S’samph wasn’t sure how to respond, so he just started walking in the direction of the levibike charging hub. Eleri took the cue to follow him. He knew he should ask her something, make small talk to break the ice, but he couldn’t for the life of him figure out what to say.
“Do you have any peroxide?” She asked him, startling him from his brisk pace.
“Peroxide?”
“It’s an antiseptic,” she clarified, “but it’s also a good organic stain remover. If you don’t have any, I’ll get you some from the clinic.”
S’samph stared down at her. Was she offering help to remove the stain from his boots? The boots were for working, it mattered little if they were stained. “It’s fine. There is no stain.” He felt his back frill twitch as he lied, but she didn’t know how to read Latil’e body language, or perhaps she did. He had never taken the time to ask.
“Okay. Well, if you change your mind, I’ll bring some to your home.”
“That is thoughtful.” Awkwardly, he started the levibike and gestured for her to get on behind him. Eleri clambered on behind him, making sure to keep as much distance between them as possible as she gripped her set of handles. They rode in silence.
This close to her, S’samph noticed her natural scent had been washed away and now she wore only the faint smell of chemical cleanser. For some reason it made him uncomfortable, but that was really none of his business. If he hadn’t been such a flaming ravik to her a few nights before, they might be riding back to their shared nest, ratherthan him dropping her off at Pyo’s home.
When they reached Pyo’s home. S’samph offered a hand to help her dismount. She ignored him and stumbled in the dust.
“Thank you for the ride.” She wouldn’t meet his eyes. He couldn’t blame her.
“Any time.” S’samph wasn’t sure what possessed him to make an offer like that, but it hung between them. He would honor it if she asked him to. Eleri merely nodded and hurried back inside the dwelling. Artificial lights flickered on when the door closed behind her and he could hear the cadence of voices, although he was too far away to hear what they were saying. It was none of his business anyway. S’samph hopped back on the levibike and rumbled back into the town where he knew K’kaen would badger him to no end once he returned to The Eon.
After parking, S’samph made his way inside and slipped into the booth across from K’kaen. The whole room went quiet as he settled himself on the slightly sticky seat, save for a few whispered snippets of conversation. He knew the others were muttering about him, so he fixed anyone who made eye contact with his dourest stare. However, after three glasses of the cheapest kvöst on the menu, he found he cared little. K’kaen plied him with more inane questions over the course of the evening, but he couldn’t keep his focus long enough to answer with more than a few noncommittal words here or there. His friend certainly made sure to hit his credit balance with as many expensive drinks as possible, taking advantage of his divided attention.
“Why are you so upset if you don’t even want her?” K’kaen asked.
“I’m upset about the situation, not Eleri.”
“Right, then you don’t mind if I take her?” K’kaen slammed a shot glass of sploor on the table and wiped his mouth on the sleeve of his dusty work shirt.
S’samph contemplated pelting K’kaen in the face with the empty shot glass but instead settled for jabbing him hard in the side with his tail. “Leave her alone, you insufferable ravik.”
“Ha! I knew it.” K’kaen threw back his final shot of sploor and belched loudly, making S’samph even more tempted to punch him. Instead, he rose from the table and smacked his hands loudly on the flat of the surface. “Enough.” His motions were woozier than anticipated, unused to drinking heavily as he was.
“You’re an idiot, S’samph. If you don’t take her,” K’kaen slurred into the emptiness of his shot glass, “then someone else is gunna.”
S’samph used the tabletop to balance himself as he tried to make a graceful exit from The Eon without K’kaen stumbling after him. He onlymade it a few paces before he started to wonder what Eleri was doing this evening. This was madness; he couldn’t continue this way. It wasn’t fair to Eleri, and it certainly made him act a fool. At sun high the next day he would go straight to Pyo’s office and ask that the mating contract be officially dissolved.
When he stumbled back to his nest that evening, S’samph caught himself thinking about how it would be too shabby to bring a mate here. Although his vision spun with the aftereffects of the kvöst, the sparseness was obvious enough. The narrow sleeping ledge was only wide enough for one person. His kitchen had a single burner as he barely cooked for himself.
The windows were hung with swatches of mismatched gray fabric he’d bought on discount from the general store. It was a home designed for the bleak austerity he’d resigned himself to. He would have to clean and decorate it before it was fit for anyone else to live with him. Not to mention, he had no sense at all about Eleri’s particular tastes. It was ridiculous for him to think about such things, but knowing he wasn’t suitable as a mate and wanting to have one anyway were two entirely different things.
CHAPTER 6
ELERI
Eleri hadn’t expected concern from Pyo and Myla when she returned to their dwelling. Apparently, Minio claimed he had come by the clinic to bring her back, but he hadn’t been able to find her. Eleri wasn’t about to correct the misconception by explaining she’d patiently waited for nearly a whole standard hour, and he was nowhere to be found. Instead of raising the point, she took a seat at the dining table, which was piled high with an assortment of foods, some familiar but most not.
“Well, you’re here now and that’s what matters,” Pyo made a high-pitched chirping noise and brought another piece of fruit to his mouth.
“But surely, S’samph didn’t drop you off?” Myla asked, even though she knew full well S’samph had indeed dropped her off.
“He did.” Eleri didn’t have much use for feeding into the rumor mill, but she knew it was futile to deny what everyone had seen with their own eyes.
“Perhaps you will get your mating after all. If you still want it that is. I’m sure we can find someone else suitable for you otherwise.” Myla cast a knowing look at her mate. “There are several other eligible males in Laurus. Tell me what you’re looking for and I’m sure I can find a good match for you.”
“Thank you for the offer. I think I’ll focus on finishing my training first before I worry about mating.” Eleri tried to keep her face neutral despite the tiredness behind it.
“But you can’t plan to stay here with us forever.” Myla leaned forward across the table. “Don’t you want a mate? You must want someone if you signed up for the IA program.”
