Page 68 of Theirs to Crave

I held mine out, and he picked me up as easily as Zafett had, setting me next to him. I sat there, bemused, as he wove a complex arrangement of braids into my wet hair.

“Litha la Zafett sh’irirra setal.”

Revik spoke quietly, but I started, pulled out of the half-trance I’d fallen into.

I tried to gather the misty threads of my thoughts. What had he said?Litha and Zafett, yes, andsetalwas a form ofto be...Litha and Zafett are...what?

“Ix ilatah,” I said. What didsh’irirramean?

“Litha, Zafett, Revik, irirra,” he said after a moment’s thought.

Okay, the three of them were something. The “sh” at the beginning of the word was possessive, from what I’d figured out. So, they were his...oh! Was that their word for partner?

“Estrayuh la Naryanuh, kakal. Zafett la Indaro, kakal. Ilateh?”

I bounced, excited. “Het!” Mariano and I, like Zafett and Indaro, were siblings.Kakal. Litha, Zafett, and Revik were partners—maybe mates? Might as well embrace the whole alien experience. They were mates.Irirra.

“Ray.”

Revik fell silent after that, and my enthusiasm at learning more Teterayuh faded into confusion. Why had he brought it up? Did he think I was pushing into their relationship? For all I knew, mutual bathing could be a mates-only activity. If so, he needed to talk to Zafett, not me. For that matter, I wasn’t the one with their fingers in their not-mate’s hair.

My temper was beginning to simmer when he finally spoke again.

“Estrayuh. . .irirra eras?”

His voice was the softest I’d ever heard it, and my temper deflated like a popped balloon. I turned to face him, tugging my hair out of his hands.

“Ix ilatah,” I said slowly. He couldn’t be asking me if I had a mate...could he? I mean, Shane and I flirted, but there wasn’t anything there. And I liked looking at Ria, but there was even less between us, romantically speaking. Did he think I wouldn’t have said something when they split us up if I’d been married to one of the others?

His eyes were soulful as he brushed my bangs from my eyes. “Siven. Oi a’laytuh.” He gestured upward, past the tree that sheltered us. “Irirra eras?”

I dropped my gaze, twisting my hands together under the water. It seemed wrong to think about Drake here. As if just the memory of him could poison the beauty of this moment, this place. These people.

“Estrayuh?” Revik prompted, so gently a tear slipped down my cheek.

I nodded.

The silence lay heavy for a long moment. Then five arms wrapped around me, warm wet bodies surrounding me, holding me safe. They purred, softly, rocking me as I cried at the painful contrast between these beautiful souls and the man who’d sworn before God to love and care for me, to be the father of my children—only to leave me bleeding and alone.

Chapter 20

Zaf

Imoved quietly, careful not to wake Estrayuh. I’d noticed she preferred to sleep longer than we did, and it was as nothing to see to her needs in this way. I liked a slow, quiet morning myself.

I added two pots of healing salve to my sack—noting I’d have to make more soon, since we had soft-skinned Hyunans among us—and snuck a peek at the Little Star who’d fallen into our hands.

For such a tiny thing, she took up a lot of space when she slept. She sprawled, arms and legs outflung, a look of utter peace on her face.

I wanted to slip beneath her and let her spread herself over me, rather than the cushion.Around me.

My teeth clenched and I turned, ducking through the doorway into theerr’laytuh. This violent need for her was only getting worse. Finding out she was in mourning should have lessened the pull, but my sorrow at her pain only made me long to comfort her...as well as fuck her.

I settled across the fire from my mates and sorted through my pack, mindful to not forget anything. Healing salve for the rest of thetetezha’a, purification leaves in case Cass’s wound sickness hadn’t improved, a fresh batch of the oil for Aksha’s pain, and a special salve to sooth Selka’s breasts—swollen and tender from nursing. Good.

I hoped to return with more cloths for Estrayuh. Initially, I’d found it odd that the Hyunans covered their bodies. After watching her bare herself at thejavuh, I understood. All that exposed flesh was grippingly sensual. In contrast, the patch of fur between her legs was...

I’d needed Revik to stop me from bending her over and finding out just what that fur hid.