Chapter Four
“How will you woo the human female?” Loren asked Jaspar a little while later as they all gathered in the largest room in the bed and breakfast. It was what the humans called a “living room”, perhaps because there were so many plants living in it.
“There will be no wooing,” his mother said firmly, giving him one of her most imperious looks. Unfortunately for her, that had not worked on Jaspar since his wing membranes first stiffened.
“What is your objection to the human?” Jaspar snapped.
She clutched at her chest dramatically. “My first clutchling to pair-bond? You will not do so with a human. There are many eligible Drakken females on our planet who would be honored to bear your dragonlings.”
Jaspar shook his head. “But none of them are my heart-mate. Not all Drakken are fortunate enough to hear their heart’s call. I would be foolish to ignore it.”
His mother shook her head impatiently, reclining in the “arm chair”, which did not have arms as far as Jaspar could tell. “Perhaps your heart sings wrongly to you.”
Jaspar didn’t think so. He’d only been near the small, feisty human a few times, but every time, he could feel the song deep inside, and his body pulsed with desire.
He knew that she did not understand about the ways of the Drakken, but he would be patient. He would woo her, for as long as it took, so they could truly know each other’s hearts.
“Ignore our matriarch,” Jaspar said to Loren. “As for wooing her, I have been researching their customs to ensure that I do not unintentionally offend or repulse her.”
“What do you mean?”
“Well, apparently our traditional presentation of a whole roast glaar-beast on the first night of knowing would not be appreciated by most human females.”
His brother Korl looked baffled. “But that is how we demonstrate our ability to be good providers.”
Jaspar nodded in agreement at the foolishness of the humans. “I know, I know, but for the sake of my heart-mate, I will follow the more human customs and take her to an establishment where someone else prepares burned meats and other delicacies for her.”
“A tavern?” Korl brightened. “Where you will slay all males who dare look in her direction?”
“Something like that. A restaurant. Where we will eat meats and vegetables and desserts and not kill anybody. Apparently the slaying causes distress to the humans.”
Korl looked at him askance. “I do not understand the humans’ ways. And this date sounds like it will, to use a human phrase, siphon.”
“Siphon?”
Korl tapped on his wrist translator bracelet and spoke to it, then looked up. “Siphon. Yes. Draw into the mouth via the use of the cheek muscles.”
“Oh, the first date with the human female willsuck, is what you are trying to say,” Jaspar corrected him.
“Excuse you?” Liza’s voice rang across the room
Jaspar started and turned to look at her. She was standing in the doorway, wearing her red coat, red velvet leggings, black boots trimmed with white fur, and a pair of gloves.
“Oh, ah…hello,” he said to her. He glanced at his mother, who was smirking with triumph. “You saw her come in and you didn’t warn me,” he said accusingly.
“Yes.” She nodded, and then fluttered her beautiful dark eyes, fringed with thick, dark lashes, and flashed him a sweet, helpless smile.
Jaspar snorted in contempt. He’d seen her flash that same smile on the field of battle…right before consuming the heart of her foe.
Liza raised an eyebrow. “So we no longer have to date, I take it?”
“No, no, my heart-mate, you misunderstand. I am not the one who said that our date will—” he glared at his brothers, who snickered at him most disrespectfully, “—suck!”
“Sounded like you were,” Liza said coolly. “My sense of hearing is pretty good.”
Marjan came up behind her and fixed him with a ferocious scowl.
“I’m telling you, all of my senses are on full alert. I come from a warrior race; I can tell when danger is afoot,” she said to Liza. “They are not to be trusted.”
