She was growing stronger, and though he felt more sure that she would be okay if she returned to Earth, the thought still prickled his skin with anxiety. She needed to be here, with him and Zenith, though of course it would always be her choice, no matter how much it would devastate him if she left.
“Me too. I’ve never been to a Bloomveil before,” he replied, nuzzling his nose into her hair and breathing in her scent.
She seemed to enjoy when he did that, her body wriggling in his arms as they reclined on the bed, a contented purr rumbling in her chest.
“Never?” she asked, moving her head so she could gaze into his eyes with that sweetly seductive look that drove him crazy.
“No. It is not a particularly popular celebration, more of a niche thing, really. But I’m happy to take you and see what you think.”
“Well, I can’t wait,” she said, biting her lip into a pout.
“Is something wrong?” he asked, sensing her anxiety, the frown marring the lovely features of her face.
“No. I mean. Not really. I don’t know. I’m not very eager to go back to camp.”
Apodis nodded, understanding the same complex thoughts roiling through himself. Hewanted her to stay more than anything in the galaxy, but she clearly had a life on Earth. And whether she was keen to return or not didn’t change the fact that staying with him would be an immense transition, and not one she would make lightly.
“They haven’t even called to see if I’m okay,” Gemini continued, the statement like a punch to his gut as his shame swelled once again. “And I’m supposed to go back like nothing happened? Like things are completely normal?”
He squeezed her tighter, relishing the way she sighed into his touch, like his presence relaxed her. Because it did. He didn’t believe infatelike some Oslieths, but he knew they were supposed to be together. And maybe after the Bloomveil, she would finally see that.
Despite the ways he had wronged her.
“I think everything will work out the way it’s supposed to,” he said, pressing a gentle kiss to her lips, which caused her to smile.
“You know what? Maybe you’re right. Maybe it will all work out,” Gemini said, snuggling back into the crook of his neck.
“I think so,” Apodis replied, pulling her closer and vowing to remember this moment forever.
CHAPTER 17
GEMINI
“The Bloomveil is afertilitycelebration?”Gemini asked, her voice high-pitched with bewilderment.
“Of course,” Apodis said with a chuckle. “I thought you knew…”
No, she hadn’t known, not for sure, though she shouldn’t have been surprised.
They had taken his cruiser because the celebration was too far to walk, and she couldn’t deny the way her body thrummed with erotic energy from the sight of Apodis handling the machine—which looked much like the hovercycles they had back on Earth—and the vibration between her thighs.
The mistforest seemed to pulse with its own energy, the clearing they’d arrived at alive with colors she wasn’t sure she’d ever seen on Earth.
Enormous trees towered over the celebration like sentinels, their leaves shimmering with vibrant hues. Numerous Oslieths already seemed to becelebrating—which meant performing all manner of sex acts out in the open for all to see.
She had wondered why Zenith had stayed behind, but now the reason was more than clear.
“An Oslieth’s gestational cycle is seven and a half months,” Apodis explained, clearly noticing Gemini’s mouth agape.
“The same as the cycle of theLumaria vitellus,” she said, understanding dawning on her.
“Exactly. Like I said, this is the first time I’ve been to one. Obviously, I was never much into fertility or reproduction, so I never saw the need. But many choose to receive the blessing of the orb glows by…copulatingbefore they bloom. They think it’s good luck if they’re trying to conceive.”
“That is fascinating,” Gemini said, taking a mental note to write this all down later. “I didn’t realize how significant it was to your species.”
“Oslieths have used extracts from the fronds to reduce heat symptoms since before suppressants were created.”
“I’m hoping the plant will have a similar effect for humans who have menstrual cycles, reducing the symptoms of hormonal imbalances without all the side effects.”
