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“I should’ve known the female would break me. She’s been busting my shell since the moment we met. Which is shocking ‘cause you’d never know it from looking at the tiny little thing. But looks are deceiving. She stripped me to the quick with her retorts. You know what she calls me?”

“What?” Merus asked, his expression concerned.

“Bonehead,” he laughed.

“You’re talking about Nadzia,” Payim declared.

Hearing her name physically hurt.

“Yes,” he mumbled and collapsed on the walkway.

“Torment.” Scala shook his head.

“It’s the human?” Merus sat beside him on the ground.

“Yes,” he let out a ragged sigh.

“Oh my friend. That is a hard one.” Payim sat on his other side. “Mating human females is very tedious.”

“You’re telling me.” Aculus hung his head.

“I don’t understand what’s to reject. She’s your weakness.” The crease between Merus’ brows deepened.

“You’ve not met a lot of humans,” Scala said to Merus.

“Human females don’t respond to physiological cues, like conjugo marks or your shell weakening,” Payim explained. “Well, I think they respond, but they refuse to let it determine who their mate is. They’re very confusing.”

“So how do they know who to mate?” Merus asked.

“Don’t ask me. I’ve watched a handful of those females tie my fellow warriors in knots.” Payim shrugged.

“It’s not that hard to fathom. It’s our biology not theirs declaring we’re mates. And I can’t fault them for objecting to someone or something else deciding their future,” Aculus sighed.

“Now I get it.” Merus wrapped an arm around his shoulders. “It sounds like you have a lot in common.”

“But apparently not enough.” He stood and headed toward another pub.

Nineteen

Making Amends

Nadzia

Nadzia hugged her mother and laughed as tears streamed down her cheeks.

“Are you all right, sweetie? I know this is hard.” Carol rubbed her back.

She leaned back and looked lovingly at her mom.

“How is it moms make everything all better?” she asked and more tears spilled from her eyes.

“Better?” Carol snorted. “How?”

“You know when Aculus rescued Abby and me, I was scared out of my mind. You know what he said that instantly put me at ease?”

“What?” Her mother smiled.

“We be the cavalry, ma’am.” She grinned.