He didn’t understand the word.
When he asked for a full explanation, she’d told him what it meant on her planet, well, he’d been completely and totally disgusted. Trenu Zel never experienced that. He had no living memory of a male or female experiencing it.
It had been an enlightening conversation.
They walked for several hours, or what felt like it, when they stumbled across a lake.
Dhiro moved closer, finding them some fresh water.
When they found a town, she hoped they had a pharmacy. She was starting to think Dhiro’s change of reaction was down to her being pregnant. Not only that, she’d missed her so-called moon cycle, and she never missed. Even with all the stress factors in her life, she’d been as regular as clockwork.
Apart from now.
“Bronn, can I ask you something … personal about your own species?” she asked.
“Go ahead.”
“Er…” Her face felt so hot. It had to have gone a shade of red. “I’m aware that you are always attuned to a woman’s arousal, am I correct?”
“Yes.”
“I was just curious, if one of your women were to get pregnant, would her mate have a different reaction?” she asked.
Bronn rubbed at his chin as he seemed to think about it. “I’m not entirely sure. I was too young when the fertility became an issue. Ask Dhiro. He would know. He was just old enough to have witnessed couples.”
“Right, of course.”
She wasn’t going to ask Dhiro. After everything he’d gone through, she wouldn’t allow him to feel any hope that might not be correct. His reaction to her could simply be down to where they were. Her planet.
But he did it back on the ship.
There was no false hope.
Dhiro came toward her with a canister and held it to her lips. She drank a small amount of the lake water, shocked by how clean it was.
“We have a filter.”
Trenuians always thought of everything.
Dhiro took her hand, and they were walking once again. The sun had traveled across the sky, showing them the time had passed. Ella’s hunger had gotten stronger, and her stomach continued to make those horrible growling noises. Fortunately, no one else had made a mention of them. There was no way they couldn’t hear them.
After what felt like a starving eternity, they came to a stop as the sound of people talking filled the air. Dhiro held her hand as they used the cover of a couple of large trees.
They were near a small town. Ella didn’t recognize the name, but the hint of trees on their crest gave way to a tourist town. What was even more interesting to Ella was the scent of food.
“We have to go down there.”
“There are too many humans.”
“Exactly, tourists, we’ll blend.” She looked at the three men who appeared doubtful. “Just, try to be human. You’ve all studied our culture, our ways. Put it to the test.”
Without waiting for an answer, she took Dhiro’s hand and led the way out of the forest. “Remember to smile. We’d just been on a wonderful hike. You think you can do that?” Ella asked, glancing back.
All three men smiled at her, and Dhiro’s was breathtaking.
Oh, dear.
A couple of human women were going to struggle with Trenu Zel men. Bronn and Kaalen were devastatingly handsome, just like her mate.
Coming through the clearing, she held Dhiro’s hand tightly, aware of the curious stares.
“I can’t believe how amazing that walk was. It’s everything you promised it would be,” she said, turning toward Dhiro. “Go along with me, okay?”
“Yes.” His hand had already gone to her ass and had pulled her close.
She leaned into his touch, pressing her lips to his, kissing him.
Bronn and Kaalen cleared their throats.
“Sorry,” she said.
“You’re on your honeymoon. Do not mind us,” Bronn said. He gave her a smile, and his gaze went past her shoulder.
Glancing in the direction he was looking, she saw a sign for newlyweds.
Great cover.
“Well, I don’t want my wife to starve any more than I’ve already made her.” Dhiro held her hand, and together, they moved toward the diner.
On the way there, a group of men stopped them.
“We saw you coming out of the forest. This is our third time here, and there are rumors there is a fountain of youth, have you seen it?” the blonde of the group asked.
She was about to open her mouth when Dhiro shook his head. “No, man, we couldn’t find it. My woman here wants to be young forever.”
Ella slapped him on the chest. “Oh, please, you wanted to get a picture of it to add to your increasing collection of natural beauties. It was a shame your camera dropped in the lake.”
Her heart raced. Dhiro looked so natural, like he’d been studying to be a human.
Of course, he had. It’s why he got you.
But before, he’d been stilted in his approach. Something was different now. She couldn’t exactly put her finger on what it was, but it was there.