Total pages in book: 78
Estimated words: 75457 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 377(@200wpm)___ 302(@250wpm)___ 252(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 75457 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 377(@200wpm)___ 302(@250wpm)___ 252(@300wpm)
Had no one told him why?
“I was given no choice.” Leaving him had not been my plan but the only way to stay with him would’ve been to claim mate status.
He was not ready for that for a variety of reasons.
“What?” Giving me his full attention, the confusing look was gone from his face. “Why?”
“Our leaders wanted to make sure everyone had come through voluntarily from your side and that I was…suffering no ill effects mentally.” I needed more practice using complicated English. “Toman came back mated. The other who had originally accompanied us panicked. The people of Earth were very…emotive.”
Yes.
That was a good word.
I needed to read more books based on alien relationships. They used more creative words and allowed me to understand different aspects of human relationships more clearly.
“Yeah, I can see why they were concerned.” My human said the right words but it was not believable due to his facial expressions and tone. “You were gone for a lot longer than I’d expected.”
Had he missed me?
He was upset but I wasn’t sure I knew why.
Trying to decide how Wren or Toman would act in a similar situation, I stepped closer and did my best to make reaching out to stroke his chest look natural. Humans did it very easily but we did not randomly touch.
I was caressing my mate.
I had read about this.
I could do it.
Hand between his pecs.
Stroke around in what was termed a clockwise motion…because old clocks and new ones were not the same.
English.
Back up through the middle of his chest.
Then I could move closer and…
Yes.
Thank the ancestors.
He’d taken control.
Wrapping his arms around me, my human guided my head to his shoulder and held me tight almost like a long hug. “I did not know how my absence would affect you. I’m sorry I let them talk me into giving you space.”
I may not have understood all his thoughts, but I’d apologized correctly based on how his body relaxed.
“Is that what they thought they were doing?” Nuzzling against my head, my human kissed me and kept me close. “The tour was fine and the actual logistics of meeting the leadership went smoothly, but I thought you would stay closer to me.”
Because he knew he was my mate?
Because we had become what humans called friends?
“I was told you might be overwhelmed and need privacy.” Looking back, I realized that had been a serious miscalculation. “After seeing how much emotion the people from Earth show, I believe the leadership was worried about them?”
Toman and I had both done our best to explain it was natural for the people of Earth but many were still skeptical and thought it might be some kind of mental disease. Several members of our council had insisted they have time in private to recuperate.
Based on his snort, my human did not approve. “We’re not doing that again. I’m going to know where you are and you’ll know where I am. I’m not willing to compromise on that even if you think I’m being unreasonable.”
No, he was being mated and he did not have a good way of speaking with his mate.
“I don’t think that’s unreasonable.” Kissing his cheek seemed like the best course of action based on what the submissives in my books would do and how I’d seen Wren behave. Yes. It quickly eased his emotions. “We will each know the location of the other and we will work on finding a short-distance communication device.”
That did not sound right.
“Something like your phones.” We did not have the right infrastructure for that. Ha. I knew that word would be useful eventually. Infrastructure. “I am not familiar with mechanical objects that might work, but I know that Wren brought many curious things through the portal.”
He was what was called a packrat.
“Yeah.” My human chuckled and kissed my head again as his frustration eased lower. “His magic bag was amazing and Toman actually used it to bring a few things over for me. There wasn’t time to make sure I could interact with the spell enough to put one on my bag.”
More research on what Agent Murphy could do with magic should have been done before he’d come through the portal.
What if he couldn’t have used the portal?
“I will ask more questions and make sure you are able to properly interact with our world.” It seemed like the time for another cheek kiss since I had done what was called dropping the ball when it came to his care.
Clearly others could not be trusted with that.
Hmm.
Was that why Toman kept Wren so close?
Was it practical for safety and not just related to the mate bond?
My human chuckled but I understood the sound was meant to convey that he was hiding some sort of embarrassment or similar emotions. “That would be helpful. Thank you.”
My mate needed me.