She stiffens almost immediately and I can’t help but pull her into my arms. Walking backward with her against me, I settle onto a seat.
I take her claws in mine, marveling at how small and delicate they seem compared to mine. “I…I have enough credits. More than enough. I can take care of everything—the farm, our future, whatever you need or want.”
Even with her back pressed into me, I can see that her expression becomes unreadable, and I feel a twinge of anxiety. Have I offended her? Overstepped?
“That’s…that’s very generous,” she says slowly, but her voice is uncharacteristically neutral. “But I don’t need much to—”
“It doesn’t matter how much you need. I have more than enough. More thanIneed.”
She frowns now, tilting her head so she can meet my gaze. “Just how much are we talking here.”
I grimace. But she is my mate. No use hiding this, even if it makes me embarrassed. “Enough to purchase as far as your eyes can see on these plains.”
Her eyes bug out. “What? How?”
I look away. This has always made me uncomfortable. It’s why I live in the nestkans. To feel more normal. It’s why Arnak and I live in the town. Not many beings…not many beings have the assets we do.
“Prospecting is good when you know what you’re looking for.” I give her a tight grin and Donna spins in my arms. Her soft claws come up to frame my face.
“You’re meaning to tell me that I thought you were a hobo when you’re really a prince?”
“Hm? Hoh-no?” It must be my reaction that makes her snort and before I know it, she’s laughing. Must have gotten it wrong. That reminds me. I have to contact that male about upgrading my translator.
“Hobo,” Donna says, a smile still on her lips. “What on earth were you doing working on my farm when you don’t have to work at all?”
I look deep into her eyes, because she already knows the answer to that, but if she needs, I will tell her again. “I couldn’t be away from you.”
She softens, leaning into me. But then she sobers a bit, too. “That’s great and all.” She becomes thoughtful. “But I’ve spent so long being independent. It feels strange to rely solely on you. I still need my own thing, too, you know.”
I shake my head. “You don’t have to rely solely on me, lira’an. And you don't need to worry about the farm, either. There’s something else I discovered while working here—there is ore on your land.”
Her eyes widen. “You’re joking.”
“I speak truth. You have valuable ore. But even without that, you have another incredible thing, my sweet.” My voice dips as does my gaze to her lips. “Your voice.”
Donna blushes, I can feel the warmth go through her a moment before she tries to pull away. My arms tighten around her. “It’s the truth,” I say.
“Oh, Tovan, you’re just biased because you love me.”
“No,” I insist. “Your singing is truly extraordinary. It would draw crowds, I’m certain of it. If you want, I know just the person to contact. Someone I’ve been meaning to reach out to anyway—a bounty hunter who can fix my translator chip and get your voice broadcasted through the servers.”
Donna stops trying to get out of my grasp. “A bounty hunter? Tovan—”
“He’s a good being. Honorable.”
“Mmmmhm,” she intones, but she’s studying me. For a moment, she says nothing. And then. “You really think people would want to hear me sing?”
I cup her face gently in my claws. “I know they would. When you sing, it’s like the stars themself pause to listen.”
She leans into my touch, her eyes glistening. “Nobody’s ever…you’re the first person…”
“Then those others were fools.”
We sit there for a moment, just breathing each other in. Then Donna pulls back slightly, a determined look in her eyes. “I think…I think I’d like to try. The singing, I mean. To share my music with others. But I want to do it alongside working on the farm, at least for now. This place…it’s more than just land to me. It’s where I found myself. Where I found you.”
I feel a surge of pride. “Whatever you decide, I support.”
“And the ore…leave it.” Then she chuckles. “It’s not like I have kids or anything to pass it down to, but—”