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I squint, digging through my piecemeal memories. I vaguely remember catalogs and ordering, yes. “Orange cover with a sunset? And a bird?”
She squeals with delight. “Oh my god, that’s the one! You’ve seen it?”
“I think the library ordered a lot of copies of it,” I say. “But I can’t be sure, because my memories…they’re not mine.”
Hannah waves a hand. “Don’t care. Tell me everything you know. I want all the details you can give me. How many copies on hand? Was it a hard shelf date?”
Lauren just chuckles as Hannah drags me away.
Thirty
R’JAAL
My mate is not in our hut when I return with bowls of the morning meal. Her boots are gone, so I set the bowls down near the now-dead fire and glance up and down the beach. There, a short distance away, L’ren and H’nah are talking animatedly to R’slind while their kits play in the sand. My mate is smiling, and for the first time in what feels like forever, she laughs, her face lighting up.
My heart fills with joy, and my khui hums its pleasure. There is nothing better than a happy R’slind.
Her khui must be singing louder, too, for she touches her chest and glances around as if looking for me. I am torn—I want her to spend time with the others, to make friends. But she has not eaten and my need to feed and tend to my mate is greater than all else. I head toward them, waving.
R’slind raises a hand to wave at me as I approach, even as the two women at her side continue their spirited conversation.
“I never did fanfic myself,” H’nah is saying. “But man, I sure did ship a lot of doomed couples. What was your OTP?”
“Oh-tee-pee?” L’ren asks, her brow furrowing. “What the heck is that?”
“One true pairing,” H’nah says. “The couple you ship more than anything. Every fan-writer has one.” She nudges R’slind. “What was yours? Something Twilight related? Harry Potter? Supernatural? Those are the big ones, right?”
R’slind blushes, her cheeks turning an adorable pink. “This might sound weird, but…Spirk is mine.”
“Spirk?” Both women echo.
“Spock and Kirk.” R’slind bites her lip, wrinkles her nose, and then continues. “I know, it sounds weird, right? But it’s that incredibly logical, emotionless one paired with the man-whore and how they help each other grow.”
“Spock and Kirk,” L’ren states slowly, as if digesting this.
“I think the real question here is,” H’nah continues. “Are we talking reboot Spirk or OG Spirk?”
“Yes to both.” R’slind’s eyes get bright with excitement. “I love the nuances of the older actors as well as the dynamic the newer movies bring to their relationships.”
“I’ve heard everyone that writes fanfic writes mpreg. Is that true?”
“Mpreg?” L’ren echoes, confused.
As I approach, R’slind just giggles. “Not everyone…but it’s pretty common. People like seeing their pairing end up with babies, no matter how the babies happen. Hence…mpreg.”
L’ren just gives me a mystified look as I approach. “I think they’re talking a completely different language right now.”
Good, then it is not just me that is confused by these words. “I lost track of your conversation long ago,” I say, sliding an arm around my mate’s waist and nuzzling her cheek. “But I will happily listen to anything R’slind says anyhow.”
My mate gives me a sad smile. “Fanfic and library talk. My two apparent specialties, both completely useless here. I suppose I should be glad I have any memories at all though, right?”
The conversation grows quiet. The sadness settles its weight over my R’slind again, and I feel helpless to stop it.
L’ren beams at the two of us. “I know it probably feels like information overload to you right now, Rosalind, but I just want to say I’m very happy for the two of you. This one has been waiting forever for just the right woman.” And she thumbs a gesture at me. “I think we’ve all answered his questions about what a mate likes to eat, or drink, or how she’d like her hut set up.”
H’nah giggles. “Oh god, it’s true. It’s like he’s been in training for years, waiting to become the perfect mate.” She leans in towards R’slind. “You’re welcome.”
“He’s already perfect.” My mate looks up at me, her eyes full of affection. “I wouldn’t have made it through the last week without him.”
“Aw. You two are so cute. I’m so happy for you.” The two females exchange pleased looks.
“It’s the best!” pipes up a kit.
“Yes, buddy, the best,” H’nah agrees.
I gaze down at my mate with pure joy. “He is right. She truly is the best.”
R’slind’s cheeks grow pink again. “He’s probably talking to a rock, R’jaal.”
“You and the rock can both be the best,” H’nah says easily. She glances over at her son, then back at us. “Speaking of, I need to get him fed and J’shel wants to take his mini-me out fishing later. Maybe we can chat again soon, Rosalind? I would love to talk more books with a fellow nerd.”
