Page 32 of Across the Stars (Cosmic Threads of Fate #1)
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
MAE
Soft calls and flapping from the space dragons outside drew Mae awake as she slowly opened her eyes. She lay there for a moment, listening to Watai’s breathing tickle her neck and feeling the warmth of his body against hers.
Mae couldn’t shake her bewilderment. Why did she feel so drawn to him, so soon? She knew she should stop desiring him, but she couldn’t bring herself to.
It had been difficult enough to stop herself from kissing him last night. Like a moth to a flame, she was drawn to his very presence, as if he were everything she’d desired her entire life.
Was there really some cosmic thread connecting them, making her feel such strong emotions and fantasize about another like she’d never felt before?
The prospect scared her. How was she supposed to be her own person when her fate was predetermined by some goddess?
Being close to him while they spent time together, with him teaching her about his land, made it difficult to remember that he wasn’t her personal tour guide on some exotic vacation.
She was here for two missions, one hired and one personal. For the success of both, she would do well not to get involved with a local. But Mae couldn’t help but fall in love with this world and its inhabitants.
Interspecies relationships weren’t unheard of within the Cosmic Trinity Alliance. Some humans had registered their human-T’sisk relationships with the government, but no humans dared to fall in love with any of the Daextru or the Vresqoxk.
Was it irresponsible for her to be selfish for a change? Could she allow herself the freedom to explore what was developing between them? In the end, she’d have to deal with the aftermath of waking up the crew on the Atlantis .
If things between Watai and her didn’t work out, she could leave with the vessel and ensure that any reports about his moon and its sol system were lost.
That would be her gift to him and his people.
Mae frowned as she gently placed her hand on his chest, feeling the steady beat of his hearts.
The thought of leaving him behind felt like a stab in the heart, and she wasn’t sure what to make of it. Was it a sign that she was already too attached to this charming alien male?
It wasn’t love—it was far too soon for that—but they were more than two acquaintances sharing a bed, especially now that they’d kissed.
She closed her eyes, relishing the private moment before they had to begin their day. A sense of calm washed over her.
They needed to talk about what was going on between them, but the language barrier and her fear of learning the truth made her want to avoid the heavy conversation.
Was it wrong for her to want to remain blissfully unaware and see where their relationship went?
All she wanted to do was lie there in his arms, safe and protected, pretending that the Atlantis didn’t exist...that this fantasy didn’t have a set expiration date and that Watai and his people would never learn the truth about her.
She was worried about how they would react. Would Watai feel betrayed if he discovered she hadn’t just come from a faraway land...but directly from the stars?
Mae tried to shake the thoughts away, knowing that their new relationship was doomed to fail before it had a chance to blossom.
She sat up and slowly disentangled her body from the blanket cocoon Watai had created around her, his tail and arms holding the seams together. She inhaled deeply and began to rise, her legs dangling off the side of the hammock.
But then she felt a strong hand wrap around her waist and pull her back down. Watai’s deep voice rumbled in her ear. “Mae?”
Mae was taken aback, followed by a warm flush of embarrassment. She had been so preoccupied with trying to get out of the hammock that she had missed the fact that her bedmate had already awoken.
She turned to face him, admiring his rugged features and strong jawline. He was still half-asleep, but there was a glimmer of worry in his teal eyes, as if he thought she was trying to flee.
“Watai?” She shifted her gaze to his lips, recalling how they had felt against hers as she fought the sudden rush of heat on her cheeks.
His eyes widened as he realized where she was staring, and his lips curled into a sly grin.
“ Ninu .” She shook her head and pressed her fingertips against his lips. “ Kess yusum yev. Ninu Watai. ”
His smirk vanished as his teal gaze darkened, becoming solemn, and he nodded. “ Kess, Mae. Oe’Ayn yusum yev. ”
Mae stared at him, cursing herself for ruining the moment, as he let go of her and the blanket. He slipped out of the hammock silently without even giving her a second glance and passed through the vine curtain to where the strange-looking plant was located.
As Mae sat alone in the hammock, her thoughts turned to the future, and the uncertainty of it weighed heavily on her heart, especially now that she’d just rejected flirty Watai’s advances.
