"Drasuk. I swear."
"As I well know, female. You curse constantly. Stop being confounding and just say it. How about we speak Drakonid to make it easier for you?"
She comes back out of the room we were told to sleep in, puts her little arms on her hips and gives me a death stare. "No way. I like cursing. Listen. Are you ready for my very clear words?"
"As if you need to ask that, Kira?"
"Shut up. You are going to come in here and we are going to have sex, you idiot."
"I am not an idiot. Nothing you said would have led me to... wait. What? We can't procreate, so why would you want me?"
"Why wouldn't I want you? You drive me crazy. Literally drive me mad. But you also have my back, you never back down, you call me on my shit. I can't take you in a fight, which is my usual measure of hotness. See? Let's go."
She disappears into the room, and I stand there in shock for several long heartbeats at how quickly she is speaking in very different terms. I hear weapons thumping onto the floor, which makes me curious.
I follow her cautiously, waiting for her to tell me this is another of her jokes.
Apparently not. Judging by how naked she is and that she's patting the blankets next to her, I might have to conclude that she is serious.
"I didn't think you wanted... I mean, I haven't ever... A female hasn't..."
She sits up. "Wait. Have you never had sex, Drasuk?"
I let out a long breath. "There was once a female I thought would ask when she decided to enter her heat. Xar'Ar'ax was jealous. Nkisa was the one he killed. I spent almost all my time outside of cities after that. It just didn't feel right anymore."
I don't admit to her that it was like I lost something that couldn't be regained. Something that Nkisa wasn't even likely to give me.
Something I should never want.
She beckons me over, her expression softening. "Now I understand your obsessive hatred. I am so sorry to hear that, Drasuk."
I settle in next to her and she pets my spines. "It has been many years, and I didn't know her very well. It is more the idea of what could have been."
"I understand that, for sure. I was just surprised. Especially after how many times you joked about making me scream your name."
I let out a long rumble. "It was simply in jest. I knew you wouldn't choose me for your heat and once it passed, you would focus on your offspring. As you should."
She snorts. "Drasuk. I don't smell like this because I want to get pregnant. Like I told you,lizarddork, human women aredifferent. We don't go into heat. We fuck who we like when we want to fuck them. Preferably a lot. What I'm telling you is I want you. Like, right now."
I am immobile next to her as I absorb this new reality, but then quickly reject it again. "We aren't the same species, Kira. It just isn't done."
"What about Ree and Thivoll? They made it work."
I let out a rumbling scoff. "Those two are anything but normal."
"And we are? Stop being arrogant and short-sighted. Are you attracted to me?"
My spines bristle. "Insults only—"
"Stop. Just answer the question."
I let out a puff of breath. I consider lying, but there's no point in it. "Yes."
"Well, despite all odds, I'm attracted to you, too. That's the starting point. So how about we just touch each other and see where it goes? If we don't like it or we aren't compatible, then we know."
I get a sinking feeling in my stomach when she mentions the possibility of incompatibility, but it brings up one of my greatest fears.
Since we are being honest, I decide to simply say it. "I'm afraid I'll hurt you. I'd rather never touch you, preserve the partnership we have, then hurt you because of the weakness of arousal."
