flapping gesture just for good measure, which only served to embarrass her more.
“Humans eat bird young?”
Well, when he put it like that…
“Ya know, on second thought, tricks-ah-va sounds perfect.”
Bidan blinked and said slowly, “Yes, I can get that for you.”
“Great,” she said quietly, wishing that she hadn’t opened her mouth.Note to self…eggs were taboo there.She might as well have told the alien that she ate bug poop by the way his eyes had popped out.
Bidan jerked his head in a nod and returned to the silver screen, his long fingers moving quickly.Vaxa’s house was a perfect blend of technology and the original, slightly rustic architecture.She wondered how old this city was.She wondered when they’d come by such advanced technology.If they could travel from planet-to-planet in three days, they were way ahead of humans.
A few moments later, a hovercraft landed on the terrace outside and a tall figure disembarked, unloading supplies.
A Luxirian woman appeared at the threshold with rolls of beautiful fabric and a small box.She was beautiful, with jet black hair that flowed just past her breasts and eyes a similar shade of blue as Vaxa’s.And she was wearing a beautiful dress that flowed to her ankles.It reminded Kate of a Grecian style dress, all billowy and loose.It was emerald green and cinched around her waist with a thick, black leather band.
Kate wondered why Vaxa would bother claiming her—a human female—when there were Luxirian woman who looked likethis.
When the woman saw her, she stared for a brief moment, halting in her path, before she bowed her head and said, “Lavrix’an.”
“It’s Kate,” she said, wondering how many times she would be calledlavrix’anduring her time there.She didn’t know why the title made her so uncomfortable.Probably because she felt a fraud whenever someone used it to address her.“Please, just Kate.”
“If you wish.I am Keriva, ” the Luxirian said, giving her a soft smile.She had a lovely, lyrical voice that Kate was instantly jealous of.“Greetings, Bidan.”
Bidan smiled at her, a sudden warmth on his features, and then he turned to Kate and said, “I will retrieve yourtrixavafrom the meal hall, Kat.I will not be long.”
“Thank you,” Kate said, watching him leave through the door before disappearing.Keriva moved through the house with a familiarity that made her think she’d been there many times before.
Perhaps Vaxahadconsidered Keriva as a mate, a little voice in her head whispered.Kate cleared her throat, trying to ignore the brief, shocking burnings of jealousy.
Or maybe she’s just a friend of the family, Sensible, Rational Kate reasoned.
Keriva set down her supplies in the living room and turned to face Kat.
“You are very…vellixa,” she said.“Beautiful.”
“Oh,” Kate mumbled.She didn’t remember the last time someone had told her that.“Thank you.As are you.”
“I must look strange to you.”
Kate gave a small laugh, feeling some of her awkwardness drain away.“Imust look strange to you.”
“Then we can be strange together,” Keriva replied.She clapped her hands together in a very human-like gesture.“Now, let us get you some coverings created.”She frowned down at Vaxa’s shirt like it was dirt.“A travesty that you had to wearthat.”
Kate looked down at the shirt.It was covered in sweat now, so she did feel like getting out of it.It was shapeless, since he was so much bigger than she was, except for across her breasts, where it stretched tighter.
“This,” Keriva said, motioning down her own dress, “is what Luxirian females wear during the span.I will create a formal covering for you too, when you must attend the lunar meals.They are celebrations and you must be dressed for it properly.”
“Oh, well…” Kate trailed off, wondering if she should tell the Luxirian woman that she didn’t plan to be here that long.“I don’t want to waste your time.I will only be here for one…lunar cycle.So you won’t have to make a formal dress.”
Keriva gave her a quizzical look.“One lunar cycle?But I thought you are to perform theravraxiawith the Prime Leader.”
“Yes, we are,” Kate murmured.She had agreed to it after all.“But Vaxa understands that my place is back on Earth.We made a deal.I will stay for one lunar cycle and then he will arrange transport for me back to my planet.”
Keriva’s expression was strange, as if Kate had just sprouted two heads.“Vaxa’an said this?”
