Page 105 of I Married A Syllen

“WHAT?! Why would she ever think such a thing?” I exclaimed, flabbergasted. “She’s not responsible for what they did!”

“No, but she’s an off-worlder. Those first couple of days before the audits began, all of you were burning with the old hatred towards off-worlders. While everyone remained kind to me, I also wondered if the tribe would eventually cast me out because they thought we were all like the Settlers. You cannot begin to understand how relieved Mirella and I were to see how well things went down with the colony during those audits.”

My chest constricted at the haunted look that fleeted over her beautiful face.

“I’m so sorry. I didn’t realize you were going through this,” I said, mortified.

She gave me a sympathetic smile. “It’s okay. You were dealing with some major trauma. We both understood that it would be difficult for all your people to separate the two incidents and not want to cast us all into the same mold.”

“I never did. My only worry was that Mirella might be torn choosing who to side with if things escalated. But I knew her heart then. I had seen it in the days before that nightmarish event,” I said with conviction.

“Then talk to her, you knucklehead!” Lily said, throwing her hands up. “Mirella abandoned her entire way of life to settle here with you. She embraced your culture as much as her human body allows. What more do you need for her to prove to you that she’s willing and ready? She’s crazy about you. Claim her already!”

“I’m an idiot,” I whispered to myself.

“Yes. Yes, you absolutely are,” Lily said with that less-than-impressed look again. “Now go bond with your mate. I need my friend to have gills and veris so that we can go study some of the wildest aquatic plants this world has to offer in a way that she cannot for now. Now shoo! Off you go!”

I snorted and gave her an affectionate smile. “Thank you, Anteopi. You’re the best.”

“Of course, I am,” she concurred while proudly patting her cloudy hair.

I chuckled and raced through the journey back to Drossara. The whole way back, I berated myself for allowing my insecurities to cheat us both out of achieving the closeness we craved. And yet, despite my resolve, the moment I stepped onto the beach of the village, my stomach knotted with apprehension.

Mirella was playing toppa with a group of five younglings. Humans had a similar game which they called aki. They used hacky sacks that they bounced on their feet to pass them around to other people in the group. Syllens used round toppa shells that we weighted with some sand. Unlike humans, we use our tails to bounce the shell around.

As soon as she saw me approaching, the warm smile she cast my way stiffened. My mate knew me well enough now that a single glance sufficed for her to understand that something serious was happening. She studied my face questioningly as I closed the distance between us.

She excused herself from the group and took the hand I was extending her so that we could walk a short distance away from curious ears.

“Is something wrong?” Mirella asked with a sliver of worry when we stopped under the shade of a Sentinel tree.

I drew her into my embrace and gently caressed her face, further confusing her.

“I love you, Mirella,” I said, my voice thick with emotion.

Her eyes widened in surprise, then shock gave way to a tender and timid expression.

“I love you, too, Taelen,” she said, her arms wrapping possessively around me.

“Enough to bond with me?” I asked.

This time, my mate gaped, completely stunned before her lips quivered. In that instant, I realized I had truly been a fool waiting this long. Her reaction confirmed beyond any doubt that she’d been waiting for me to finally claim her. Had she also spent all these weeks and months thinking that I had changed my mind, or that I was second guessing my commitment to her?

“Yes, Taelen,” she said in a slightly trembling voice.

“Right now?” I insisted, even as my flowers bloomed with a will of their own from the joy I felt.

“I’ve been ready for months, you silly male,” she said, looking like she might smack me for being so dense. “Honestly, I was going to ask you by the end of the week if you had not because I was tired of waiting.”

“Apologies my mate,” I said before picking her up.

She wrapped her legs around my waist, and her arms around my neck, while making an adorable pout.

“I don’t know if I can accept your apology. You’re going to have to work hard earning my forgiveness,” Mirella said in an overly dramatic fashion.

“Then I should get started right away,” I whispered against her lips with a chuckle.

“You should,” she concurred.