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“The dye is made from the needles of grivwood trees.” Wrin’s hand stroked over the same plank, a few inches above mine. “It’s a color that speaks of home. We even carry it into space with us, painting the inside of our ships this same shade.”
The sadness in his voice made my heart pinch, and my feelings yo-yoed once again. When he’d said we had to wait all day to finish our escape, doubts resurfaced. Besides him beating up the guard, I didn’t have concrete proof of anything Wrin had told me. If these aliens had super healing, then Wrin could have known asshole guard would be okay in only a couple of days.
But now, hearing that note of longing in his voice…
God, I didn’t know! Confusion warred in my chest. I wanted to trust him so very badly, wanted to wrap my arms around him as I’d done downstairs.
But the responsibility for over a thousand lives pressed onto me, crushing me under the weight of it all. Each decision I made affected every single one of those women. I didn’t dare make the wrong one.
Added to that was all this fated mate stuff. Wrin didn’t seem like the type to go in for flights of fancy, but it sounded unbelievable.
Or very, very alien.
His voice cut across my whirling thoughts. “Would you prefer a shower or a bath?”
I opened my mouth to give my default answer. Showers were fast and efficient and didn’t waste water. Hell, I’d never even been able to take a bath on Earth. I’d only seen it in old movies or TV shows.
But a large tub waited in the corner, lined with the same slate that covered the cabin’s roof. Who wanted to sit on hard rock? Committing to a rustic look was one thing, but taking it this far? I pressed a palm to the flat stone and met a cushiony surface. A transparent gel of some kind coated the inside of the tub in softness. I took back everything I’d thought—this wasbrilliant.
“Bath,” I blurted. “I want a bath.”
He started the water, then pointed to the various small white pots and glass bottles lining the bath’s edge, telling me what each was for. “I’ll leave some clean clothes for you outside the door. They’ll be the smallest I can find, but they’ll still be a little large.”
“That’s fine. I’ll make do.” I shooed him from the room, happy to finally have a bit of time alone to catch my breath.
I peeled off the slippers and the stretchy lounge clothes from the lab and kicked them into the corner. All of it was filthy and torn, ill suited to fleeing through an alien forest.
The bath beckoned, and I stepped in and sank down. A moan escaped me as the hot water engulfed me, soothing my muscles. No wonder all those women lounged in baths in movies! This was heavenly!
I opened several of the bottles, finding one that smelled of valoree flowers. I poured the scented oil into the bath, and the sweet floral scent surrounded me. With a sigh, I settled back, my head resting on the cushioned lip of the tub. I floated lazily, my entire body more relaxed than I could ever remember being. From this angle, the large window looked out into the top of the grivwood trees. The little purple birds darted back and forth, following me into my dreams.
“Friend?”Max’s voice pulled me awake.“Where is you?”
“Taking a bath,”I thought at him.
“Bah! Me no stinky like you.”Smugness came through our bond.“No need baths.”
I sat up, rubbing at the back of my neck. I hadn’t meant to go to sleep, and my nap probably hadn’t lasted long—the water was still warm.
“Don’t knock baths. Baths are pretty great.”
He sent me a wave of such pure feline disdain that a bark of laughter escaped me.
I ducked my head under, rewetting my hair, and reached for the pot of combined shampoo/conditioner. The thick paste had a pleasant herby smell and felt slick as I smoothed it through my hair. It didn’t foam up, but my hair felt deliciously soft as I rinsed it. Then I washed with a similarly scented soap from another pot that left my skin feeling lightly lotioned. Nice.
The towel was Zaarn sized, and I had to wrap it around me twice to secure the end under my armpit so I could open the door. A small stack of clothes waited, just as Wrin had promised.
I snorted as I dug through what he’d left me—still no underwear.
The purple, long-sleeved T-shirt settled around me like a tent, falling to my thighs. “If this is the smallest…” I shook my head. As if I’d needed a reminder of just how much bigger and more powerful the Zaarn were. Wrin having a foot and a half on me made thatplentyclear, thank you very much.
I cuffed the sleeves so I could use my hands and pulled on the black pants, which were equally long. Thankfully, he’d left a solution. I tucked in the shirt and tightened the belt around me until the top of the pants stood out from my waist in scallops of extra fabric. I had to cuff the hems six times to get the length right. But the pants were made of a canvas-like material, strong and a lot more protective than what I’d been wearing.
There were socks, but no shoes. I suppose that had been too much to hope for, given the size difference. I pulled the thin slippers back on, wishing I could leave behind everything from the lab. But I wasn’t stubborn enough that I’d turn down anything that helped me, and having some kind of shoe was better than none.
Lastly, I slipped the knife into my thigh pocket and practiced pulling it free a couple of times. A little awkward but doable. I could string it on the belt instead, but it’d be visible, and if any more of those lab fuckers came after us, I wanted to keep the knife a surprise.
When I opened the door, the smell of cooking food made my stomach grumble. I followed it back downstairs. Max sprawled asleep on one of the couches, all four paws in the air, and Wrin moved around the kitchen. He’d obviously cleaned up and changed, but his new clothes had the opposite problem as mine. The dark-blue shirt stretched so tightly over his back that I expected it to split open every time he moved. The pants were a little too short, ending above his ankles and leaving his bare feet in full view.
