Page 8 of Adored By the Alien Warlord
“Both,” she mumbled against her hand. “Both.”
My insides floundered.
Unsure what I could do to help her, I patted her back. That only made more water leak from her eyes. If I pressed my thumbs against the corners, would that stop the flow?
I yearned to end her sorrow, to bridge the gap between us. Yet I felt lost in the pinching emotions whipping around inside me. My heart throbbed, pressing itself against my ribs as if it could break through to encase her. Hold her until she felt better.
Ah, wait. When my brother was upset, we’d—
“Would you like to go hunting?” I asked in desperation.
Her hands fell away, and her head cocked. She peered up in my direction. “Hunting?”
“My parents . . .” I didn’t want to tell her of my shame, of how I’d behaved after our parents died.
What if she rejected me? I’d want to curl up in thecorner of some room and die. Walk out into the desert without provisions and water and keep going until I dropped. The sand would cover me, and it would be over except for my pain. My endless pain.
“When my youngling brother was smaller, when he was sad,” I said, “we’d take our weapons and track down prey, clean it, and bring it back to the praise of our clan.”
She nodded as if to encourage me, telling me that while she couldn’t know of my shame, she could hear the sincerity in my voice.
“While our sand gods provide some of our needs, they don’t gift us with meat, so it’s always welcome.”
“I’m sure.”
At least water no longer drained from inside her.
“I don’t understand much of what you said, but thank you for not snarling at me to get over it,” she said.
“Get over this horror you’ve been living since you reached my planet?”
“Yeah.” She wiped her face and then wasted the wetness with a swipe across her tunic.
“Get over being forced to dance until you drop for a male who should cherish you instead?”
Her mouth twisted with distaste. “I’d rather Wortek didn’t cherish me, if you don’t mind.”
What about me? I didn’t dare ask. She’d only recently met me.
“Where is Talia?” she asked, peering around as if her sister would stride down the hall and join us.
“Safe with her mate.”
“Mate?”
“She was also placed in the desert.”
“An interesting way of describing a kidnapping followed by a dump in a wasteland, but sure.”
“After she was captured by the Veerenads living in that region, she was taken to their mine to work. She met Firion there, and they escaped. They love each other.” That much was very clear.
“This doesn’t make sense. My sister is in love with a guy she met in the desert?”
“Firion is Zuldruxian like me.” Not quite like me. Firion had honor, where I was doing all I could to recapture mine. I’d wasted it when I went wild, and I could only pray to the fates that I’d find it again. “I believe she was left in the desert some time before you.”
“This . . . All I remember is us being taken by robocops.”
“I don’t know much, but I’ll explain. These roo-boo-coops took you at the request of our gods.”
