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Campfire Confessions

*Jalen*

T wo crescent moons hung in the sky, lighting the clearing we’d camped in well enough that we had no need for a campfire. Ren had perked up at the mention of one, though, so I’d obliged. Logs crackled and hissed, and the flames sent flickering shadows across her beautiful face as she laughed at another one of her brother’s jokes.

It had taken me a while to warm up to Demetri. When I learned he wasn’t Ren’s family by blood, a spark of suspicion flared to life in my gut.

Was he truly just her best friend? Or did he crave more from their relationship? Did she? It was clear Ren was excited to run into him, so I’d held my tongue while keeping a close watch of their interactions.

Now, I was beginning to realize my suspicions were unfounded. Yes, Demi wasn’t shy about touching Ren, and she was comfortable enough with him to allow it, but there were no lingering glances. No flirting. Just lots of laughter and the easy companionship you’d expect from siblings.

Frankly, I was relieved. Normally, I was the guy who thought the best of everyone—unless they proved otherwise. But I couldn’t seem to help myself from being overprotective—and yes, a tad jealous—where Ren was concerned. It was the pair bond’s influence, no doubt. Some lingering evolutionary urge to tear any male to pieces who looked at my mate sideways.

“So, how about you, Jalen?” Demi asked, his head tilted.

I blinked, forcing myself back into the moment. “Sorry. What’s the question?”

“You don’t have to answer that.” Ren scowled and jabbed Demi with her elbow. “He’s being nosy, like usual.”

Demi rubbed his side. “It’s not an inquisition. I was just wondering where you grew up, Jalen.”

I chuckled. “Well, that’s no secret. We’re headed there, actually.”

Ren’s eyes widened. “You grew up in Onatel Village?”

“I did. My aunt’s still there. We can stop by and say hello, if you don’t mind the detour.”

She twisted her lips. “You want me to meet your aunt?”

“Certainly. I bet she’ll like you.”

Ren glanced at Demi, who sent her a knowing look. Then their expressions changed rapidly, and it was almost like I was watching them have a silent conversation—one I wasn’t privy to.

“What else do you want to know?” I dug into my vest pocket, pulling out a burner. “I’m an open book.”

Demi’s face lit up. “Is that what I think it is?”

I grinned and tossed him the burner and a light. “Here. I have plenty.”

Demi lifted the burner to his nose and sniffed. “The weed on this planet is insane. Can you imagine if we had this stuff when we were younger?”

Ren giggled. “Probably good that we didn’t. Remember when you snuck a bong into Oraxis Station? We had a hell of a time keeping the smell out of the ventilation system.”

I’d thought from the expert way Ren had handled my burner the other night she’d smoked before. Only how? “I didn’t realize we had the same plants growing on our home worlds.” I used to assume other planets would be completely alien from mine, but it appeared we had more in common than I’d realized.

Ren explained, “We do, but back home, it’s hard to find marijuana you can smoke. Too many people were worried about their lungs, I guess. Not like we had any plants that needed to be tamed with smoke, either.”

“How do you use it if you don’t smoke it?” I asked.

Demi sparked the burner. “They cook it into edibles. Gummies, brownies, that kind of thing.”

My nose wrinkled. “And it tastes good?”

“Not really.” Demi chuckled, blowing smoke at the fire before passing the burner to me. “There’s only so much sugar can disguise.”

Ren smirked. “That didn’t stop you from scarfing down three brownies at Mika’s graduation party.”

Demi groaned. “Don’t remind me.” He clasped his stomach like the memory pained him. “I was already half-drunk when I ate them. I just thought he couldn’t cook…”

I sat by the fire for a long time, listening to Demi and Ren reminisce. I shared a few stories of my own when prompted, but mostly I just listened. Ren had been stingy with details of her life so far, and I greedily absorbed Demi’s stories, eager for a glimpse at her past.

Shortly before the first moon set, Ren rose from her seat. “This has been great, but I need to sl—” She wobbled, and my heart dropped.

I lurched up, catching her before she tumbled into the fire. “I got you.” As I stared into her face, a powerful urge to kiss her rosy lips washed over me.

Not now, Jalen. She almost fainted.

“Thanks.” Her lashes fluttered up and down, and she gripped my vest, still a tad unsteady on her feet. “Got really hot all of a sudden. Do you think I’m getting sick again?”

Demi appeared at her elbow. “Sick? What are you talking about, Ren?”

“It’s nothing.” Ren pushed out of my arms and waved a hand. “I bet it was the weed.”

“Like hell. You said sick again . What happened the first time?”

She rolled her eyes. “I got a little overheated is all. Jalen brought me to a healer who gave me these tablets.” Her face brightened. “The tablets! That’s what the problem is. I forgot to take one earlier.” She thrust her hand out to me.

I pulled the bottle out of my vest pocket. Demi’s eyes widened as she shook out a pill and snagged my thermos off the ground. “There, all better,” she announced after she swallowed it. “Now, I’d like to get some rest. Are you guys coming?”

Demi cleared his throat. “I’m not tired yet. You want to hang by the fire a little longer, Jalen?” I sensed from his hard tone that the invitation wasn’t one I should ignore.

I smiled breezily. “Let me get Ren settled first.” I stopped at a lionettle plant—we didn’t have a cave nearby that night, so we were back to roughing it—and lit a burner. “You’re certain you’re okay?”

“Yeah, I’m good.” Ren plucked the burner from my fingers and took a big puff. “This ought to help me sleep, right?” With a grin, she blew enough smoke at the plant to climb inside, then passed me the burner. “Goodnight.”

“Night, Ren.” I strode back to the campfire, my stomach sinking.

Demi’s jaw clenched as he spotted me returning. “She doesn’t know yet, does she?”

I didn’t even bother to play dumb. It was clear from his reaction that Demi knew exactly what those tablets were for. “No.” I sighed and sank next to him.

He snagged the burner out of my fingers. “She’s not gonna take it well.”

“That’s what has me worried.”

Demi blew out a huge puff of smoke. “Ren and I might laugh about the good times growing up, but she had it harder than most. You want my advice?”

I turned, staring at him full on in the dim night. “Please.”

“When you tell her, give her time to process. Ren’s always been… guarded. After what happened when we were younger, I can’t say I blame her.”

My heart twinged. “What happened?”

Demi chuckled. “Nope. Not my story to tell, man.” He passed me the burner. “She’ll share when she’s ready.”

“Guess secrets run in the family.” I raised a brow, then let my gaze trail down to Demi’s shorts. I’d noticed something off when we’d tussled earlier. And from the way his head cocked at every sound in the forest—even a few that were so quiet a Terran shouldn’t be able to hear them—I suspected he wasn’t being entirely truthful either. “What are you hiding?”

“Ask me again after you talk to Ren, and maybe I’ll tell you.” He grabbed the burner again and stood. “Come on. You can have this back after I find a bush to sleep in.”

I followed Demi to a different lionettle, then stomped out the campfire. My thoughts swam as I approached the plant where Ren slept soundly with no clue that her future was about to change forever.

Perhaps Demi had thought his advice was helpful, but honestly, it just made me even more worried. Would she ever accept that we were fated to be together?

How was I going to tell her?

I needed to figure it out fast. If her symptoms were returning, then we didn’t have much time before they hit us with full force. From what I’d heard, the mating instinct eventually grew so intense that it would make up her mind for her. And as much as I craved her, I hated the thought of rushing her into intimacy before she was mentally prepared for it.

As I climbed in beside her, I made myself a silent promise. Tomorrow. No matter what happens, I need to tell her tomorrow.