Chapter 10
Aren’t you…coming with me?
Filbur
Tamara held my hand as we walked along the small tents, returning shy smiles to everyone who tried catching our attention on our way. I noted five names between our own tent and the one Falacia was staying in. Now, I needed to find Juni so she could go and take care of them.
We had been traveling for two weeks. People were tired. Injuries happened more often. And I wanted to spend a little time with my partner—even though we would get more time to ourselves once we arrived at our destination.
She looked as beautiful today as she did yesterday.
I made sure to pick up some new clothes for her when I went to get some for me—I could not go out with the pants from the day before and the pretty noticeable stain on the crotch area…
People did not have to know what had happened or had not happened between my bride and I.
And what happened? I was not entirely sure how we got to this point but I could not complain. Being close to her had felt so good, I was eager to feel it again.
But she was untouched. And although the reason made me angry, I was also worried. I needed to read the damn book Ghauro had brought me. If Tamara could not really guide me, I would need to learn as much as possible so I could pleasure her properly.
She was twenty-eight, and it looked like this had been her first orgasm ever.
She deserved a lot more.
“As my trainee told you, this is a blister,” I said calmly, inspecting Falacia’s foot. “I am sure you have had blisters in your life before, have you not?”
“Of course I have!” She scoffed. “And I am telling you, this one looks nothing like the other blisters I have had before.”
I let out an annoyed sigh. Juni and Tamara stood straight behind me, waiting patiently. If Falacia wanted to be difficult, I could push back.
“Juni, come and wrap Falacia’s blister please.”
“No!” Falacia crossed her arms over her chest. “This needs a healer, not a—”
“Juni is a healer, Falacia,” I pointed out, my voice turning stern. “She has been training for a year. She is way overqualified to treat your…boo boo.”
Falacia’s eyes widened, her jaw falling in outrage. She did not seem to like the word choice. I shrugged.
“As you know, I was not supposed to be working today,” I said as Juni stepped forward to kneel at Falacia’s feet. I stepped back to let her work, keeping a stern eye on the old lady. My hand quickly found Tamara’s. “Unless it was an absolute emergency.”
“This is an em—”
“It is not. Emergencies would be a broken bone, a deep open wound, a high fever…Not a damn blister.”
I still took the opportunity to look over Juni’s work. She did everything perfectly, applying some healing and numbing ointment over the irritated and swollen skin before she carefully wrapped the whole foot in a clean strip of fabric.
And Falacia glared at both Juni and I the whole time.
“This woman sounds…interesting.” Tamara winced and I let out a chuckle.
“Our elders are…stubborn,” Juni explained. “Not all of them, but a few are certain that only a healer with over ten years of experience is able to give them the right medicine if they have a little cough.”
“This is absurd,” Tamara remarked. “Is it always like this?”
Juni shook her head but I was the one to answer. “Mostly while we travel between our two homes. We move in groups, and only one fully trained healer in each. Once we arrive in our summer city, all the groups will settle for the season, and more healers will be available.”
Tamara looked around, seeing our people milling about. “This isn’t all your people?”
“It is not,” Juni said. “We are only the leading group, the one my father travels in. The leader has to be in the group that arrives first so he can help prepare for the others’ arrival.”
“There are sixteen other groups, I think,” I continued. “And that is just our island. There are others scattered all around Cancer.”
We were a lucky species. Most clans got along pretty well. Our Island, Vallad, was close to another. We could often see each other as their summer city was on the same side as ours. We did not care for expansion or war, unlike some other species in our system…
It was peaceful. Perfect for my bride who already had a tough time.
“Here is a list,” I said, taking a step toward Juni. “Not big issues, but they asked to be seen while we were on our way.”
Juni’s eyes widened in surprise. “Really? You are actually stepping down today and letting me handle everything?”
Was I? I cast a quick glance toward Tamara, looking absolutely beautiful under the morning sun in her orange and purple dress. “Yes. I am spending our rest day with my partner.” She turned her face to me, smiling shyly. “I cannot be as much of a workaholic anymore.”
Tamara blushed. “Oh. I mean, if they need you, you can—”
“They do not,” I answered before she could finish her sentence. I knew how she worked now, and no, I would not let her think my work took priority over her. “They will come find me if a situation is critical, but they do not need me for any of the ones on the list.”
Juni was grinning like a child, happy that I trusted her enough to be in charge. Tamara looked at me curiously.
“Now that we are free for the day,” I started, pulling Tamara with me as I waved goodbye to my niece, “want to go for a little walk with me?”
Her eyes sparkled. “Where are we going?”
We stopped at our tent to pick up some things—including a couple of large sheets, the book and the translating glass—and slowly walked toward the small lake I had found to bathe the day before.
“I thought what I heard this morning were waves from the sea,” she said, looking at the waterfall hitting the deep blue water of the lake.
We stood on the shore, the water coming in slow waves to lap at our toes. “We are still a few days away from the sea.” She nodded, eyes locked on the lake. “Do you like water?”
I could have sworn that she blinked away tears. “Yes. I used to…I mean, before my family became all kind of fucked up, we lived on an island, kinda like this one.” She looked around briefly. “I used to play on the beach everyday. Swim. Run in the water. I haven’t in a long time.”
I squeezed her hand. “There was no sea where you went?”
“No.” Tamara scoffed. “The planet I come from—the Earth—is sick. The Island we lived on was one of the only places not too damaged. Water, everywhere else, was barely safe enough to drink so bathe in it? I never took the risk.”
There was both sadness and repressed anger in her voice. In her eyes. I glanced around, ensuring we were alone, and brought her hand to my lips.
“Do you want to go in?”
Blood rushed to her cheeks. “In…the water?”
“Yes.”
“Can I?”
“Why could you not?”
She opened her mouth to talk but no sound came out for a few seconds.
“I…I don’t know? I—” She looked down at herself, at the pretty dress hugging her curves.
Curves that Canco females did not have, so it looked completely different on her than when the females of my species wore something similar.
“We didn’t bring any clothes to change.”
“You do not have to keep the dress on,” I suggested, then cleared my throat when her face changed color. “Is it not an option for humans?”
“I…I mean we tend to avoid getting naked in public places.”
I looked around. We were alone. “If someone comes I will send them away.”
Cancos were not bothered by nudity. But, when I thought about it, I could imagine that if others came, they would look at her. She was different after all…
And, after consideration, I was not too fond of this idea.
Tamara is mine.
“If you do not feel comfortable taking it off, you can go in the water with it,” I added at her scrunched up face.
“But it’ll get wet…”
I shrugged. “The sun will dry it fast. We will just stay here on the beach until it does if you want.”
I already spotted trees that produced fruits all around the lake. All of them were safe for her to eat. We could stay here all day if she wanted to…
“Are you sure?” she asked.
I nodded. “Yes. Please go and enjoy the water.”
She hesitated. “Aren’t you…coming with me?”
I really want to. “I will join you in a bit. I have some reading to do.”
I showed her the heavy book and she snorted. She had questioned me about it when we picked it up earlier. Although she said I was being “silly”—no matter what that word meant—I could see it touched her.
I could not wait to learn everything there was to know about human bodies. And, once I had the theory, about hers.