Page 152 of The Warrior
“Can I give you a farewell hug?” Shelly asked and Marco leaned back, his eyes widening. Men didn’t touch females. Here at the school there were exceptions to that rule since they massaged each other as part of Kya’s curriculum. But a back or foot rub was one thing. A hug, however, was a very intimate thing and Magni shifted his balance next to me.
“Can’t you just shake Marco’s hand?” he asked Shelly.
A ghost of insecurity flashed on her face before she steeled herself. “No, I would like to give Marco a hug. He’s been my friend and I’ll miss him.”
“Okay,” Magni said and pinned the young man with his gaze. “But keep your hands where I can see them.”
I elbowed Magni. “You’re making it awkward. Stop.”
But the damage was already done and Marco was stiff when Shelly rose up on her toes to hug him. The hug lasted less than three seconds and the whole time Marco was looking at Magni to make sure my husband wasn’t going to jump him.
“What’s going on?” Khan called out across the room.
Magni held up a hand. “Marco touched her with my permission.”
Khan came over with a serious expression on his face. “Since when do you approve of young men touching females? You almost killed Solo for the same thing.”
“I caught Solo kissing Willow. Not the same thing.”
“Who would have known you two were lovebirds?” Khan clapped a hand on Marco’s shoulder.
“We’renotlove birds,” Marco insisted. “She’s just a kid.”
The men were so preoccupied that they missed the way Shelly’s face fell. I had been fifteen once and knew what it was like to have a crush on someone older who didn’t see me as anything but a child.
“Besides, Shelly is a Motlander and I’m going to win my bride in a tournament,” Marco stated. “I want the million dollars.”
“You sound like the money is more important than the woman,” I said in a disapproving tone.
“I didn’t mean it like that. It’s just that I want a really nice hybrid like Magni has and they’re expensive.”
“Maybe I’ll let you fly mine someday,” Magni said.
Marco looked like Christmas had come early. “That would be amazing. How fast can it go?”
The men began a boring conversation about drones and with a kiss to Magni’s cheek, I moved away with Shelly.
“I feel so clueless when they talk about engine power and all that shit,” I told her. “I’d much rather talk about beauty products.”
“Beauty products?” Shelly wrinkled her nose. “I prefer talk about engines over beauty products any day.”
I chuckled. “Someday that might change; you never know.”
Shelly gave a sideways glance in Marco’s direction. “Maybe.”
“There are products that would help clean your skin, and if you trimmed your eyebrows, and treated your hair with some silk oil, I’ll bet you’d be the prettiest girl in the room.”
Shelly bit her lip. “Beauty is superficial. I’m not a vain person.”
“Okay.”
She stood for a second, shooting glances in Marco’s direction. “You really think I’d be the prettiest girl in the room.”
“I’m not saying it to be polite. You should know by now that’s not the Northlander way. All I’m saying is that you have a secret weapon, if you ever decide you want a man’s attention.”
Shelly gave a quirky giggle that reminded me the girl was truly just a teenager.
We all gathered outside the school to send off Isobel, Shelly, and the Motlander children who were going home for Christmas.
