Page 42 of Ahelno
We sat in awkward silence for a moment. “I do not like Leo. I do not trust his intentions towards you,” I confessed.
“Yeah, I got that,” Andie said. “Listen, you and I need to talk. Really talk. And I think I’m finally ready. But not now. I’m tired, and I need to drive home. I promised your Dad and Kashtinela a piano concert tomorrow, so I’ll be back for that at tenth hour. How about you and I talk after that?”
“As you wish, Andie. I look forward to it,” I told her.
She pushed back on the bench and stood up. “You often embrace that male,” I said.
“It’s called a hug. It’s a friendly gesture between humans,” she said. “We are a touchy people.”
“May I have a hug? I am curious what it is like.”
She hesitated, then nodded. I opened my arms as I had seen the human male do, and she stepped cautiously inside. She was short, the top of her head coming midway to my chest. I bent down and placed my chin on top of her head the way I had seen the human do, and wrapped two arms around her shoulders and two around her waist. She wrapped her arms under my wings, and my skin reveled in the contact. I had never embraced someone like this before. It was warm and wonderful. The scent of her hair was in my nostrils; the feeling of her face pressed against my chest was divine. I felt that I was protecting her from the entire world, and it stirred my instincts. She was mine. In this moment, in this embrace, I felt that to my core. I could stay like this, with my mate in my arms, forever.
Andie
I hesitated when Dakleth asked me for a hug. We hadn’t touched each other since “the incident,” and I wasn’t sure how I felt about it. I knew he wouldn’t hurt me, but some unconscious part of me still saw him as my abuser. Did I trust him enough for a hug? I had told him it was a casual, friendly gesture, but here it felt like it was…more.
But I was working on getting over this, through it, whatever. This would be, I don’t know, exposure therapy or something. And he was trying, he really was. He was super patient as I taught him the chords for Heart and Soul, even when I could see he was getting really bored.
So I nodded and stepped into his embrace, prepared for my body to lock up. There was a moment, and then the hug was actually…nice. His warmth enveloped me, and I surprised myself by melting into him. His hug felt protective. It made me feel surprisingly safe. I inhaled the leathery scent from his bare torso and closed my eyes. Oh wait, bare torso.
I squeezed him briefly and pulled back. He allowed it and stepped back to give me space.
“Thank you,” he said. “I think that is a lovely human tradition. I would like to embrace more often.”
I laughed. “Let’s not get ahead of ourselves. I’m not sure how the Ptexari would react to you randomly hugging people.”
“I do not wish to hug anyone else. I will hug you. Whenever you will allow.”
Well, that was sweet, I guess. “Let’s take this one step at a time,” I said. “We’ll talk more tomorrow.”
“Of course,” he said, giving me a bit of a bow. “I will walk you to your vehicle.”
I allowed it. I knew he and the other Ptexari took my securityvery seriously, so it wasn’t worth arguing about. He walked me to my car in the garage, and we said farewell. On my way home, I thought about our hug. How nice it was. Leo would leave in a few weeks, taking his hugs with him. I wouldn’t mind hugging Dakleth more. I knew I’d been touch-starved and needed more physical contact. But hugging him probably meant something more than friendship to the Prince, and I wasn’t sure I was ready for that.
CHAPTER 40
Camavel came over in the morning for Oonag as usual, but this time, I had a cup of coffee that she could try. I actually never really liked coffee, but I had always loved the smell of it. My house smelled like a Starbucks today, and I adored it. I was feeling very nostalgic this morning.
I wasn’t sure how Camavel would feel about coffee, or any Earth food, but she was in love immediately. Oonag was also a bitter brew, so the bitterness didn’t seem to put her off.
“This is incredible,” she said. “There is a richness of flavor that I’ve never tasted before.”
“It is a strong flavor,” I agreed. “It contains caffeine, which is a mild stimulant for our kind, so it’s not good for us to drink too much, or it will keep us awake or give us the jitters.”
“The last word did not translate,” she said.
“Jitters - we start trembling or shaking,” I said.
“Ah, I understand,” she said.
“That reminds me, I’ve decided to start learning the Ptexari language,” I told her.
“Not that I object, but why?” she asked. “You have the translator.”
“Yes, but it doesn’t always work, and if I’m going to live here the rest of my life, I should learn the language.”
“I have always admired how sensible you are, my dear,” Camavel smiled indulgently at me over her coffee cup. “You have taken wonderfully to our weaving techniques. We will make a Ptexari Princess out of you yet.”
