Page 37 of Mated By Twilight

Biella wasn’t an unattractive female. Her scales were a lovely, delicate shade of pink, with a hint of golden sparkles along thescale lines – a very desirable trait among their kind as it was usually only present on gravid females. Those born with them were considered lucky. The gold flecks matched the brightness of her golden eyes – another desirable trait. Her silvery white hair was very long, all the way down to her knees when unbound, though she tended to keep it in a single plait, so it didn’t get messy and tangled throughout the day. Her features were soft, with only her nose being unusually sharp, giving her face an extra bit of character that really attracted the eye. Avanava females, unlike humans, didn’t possess breasts, but their waists did tuck in and flare into lovely hips.

Just on looks alone, Tillos wouldn’t have been disappointed if it turned out that Biellahadbeen their mate, as she very obviously suspected. But her guesses were wrong half the time and, though she was objectively beautiful, Tillos wasn’t attracted to her. Sollit had been, initially, and that had bled through into him – as all their emotions did – but it faded quickly as they spent time with her through their date experience and her personality – focused only on obsessing over them – shined.

Now, they faced her with smiles, polite but distant, as she bounced on the balls of her feet.

“Tillos. Sollit,” she beamed between them – misidentifying them again. “You two were so great at the show yesterday. And you’re so beautiful today. I’m so glad I get to see you again. Did you get my gift? Did you open it yet? I got it just for you two.”

“We did get it,” Tillos said inoffensively.

“Thank you so much for your kindness,” Sollit finished.

She made a moaning sound of delight, deep in her throat, as she hunched in on herself, like she was about to launch herself at them, beaming brightly. She was in raptures. As she usuallywas around them. At least she was dressed appropriately – the simple white dress modest compared to what she usually wore to tempt them.

Tillos and Sollit said nothing as she rambled. Telling them all about the gift she brought – two bottles of dark wine from Wav’aii – and how much she wanted them to enjoy it. How she hoped they thought of her while they drank it. And then all the things she was thinking about buying them next. It didn’t matter how they tried to discourage her. She would get them gifts no matter what they said, so they had learned long ago to just accept it.

As they did with her words, smiling at her calmly as she talked herself out. Tillos didn’t know about Sollit, but he could only wonder how long this meet and greet would last until he could focus on their mate again.

Chapter 17

Leah

Who was that?

Standing back behind the curtain, peeking around at the crowd that filled the dining hall, Leah watched the pretty, pink avanava female talk to her mates. All the while, she wrestled with a wholly new, uncomfortable feeling that was twisting up in her guts. It burned like anger, but sank like fear, and it released icy tendrils up through her chest to choke around her throat like clinging vines.

Whowasthat?!

She was gorgeous. Like, not even just ‘for an alien’. She was positively beautiful. And what’s more, she was talking to Sollit and Tillos like she knew them. A gift? Wine? What was she even going on about?

And why did Leah suddenly want to scream?

“Oh, look at that. Biella’s back.”

“Huh?” She turned, checking on the person who’d come up behind her. It was one of the cleaning crew males she worked with. He was a nice guy, though she didn’t know his species, he was obviously avian in origin. His name was Twa, and he liked to whistle a lot.

“Biella,” Twa repeated, gesturing to her with his head. “She’s Tillos and Sollit’s biggest fan. Well, she’s always been a fan of the troupe in general, but she really loves those two.”

That did not help at all.

“Oh, don’t worry, Leah,” Twa rushed to comfort her with a hand on her shoulder. “No matter how much she might want it, Biella’s definitely not their mate. You are. You have nothing to worry about. They haven’t indulged her since their date. And that was a long time ago.”

That didn’t help either! She wanted to demand more information from Twa, but he was called by one of the others and ran off to help, leaving her alone to stew and worry, that terrible new emotion taking over with the power granted to it by his words.

Leah was gnawing on her lip as she looked forward again. Why did she suddenly feel so completely and wholly inadequate? She’d never had body image issues before, but she did now! And they were running riot through her mind as she found herself comparing every line, flaw, and curve to this beautiful, pink, shimmering gold lady!

Why did she shimmer?! How wasthatfair?! Leah had an oily face in the morning, but this girl looked like she was dusted in gold.

Oh, goodness gracious…

Leah’s heart dropped as she leaned back. Realization struck her like a bolt.

Jealous.

She wasjealous.

It was a completely foreign emotion to her. She’d never cared about relationships before, wasn’t even allowed to have them. The only thing that really mattered to her – singing – she was the best at in her school, so there had been no one to envy. It was the first time she’d ever felt that gnawing, discomforting, aching emotion ripping through her with jagged claws.

And she didn’t like it.

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