Page 53 of Beauty and the Alien Beast
“Yes. That would be nice,” I said breathlessly, taking one of his hands, giving it a gentle squeeze.
He smiled at me tenderly before whisking me across the courtyard.
The Gladiators that passed us bowed their heads to Teken and said, “Alpha.” And to me, they said, “Alpha Sheleki.”
“Wulfaen,” Teken replied before giving them a wide smile.
“Hello,” I greeted.
So far, with every Gladiator I’d met, their vibe had been welcoming, though it was strange and sad not to see any females around. And every so often, I’d catch the wistfulness in some of their eyes. It seemed to be a longing for the companionship that Teken had found with me. But there was never a moment that I sensed any jealousy. In fact, they made me feel relaxed and safe.
We strolled by the market stalls full of strange and colorful fruit, vegetables, and other things that seemed odd in shape. Finally out of the courtyard, we strode down the dirt path that sliced through several rows of large, stone-façade homes.
We remained silent. There was a tension between us, as if we were each carrying a huge load of saved-up words that we feared might spill out publicly if we let even a few slip out. Yet we still held hands and related gently to one another, as if this new thing between us wasn’t in peril at all.
Once outside his massive stone home, I widened my eyes at the items bound in decorative cloth and piled at the entrance. All of the objects were so carefully wrapped that they looked like gifts.
“What’s all this?” I turned to eye him. “Is it your birthday?”Oh, please say no… I’ll feel like shit because I don’t have a birthday gift for you.
Teken sighed heavily, releasing my hand and scooping up the items. “Come inside, Ella, and I’ll explain.”
We both entered his chambers and walked into his kitchen, where he placed the parcels on a hook. He grabbed my hand, ushering me to sit on one of the two ornate wooden chairs that surrounded his kitchen table.
We looked at each other like a couple at the end of their first date. Both of us unsure of what to say or do next.
“Ella, you must be hungry. Let me get you something to eat.”
“Thank you, Teken.” He was right. I was famished.
My appetite had been through the roof.Must be all those calories I’ve been burning up during our marathon rounds of sex.Frankly, between the insatiable need to have sex with Teken all the time and the insistent craving to eat everything in sight, I didn’t know what was going on.
He reached out and grazed the side of my cheek with the back of his hand. “Anything for you,” he replied before walking over to the shelf that held all the parcels he’d received.
Getting more comfortable, I wiggled my ass on the comfy cushion seat that made sitting on the ornate wooden chair bearable, and I watched as he grabbed two of his gifts and a couple of cups, bringing the items over to the table and placing them on top before taking a seat directly across from me.
He unwrapped one of the bundles—a large platter loaded with some sort of baked goods—and rumbled, “It’s tradition among my people to give gifts of food and drink to a mated pair before and after their Wulfaen mating ceremony.”
My mouth watered at the sight of the strange-shaped, flaky-looking pastries. They were brightly colored—like dye-dipped Easter eggs—and some had a sugar-like substance on top.God, I miss scones, cinnamon rolls, doughnuts, and croissants.
“What is a mating ceremony?” I asked while he unwrapped the other item on the table, revealing a tall, slender steel cylinder container. He popped off the lid, and steam rose. He poured the brown liquid into two large cups. The brew was aromatic like…
Oh sweet baby Jesus. Is that coffee? Please, let it be…
He pushed a cup into my hand and ordered, “Drink, my Ella, before it gets cold.”
I took a sip of the concoction and moaned. The liquid was hot and sweet with a slight bitter note.It’s not coffee, but pretty close.
“What is this?” I inquired between sips.
“We call itsaptru,and we drink it in the morning or before going into battle. It gives us an extra burst of energy.”
That would explain the caffeine-like buzz racing through my veins. “Oh… it’s like what humans call coffee, and we also drink it in the morning.” I paused. “And the evening… Shit, for coffee lovers like me, I drink it all day long.”
“Shit?” Confusion clouded his gaze. “What does that mean?”
I laughed at the adorably perplexed expression on his face. “Shit is a curse word… like swearing…”
His face lit up. “Ah… liketagah. This is a bad word we use when things are going wrong.”
