Page 6 of Purring, Presents, and Parties

“Bootlegger?” Bazium questioned, struggling a little with the unfamiliar human word.

“It’s an Old Earth name for someone clever,” Kasium explained. “The other humans gave her the nickname. Do you know she’s set up a complicated system in the other room to make a thick sweetener the humans enjoy adding to certain drinks? It’s all very complicated and impressive.”

“Our humans are very talented,” Bazium agreed.

Kasium sat on the floor and pulled Zuri into his lap. He and Bazium were facing each other now and the way Ari’s body was relaxed told him she was asleep also.

“Before I depart, can you advise me on how to help Ari when she wakes?”

“You need to encourage her to drink fluids. I also have several vials of medication you should take with you,” Kasium said. It was his way of apologizing for accusing Bazium earlier. “And later tomorrow I’ll have a few more delivered. It will help her body recover rapidly.”

“Thank you for your gift of time and skill,” Bazium said.

“I also have those additional tests to do on Ari,” he added. “I promise we will find the cause of her ailment.”

Bazium barely kept himself from sounding a negative rattle. Perhaps Ari was correct and he was using that rattle far too much.

“I believe I know why Ari is displaying behavioral changes,” he said. “The alcohol she consumed caused her to be painfully candid with me. She’s feeling neglected because I’m forced to spend so much of my time on administrative tasks.”

“She must understand that you’re not doing it to deliberately hurt her,” Kasium said. “Humans are prone to being illogical, but not to that degree.”

“Is it illogical to wish for more time with your scent-bonded partner?” Bazium asked.

“Humans don’t scent-bond,” Kasium scoffed.

“No, but they love, and it’s the same thing,” Bazium stated with an edge to his voice. He didn’t want to wake the women with any loud rattles, but Kasium’s willful denial was annoying. “I know you’ll argue that scent-bonding is biological and love is an ephemeral human construct, but are they really so different? Ari is withering away from my lack of attention and care, just as I would die if separated from her for too long. Her emotions are causing physical symptoms. If that isn’t akin to our biological scent-bonding, then I think we need to revisit the science.”

Kasium was quiet for a few submarks, his eyes firmly fixed on Zuri. “It seems you’re not the only one to receive a revelation tonight,” he murmured. Without meeting Bazium’s gaze, Kasium nodded his head to a small, metal case sitting on a table near the door. “Take two of the vials in there. If you can, have her drink one tonight and the other in the morning.”

The healer’s sudden coldness was an obvious signal that Bazium had upset the male. “Kasium, I–”

Kasium cut him off without looking at him. “Have a fruitful rotation.”

It was a clear dismissal. Standing up with Ari in his arms, Bazium repeated the traditional farewell, collected the vials, and left.

Chapter 3

Zuri

Unlike Ari, Zuri wasn’t a lightweight. Her mother and father had started the first distillery on Omanal, and she’d learned the craft from them.

Making alcohol was even more important now. When she and everyone else fled Omanal, she was forced to leave everything behind. She didn’t have a single item from her old life. No data crystal with images of her parents. None of their favorite reading materials or other Old Earth treasures.

Everything was gone, except the skills they’d lovingly taught her. That meant nothing but actually putting her into a cage would stop her from creating whatever alcohol she could make with available materials.

She should feel guilty for blatantly lying to Kasium, but the male was so damn arrogant, she felt nothing but satisfaction. They’d been living together for about a year now, and he still insisted on sleeping separately. He would hug and cuddle, butonly for a limited time. If she complained or tried to push for more, he’d drag her to the infirmary and run every test he had access to on her.

She loved him, but she was only willing to spend so much time trying to make him see her as a full partner instead of a pet.

Pretending to be asleep while he and Baz talked made it clear he wasn’t any closer to seeing her as his partner. It was heartbreaking enough to make her almost give up the ruse of sleep. Then Baz left and Kasium did something new. He talked to her.

“What have you done to yourself, my little bootlegger?”

That question almost forced a laugh out of her. Biting the inside of her cheek to keep from revealing she was awake, she focused on keeping her body relaxed in his arms. The smell of coconut filled her nose. She loved the way he smelled. All the other Talins she interacted with smelled similar to soap. There were hints of lavender, vanilla, and hazelnut, but overlapping those was the pervasive smell of astringent cleanser.

Kasium was the only Talin whose scent was pure. A few times she managed to rub a hand over a scent gland in his cheek, covering her palm in bonding oil. Kasium always reacted with gentle firmness and instructed her not to do that. He claimed scent-bonding might be dangerous and needed further research.

It was an excuse. Maybe he was afraid. She couldn’t blame him, scent-bonding with a fellow Talin was a crime but doing it with a human pet was probably seen as far worse!

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