Page 7 of Purring, Presents, and Parties

Still, there were human and Talin couples in their community who’d scent-bonded and successfully kept it a secret from the authorities. Why couldn’t he risk it for her?

There had to be more than the fear of discovery going on here, but did she have the patience to find out?

“You look peaceful now, but you will be highly uncomfortable tomorrow. I don’t know where you and Ari got the alcohol, but Iwill find out and stop them from giving you more. The substance is toxic to your fragile bodies.” He sighed out a rumble that reminded Zuri of a bass drum in the distance. It was the sound of concern or worry.

“You shouldn’t imbibe, Zuri,” he continued. “It’s dangerous. I know you humans enjoy the way it relaxes you, but I have harmless medications that could do the same thing without the fear of injury to your kidneys.”

Pretending to wake up, Zuri made a production of yawning and stretching. Then she looked around as if surprised to find herself in his lap. “Kasium? Where’s Ari?”

Kasium started up a soothing rumble that all the humans agreed sounded just like the purr of an Old Earth cat. “Bazium has carried your friend home. Did Ari bring you something to drink?”

Zuri smiled up at him. “We had tea.” Hoping to catch him unaware, she reached up to run her hand over his scent glands. He was quick to duck away from her touch, as if she was about to burn him.

All her earlier good humor vanished. Ignoring the sensation of being unbalanced, she sat up and moved off his lap. He let her go without protest.

“I should go to bed.”

“Let me assist you.” Kasium got to his feet and reached out to help her stand. She knocked away his hands and used a nearby puff to help steady herself.

He remained in the living room as she made her way to the bedroom. There were two beds in there, a giant fluffy nest on the floor for her and a standard extra-firm Talin bed for Kasium. The best she’d been able to do over the last year was get them to sleep in the same room, but no further. If she crawled into his bed, he’d leave and sleep in her nest. If she followed him to the nest, he moved to the living room floor.

Maybe it was time to give up.

Feeling tears burn the backs of her eyes, she made her way to the elimination and cleansing room.

“I’ll place a vial of medication for you to drink in your nest,” he said behind her. “And a canister of water. Please consume all the vial and water before you sleep.”

She didn’t answer as the door slid shut behind her. Now that she was alone and knew Kasium wouldn’t hear her, she let herself cry.

Kasium

Instead of going to the infirmary the next morning, Kasium stayed home waiting for Zuri to wake up. He tried to stay busy, inspecting all the pre-packs in the food storage lockers for imperfection that would spoil the food inside and poison an unsuspecting human. Then he checked the small bot that looked after the plants surrounding the cottage. Once that task was done, he checked all the filters on the home to verify they didn’t need to be changed yet.

He refused to acknowledge that he’d checked all this yesterday. And the day before that, and every single day he and Zuri occupied the house.

This type of ritual action wasn’t healthy, but he was a healer, so he was allowed to ignore the implications.

A noise drew his attention. Looking up from where he was crouched next to the open grate to the air monitor and filtration system, he found Zuri walking out of their bedroom. Her short, brown mane was a messy mass framing her round face, and her eyes looked puffy and painful.

“Damn, I think I drank more than I realized last night,” she muttered, rubbing her red, irritated eyes.

Jumping to his feet, Kasium rushed to her side. He didn’t touch her, but he stood close so he could grab her if she needed assistance.

“If you’ll sit, I’ll fetch some medication to make you more comfortable and then bring you some soothing food and drink.”

Zuri didn’t move except to pivot in place, her gaze meeting his. “I’m fine,” she assured him. “I can get my own water and food.”

“Allow me,” he begged. Seeing to her needs was a poor replacement for holding or touching her, but it had to be enough.

Her human face went through several complicated shifts. He’d been studying human expressions, but hers changed too fast for him to name any of them. When she crossed her hands over her chest and raised her chin a little, he decided the expression she settled on had to be labeled as challenging.

“Last night I was in your lap,” she stated.

His heart raced. Of course she remembered that, she’d woken up enough to have a short conversation with him. “You’d fallen asleep in an odd position. I worried you might damage yourself, so I held you while Bazium and I spoke.”

“Convenient excuse,” she said.

“It’s not an excuse!” he protested. “You needed my assistance.”

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