Page 50 of Lost Treasure

“Our otherselves match. We don’t have to be best friends. I just want to setup shelter and food. Anything else can be negotiated. Hey, a dancestudio.” She smiled.

He snorted.“Every town, village, and city out here has dance studios. Youdance?”

“Not like whatis probably custom here. I used to do ballroom, and occasionally,it comes in handy.”

He chuckled andthen sighed. “So, Kekoa is devoted to Alohi.”

“Right. I knowthat.”

“But, together,they can’t have kids.”

“Right. Can’tone of them just get another of the other designation?”

“It isn’t thatsimple. They are linked.”

“So? It doesn’tseem inconvenient to me. Mine is just a soft hum now. Easy toignore.”

“It isn’tsupposed to be. It is supposed to be binding between psyches andlife forces.”

“I am sure itisn’t that way for everyone.”

They got to thefood stalls, and she let her nose lead her around. Reynaldoproduced a bag, and they started to collect food that was wrappedin different leaves in different styles. The bag was full whenReynaldo finished the last payment, and they headed back.

He pulled outone of her latest picks and handed it to her. “Eat this on the walkback.”

She nodded andate.

“Ven tells methat you met at something called Book Club?”

“Yes. I didn’tknow if I qualified for the club, but it turns out a collision withKek and Alo in the city spurred my issue. I just bumped into them.Nothing major. Betas did the assault portion of my originstory.”

“What?”

“They had mesewn so no alpha would possibly fit.” She kept eating. “So, anarrow speculum was about all that would fit. The stitches were sowell done, they were nearly invisible.”

“Oh.”

“Yeah. Oh sumsit up. So, now I am here. Kek and Alo know what happened. I seem tobe turning into a delightfully frisky beta, but I think thatstopped.”

“Stopped?” Theyentered the shadowed building.

“It was there,and then it wasn’t. Poof. All gone. Oh, and I got tackled by adolphin this morning, so all in all, not a stellar day.”

They walkedover to where low tables were set, and Kek and Alo were seated withtheir prepared meals. She got some more of the takeout packets andwent in with ravenous intent.

She was hunchedover her third packet when Kek’s legs were next to her.

“You are not inyour place, treasure.”

She shrugged.“I don’t like my place. Here, I get to eat when I am hungry, and noone smacks my fingers.”

“You are to sitwith your alpha.”

She looked upat him. “You aren’t there anymore. Isn’t that weird? This morning,it was strong, and now, it’s gone. Poof.”

She started thefourth packet, and he crouched next to her. “That is one of myfavourites.”

“They are downin the main square.”