The skimmer landed near the big field, and they climbed out. Talia looked around, at the purplish sky, the massive moon that was visible in the daylight with the smaller moon in front, the strange trees with clusters of silvery globe berries hanging from the branches.
She breathed in the sweetly scented air as she walked hand in hand with Lukan. Off in the distance, she saw small, silvery skimmer-craft darting through the air like dragonflies over the city of Donnelle.
She was on another planet. With Lukan, her alien werewolf lover. It felt dreamlike, a fantasy she had conjured up from the depths of her imagination.
“I love to see you smile like that,” Lukan said. “It was the only thing that brightened my days when I thought you could never be mine. My heart ached for you every time I saw you. Your scent on the air was torture.”
He pulled her close and she looked up into his handsome face. His pupils dilated like ink spreading in water, and he lowered his head, his lips hovering above hers.
A tall, thin Vulfan with silvery hair hurried up to them, out of breath. “Sir! The band was taking a break,” he said, gesturing at a group of men who were now scrambling up onto the stage. “We did not know when you’d be coming back. Is the apology banquet to your liking?”
“Oh!” Lukan smacked himself on the forehead with the palm of his hand. “The apology banquet, of course!”
He looked at Talia sheepishly. “Right before the attack on the Thorolf territory, I told Roj here that he should plan a banquet for you. It was supposed to be a grand gesture. When you hurt your loved one’s feelings, you are supposed to make a grand gesture to apologize. I read that when I was studying Earth women.”
“All this for me?” Talia said, suddenly misty-eyed. She pretended to sneeze as tears filled her eyes. “Oh my, must be allergies. This is beautiful. Thank you, Lukan.”
She couldn’t put into words how touched she was. On the outside, Lukan was a ferocious warrior who inspired fear and awe in everyone. But on the inside, just for her, he was a big ol’ pile of mush. He was even putting up with Mar-ee’s metallic sass.
They started making their way towards one of the tables. It broke Talia’s heart to see how few women there were. Lukan had told her more about the Population Wars, and the terrible effects of the virus.
There were some women and children, though, and she actually recognized three women from the modeling agency. They were all pregnant. She knew that the other women whom Alexandra had successfully placed here had made matches with the Thorolf pack.
Everyone was hanging back, staring at her with awe and amazement and a little bit of fear. Was it because she was with Lukan? Apparently being theReginar-Lawas a pretty big deal.
A small boy with curly brown hair pulled away from his mother, ran over to her and grabbed her arm.
Everyone froze and stared at her to see what she’d do.
She kneeled down and brushed a curl out of his face. “You are the most adorable thing I’ve ever seen,” she said. “My name is Talia. What is your name?”
Everyone broke into smiles of relief.
He took a deep breath, his eyes huge and round as he stared at her. “My-name-is-Loris-and-Iknow-how-to-turn-into-ananimal-I-just-learned-last-week-do-you-want-to-see?”
“I would love to.”
“It hurts a little bit,” he told her. “But I am very brave. When I grow up, I will be a warrior who defends your honor.”
Oh my God, give me a million of these, she thought as he shook himself and began to shift. Unlike Lukan’s shifts, it was a slow process, with patches of fur appearing on his arms and then sinking back in, his snout advancing and retreating as he grunted and strained with the effort.
Finally, he was an adorable little wolf cub. She stroked his fur and scratched behind his ears before his mother, an anxious-looking woman with long, strawberry-blonde hair, picked him up.
“I hope he didn’t bother you,” she said apologetically.
“Bother me?” Talia laughed. “He’s an angel! I’ve never seen anything so cute!”
She stroked his head and then she and Lukan went to sit down.
One of the women from Million Dollar Matches, Heather, sat next to Talia, with her pair-bond, Balbiran at her side. She was hugely pregnant, and Balbiran kept stroking her stomach and gazing at her in adoration.
“I’m so happy you’re here!” Heather said eagerly. “It’s great to see another girl from Earth. Or even another girl, really. I can take you shopping in Donnelle and show you the best stores. Maybe you can come to my baby shower – we’re having it in a couple of weeks.”
“I’d love to,” Talia said.
The banquet went beautifully, for the most part. Plates hovered, sliding slowly down the table, pausing in front of each guest and giving them time to load their plates with food.
After the first couple of courses, Lukan got up to walk around and talk to his packmates, who bowed their heads respectfully, and eagerly congratulated him. It warmed Talia’s heart to see how happy they were to see her there.