Page 50 of Theirs to Crave

Hot. His eyes blazed like a torch. I had no idea why, or what he was thinking, but I couldn’t move until he blinked and leapt to another branch. Sweat broke out all over my body that had nothing to do with the heat or humidity, and I shuddered.

What the fuck was going on with this day? It was just one thing after another.

I needed a nap, a shot, and an orgasm. Preferably not in that order.

Chapter 15

Estrella

What I got was new blisters and a painful rash on my inner thighs.

I’d begun to dread the visit to the village as we walked. I was exhausted. Emotionally, physically, I was ready for a damned nap—not more adventures in diplomacy meets charades.

I was trudging along, feeling the same timeless, brainless ennui that settles in during grid-locked traffic, when a gasp brought me back to the moment. I’d been staring blankly at Ria’s backside—which was a pretty great view, to be honest—but what spread out before us put even her sweet cheeks to shame.

“Madre de Dios. Estamos en el cielo.” Mariano put words to my awestruck thoughts.

An oasis lay before us. Steaming, stone lined pools waterfalled down an incline, draining into a burbling stream. Vines thick with flowers trailed from a circle of tree legs, enclosing the hot spring in an intimate bower. It wasn’t until Ifelt the cushiony give of moss beneath my feet that I realized I stood next to the lowest pool.

Its steam kissed my face, the scent rich with minerals but lacking the rotten-egg whiff of hot springs back on Earth.

I turned disbelieving eyes on the Teterayuh. “I thought—weren’t we going to the village? Ah...ar ralaytuh?”

Litha tilted her head, and her soulful eyes slipped to Yin and back. She nodded. “Araer eh va ralaytuh.Oi va sethitzik.”

Sethitzikwas morning. We would go to the village in the morning. Relief rushed through me; the wave so strong I swayed.

Litha’s hand cupped my waist, steadying me.

“Khezatal eh a’javuh, tetezha’a.” Zafett kept his voice low as he gestured invitingly towards the pools. “Zha’a javatal.Airet keshal.”

My eyebrows furrowed. I got that we were supposed to get into the water—and I wassofor that—but I hadn’t actually understood much of what hesaid. There might have been something about sleep? I glanced at Litha.

“Javit,” she said, nodding towards the pools. Her eyes lingered on Yin once more, their brightness dimming with sympathy. She touched my chest, palm flat over my heart. “Keshit.”

My outstretched fingers didn’t span the back of her hand, but I held it there, bowing my head over our joined hands. “Relyat,” I whispered.

“Why do they keep telling us to sleep?” Ria asked.

“I think—” I started, but had to clear my throat before I could continue. “I think they’re trying to tell us to rest our hearts. They’re not taking us to the other Teterayuh until tomorrow.”

Silence.

“Well, damn.” Ria chuckled, but it sounded wet. “These aliens are smooth as hell.”

Yin gestured to Zafett, and he knelt before xem. Xe took his head in xyr small hands, pressing their foreheads together for a long moment. Then, without a word, xe and the other Quoosalk slipped into the lowest pool. They let out blissful-sounding hums before sinking below the surface.

I stepped back, letting go of Litha’s hand with regret. Something niggled at me, and I squinted into the trees. “Revik?” I asked, trying to remember when I’d seen him last.

“Edun,” Litha said.Food.

Oh. Well, at least it wasn’t raining this time.

I untied my sarong, then hesitated. The tunic needed to be washed as badly as I did, but neither it nor I would get clean if I kept it on. “Turn around, Mariano.”

“You turn around,” he snapped back, indignant.

I sighed. “Just do it. You too, Shane.”

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