Theirs to Share

“Seriously, you did something to her.”

“She came.”

“I’m fine,” she said weakly. “I had a weird dream.”

“She’s not fine,” Jago insisted. “Your tongue isn’t sharp. So what else did you do?”

“I might have... nipped her with my teeth.” Kriss scratched the back of his head. “Not on purpose.”

“I don’t remember,” Shayla said, pressing her hands to her stomach. She was sure he hadn’t.

“I can take a look,” Jago said.

“Oo,” she wailed. “Maybe it’s just a bug.”

“Bug?” Jago glanced around the room.

“Like a micro-thingy,” she said, doubling over. “On the tip of his tongue.” She pointed a damning finger at Kriss. Poor Kriss, she felt sorry for accusing him. He was fastidiously clean and last night he’d helped her bathe before handing her over to Jago.

Jago grabbed the formal jacket he wore when on duty. “We’ll carry her to the clinic.”

Kriss scooped her into his arms. “I didn’t do anything I’ve not done before with her.”

Shayla snuggled her face into his chest. “It’s not your fault, sir. I’m just a weak human. I’ve failed you.”

Jago covered her with something that resembled a cloak. “Nonsense. It might be something you’re allergic to on this planet. We have to keep you in good health or they’ll take you from us.” The pair of them wore anxious expressions.

As they passed close to the exit, Jago hit the sensor panel. “Strange,” he murmured.

“What?” Kriss asked.

“She’s got a normal temperature and only slightly raised pulse.”

Shayla had forgotten about the damn sensors. “It’s just the pain that’s bothering me.”

“What pain?”

“In my tummy.”

“Let’s go,” Kriss said, hurrying through the doorway.

The hospital was in the valley. By the time they reached there, she’d been carried by both men and received plenty of stares from the inhabitants. Every few minutes, she moaned and squirmed, just enough to keep up the pretense.

They deposited her on a hover bed, which zoomed along a co

rridor to an examination room. Her nestors ran alongside, never leaving her alone. She needed to be alone at some point though.

The Gotti who was on duty was as tall as Jago, thin and had really long fingers—six on each hand. Her tail coiled around her thin leg.

“Human?” she said, eyes widening into bright oval shapes. “I’ve not treated a human before.”

“She’s in pain.” Jago gestured to his stomach. Shayla rolled into a ball and whimpered.

“So I can see.”

“We had sex with her a few hours ago. Kriss had his tongue in her vagina.”

Shayla wanted to die of embarrassment. She was used to people talking about her in that context on Earth, but she rather wished her nestors weren’t the ones saying those things. They should be equally uncomfortable if they knew what she felt about the intimacy they shared.