“For chasing off a pack of males who were hissing around your mate last night.”
S’samph said nothing but followed his friend toward the only dining establishment in Laurus. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d even drank, let alone gotten outrageously drunk. He usually preferred to be more in control of his own behavior. Most of the single males were crowding toward The Eon’s dusty doorway, as it was the only place to eat if you didn’t want to cook for yourself. A sign scrawled in barely legible Universal swung haphazardly above the entrance.
It was only when he glanced toward the clinic that he noticed Eleri standing out front. She was beautiful in her strangeness. Her long pale-yellow fur was loose around her shoulders, and in the gentle light of Cassiaq IV’s smaller sun, she seemed to glow faintly. Like this, she reminded him of one of the sacredg’gektrees back on Latilla with their fanning white boughs. The only thing amiss was the expression on her face. He had yet to read the manual on humans from the IA, but the tilt of her lips did not seem to be a happy one.
“Give me a moment,” he told K’kaen. His friend looked confused as S’samph started in Eleri’s direction. All his best logic told him he should stay far away from her, but his instincts pushed him in her direction. If she was in distress, he should do his best to be helpful as he would for any female. When she noticed his approach, the corners of her mouth turned down further than they had before, and her arms folded across her chest. S’samph gave her the opportunity to speak first.
Eleri turned away from him before she spoke, shielding her eyes from the sunlight with a flat hand. “If you’re here for an apology, you won’t get one from me.”
“My work boots are unharmed.” He shrugged as though he hadn’t spent the better part of the evening scrubbing the purple acid away. They were still tinged slightly lavender. It was about as much as he deserved, if not less. “But you appear distressed.”
Eleri’s skin changed to a startling shade of scarlet. S’samph took a step back and felt his frill rise with alarm. She opened her mouth to say something when K’kaen sidled up beside them.
“Here’s your human!” He exclaimed loudly enough to draw attention from other passersby. Eleri shifted slightly to train her gaze on K’kaen who barreled ahead with his own babble to S’samph’s immense disapproval. “We met last night if you remember. Fine if you don’t, I’m not offended. If you’re still looking for a mate, I gladly volunteer. I sure as the arid hills can’t pay the IA fee, but S’samph and I can work out a payment plan.” K’kaen thumped S’samph on the shoulder only to back off instantly as S’samph hissed his disapproval.
“That’s very kind of you.” Eleri said with a soft trailing inflection. “But I should probably get back to Pyo's home where I’m staying. If one of you could let me know how to get there, I’d be grateful.”
“I’ll give you a ride there on my levibike if you want.” K’kaen gestured over toward the charging ports.
S’samph didn’t understand the odd blend of emotions rising inside his chest. They filled him with a sense of unease and left him spinning beyond the careful control he usually tamped over his feelings. There should be no real reason for K’kaen notto express his interest, but Eleri at the very least deserved a proper courtship. Just because they didn’t live on Latilla anymore didn’t mean they were mindlessraviks. However, the thought of his friend courting Eleri made his chest go tight, nonetheless.
“Leave her alone.” The command came out in a harsh hiss, startling both him and K’kaen. His friend glanced at him, concerned. They’d once served in the same unit together, with S’samph as K’kaen’s commanding officer, but now they were friends—no military status between them.
“Sorry, sorry. Not the right timing, I understand.” K’kaen dropped his frill in a gesture of peacekeeping. But then to S’samph’s frustration, his friend turned back to Eleri. “I can come off a bit strong. We’re going to find a meal if you’d like to join us. I can give you a ride back after.”
“I’m not really hungry at the moment.” Eleri glanced down the main path as if trying to find a place to flee. “I don’t mind walking, if you could just give me directions.”
“My treat, come share a meal with us. We’ll be on our best behavior, I promise. It’s still hot out here to walk.”
“She said no, K’kaen.” S’samph’s tail twitched. He still hadn’t identified what had made her so distressed before they’d approached.
“Have a good night.” Eleri turned and marched purposefully in the opposite direction. It was the wrong direction if she was trying to return to Pyo’s dwelling. Her color had returned to normal, but S’samph was still reluctant to let her off by herself, especially given what K’kaen had said about the males who’d approached her the night before. After a quick mental debate, he turned to K’kaen.
“I’m leaving.”
“What? Why?”
“I’m giving Eleri a ride home.”
“What? You flared at me for trying to interact with her and now you want to give her a ride home?”
“I’m going to offer. She can say no.” S’samph grumbled. He was getting tired of trying to explain himself.
“I don’t understand why you didn’t just mate her. Clearly, you’re interested, and you’ve already paid her transport fees.” K’kaen’s frill rippled with annoyance “Go then. But you’re buying the first round of drinks when you get back.”
“You won’t wait that long to start drinking.” S’samph pulled out his levibike starter and ran after Eleri. She hadn’t gone far, so it didn’t take long to catch up with her. Her shoulders hunched as if preparing to be attacked as he came up behind her. When she managed to turn around and caught sight of him, her body stiffened further.
“I’ll take you back to Pyo’s home if you’ll let me.” He held up the levibike starter, trying to prove his intentions were without motive. Eleri’s eyes narrowed as she was clearly weighing her options. It was a clear evening, but the walk back to Pyo’s home was long, and he worried about her physical wellness considering her illness the night before. Finally, she made a small noise.
“You really don’t have to.”
“I would like to. You don’t know the way and the walk is taxing.”
She stared out in the direction of the irrigation canal, the alarming blue of her eyes unblinking. Finally, she turned back toward him. “Are you sure it’s not too much trouble?”
“I would not say it if I didn’t mean it, female.” Her roundabout way of speaking was beginning to give him a headache.
“Thank you.”
