Page 36 of Fated to the Alien Healer

Zara and all her tribe sisters—as well as several more of the humans—have been celebrating with something they call dancing and Eloise has gifted us with the sound of her voice in what she calls singing. She has attempted to teach Zedam this thing and to the surprise of everyone, he produces a melodious noise that blends perfectly with hiskeeshla’s. The other humansoften join in and it becomes clear that not all of them are as gifted as Eloise and Zedam.

It is a joyous night. The elders’ brew has been passed around many times and its effects are more than obvious. Words are slurred. Laughter is louder. Movement is unsteadier. It has been since before the sun descended that Zander called out the names of all our fallen tribe brothers and sisters and each received their own battle cry from everyone. The sounds echoed for many beats before fading away.

Zara stumbles over to me on the far side of the circle with laughter spilling from her lips. She collides against my chest and wraps her arms around me. With her touching me, our surroundings disappear and it is as if only she and I exist.

“Mmmm, you smell good. Like eulyptus but mished—mixed”—she shakes her head and wrinkles her nose—“with something sweet. It makes me want to lick you to see if you taste as yummy.” As if proving her point, her tongue runs across my flesh.

I should not grow hard that fast, but I do. “And how do I taste?”

Zara lifts only her eyes as she continues licking and nibbling my skin. “Delicious. I bet your cock tastes even better. Less go back to our tent, so I can see.”

Mating fluid erupts from my nodes and a shudder runs down my spine as she rubs herself against me. An image of my mate between my thighs and her mouth on me nearly has me coming in my leg coverings. I must steel myself against the onslaught of pleasure though, because as much I love the idea of Zara pleasuring me in that way, I cannot. Not while she is under the influence of the elders’ brew.

“As much as I want to have mykeeshlataste me, it will have to wait for another night. When you are not affected by drink.” No worthy warrior would take advantage of their female while she is in this state.

She blinks multiple times, as though surprised by my rejection, and then stares. “Bryce didn’t care that I was drunk.”

I cock my head and go still. “Who is Bryce?”

“My boyfriend.Ex-boyfriend,” Zara emphasizes. “Although he was a pretty shitty boyfriend.”

“You had a mate?”

She rattles her head. “He wasn’t my mate. Just a guy I dated.”

I do not understand the difference. She must sense my continued confusion even in her altered state because she sighs. “A boyfriend is a guy you like and spend time with in the hopes you both fall in love with each other and then marry—become mates.”

“And you wanted to become mates with this…Bryce?” A pain stabs my heart.

Zara raises and lowers a shoulder. “I thought I did. Before I found out he was a raging cocksucker.”

“He also tastes cocks? Males do this?”

She bursts out laughing. “No, he didn’t taste cocks, although, yes, some males do. A cocksucker just means Bryce was a giant piece of shit.”

Ah, yes excrement is a word I know since she favors using it. If I did not already hate this male for being her ‘boyfriend’, I would hate him for the pain he has obviously caused her. If this Bryce—his name alone makes my blood boil with rage—took advantage of Zara when she had imbibed on human brew, then he is worthless and without honor.

“Did he force you?” A bigger part of me does not want to know the answer, because not being able to avenge mykeeshlawill eat away at me.

Zara laughs again, but it is filled with bitterness. She also sounds surprisingly alert. “He didn’t have to force me. I stupidly believed all his flattery and smooth words. That should have been my first clue, but I was so lonely I ate up every compliment he gave me.”

This is not a conversation meant to have out in the open. “Will you come with me to my tent and tell me what happened?”

There is a short pause before she nods. “You might as well find out now before I fall too much harder for you and you realize I’m not the kind of mate you want.”

My heart leaps at Zara’s words. Does this mean she is closer to loving me? And have I not shown her enough that she is the perfect mate for me? If she believes I would not want her, no matter what she tells me, then I have done a poor job of showing her my feelings. I will remedy that as soon as possible. After tonight, she will never doubt my love.

I thread my fingers through hers and together we leave the celebration for my dwelling. It is the first time Zara will have entered it. I have not slept there since before she was taken, although I have returned to wash up and put on clean leg coverings. We come to a stop in front of it and I swing the door flap to the side for her to enter. I grab the torch from the groundand bring it—as well as its light—in with me so we are both able to see better.

While she slowly walks around to take in my home, I apply the flame to the wood in the center pit. Once it smolders and catches fire, I stab the torch upright into the ground beside it. I observe Zara, curious to know what her thoughts are. She finally finishes her inspection and turns to me. My tent is much smaller than hers since it has always only housed me, but I have done my best to make it feel welcoming to visitors.

“You have a really nice place,” she says, and the tension I’d been holding eases away knowing that she is pleased with it.

From the wooden beams I have several bundles of dried zambak to give a pleasant fragrance to the air and there are two carved seats. Before he died, Baba crafted a sleeping platform for me that sits a knee’s height off the ground and is covered with many plush furs that once belonged to him and Nene.

“I am glad you like it since I hope that it will become your home.”

Zara wrings her hands together in a nervous gesture I have never witnessed from her before. I close the distance between us and take them between mine, squeezing gently to try and ease her mind. Nothing she tells me will change how I feel. But I do not believe words will reassure her. Only my actions will.

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