She hoped she hadn’t ruined whatever was developing between them and that they could move on from their miscommunication.
Mae stood up and grabbed a handful of the teal-black leaves, popping one in her mouth to chew on while using the others to wash her hands.
She peered out the window, observing their neighbors go about their daily lives, flying on their space dragons and walking along the branches to what she assumed was the entrance to the large stairway.
Once the dried leaves in her hands were no longer useful, she spun around looking for something resembling a trash can and frowned when she couldn’t find one.
Her gaze was drawn to her bone comb, which was sitting on the shelf beside the hammock. Her last memory was undoing her braid and brushing her hair to remove tangles before re-braiding it. Watai must’ve put the comb on the shelf when he came to bed.
It touched her to know that he was taking care of her even when she was sleeping—and a small part of her felt guilty about it.
She wished she could be the one to look after him. But the more she thought about it, the more she realized she would be returning the favor tenfold in the future.
Mae shot a glance at the vine curtain blocking her view of Watai doing his business because she didn’t know what else to do with the dry remnants of the leaves. She bit her bottom lip and finally stuck her hands outside the window, releasing the used leaves into the wind.
With a grin on her face, she dusted her hands off, turned around, and was taken aback to see Watai standing directly behind her, arms crossed, and shaking his head.
“ Ninu Mae ,” he said, the tone of his voice was laced with disappointment that was reflected on his face. “ Mae weyu weze. Ninu warpa .”
“I got it.” She shook her head, noting what she had done was wrong, and making a mental note to never again throw anything, no matter how insignificant, out the window. “ Ninu weze. Mae yusum yev .”
“ Nya ela’, ” Watai replied as he turned away from her and made his way through the hut’s entrance, motioning for her to follow him. “ Sywa Iskzo ku yusum yev .”
She opened her mouth to call him back, but she hesitated. If they had their conversation now, it might only aggravate him in this mood. She didn’t want their misunderstanding to escalate into a full-fledged argument.
Mae sighed and shook her head, disappointed that things had gotten so awkward between them. She followed him outside, trying to keep up with his speed on the porch beams as they made their way to the back of the hut, where Iskzo sat waiting for them.
Watai patted his space dragon on the head and said a few words in their language.The large creature rubbed his head against Watai’s shoulder, his green and blue eyes swirling wildly like liquid marble trapped within large glass orbs.
Watai moved past her, ignoring her as he grabbed the saddle from the hooks and began gearing up Iskzo. She noticed her lopsided basket hung on its own peg, its lid open and ready for use.
She wondered what Watai was going to do with it. When she peered inside, she was surprised to see it filled with fruit from last night’s dinner.
Why was there fruit in her basket? He didn’t offer her any last night.
Mae reached out to pet the Iskzo’s scales. Even though she had met him several times now, she was still astounded that a creature of such size and beauty was allowing her to touch and ride him.
Iskzo turned to face her, and she giggled as he nuzzled her hand, feeling a sense of warmth and connection with the great beast.
“My threadrider is unsure what to do with you,” Iskzo pathed, locking eyes with hers. “And has been wondering if you think he’s a bad kisser. Is that why you distanced yourself from him?”
“Watai doesn’t have to worry about being a bad kisser.
It’s quite amusing that he thinks that’s why I stopped our make-out session in front of the entire clan,” Mae responded, unable to believe the alien male’s ridiculous thought process.
Apparently he was susceptible to the same insecurities as humans when it came to romance.
“You can tell him that I pulled away because there are things that I need to work through before I get lost in whatever is building between us. I don’t want to push things further when we can’t communicate beyond gestures and a few words. ”
“What secrets are you keeping?” As Iskzo examined her, he tilted his head and his eyes swirled faster. “Why won’t you accept your connection with us? Why are you afraid of Watai’s love?”
“Everyone has secrets they want to keep hidden from others,” Mae countered, surprised that she was being put on the spot so suddenly, especially since the male they were discussing was within an arm’s reach.
“I don’t want to rush into things until I can effectively communicate with him, especially since you keep describing this cosmic thread of yours as something permanent that will change my future forever. ”