Page 38 of Dealing With Drak

He hums, using his fancy little watch device to spark a flame into the bottom of the stacked wood.

“Do you have an instinct to be soft with smaller things, or do you have to actively hold back your strength?” God, I sound like Caleb, trying to uncover the science of it all.

Successfully having lit the campfire, Drak stands to his full height, resting his hands on his hips. “It is natural.”

“So, the Aprixian females you were with, you were able to be gentle with them?”

I’m prying far too much, but I’m too curious to stop it.

Drak frowns. “I did not hurt them.”

“Oh god, no,” I rush out. “I wasn’t implying that—I just meant—” Cutting myself off, I blow out a breath. “I was just thinking about how it all works because you’re so strong, and humans don’t even come close to that level of power. I was just wondering how Stevie and Marrec… you know.”

His down-turned lips tip up, and my shoulders relax, knowing that I’ve fixed whatever he thought I must be insinuating. “You wish to know about hu-nims and Aprixians mating? Why might that be, Mean One?”

Do. Not. Blush.

Naturally, I avoid feeling vulnerable by being snarky. “Why? Are you going to try and impress me with your mating expertise?”

Only Drak doesn’t laugh like he normally would. Instead, he hangs his head, and his frown returns. “I do not believe I am a very skilled mate, An-nana.”

Oh Jesus, he sounds so upset about it.

“Who told you that?” I bark, pissed off about it for no reason. He very well could be bad in bed for all I know.

Shyly, he shrugs. “My experience is limited, and those who I have shared time with did not wish to see me after.”

“Did you pleasure them?”

His eyes darken. “Of course, a male must always do so. We are driven by it.”

“Then you aren’t an unskilled mate. Human guys don’t have the same standard. Some of them will fuck you and dump you without even making you come. So I assure you, you’re ahead of the game in that department,” I deadpan.

Drak smiles warily. “Perhaps so. But to most, I am nice to look at,” he tells me solemnly. “And that is all.”

“That’s fucking bullshit,” I snap, earning a surprised look from him. His eyes are wide as he glances at me. “You’re not just nice to look at, Drak. You’re kind, strong, funny, and caring. You’re a catch. I honestly don’t understand why someone hasn’t claimed you already.”

Wow, did I just blurt all of that out?

A ghost of a smile tugs at his lips, but he shakes his head. “You do not understand, An-nana. As I say, it is complicated.”

“Uncomplicated it for me then.”

Sighing, Drak lowers himself onto a large fallen tree trunk to sit. “Aprixian females tend to be quite serious creatures. They suffer from the population struggles as much as the males do. There is much pressure for them to pick their perfect mate because they care for our planet and our people.”

Okay, so far so good. That seems entirely reasonable.

“But sometimes this makes them… superstitious.” The English word is jumbled on his tongue, but I understand him anyway. “They fear many qualities in our males, and many of them fear me.”

“Because you’re a warrior like Marrec?”

“In part,” he confirms, looking nervous. “But mostly, they fear that bearing my young will end in tragedy. My mother perished not long after my birth. Her body could not handle the delivery, and our technology could not save her. They believe I am cursed by our goddess and that mating with me is dangerous.”

My heart actually squeezes in my chest, painfully so. “Drak, I’m so sorry.”

I can’t pretend I understand where the women are coming from, but I can’t be pissed at them even if I’m majorly offended on Drak’s behalf. Even humans jump to conclusions that hurt people when they’re scared, and it’s clear that they are cautious because of their struggles. I just wish it didn’t come with this kind of treatment towards someone who is so undeserving of it.

“They’re wrong to think that,” I tell him firmly. “You’re not cursed.”

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