Page 42 of Alien Protector's Mate

S’aad’s lips twitched with amusement. “They are. Were you expecting something else?”

She flicked a glance at him, her cheeks burning.

“I guess I thought… well, I’m not sure what I thought,” she admitted, biting her lip. “I’ve never seen alien babies… eggs before.”

S’aad’s green eyes sparkled with amusment as he crowded closer.

“And what are you used to, little one?” he asked, his voice dropping deeper.

Her breath caught at the tone of his voice, and she swallowed hard before answering, “Well… humans have babies. I’ve never seen…” she gestured at the picture, “outside of a nature documentary about reptiles.”

Kreeva’s eyes narrowed slightly as he studied her more closely. “Ah, forgive me, young miss. I should have realized you were human. Your species is still quite new to us.”

Her heart leaped into her throat.

“Miss?” she squeaked, panic rising in her chest. Her cheeks flamed with heat and she forced her voice back down to a lower register. “I’m… I’m not…”

Kreeva’s multicolored eyes widened in surprise. “Oh! My deepest apologies, young sir,” he said with a bow. “I meant no disrespect. I’m still learning to distinguish human genders. Please forgive my mistake.”

Her gaze darted to S’aad, skittering away from his face quickly. Her heart hammered against her ribs. Had he noticed? Did he suspect she’d lied to him?

“No harm done,” he said smoothly, resting a hand on her shoulder. The warm weight of it felt like an anchor, both comforting and terrifying. “Human genders can be difficult for other species to discern sometimes.”

Kreeva nodded enthusiastically, clearly eager to move past his faux pas. “Indeed, indeed. Now, as I was saying about my grandchildren…”

The conversation shifted back to Kreeva’s expanding family, but she struggled to focus. Her mind raced, replaying the moment of her near-exposure over and over until she felt sick. She barely registered Kreeva’s words as he launched into a detailed account of his older grandchildren’s accomplishments.

S’aad listened patiently, though. His questions made it clear he knew Kreeva well. Jade nodded along, trying to appear engaged in the conversation even as her insides were a snake pit of anxiety.

“My eldest granddaughter, Treeva, just received her first command.” Kreeva beamed, his chest puffing with pride. “A small scout ship, but it’s a start.”

S’aad nodded. “That’s really good for her age. The Rell council must see a lot of potential in her.”

“Oh, they do,” Kreeva agreed. “And my grandson, Preeva, is showing a real interest for xeno-botany. Can you believe it? He’s only fifty and already cultivating rare gvygonian orchids!”

She frowned. “I’m sorry… did you say ‘only’ fifty? How long do your people typically live?”

Kreeva chuckled, his multifaceted eyes twinkling. “Ah, young one, we Rell can live for centuries. Preeva is little more than a child by our standards.”

“Oh my,” she breathed and glanced at S’aad. Did the Lathar live that long as well?

S’aad caught her look and grinned. “We aren’t quite as long-lived, but we do live longer than unaltered humans.”

She couldn’t help herself, the question out before she could stop it. “What do you mean, unaltered?”

S’aad shrugged. “Humanity descended from the Lathar, so it’s a simple genetic fix to make you live as long as we do.”

More customers queued up for Kreeva’s food, and the Rell winked at her before he turned to serve them. She waved goodbye before following S’aad through the market. It was a riot of colors and textures with beings of all shapes and sizes haggling over exotic wares. The air was thick with the scent of spices and the hum of a hundred different languages. She was enjoying herself until she spotted a familiar face among the throng, and a chill ran down her spine. Reav sauntered into the market, flanked by his cronies. Their predatory gazes swept across the area, and she instinctively ducked behind S’aad’s broad back, out of sight.

The big Latharian turned to talk to her and, realizing she wasn’t at his side, half turned around.

“Don’t look at me,” she squeaked, grabbing his arm so he couldn’t.

“What’s going on, little one?” he murmured, following her line of sight as she peeked around his arm. He stiffened as he saw the gang. “Don’t worry,” he murmured. “They won’t try anything here if they know what’s good for them.”

She watched Reav and his gang weave through the crowd with a predatory grace, like a wolf pack after it’s prey.

Reav’s eyes locked on to S’aad, and a mixture of recognition and challenge flashed across his features. The gang fanned out around them.

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