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I mean he did kiss me. An amazing kiss, actually. If I close my eyes, I can still feel his mouth slant over mine, his tongue plundering inside mine. But he was doing it to make it seem like the inspector had just caught us in an intimate moment. It was just a cover story.

Another knock at the door interrupts the conversation.

“Come in,” I say.

Hyva walks in, hand in his pocket and looks at the two of us, sitting side by side in bed. “What’s wrong?” His nostrils flare when he comes closer.

“I have my cycle.” I hold up a hand. “Please don’t tell me you can smell it, too. That’s just too much for me to handle right now.”

He stops in his tracks and looks at Vynia. “Is this why you called me in?”

“Yes. She’s in pain.”

“I can deal with the pain. I actually need to know if you have any products to use for the blood. A medication to stop my cycle would be best, but I’m assuming you don’t have anything like that based on what Vynia just shared with me.”

He looks taken aback that I’d even suggest the latter. “No to anything to stop your cycle. What exactly do you mean, products for the bleeding? Zeahirian females don’t bleed, so this isn’t an issue I’ve come across.”

“Do you at least have something I can take for cramps?”

“Yes. I have a tincture for them. I’ll go grab it from my bag.”

“Explain what you need, and I’ll try to figure something out,” Vynia offers.

“Well, there’s multiple things humans use when they have their periods, that’s what we call them. Some insert a small device that collects everything. Others wear absorbent padding.”

“Like a bandage?”

“Not exactly. The padding attaches to your underclothes.”

She looks around, perhaps even more confused.

“I’ll show you what I mean.” I walk to the armoire and pull out a pair of panties and show her where it would go.

Her eyes brighten and she stands. “I have an idea. I’ll be back soon.”

My shoulders drop as another wave of pain swells within me. A bath sounds so good right now. Or a heating pad. Instead I wander back over to the bed and this time crawl under the covers.

I don’t know how much time passes before I hear a light knock on the door and Hyva enters. He sets a small container on the bedside table and pulls out his scanner.

“May I pull the covers back and run a diagnostic?” he asks.

“Sure. But it’ll tell you I’m fine. This is a natural part of humanity.”

“I’m sure you’re right, but it’ll make me feel better. Not to mention the hulking male pacing outside your door.”

“Raiz? He’s in the hall?”

“Wearing a path in the rug as we speak.” The scanner beeps as he hovers it over my body. He makes a humming sound when several alerts go off. “You’re slightly anemic, which is new. In significant pain.”

“Yes, both of those make sense.”

“We have a few plants high in iron. I’ll have Breval add them to your meals this week. Take the tincture now, and I’ll bring more in the morning.”

I do as he asks, shivering at the bitter taste of the liquid sliding down my throat. “Tell Raiz he can come in.”

I don’t want him out there worried when this is a totally normal thing. Depending on how long he needs me, it could happen again. He’ll have to get used to it.

He steps inside when Hyva holds the door open. I have to fight the urge to toss the covers over my head when I see his nostrils flare as he scents my blood. That’s so unsettling. I don’t want to walk around with everyone in sniffing distance immediately knowing what’s going on.