Page 24 of Theirs to Crave

I opened my mouth and closed it again, ignoring Mariano’s muffled snorts. Immature idiot. You’d think he’d never heard the word “boobs” before.

I could feel the weight of Litha’s gaze on me, and my insides squirmed. At least she wasn’t being fatphobic? Jesus, this was embarrassing. I forced myself to turn back and meet her bright, intent gaze. How was I going to explain this?

“Baby?” I finally asked, holding my arms as if rocking an infant. Sudden comprehension hit me, and I could have slapped myself for not understanding.

Litha’s eyes brightened, and she surged forward until she was only a foot away. She tilted her head, her eyes softening as she brushed a finger over my forearm.

I shivered.

“Vailesha, het,” she said, her voice a quiet purr of concern. “Itsook ha’vailesha set, Estrayuh?”

I couldn’t look away, even as heat prickled behind my eyes. I shook my head and spoke slowly. “No babies.” I crossed my arms gingerly over my stomach. “Novay-lesh-uh.” I stumbled over the unfamiliar word, then moving jerkily, I smooshed my breasts together and blurted out, “Just a human woman with boobs.”

Muffled groans and laughter came from behind me at that, and I flushed.

Litha’s eyes lingered on the mile of cleavage pushing out the top of my tunic, then narrowed in concentration when I awkwardly dropped my hands.

“Litha, het,” she pronounced, pointing to herself.

I nodded.

“Ix Litha,” she continued, pointing to me. “Estrayuh, het.”

A lightbulb went off. I nodded so hard my teeth clacked together as I pointed to myself and repeated, “Estrella, yes,het.” Then I mimicked holding a baby again, shaking my head as I said, “No baby.Icks vay-lesh-uh.”

“Set ray,” Litha breathed, relief clear in her relaxed posture.

One of the others prowled over, moving on all four limbs like a massive alien tiger. Or maybe a panther, since this one—the other one who’d joined in the battle—was almost completely black. Revik, that was their name.

Revik crouched beside Litha, and I took the opportunity to compare them. She was taller by about a foot, but Revik was that much wider. Going by Litha’s boobs and Revik’s lack thereof, I was guessing they weren’t genderless like the Quoosalk, and until we learned how—and if—they assigned genders, I was going with “he” for Revik. His features were blunter, his chest boobless but wide. He would have caused a riot at Muscle Beach. And not because he was an alien.

His body rippled with muscles, all covered with inky black fur that was short and sleek, like a Doberman. Litha’s fur was lighter, although I couldn’t tell the exact shade of purple between the wet and the low light, and long enough to hang in wavy, dripping strands. They both had longer fur on their heads, like hair, that they wore in a variety of braids.

“Thiral ar laytuh, sh’irra. A’shavailata thiret sook.” Revik rumbled in a bass so deep it was hard to hear.

My eyes bounced between them as Litha nodded agreement.

Revik’s gaze, so pale a yellow it glowed against his black fur, cataloged each of us in turn. He snorted out a breath and addressed Litha again, his tone grumpy. “Aida naisal eh a’shalaytuh, ixet?”

“Ayelet garev sy a’shavailata.”

Whatever Litha said made Revik’s attention lock onto me, and I instinctively flinched, then firmed my spine.

Without looking away, Revik stood and stalked to me, not stopping until I had to crane my neck to maintain eye contact. Dios mío, he had to be seven feet tall. My eyes flickered down his body, then flew back to his face.

The muscles weren’t the only big things on Revik. Not that I was looking. That bulge was as big as my head and covered in fur like the rest of him. What all did he have going on in there? Definitely not looking.

Stop looking, Estrella.

Apparently deciding I’d been intimidated enough—although probably not in the way he thought—Revik sank fluidly in a crouch. For such a big, muscley alien man, he was very graceful.

With our faces so close, the eye contact was even more intense, and my mouth went dry. He cupped my shoulders in his huge, clawed, four-fingered hands. My eyelids squeezed shut, and I braced myself, but his touch was exquisitely gentle.

His forehead pressed against mine. My eyes popped open, but all I saw was the darkness of his fur. Then he...purred.

“Relyat,Estrayuh.” Revik’s voice was a low growl, but I didn’t feel any anger from him. I struggled to focus past the hypnotic purring.

After a moment, I hesitantly questioned, “Relyat?”