Page 9 of Keeping His Mate

I look away because the interaction seems too intimate for my eyes. But also, incredibly sweet. If I had any reservations about how humans are treated by these males, they’ve been wiped away now.

“Go already!” Kate groans dramatically. “This is a no-peen zone, Varrek. Sorry, I don’t make the rules.”

“You do, though,” he replies. “That is a rule you just made.”

“Potato, tomato,” Kate says in a bored tone.

Ava giggles. “Yeah, that’s not the phrase.”

Holding up a mug full of the orange stuff, Kate ignores Ava. “Ale, Eleanor? Or would you like some tibbi? It’s a non-alcoholic juice.”

Since it’s not even lunchtime, I opt for the tibbi. I’m not against day drinking, but I don’t know these people well enough to let my guard down that much. Not yet anyway.

Hours of snacking and chatting later, I feel much more at ease. Kate, Chloe, and Ava are all lovely in their own unique ways, and they’ve had each other’s backs since they were shoved into Bzzsil Chi’s glass cage on the planet Nu’Piix. Each of them struggled when they first arrived here, but having a specific duty, a way to contribute to the clan on a daily basis, seems to have helped immensely.

Plus, they’ve all fallen in love, which clearly plays a big role as well. Kate took the longest to find her place, but thanks to Niro’s grand cave palace and penchant for gadgets, Kate spends most of her time creating pieces of clothing for the clan.

“So, Eleanor, your turn,” Chloe says as she nibbles on another piece of junasii bread. “Top three things you miss about Earth. Go.”

And just like that, my mood sours, and I’m hurled into a black cloud of depression at one hundred miles an hour. “Um,” I choke out, gritting my teeth to hold back the tears. But when I feel one slip down my cheek, it’s like a gate opens and suddenly they’re rushing out.

“Oh, honey. I’m so sorry,” Chloe says as she leans forward and wraps me in a hug.

“Chlo, what the fuuuuck?” I hear Kate whisper to Chloe. She’s trying to be quiet enough that I can’t hear, but my hearing has always been exceptional, and I hear it all. “Obviously she misses her husband. Let’s not make it worse.”

“No, no,” I say as I pull back from Chloe to look at the three of them. Sighing heavily, I decide this is as good an opportunity as any to tell the truth. “I’m not married.”

I was expecting a collective gasp, but they just sit there staring blankly at me, so I continue. “This is my grandmother’s wedding ring,” I say as I take it off my ring finger and put it back on my middle finger where it’s usually worn. “She left it to me.”

“So, who is Frank?” Ava asks, resting her cheek on her knee.

I use my sleeve to wipe the last of my tears away. “Frank’s my dog, and my best friend, really.”

“Oh, shit,” Chloe mumbles. “I’m sorry, Eleanor. Of course, you miss him. I get it. I mean, I’ve never had a dog of my own, but I’ve always wanted one.”

I let out a chuckle as a montage of memories flip through my mind. Frank doing zoomies on the bed every night after I feed him dinner, him wiggling and turning so much during the night that I’d often wake up with his little paw in my face, or that time he ate an entire baguette and kept farting so loud, I couldn’t sleep.

“Yeah, he was the greatest,” I say after a long pause. Playing with the frayed edge of my sleeve, I let the reality of my situation finally sink in. I’m never going to see Frank again. “I know he’ll be okay without me. My ex and I were sharing custody of him after we broke up, and Liv is a great dog mom. I just hate that I didn’t know that the last time I snuggled with him was going to be the last time, you know?”

“Good-byes are the absolute worst,” Ava says with a somber nod as she takes a sip of ale. She talked about how she lost her mom earlier, and I know she’s thinking of her now.

I take her hand and give it a comforting squeeze. I’ve been hesitant to mention or even think of Frank because I knew I’d have to face the pain of losing him. Now that it’s out in the open, I do feel a bit lighter. Not better, necessarily, but not as burdened. “They sure are.”

Interlacing my fingers, I press my hands away from me, stretching my arms. “Three things I miss about Earth... Well, now you know that number one is Frank,” I say with a sniffle. “Number two would be my mom’s hobakjuk.”

“Is that food?” Ava asks.

“Yeah, it’s a Korean dish. My mom’s Korean and my dad is Filipino. My mom moved to the Philippines when she was a teenager, met my dad, and they came to the U.S. not long after they got married. I grew up in St. Louis, Missouri. Anyway, hobakjuk is basically a pumpkin porridge, and her recipe is to die for. She always made it for me when I was sick,” I reply, my mouth watering at the memory. “Ooh, and watching K-dramas with her while my dad was working nights. That was the best. And number three is my boss, Dr. Valdez at the animal hospital where I worked. So kind and generous. She paid for me to go to school to become a registered vet tech. She said I had a gift and wanted to invest in it, so she could keep the most talented people on her staff,” I tell them as I cross my legs in front of me, smiling at the memory. “I passed the exam two days before I was taken.”

“That’s amazing!” Chloe cheers. “That’s the equivalent of a nurse, right? In animal terms?”

“Yeah, pretty much,” I reply. “Vet techs are trained to administer anesthesia during surgeries, perform dental cleanings, take x-rays, draw blood––things like that.”

“You prefer animals to humans then, eh?” Kate asks.

“Ha! Yes, absolutely,” I practically shout. Animals never have an agenda, and they can’t bore you to death with small talk. They follow their instincts to survive, that’s it. And if you’re lucky enough to get a creature with such a pure and honest heart to trust you…there’s nothing in the universe as rewarding as that. Nothing.

I hadn’t considered that those moments were behind me now that I’m here. This is the only thing I’m good at. The only thing I truly know how to do. Maybe I can put these skills to use somehow? “So, if you know of any alien pets that need medical treatment, I’m happy to provide.”

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