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She scowled at him and her belly rumbled.
“What about whatIwant?”
“You would relinquish the honor of the crown prince’s royal guard as your mate?” He did not mention the dubious honor of being mated to the Moriyan Scourge, if only because the pretty female would be entirely unaware of his rank and martial prowess.
“I need to think,” she muttered, rubbing her belly. “And I’m hungry.”
“We have food compatible with human digestion,” he informed her. “I have been caring for your furred beast.”
“Thank you for taking care of Poppet,” Evangeline said, eyes welling with tears of gratitude. “I do love the little furball.”
“Are all cats like it?”
“Like Poppet, you mean?”
He nodded.
“They’re all similar, just like all dogs are similar in some very basic ways. But Poppet has his own personality.”
Sarus didn’t know what a dog was and decided not to ask for clarification. “He seems to hold you in affection.”
“I like to think so,” she replied in a wry tone. “Help me get up?”
“I’ll carry you.”
She shook her head. “No, I want to walk. I just need some help.”
“Stubborn female,” he muttered and gently lifted her to her feet. She clung to his arm in a manner he found endearing. His tail twitched, then wrapped itself around her hips. She yelped in surprise. He merely said, “Steady there.”
Evangeline decided to accept the prehensile strength of his tail as an aid to help her balance as her vision swam with sudden dizziness.
“I really need to pee first,” she muttered, cheeks flaming with embarrassment.
Sarus remained rock still while she wobbled and did not move until she inched one bare foot forward. In that slow, halting fashion, they progressed from the bedroom to the lavatory. He placed her on a bowl shaped like an old-fashioned chamber pot that was integrated into a low pedestal. Despite her protests, he hovered over her while she emptied her bladder. When her body felt empty and with her cheeks ruddy with embarrassment, she looked around for toilet paper, but there was none to be seen.Oh, Lord, does he expect to wipe my ass like I’m a baby?
The pedestal made a whooshing sound that sent a strong swirl of cool air over her bottom, followed by a hard spray of tepid liquid and a second swirl of warm air. She realized she’d just been cleansed.
He plucked her off the pot and helped her walk to the kitchen. Sarus lifted her onto a short-backed stool. Evangeline noticed the space between the back of the stool and its seat, a place to accommodate an Ahn'hudi’s tail.
Looking around the space, Evangeline thought that kitchens throughout the universe all shared some similarities. To her unvoiced surprise, a fire burned within a stone fireplace. Cupboards made of some polished, nearly black wood supported a smooth countertop made of a polished black stone she did not recognize. The stone held a subtle sparkle beneath the bright overhead lights.
Evangeline watched as Sarus moved about the kitchen, bringing out a skillet and setting it on a stretch of countertop that she could not distinguish in any way as different from the rest of the stone. He pulled out ingredients from what she discerned was the Ahn'hudi equivalent of a refrigerator and set them in the sink. After quickly rinsing some of the ingredients, he retrieved a cleaver and began slicing, dicing, and chopping with all the finger-risking skill of an elite Japanese chef. Evangeline found herself mesmerized by his skilled knifework.
In short order meat and vegetables, none of which she recognized, sizzled in the skillet. While the food cooked, Sarus cleaned the work surface, scraping the scraps into a bin that slid out from beneath the counter. She noticed he hadn’t moved the skillet to a cooktop and wondered if the entire counter acted as a multipurpose work surface and cooktop.
Minutes later, he scooped the sauteed food onto plates and took a seat beside her, ignoring her as she watched him carefully position his tail in the gap between the back and the seat. At that point she realized the kilt he wore was split in the back, the panels overlapping to accommodate his prehensile tail.
“Eat,” he urged. “The healer assured us everything in the fresh food storage unit is compatible with human digestion. He informed us that humans are omnivorous and require a diet consisting mainly of forage.”
She took a bite, first blowing on a steaming forkful so as not to burn her tongue. The yellow vegetable, whatever it was, was both crisp and tender, the flavor mild and somehow creamy. A thin strip of meat proved tender, too, with the consistency of cured ham and a flavor reminiscent of salmon. Another vegetable, a purplish blue stalk, tasted peppery, but without the heat. Evangeline found herself gobbling down the meal and abruptly stopped when she realized Sarus was staring at her.
“I’m sorry for my poor manners,” she apologized, her cheeks flaming with embarrassment.
He gave her a closed-lipped smile and replied, “It’s good to see you have a vigorous appetite.” He gestured with his fork. “Please, continue eating. It has been several days since we arrived here. Horas will be pleased to see you awake.”
“Horas is here, too?”
“It is he who secured us the use of this abode,” Sarus replied between bites.
