Page 74 of The Warrior
“Yes, the press has been reporting about it, and Julia has a clear case of it.She’s aromantic.” He said the word as if it was a terminal diagnosis.
I shook my head. “Some of us like big rough men. Get over it, Hans. It’s not a sickness, it’s a preference.”
He was brooding when we left Julia. “I’ll make sure Isobel gets our full report.”
“Good, will you tell her to return Magni’s weapons to him?”
“Yes.”
“Why do you look so disappointed, Hans? We found all the Northlanders. You should be excited about that.”
“I don’t think you realize how disturbing it is for some of us to see women throwing themselves at Nmen.”
“What do you mean?”
“For generations we have been everything women wanted us to be. Gentle, kind, nonthreatening, pretty, and understanding. I suppose you could say we Motlander men suffer from a collective guilt complex. But how could we not? For four hundred years we’ve been held accountable for what happened in that awful war when power-hungry men destroyed our planet. We have done everything in our power not to show those unwanted masculine traits and to make it up to women.” Hans’ words were fast and agitated. “So how do you think it makes me feel when you and Julia make it sound like someone as primitive and ugly as Devlin is more attractive than me?”
“Devlin isn’t ugly.”
Hans held his hands to his face. “Did you see his untrimmed beard? His skin had no glow and his pores on his nose were the size of golf balls.”
“I agree Devlin is a bit rough around the edges, but so are most men in the Northlands. Magni included.”
“And youlikethat?”
“I like that he takes pride in being a man, and I think you should too.”
“I would rather die than look as unkempt as he did.”
“No one said that being a man means that you have to be unkempt. I’m sure there are women who appreciate a man who takes good care of himself.”
“Appreciate, yes, but I’ve never seen a woman fawn over a man the way Julia just did. Might I remind you that you kicked me out of your bed?”
I ignored his pout. “It’s nothing personal. I can honestly say that I haven’t met a single man in the Motherlands who tempted me in the slightest.”
“Me included.”
“Yes. There’s no spark between the genders here. No polarity or excitement. It’s all friendliness and hugs and kisses.”
“Would you prefer that we werecoming onto you?” Hans chuckled with disdain, as if the thought in itself was beneath him. “Modern men have evolved, you know. We are no longer cavemen dragging home women by their hair.”
I sighed. “Women are attracted to men with high levels of testosterone. It’s biology, Hans.” It wouldn’t matter if I stood here until the sun went down. Hans and I would never agree on what made a man attractive. “I need to go now, and you have a report to write.”
“Are you going back tohim?”
“To Magni?”
“Yes.”
I scratched my collarbone. “I’m visiting a friend first and then I’ll make up my mind.”
There was a look of disappointment on Hans’ face. “I didn’t take you for a weak woman.”
“Excuse me?”
“Strong women would never let themselves be controlled by a man.”
His words hit a nerve. “I have to go.”
