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“No! But maybe … I dunno, maybe we should fix Ryan’s hands. If we get caught, they’ll go easier on us—onyou—if he’s not harmed.”
Q’on paused as if pondering the thought. “I do not like the idea of rewarding him for bad behavior. He tried to hurt you. He should not get healed simply to lessen the risk to me.”
“Please, Q’on? For me? It would make me feel better if he wasn’t risking a nasty infection out there in the shed. It’s bad enough that it’s winter; we should really bring them some blankets anyway.”
With an annoyed grunt, Q’on rose and left to take care of Ryan’s injuries. I noted that he dutifully even found and brought blankets with him, so I wouldn’t have to later. It wasn’t much, but it might be enough to keep the AARO or other authorities from shooting Q’on on sight.
Mightbe enough.
We weren’t out of the danger zone yet.
Chapter 13
Q’on
Ifrightened Amber. I acted without thinking, and I gave her reason to fear me, to fear for her own safety around me.
I fear I did irreparable damage to our burgeoning relationship. I may have destroyed our mate bond before it had a chance to set in her human heart.
Once the mess in the foyer was dealt with, Amber went back to the living room and poured herself another glass ofgribbal, downing it in one fell swoop. I opened my mouth to caution her against drinking so much so fast, but she held up a hand to stop me.
“I don’t want to hear it. I’ve had one hell of a night, and I need this.”
I shrank back in shame. I did this. I caused her distress.
Amber poured yet another drink, though this time she paused before partaking. She swirled the liquid in her glass, watching as if entranced by it.
“I’m going to bed—alone. I need some time to think.”
Ruined things for the second night in a row. What a way to start a mating. I got as comfortable as I could on the couch and debated my options. Watching human mating shows got Amber aroused before, but I doubted that would work again. Reading her favorite literature to learn about what she likes in a male was a failure as well. Perhaps I was wrong about the mate bond, or perhaps humans could not experience it the way we Xalanites do.
Perhaps it was a one-sided bond.
That thought hurt my blood organs. I did not want to be alone, not after so long drifting in space. I did not want to be without Amber.
I drifted into a fitful slumber, disturbed by sleep-thoughts of blood and knives. Dozens of Ryans faced off against me, too many to fight, and they stabbed into my body again and again as I tried to keep them from entering the cabin, from getting to Amber.
One of these ghostly hands felt more real than the others, and I reached for it, hoping to break Ryan’s wrist again, to hurt him like he was hurting me.
My fingers met with soft, smooth skin, and I froze.
“Q’on? Are you all right? It looked like you were having a bad dream.”
There, wrapped in a plush garment with an equally plush belt, stood Amber, her hair askew from slumber. Her eyes were red-rimmed, her lids swollen, but still she wore an expression I’ve come to associate with human concern. Not concern for my hand on her arm, but concern for me, for what I was experiencing.
I blinked in confusion. “Did my sleep-thoughts cause me to wake you?” Sometimes I shout when my sleep-thoughts—no,dreams—are bad.
She shook her head. “No. I couldn’t sleep. I was scared. I started thinking about what might happen if some of Ryan and Evan’s friends came looking for them. They could bring guns, or they could go totally nuts and set the cabin on fire with us inside. I just can’t sleep with that kind of stuff on my mind.”
I sat up, and Amber sat next to me, her curvy hip resting against my own. She leaned her head on my shoulder, and we sat quietly together for several spaces of Earth time. Words like “cuddle” and “snuggle” came to my mind, brought forth by the nanites’ translations. Signs of affection, though not always of desire. Given the tenuous nature of our interactions this past evening, I would not push things by trying to mate.
Amber shivered, and she drew her garment closer around her. I offered her the use of my blanket, but instead she got up and lit a fire in the fireplace. “There. Now we can both get warm.”
“I do not need the fire to warm me. I am from Xalan, a planet of mostly water. Though the climate is quite temperate, being submerged at great depths can rob the body of warmth. We are designed to acclimate to extreme temperatures. If you are cold, I will not suffer for lack of a blanket.” I flexed my arm and let the firelight glint off my iridescent purple scales. “There is an extra layer underneath my skin that I do not believe you humans have. It insulates against extremes.”
“Oh.” Her face fell, and she tucked her legs underneath her. “And here I thought I was being all caring and wifey.”
The nanites took a moment to give me the meaning of the second term, and when they did I felt a surge of relief. She wished to be like a mate to me. That meant the damage I did to our relationship by injuring her former mate was not permanent. She still cared for me, despite her earlier anger.
