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“We don’t call it death,” Elias said. “We call it a devotion. We give ourselves completely to ensure our offspring survive. The female Retar uses us as she sees fit. We must embrace that. It’s the ultimate sacrifice and the ultimate gift, not only to the female but to your own offspring. Some consider it an honor and a pleasure.”
Hayley wrinkled her nose and stabbed her fork into her pie. “I know we are different, but I struggle to see how being eaten by your mate will ever be a pleasurable experience.”
Elias shrugged. “I don’t disagree with you.”
She studied his face closely. This was troubling him. He had difficulty meeting her gaze, and his fingers kept clenching. “I have an idea.”
He looked up and raised his eyebrows. “About what?”
“We can tutor each other.”
“What would we tutor each other in?”
“You educate me in all things Retar, and I do the same for you when it comes to humans. We can devote some time together and find out what makes each other tick.”
Elias licked his lips and leaned back in his seat. “Devote?”
“Sure. What do you think?” Hayley was surprised to see alarm on Elias’s face. “I mean, it doesn’t have to be a regular thing, only if you have the time.”
He opened his mouth and shut it again. He looked around the dining hall as if seeking a way to escape.
She thought back to what she’d asked. It couldn’t be so terrible to spend a few hours a couple of times a week with her. The best way to learn about an alien was to talk to one. Maybe that wasn’t what Retars did. Maybe she’d made a terrible social faux pas. Was it wrong to ask a male Retar to have time alone with him?
There was a slight shake to Elias’s hand as he ran it down his face. “This won’t work.”
“Sorry, you must be busy. Too busy with your work to spend time with me.” That could be the reason Elias was so reluctant. Hayley couldn’t deny she felt a pang of regret that he wasn’t keen to be around her.
Elias locked his gaze to hers. “Show me your teeth.”
Her brow furrowed. “My teeth? Why do you need to see them?”
“It’s important.”
This had to be a Retar thing. Something she’d overlooked, a greeting or maybe a show of trust done by displaying their teeth. “What will you do if I show you my teeth?”
“Inspect them.”
A startled laugh shot out of Hayley. “For what? Fillings?”
He frowned. “I don’t know what that is. I need to see them.”
“Okay.” Hayley opened her mouth and leaned across the table. This was the weirdest request she’d ever had. What did Elias hope to achieve by inspecting the inside of her mouth?
His anxious gaze shifted from her teeth to her eyes and back down again. He leaned closer and caught hold of her jaw in one hand.
She wanted to ask a dozen questions, but with her mouth open, Hayley could do nothing but stare at Elias. This was the first time she’d ever experienced an alien race who liked to inspect the inside of another’s mouth.
Elias dropped his hold on her jaw. “This will not be possible. Your teeth are extremely blunt.”
Hayley snapped her jaw shut, feeling the warm imprint of his fingers on her skin. “I know that. They’re great for grinding. I eat a lot of nuts.”
He grimaced and looked away. “They would cause me too much pain.”
Hayley tilted her head. “What do you think I’m going to do to you?”
His brow furrowed, and he scrubbed a finger across it. “What all females do when they copulate. You’d eat me.”
Hayley felt her lips move, but actual words eluded her for several seconds. “Hold on. When did I ever ask you to copulate with me? What’s all this about me eating you? I didn’t ask to do either of those things.”
