Page 18 of All for the Beast

VHARLK

Vharlk returned to his own homestead after sending Katy home, and from then on, she was constantly on his mind. He shifted and pounced through the wilderness that connected his and his parents’ lot, thinking about her sweet smile, the way her cheeks swelled when she smiled, and when she tried to hide her bashfulness by frowning.

He barely slept because thinking about Katy was setting off fireworks in his mind. He hadn’t felt so excited for the suns to come up in so long, not since he had been a kid waiting for ceremonies.

He got up just before the yellow light rose from the horizon. It spilled like rubies and honeycomb over his vast lawn, twinkling in the reflection of his windows. V felt like his heart was blooming roses, his eyes vibrating with anticipation for a day with his beloved.

The night before, while rolling around in bed and unable to sleep, he tried to tell himself that he couldn’t expect her to feel the same way about him. Not yet, anyway, as humans didn’t have mates in the same way shifters did. He had to find a balance between wooing her and not pushing her; it all had to come naturally on her side.

But he found it difficult not to fawn over her from the instant they met at the harbor to the moment the suns were swallowed by the dark, glittery night. He hoped that it wasn’t something that would put her off seeing him as more than a business partner.

When they met on the pier, he brought her coffee and breakfast sandwiches, ready to go over the plans and designs he’d made for the ship. She wore a long flowing red dress, a similar shade to one of the planet’s suns, with her hair tied up in a serious ponytail. She wore sunglasses, but that was fine. V wasn’t entirely sure he could take all of her beauty at once anyway.

“Good morning, gorgeous.”

The words had slipped out of his mouth like water from a spout. He expected her to grimace, but instead, she wrinkled her nose at him, not objecting to the compliment whatsoever.

“Good morning, you,” she said, pulling out a notebook from her bag.

V heaved a sigh of relief as Katy began walking around the liner, which would be connected to the constructed top piece tomorrow. It wasn’t much to look at, as it was merely the bare bones of a skeleton. It was a pile of wood and metal that only the likes of Katy and, more recently, V could recognize.

“She’s not dolled up just yet,” V quipped. “But I think we can get her ready for the ball.”

Katy scoffed, then walked to V to take the drink he was holding. Their fingers lightly touched, and his heart skipped a beat.

“Not all of us need dolling up, Your Majesty,” she said, nearly purring at him.

V knew that he certainly would have fainted if she had been looking at him with her bare, pure, emerald eyes. He adored her playful manner and began following her around like a puppy as she continued to assess the vessel.

“Do you like what you see?” he asked.

She nodded, watching the pink waters splashing up against the sand.

“So far, so good,” she responded. “I’d like to see the rest of it in the shipyard and talk to a few of your engineers if you don’t mind.”

V was thrilled, and they moved through the glimmering sunlight to the shipyard about a mile from the shoreline.

The upper half of the ship was near completion, and Katy spoke with the workers just as she said she would. V then laid out the blueprints he’d created with the engineers, along with his plans for decorations and the themes of each room.

She looked over, listening to the engineers’ and V’s input as they described the layout of the liner. She had removed her sunglasses, and V was pleased to see those lovely greens shine like lighthouses in the night sea.

“So, what do you think?” V asked once the engineers returned to work.

She scrunched her nose up and let out a sigh, one that wasn’t fatigued but thoughtful. As she spoke, she gazed down at the blueprint, one eyebrow slowly rising on her fetching face.

“I love all of the ideas for entertainment,” she said. “But I’m probably going to need more specifics about exactly what the people on Nova Aurora are looking for. I can make suggestions, but I’m only going by what humans enjoy.”

V was hoping that she would say something like that. He had planned a romantic lunch date at an upscale restaurant, one that was beyond the pier on a hillside. It was reserved for the more privileged of shifters, but there, he could get her acclimatized to the customs and interests of his people.

Plus, he got to sit with her and listen to her enchanting voice for a longer period of time.

“There’s a place nearby where we can eat lunch,” V said, rolling up the blueprint nonchalantly. “I think it will show you exactly what you’re looking for, and we can talk about any more questions you have.”

Katy gave him a knowing smile, but she did not deny him.

“Good idea. I’m starting to feel famished anyway.”

Like most places in town, the restaurant was within walking distance from the shipyard. They walked up stone steps lit with pink sconces the shade of Nova Aurora’s oceans. When they stepped inside, Katy covered her mouth in shock.

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