Page 27 of Healing His Mate

He stares at me with hope in his light blue eyes.

“I am to blame for your struggles, friend,” I say, patting him on the shoulder. “Allow me to assist you now, and I shall make the proper adjustments to the recipes before I leave.”

Krahn nods, his expression filled with gratitude. I take my place in between him and Ann-ah and begin cutting the various tree fruits into thick slices. I must say, it is nice to have Ann-ah's aid. The junasii bread is something I would often forget about as I was busy preparing the main dishes. Not having to worry if it has burned is quite pleasant.

Once the tables in the food hall are filled and the line has dwindled to a few late-risers, the three of us get a chance to breathe.

“I thank you for the help,” Krahn says.

“I am pleased you accepted my offer,” I reply. Then I look over to the bread station and find Ann-ah fiddling with a stout metal cup as she tries to attach it to a wide metal tray. “What do you have there?”

“Hmm? Oh!” she exclaims when she realizes I was speaking to her. “I’m trying to figure out how to make muffins. You have so much dough here and only one recipe on how to make it. I figured it would be fun to try a few variations.”

“Splendid. I am always eager to try new recipes,” I say.

“Yeah, and if I can nail this one down,” she says, using adhesive to keep the cup connected to the tray, “I can probably figure out how to whip up some kind of frosting alternative to make cupcakes.” She looks up and her eyes go wide. “But don’t tell any of the humans yet. I don’t want to get their hopes up.”

Ann-ah is seemingly as upbeat as she is ambitious, and that is impressive considering she was told she would never be able to return to her home planet not long ago.

I leave her to her tinkering as I make the necessary adjustments to the recipes based on head count and send it to Krahn’s screen pad once I am finished.

“I thank you, brother,” he says as I finish tidying around the fire pits and head back toward my home.

I share a modest two-level house with Lahkzo, located two homes to the left of Varrek and Cloh-ee’s. As he is often away on hunting trips, it feels like it is mine alone. When I enter, I find him coming down the steps with a mug in hand. “Ah, you have returned.”

“Mmm,” he agrees. He is a male of few words.

“I must wash before departing once again,” I tell him apologetically, though I am sure he would prefer to have the place to himself.

He grunts in response and begins filling his mug with water from the spigot. As quickly as possible, I cleanse myself in the wash box, change into a fresh tunic and pants, and I am back out the door.

As I make my way toward Nalba’s to prepare her morning meal, I run into Bruvix and Elle-noor with Stahn-lee trotting along at her side. “Hey, Waldric, what’s the latest?” Elle-noor asks as she scratches behind Stahn-lee’s ear. The tr’gory pup is growing so large, she barely has to reach down to pet him. He is almost as tall as she is, which is not very tall at all. On the other side of her, Bruvix takes me in with a nod, his face forming its usual scowl.

“Well, Nalba drank three jars of ale yesterday morning, and I put her to bed before the sun set behind the trees,” I tell them.

“Oh no!” Elle-noor gasps as Bruvix replies, “Which ale?”

“I do not know,” I answer him. Then I realize they had just left Varrek’s home. “Were you speaking to Varrek?”

“Yeah, Queen Ekoya called,” she replies. “I think he’s still talking to her.”

Ah. “I must go,” I tell them. Once inside, I race toward Varrek’s training room, and there I find him with a screen pad in his hand and the Queen of Trovilia on the screen.

“Is that Waldric I see?” she asks when she notices my presence.

Trying to catch my breath from racing up the stairs, I mutter, “It is. Apologies for my interruption, but if you have the time, Queen Ekoya, I would like to speak with you.”

“Certainly,” she says with a knowing grin as Varrek hands me the screen pad and exits the room. “Glad you are here because I have been hoping to speak with you as well.”

CHAPTER 14

NALBA

Later that morning, Waldric bursts through the door to my shop just as Cloh-ee and I have finished smoothing out the molds for our toys. “Greetings!” he says once inside, putting ingredients down on his workstation. I notice his long mane is down and still slightly damp. It falls in wavy black tendrils down his back, and my fingers twitch with the urge to play with it. “What have you there?” he asks, taking a peek at the long golden rods in our hands and giving me a puzzled look.

“Oh, just silly feminine things,” Cloh-ee replies quickly with a dismissive wave. “You know, for that time of the month.”

“I am afraid I do not know. Silly feminine things?” Waldric repeats as he starts placing ingredients on the chopping block in the center of the table for this morning’s meal. “How do they work?”

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