Page 8 of Purring, Presents, and Parties

She shook her head, a human gesture with a negative connotation. “It is an excuse when you won’t touch me except when you think it’s to protect me. You won’t let me hug you, or even hold hands. I don’t know what’s going on with you, Kasium, but I’m out of patience.”

Kasium didn’t know what to say. It would be easier if she sounded emotional. Then he could explain her words away as a baseless human overreaction. The problem was her tone; it was nothing but cold and clinical.

“I’m only trying to–”

She held up a hand, stopping his excuses before he could voice them. “No, Kasium. Just, no. I can’t do this anymore. Either youagree to move forward in our relationship, or we actively move apart.”

Fear shot through him as a surprise rattle sounded from his backplates. “What do you mean?”

“I love you, but you won’t love me back,” she answered. “And it’s killing me one little bit at a time. You think alcohol is toxic for humans? Let me tell you, repeatedly being rejected is way worse than my drinking habits.”

He focused on the one word he could argue with. “I’m Talin, not human. We do not love.”

Her expression relaxed into sadness. “Another excuse. For a smart species, you guys can be really dumb. I’m going to see who’s willing to share their enclosure with me. I’ll be out of here by the end of today.”

The scent glands in his cheeks swelled and ached. His body screamed to snatch her up and hold her tight, then rub his painful glands on her flesh until his bonding oil covered every inch of her.

It was a near thing, but he remained still.

“What of your equipment?” he asked, surprised he was able to talk considering the tightness in his chest. He hoped her dedication to making sweet syrup would keep her in the cottage. “You can’t take it into an enclosure. There would be too many questions if strangers or inspectors were to see it.”

Zuri looked at the closed door to her workroom. Her lower lip trembled, but then she stiffened and shook her head again. “I’ll figure something out.”

She was so desperate to leave him that she was willing to part with something this important? Pain made it almost impossible to breathe. He was forced to take several steps away from her or he would sound a demanding rattle and order her never to leave him.

No, not him, the cottage. She shouldn’t leave the cottage.

“I’ll move out.” It hurt to force the words out of his tight throat. “I can live in the infirmary. It has small living quarters that will be perfectly adequate for my needs.”

The moment the offer was out of his mouth, he felt better. Yes, this would work. He’d stay at the infirmary until Zuri relented and asked him to move back into the cottage. In the meantime, he’d research human love and see if there were any compounds he could create that would make Zuri feel emotionally fulfilled.

There had to be an answer because science never failed him.

Chapter 4

Hesarium

“There are plenty of pre-packs inside, and if they run out, we can always order more,” Hesarium said as he squatted near where Rain was digging in the dirt. “There’s no need for you to labor for your food any longer.”

Rain looked up at him with a chuckle. “This isn’t about growing food.”

“It isn’t?” he asked with a confused rumble, pointing at one of the containers of plant starter balls behind her. “Unless the label is incorrect, that bag is full of nort plant starters. What else is there do with nort but eat it?”

“Okay, yes, I’m growing food, but this isn’t about growing food to feed us, but growing for the fun of it,” Rain argued as she placed one of the balls into the ground then put a sensor node next to it and covered the entire thing with a layer of soil.

Hesarium finally understood. “You’re doing this because you enjoy the labor and challenge, not because you fear food shortages.”

Giving the earth a last pat, she sat back and looked at him. “Exactly. I’ve never grown nort before, so I expect this first crop will be a disaster.”

Hesarium sounded a negative rattle. “I’m sure it won’t be. You’re a skilled agriculturist. No plant would dare to do badly under your care.”

For some reason, his statement made her laugh. “I don’t think plants respond to threats.”

Before he could respond, a shadow fell over them. He wasn’t surprised to look up and find Bazium blocking the sun. If anyone was going to be able to sneak up on them, it would be his old squad leader.

“Baz!” Rain scrambled to her feet and peered around the male. “Is Ari coming?”

He started to sound a negative rattle but cut himself off. “No, she isn’t. But she is the reason I’m here.”

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