"Everyone's ready in their own time. I'm not judging."
"You'd be the only one," I joke. Our resonance (or lack thereof) has been the primary source of entertainment for everyone on the beach. I've had people offering me suggestions to add to my honey-do list, and if Valmir and I go anywhere together, we're watched. I don't really mind it most of the time, because a big nosy family feels good to me. I don't know if Valmir feels the same way. He seems annoyed at the attention we get.
What do we do when one of us is social and the other is a huge dick and a loner?
We dance around resonance until it drives us crazy. We come up with honey-do task lists that get one partner injured. We make things worse. So much worse.
I've never been so worried as I was when Valmir didn't come back on time. I thought I'd gotten him killed. Luckily, we found him with Aidy and Corvak, but I can't stop thinking about how I felt when I thought something happened to him. It was regret and grief and a burning anger, like something had been taken from me before I'd gotten a chance to enjoy it.
Now that he's back, however, my feelings are mixed once more. It's easier to miss the guy when he's gone.
Valmir's eyes flutter open again. He looks vaguely surprised to see me, as if I haven't been standing here and talking to Veronica. "Well, well, friend." He smacks his lips, expression dazed with the drugs. "Thought you were ignoring me."
"Come on, now. We both know you're impossible to ignore," I tease. "You just won't shut the fuck up."
That makes a ghost of a smile curve his mouth, and my belly flutters.
Veronica touches my arm. "I'm going to get the kids a snack. Call me if you need anything."
I'm left alone with my dopey, smiling, injured cat-alien. My khui purrs at the close proximity to my mate, but I know it'd be totally inappropriate if I crawled into the furs next to him. I hug my chest and give Valmir a bright smile. "How are you feeling, pussycat?"
"I'm in wretched pain," he tells me, and gives me an even bigger smile.
That makes my heart ache. "Maybe next time don't go wandering into pit traps."
"Oh, my sweet human, the pit trap was the least of my worries at that point." He gives a liquid shrug. "All is well that ends well. I'm home and mostly whole. I'm afraid I didn't get your plant, though."
Like I give a crap about a plant? He almost got killed by strangers. He almost got eaten by metlaks. If Veronica wasn't a healer, his leg might have been messed up for all time...all because I sent him off on a wild goose chase. My frustration at him threatens to bubble over, but I swallow it back. It's not his fault he scared the living heck out of me. "It's fine, Valmir. Since you got injured, we'll call it a wash."
This earns me a fierce frown, and his head sways as he tries to sit up. "That...that's not allowed. The rules clearly state?—"
"They're my rules," I interrupt gently. "If I say you're good, you're good."
Valmir shakes his head again. "The rules?—"
This guy and his damn rules. I want to shake him, but I suspect that if I move close enough, I'm just going to grab him and hold him tight. I clasp my hands in my lap instead. "Since you didn't complete the task, you don't get the prize. That's what the rules state."
"Oh." He blinks, his expression unfocused. "Shame."
"Do you even remember what it was? The prize?"
"Nope. But I bet it was good." The drugged, lazy smile grows wider.
I'm doing my best not to smile back at him. It's hard to stay angry when he's like this. If he was this easygoing all the time, he'd be a lot easier to manage. I could make him become part of the tribe, make him be social. Instead, I just sigh. "What am I going to do with you?"
"Whatever it is, I hope it doesn't involve walking." He wriggles his toes on the propped foot and winces.
Such a typical man. "Well, quit doing that if it hurts."
He goes still, his eyes closing and his head tilting back again. Valmir is silent.
I pause, watching him for movement. There's nothing. "Did...did you just fall asleep again?"
"Huh uh," he mumbles, eyes fluttering in their effort to stay open and focus on me.
I'm torn between amusement and frustration. Either way, this is pointless. I turn to head out. "I'll just go and let you sleep. We'll talk more later when you're yourself again."
"No, wait, April." He struggles to sit up, grimacing with pain as he does. "I'm awake. I swear. Don't go." Valmir reaches for my hand, grabbing at me before I can leave. He misses, but I appreciate the effort. When he swipes for my arm again with another weaving grab, I let him latch on. He clings to me, his hand sweaty.
