There's a hole near the hem. Small. I could fix that. I have a needle in my bag and thread—no, the thread's in the bottom under the herbs, I'd have to unpack everything, but if I had the thread I could reinforce the whole hem because that fabric's on its last legs and one more branch is going to—
Why am I planning alterations to his clothing right now.
Because the alternative is thinking about what's underneath the clothing and my brain WILL NOT be doing that.
Someone near me inhales. Sharp. Another one a second later. Heads are turning—not toward Keer anymore. Toward me. The woman with the scratch on her cheek wrinkles her nose. The scowling man's face somehow gets worse.
Kestria makes a choked sound beside me.
"Mel." Her voice is barely there. "They can—we can—"
"What?"
"Smell."
"Smell what?" I glance down at myself. "Did I step in something? Is it the chicken? Nugget's clean, I bathed her last week—"
"No, not—" Kestria's face is red. Actually red. "We can smell when someone's—when your body is—"
"When my body is what? Sweaty? I've been walking for hours, of course I'm—"
"Aroused." The word comes out choked. "We can smell arousal."
What.
"What?"
"Your scent changes when you're attracted to someone. We can all smell it. Everyone here can smell it."
Oh.
Fuck.
Fuckidy fuck.
Just my luck.
"That's not—I wasn't—" I grip the basket handle so hard my knuckles go white. "I was thinking about paste ratios."
"Your body wasn't."
"My body is a liar. My body is a lying traitor and it doesn't speak for me."
"Unfortunately it kind of does. Here."
My face goes hot.
Half the crowd is looking at me. And it's not the fact that I'm aroused that's registering on their faces—it's who. The scowling man looks like he's been personally insulted. The woman near the front goes still and stares. Two of the younger ones exchange a look, eyes wide. The woman with the baby turns her head away fast, like she walked in on something.
It's Keer. They know it's Keer.
Ugh.
There's a bird calling in the trees behind me, cheerful and oblivious.
Lucky bird.
Lucky stupid fucking bird.
