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“I have no intentions of probing you. Unless you so desire.” He gave me a cheeky grin that caused a totally inappropriate flutter in my belly. “I have heard it can be very pleasurable.”
I ignored that comment. “So your father wants to see how I react to An’tia. Well, here I am, brushing her. Is that enough? Can I go home now?”
“No. He will want a lot more data. I will have to monitor your vitals while you interact with An’tia. He’s also given me a list of questions to ask you. And he might have other tests for you once we arrive on Allopo.”
“What happens after? Once you’ve done all your tests? Will you return me to Earth?”
“No.” His refusal was absolute.
“Why not?”
He finally met my gaze. His eyes were smouldering flecks of coal. “Because you’re my mate.”
Lesson 7: Hysteria for Humans
Bruin
I wasn't sure what I'd expected her reaction to be. Not quite an instant declaration of love, but maybe pleasant surprise. A moment of shock, then overwhelming happiness. Instead, she started laughing. She threw her head back, her hair rippling like a golden wave, and laughed. It was a strangled sort of laugh, too high and without any humour.
I stared at her, not knowing what to do. Was this normal Peritan behaviour? Did laughter mean something else in their culture? No, I would have noticed that on the five days I'd spent travelling their planet. Laughter was almost universal across the galaxy. With a few rare exceptions, every species had a sense of humour. Granted, sometimes it varied so vastly from that of another species that wars had been fought over misunderstood jokes, but in general, you could assume that every alien you came across either could laugh or at least understood the concept.
Tara didn't stop. When she started wheezing and gasping for breath, I took a step towards her. If she needed medical attention, I wanted to be close. Maybe I should get her into the medpod. All this laughter couldn't be good for her. Tara's cheeks had become bright red. The colour suited her, although I would have preferred purple over red.
"What's wrong?" I asked cautiously. "Why are you laughing?"
She wiped fluid from her eyes. "Just... this isn't happening."
Another giggle broke from her throat.
I was starting to get really worried."How do I make it stop?"
She made a choking sound. That was the signal to get her the medical care she clearly needed. Ignoring her protest, I bundled her into my arms and raced to the medpod at the other end of the hangar. A feeling of cold dread was spreading through my innards. My mate wasn't well and it was all my fault.
"What are you... hick... doing? Let me... hick... go!"
Now she couldn't even speak properly. Something was seriously wrong with her. She struggled against my hold, but I was stronger. I pressed her arms against her sides so that she wouldn't hurt herself. She was too weak to do much against it, which only worried me further. My mate was so defenceless. How did her species survive? Xervens didn't have the horns of the other two sentient species on my planet, but we were bigger and more intelligent, adding to our chances of survival. In my opinion, we were the dominant species on Allopo, but of course, Fervens and Bervens would disagree.
"Stop struggling. I'm only trying to help you," I told her as calmly as I could.
The medpod slid open when we approached and I lowered her into the gel.
"Ewwww... hick... that's disgusting!" she exclaimed, followed by another bout of laughter.
I closed the lid above her and ordered the pod to run a full diagnostic sequence once for the second time today. I waited impatiently as the data rolled over the screen.Her oxygen levels were low, but the pod had already automatically flooded with the gas to help return them to normal. All the other values were fine. Physically, my mate was healthy, but that didn't reassure me. What if I'd broken her mind? Telling her that she was my mate had been a bad decision. She'd only just discovered that I was an alien and that unicorns were real. I'd forgotten how sheltered Peritans were. And now it was my fault if I'd fractured her mind forever.
For a fraction of a click, I considered returning her to her planet. But no, now that we'd met the mating bond would make any separation painful for both of us. I could live with pain, but not with the knowledge that my mate was suffering. She had to stay by my side. Once we'd completed the starlight ritual, we'd be able to be apart once more, although it would never feel comfortable. At least that's what I'd been told. The soulmate bond was rare and therefore almost mystical. Not many people found their soulmates. Many more never found theirs, while others spent half their lives searching. It was a miracle that I had found mine on the planet I just happened to be visiting. Maybe this was fate making up for me almost dying.
As soon as the medpod had returned Tara's oxygen levels to normal, the lid opened with a hiss. She climbed out and crossed her arms in front of her chest, glaring at me. But at least her laughter had stopped.
"How are you feeling?" I asked cautiously.
She didn't reply, but her glare seemed to get even more intense. If she'd been a Kravuton rather than a harmless Peritan, I would have expected fire to burst from her mouth and nostrils. Although not quite harmless. She'd already ripped a hole in my heart. Time would tell if she would heal or break it.
"Are you hungry?" I tried, realising I'd not fed her since arriving on the Xylope. How often did Peritans need to be fed and watered? I would have to check the guide. Something told me that my mate would not be happy if she didn't get food at regular intervals.
"No."
She spat out the word. It hurt to see her this cold.
