Page 51 of The Alien Warlord's Fated Mate

She picked up a chunk of fleshy blue fruit and scrubbed it across the inside of her forearm. It smelled a bit like honey and rosemary with a sour undertone. Her arm turned a funky teal color. She reached for her water and a napkin, and swiped the stickiness off her skin, taking most of the teal color with it, then twisted her arm back and forth, examining the area critically.

And sighed. “That one’s probably a no. My skin’s a little itchy there.”

Zoran leaned toward her, his teeth grinding together. “That was foolish.”

She snorted. “Hardly. We’ve already been exposed to the pollen. A little skin test won’t hurt me. Probably. Granted, some plants could kill us if ingested, but the same could be said of you. How many poisonous plants are there on Zephyria?”

“You likely know far better than I,” he gritted out.

That…might actually be true. Zoran came at plants from a practical standpoint, as either food or a barrier to the welfare of his people. She came at it from a very different angle, even though their goals were the same.

Which might explain why he looked as if he wanted to reach across the table and strangle her.

Just to be safe, she pushed the plate of fruit back to him. “No more testing. Scout’s honor.”

He settled back with a decidedly grumpy, disbelieving snort. “Your curiosity will get the better of you one day.”

“Probably not. I like my skin intact.”

“As do I.”

On cue, the bite mark high on her thigh throbbed. Yup, he definitely liked her skin intact, so he couldunintactit later.

She pressed her lips firmly together, suppressing a smile. “So, thisjutji. It’s inherited?”

“Inherited?”

“Passed down in your family. You know.” She waved her granola bar at the fields. “Your parents got it from their parents, and they got it from theirs. Inherited.”

“You have not yet had an opportunity to study our clan system?”

“Everyone keeps asking me that.”

“It is important.”

“Yes, I know, but so is everything else. Knowing what foods I can eat, for example.”

He gave her another grumpy-disbelieving snort. “For someone possessed of such natural ebullience, your remarks can be quite cutting.”

How could she possibly respond to that?

Mia shook her head and pointedly made a note to study the clan system. “Why don’t you give me an overview so I have some context?”

“Very well,” Zoran said, then launched into an abbreviated history of Xeruvian culture.

Some years ago—Mia eventually figured out that he meant centuries or perhaps millennia, long before they gained space flight capabilities—Xeruvians were nomads banded together in small warring tribes. These tribes constantly raided each other for food and pack animals and even for mates.

One day, a certain tribe witnessed a remarkable sight: an object descending from the skies. At first, they believed the gods had come down from the heavens, but the beings that came out of the object were different enough from the Xeruvians to disabuse them of that notion. The beings attempted trade, and when they found nothing among the Xeruvians worth trading for, they departed.

Out of this time there arose a great philosopher chief, a warrior of some renown who understood the threat these visitors posed. He approached other chiefs with his concerns and managed to persuade some to his cause. Others mocked him and turned away, but the ones who allied with him worked together to fortify themselves against another encroachment. They created the firstjutji, built stone and timber walls around their dwellings and fields, and trained for the day of the not-gods’ return.

The philosopher chief was vindicated when the beings returned and warred against the other tribes, stealing their children and warriors as slaves. But when the beings tried to war against the chief and his allies, they were turned away despite their greater power and weaponry. Once the beings retreated, the philosopher chief disbursed his allies, commanding them to spread across Zephyria, create their ownjutjil,and train their warriors to protect the people.

“And that was the start of the clan system?” Mia said.

“It was,” Zoran replied. “Soon after, the sacred warrior-art of Ky’Lota was formalized.”

“Warrior-art. Martial arts?”

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