Page 56 of Claimed By the Alien Barbarian

She leaned into my embrace. “I can hear the water even from up here, splashing far below.”

“My parents had a home on the edge of the village much like this one, only larger. No deck like this, though. I’d open my window at night and close my eyes, soaking in the sound of the sea. It felt like it sloshed in sync with the beat of my heart.”

“It must’ve been hard to leave here to live in the forest.”

“At first. I longed for the salty tang mingling with the smell of the flowering trees that grew near our home.”

“Look.” She pointed to where a sea creature had surfaced some distance away, its violet scales shimmering in the sunset like jewels. “It’s huge if we can see it from here.”

“There are many beasts living in the water around us. A lot of them are friendly.”

“And some are not, much like the sea creatures living in the oceans back on Earth.”

“We are the same, yet we are not.”

“In our hearts, we are, and to me, that’s all that matters.”

She turned in my embrace, and I kissed her. Who needed food when I had Kerry in my arms?

Her belly rumbled, though, and I lifted my head, smiling because I couldn’t think of a more perfect evening or a more perfect person to spend this time with. I felt secure in my body for the first time in my life and warmed by the affection in her eyes. Things had changed between us, and it was only going to get better.

“Let’s eat before our food gets cold,” I said, taking her hand and leading her to one of the chairs where she sat.

Joining her, I nudged my head to her meal. “I asked the gods for a variety of food, and they delivered. This way, if you don’t like something, there’s still plenty of other things to try and savor.”

She scooped up a bit of mixed grains and tentatively placed them in her mouth. Her eyes closed, and she moaned, wiggling on her chair that was much too large for her tiny frame since her bare feet didn’t reach the stone flooring. “Amazing. There’s a light sauce that’s both sweet and tangy, plus a subtle bite that hits the back of my throat. This reminds me of Thai food back home.”

“Try this one.” I lifted a chunk of sea plant and fed it to her, watching as she chewed, and her eyes glowed in the setting sunlight.

“Slightly salty but in a good way. This reminds me of seaweed back home. There, it’s mostly dark green and thin, almost chewy. It’s often dried and used to make sushi, which is a dish made with bits of raw seafood, vegetables, and rice, a grain similar to some of the ones on my plate.”

“We eat raw seafood on occasion as well, catching it and consuming it almost immediately. If it sits for long in the heat, it spoils.”

“Do you have refrigeration here?” She explained what she meant.

“Not here, but we have cold boxes inside our forest homes. Our wood god provides them.”

“I imagine if you needed them here, your stone gods would make sure you had them.”

“I think you’re right.”

We ate almost everything on our plates, then she left her chair and climbed into my lap, leaning back against my chest. We savored the view of the moons rising and the stars twinkling overhead while sipping the beverage provided by the stone gods. I couldn’t imagine a better night than this.

“This tastes like wine,” she said, holding up her glass. The deep purple liquid glowed in the moonlight. “Wine on Earth has alcohol, something created by the fermentation of the fruit the wine’s made of. The alcohol can make you feel silly. Does this beverage do the same thing?”

“Not as far as I know, though we do have beverages like your wine made from fermented fruit. Most are only savored during festivals.”

“Along with food created from stone.” Her face scrunched.

“If we’re ever here for a festival, I promise you won’t need to try them if you don’t want to.”

“Oh, I will. I have my own share of curiosity, and I won’t be able to resist.” She lowered her empty glass onto the table. The plates had already been absorbed by the stone gods and they removed her drink glass as well. After sliding off my lap, she climbed back onto it, facing me. She rose onto her knees and cupped my cheeks. “You’re gorgeous. Did you know that?”

“I look like every other Zuldruxian. I don’t have beautiful golden hair like yours.” I fingered the soft strands. “Or eyes of your lovely color. Your pale skin color keeps drawing my eye.”

“You’re Nevarn, and there’s no one else like him in this world or mine. He’s perfect just the way he is.”

“Mate,” I breathed, nearly overwhelmed by how she was speaking to me.

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