“I am.”
He searched my eyes and brushed a finger along my cheek in a soft caress. “I was scared you would reject me,” he confessed.“Scared that you would regret coming here. That you would find me…unattractive, like a lot of other species do.”
Cancos certainly were atypical, but unattractive? Absolutely not. I thought Filbur was really handsome. Maybe it was because he was the complete opposite from Jake. Bald. Tall. Broad. Rugged features. Jake was short, lean, and cared way too much about his damn hair.
“You look beautiful,” I said.
He stared at me, lips parted for a good minute before he smiled. Had he been checking if I lied?
“I wasn’t told that part of your DNA was human before I arrived at the station, so I wasn’t sure what to expect when I agreed…Certainly prepared myself for the worst.” I let out an embarrassed chuckle. “It was a relief meeting you.Seeingyou.”
My red husbandblushed. It looked almost like the “aroused” purple, only less intense. “You—”
“Filbur!” someone yelled from just outside the tent and he froze, his words dying in his throat. “I am sorry to bother you on your partnering morning but…eh…It is about Falacia…” the young feminine voice said.
Filbur groaned, holding me tighter. “What is it this time?”
“She…uh, she does not want me to treat her. Says I am just a child and her condition is toocomplex.”
My husband muttered something under his breath.
“Fine. Tell her I am on my way.”
“Thank you! Thank you, thank you, thank you, I am so sorry thank you,” she said, her voice fading with each word.
“This oldgoulshu,” he mumbled between his teeth.
“Something wrong?” I asked.
He smiled and kissed me, soft and slow. “Just an old woman who refuses to accept that healers need to be trained. She probably has another blister. Not much to do, but she never agrees to be treated by Juni.”
I hummed. “I…Do you have to go then?”
He gave me an apologetic smile. “I do, yes.” Oh. I guess I could sleep a bit longer. What time was it? Weren’t we supposed to get moving? “Do you…want to come with me?” he asked.
I blinked, confused. “Can I?”
“Why could you not?”
Yes,why?“Uh…I don’t know? My last…” Filbur frowned. “I mean, the man I escaped from, Jake…He didn’t want me to—”
“I do not care about that man who made your life so difficult,” he said before dropping another longing kiss on my lips. “Things are different here.Iam different.” He searched my gaze, caressing my cheek softly, making no move to get out of our sort of bed. “I want you by my side every time you want to be. It does not matter whether I am working or not, you can come with me everywhere. Always.”
I wasn’t sure I still believed in God after what my parents had put me through, but if he was real, he must have been trying to redeem himself from the shit life I’d had until now. Why else would he give me such a patient and kind man?
Or was it the bare minimum and my standards were just so low after Jake?
It didn’t matter. I was happy. I feltsaferthan I had in years.
So I smiled and he smiled back as I said, “I would love to come with you.”
10
Aren’t you…coming with me?
Filbur
Tamara held my hand as we walked along the small tents, returning shy smiles to everyone who tried catching our attention on our way. I noted five names between our own tent and the one Falacia was staying in. Now, I needed to find Juni so she could go and take care of them.
