Page 53 of Theirs to Crave

Like my three, they wore...accessories. Harnesses, arm bands, strings of stones winking from their necks and hair. Nothing that I’d qualify as “clothing”. Jungle dungeon chic was veryinamong the Teterayuh.

And when did I start calling them “my three”?

The three Teterayuh warriors who’d come with Svixa’s fathers—Kurz, Kaloi, and Arvel, my memory supplied—stepped forward. They flanked a group of older-looking Teterayuh, their fur fading to pale, silvery iridescence.

The woman in the center bore a striking resemblance to Zafett—same sculpted jaw, lean, graceful body, and snow-like fur—although hers deepened to a silvery lilac rather than red. Her jewelry was particularly elaborate, the craftsmanship clear in the swirls of beads that cascaded into sparkling waterfalls of fringe.

A more casually dressed Teterayuh placed a three-legged stool on the ground beside her, helping another settle the tiniest Teterayuh woman I’d seen comfortably upon it. Afterexchanging affectionate caresses, they stepped back, moving to join the others in the trees.

The Teterayuh women were taller in general than their bulge-having compatriots. Like Litha, most stood around eight feet. This woman might have been six, six and a half feet tall if she’d stood upright. But her legs were still, small, and thin. On her stool, we might have seen eye to eye.

Her fur was fluffy, a rusty red liberally speckled with silver, and utterly buried beneath a mountain of accessories. If the first woman’s jewelry was Cartier, this woman was wearing vintage costume. She reminded me of my kindergarten teacher, who wore every piece of macaroni and craft paper bling we made her with cheery pride.

I liked her immediately.

On the silver woman’s other side was a slim man with an unassuming air, his medium length burgundy fur almost completely unadorned. He was as average as a seven and half foot tall alien could be, but his large, liquid eyes—Zafett’s eyes—watched us with keen intelligence.

Zafett broke our stare-down, stepping forward to exchange cheek-rubbing greetings with the three Teterayuh. Side by side, the similarities between him and the woman I assumed to be their leader were even more apparent.

¡A poco! Zafett was alien royalty. Wide eyed, I looked to see if the others were as floored as I was.

Mariano was gaping like a fish. Painfully conscious of all the eyes on us, I elbowed him. “Shut your mouth.”

“Woo, Estrella my love, you’ve got great taste in alien boyfriends.” Ria shot me a thumbs up along with a huge grin, butthe whites of her eyes were showing all the way around as she peered into the jungle around us.

“Mmhmm,” agreed Shane. “Way to go, catching the prince’s eye.”

“You make her sound so mercenary!” Cass whispered.

Shane winked and bumped her with his shoulder. Cass shook her head repressively, but she was fighting a smile.

“Alright, if they’re gonna stare, let’s give them something to look at,” Mariano said, throwing an arm around Therry with a big, cocky smile. He posed, flexing and playing to the crowd.

Therry stilled for a split second, xyr eyes darting between Mariano’s hand on xyr shoulder and his face. Then, arching sinuously, Therry played along, letting the light play over xyr colorful scales.

I scoffed, but I stood a little taller.

Litha and Revik were to our right. Litha’s tail twitched, like an angry cat, and Revik was stoic, his arms crossed over his wide chest. I’d expected Litha to be the one to act as our go-between, since she’d seemed to be nominally in charge, but I supposed if Zafett was the leader’s son it made sense for him to do it.

Not that I thought he’d do a bad job. He seemed very intelligent, and certainly kind, and we all felt better after his healing. And I was defending myself to myself, which was ridiculous. I needed to focus.

It was hard, though. I couldn’t hear a word of the conversation between Zafett and the village leaders, and my mind kept trying to come up with what theymightbe saying. Not a single scenario was good for us.

I looked at Litha and Revik again. They seemed to have no problem hearing a quiet conversation fifty feet away.

I added “superior hearing” to the list of Teterayuh traits I’d been compiling, right next to “superior strength, speed, size, chompiness, and ability to not freak out when shit went sideways and aliens showed up on their doorstep”.

I fidgeted, my heartbeat growing louder in my head as Zafett and the others spoke. Their eyes kept sliding over us, and I so badly wanted to know what they were thinking and saying...while also wanting to disappear and never have to speak to anyone, ever again.

Finally, Zafett stepped aside. He moved to stand between our two groups, angled to face us both.

“Hyunan, Kyusalk, iyil essital eh Saytireka, naiset ata ralaytuh.” Zafett’s words were clear, his voice raised to reach everyone gathered around us. The white-furred woman stepped forward with regal elegance.

Ralaytuhwas village, I was pretty sure. Andnaisetwas mother. So...matriarch? It fit. I bobbed, my bow morphing halfway through into something that wanted to be a curtsey.

“Iyil essital ikten eh Tareth,” Zafett continued. Tareth, the quiet burgundy furred Teterayuh, nodded. “La Aksha, teteraila ata a’sharalaytuh.” The “small” ginger woman grinned hugely, showing off a mouthful of truly impressive teeth.

I smiled back, trying not to look as intimidated as I felt. Between the teeth and not knowing what was being said—I thought her name was Aksha, but I wasn’t certain—I felt like a fish flopping on the shore.

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