Page 18 of His Human to Learn

10

Tori

Marron's still not here. I keep tapping my thigh with my fingers over and over again. One thought keeps running through my mind, and it's that something terrible has happened to him.

There's no way he would miss this part of the ceremony. He wouldn't miss any part of the ceremony if he could help it. I'm not supposed to talk right now, though. None of us are now that we're in the room with the males. And since the rules have been stressed to me over and over again, I refuse to say anything about how Marron is in trouble.

I would be freaking out more if Diane, the human woman in charge of making sure the human side of the ceremony follows the rules, has been pushing for us to wait for all of the males to arrive before we start. Kal, the male in charge of the males, has been pushing for us to start, but he hasn't been pushing veryhard. I think he wants us to wait for Marron as well, since he probably already knows what's happening.

Ralleth told Beren and Lyath that I would be in no danger during the mating ceremonies, and that's why they didn't put up much of a fight when Ralleth switched Marron's relatives out from being the ones watching us.

The women on our side of the table all seem to be waiting anxiously for it to start, but none of them have sounded irritated or upset at it taking so long. They probably all hope that if more males are here, they'll have a higher chance of finding mates. Marron won't be any of their mates, but they don't know that yet.

Most of the males are also fine with waiting, or at least, as far as I can tell. A few of them have been moving around from side to side like they're getting impatient, and Joll has been switching from staring daggers at me to staring daggers at Diane and Kal like it'll make them change their mind and start the sniffing. I don't know what he has against me, but I don't appreciate how hard he's staring at me.

"We cannot postpone this for much longer," Kal, a demon I just met for the first time today, murmurs as quietly as he can to Diane.

They've been whispering to one another, which makes my skin start to itch. If they start this without Marron here, I'm sure the plan will still work to prove the male who's been lying about me is a liar, but I was also hoping to be with Marron at the end of it.

I've had three days to accept that my timeline was moved up. It won't be so bad to be mated to him since I've done nothing but think about him in the last three days. I didn't realize how badly I needed him around until he wasn't close by every day like he usually is.

"Why can we not?" Diane asks, one of her brows arching.

Her arms are placed over her rounded belly as she strokes it in soft circles, making us all acutely aware of how close she isto popping. I'd think it's something she's doing subconsciously, but I've seen some of the other women do it to get their males or others to calm down. There's one thing this alien species loves, and it's knowing there are babies around—lots and lots of babies. I'm honestly surprised Diane didn't bring her son as backup.

"Almaac's mate." Kal crosses his arms over his chest like he's trying to steel himself. I'm hoping Diane stays strong. She's my last hope in holding out until Marron gets here. "I know you wish for all the brothers' happiness, but it is getting late."

"I am not tired," Diane says, her slow, rhythmic stroking staying steady.

"Yes, well, it has been a long while—" Kal's cut off as the door to the ceremony room swings open, and a bruised male comes limping in.

I choke on a cry as I realize this bruised and beaten male is mine. My hands cover my mouth, and Diane is beside me, wrapping an arm over my shoulder to keep me from moving. I want to push against her, to run to Marron, and hold him close while I find out who did this to him.

Kal's already by his side, though, and he's asking everything I want to. Marron doesn't answer him, though. His eyes scan the room until they land on me, and he gives me a soft smile that only accentuates how his top lip is split and his left eye is swollen shut. I try to match his smile, but it isn't very believable.

Marron takes a deep breath before standing at his full height. He still doesn't speak to Kal, and I realize, much around the same time Kal does, that he's following the rules set forth for this whole ceremony.

The males aren't allowed to talk on the first night of the ceremony since they don't have permission to woo anyone yet. It's easier to have a no-talking rule instead of just no-wooing because the males will scheme ways to get as close to wooing as they can.

Marron walks silently to the male side of the table and takes a spot next to Joll. I don't miss how Joll's eyes flash red so quickly that I wonder if I imagined it. It isn't until I see Marron's hands clenched at his sides as he side-eyes Joll that I realize who's been telling lies about me—the same male who probably did this to Marron.

I bare my teeth, much like the demons do when they're upset. What can I say? I've taken to living on this planet and accepting some of their mannerisms. A few of the males lean their heads and look toward where Joll and Marron are standing, wondering which of the males I am snarling at.

I only stop when Joll finally drops his eyes, and at that point, the first male is already walking down the line of women, sniffing at our necks. I tilt my head and pull my hair off my shoulder. The male is quick, and I wonder if he doesn't actually sniff from my neck. The second male proceeds down the line the same, and when he gets to me, I'm certain there's no sniffing happening.

I would ask if I could talk, or if I cared about them sniffing me. There's only one male I want to sniff me tonight, and he's the last to go.

The rest of the line proceeds the same. Each male comes down the line, sniffing everyone's neck except mine. I have to wipe my eyes occasionally to push away the tears that keep slipping out. I can't help it when I'm stuck staring at Marron and the bruising that's already starting to mar his face. I want to know who did it to him so I can hurt them back. He's the kindest male, the softest male, and one who shouldn't have to bear this kind of pain anymore.

When Joll moves around the table, I can feel my gut churning. I want to tell him to fuck off or that I hate him, and I know what he did. I want him to know that I would reject him even if I were somehow drawn to his pheromones.

My emotions must be evident on my face because Marron raises his brows and draws my attention back to the present, back to him. His fingers twitch next to his thigh, and then he wiggles his pointer finger at me in a tiny wave. I bite back my smile, brushing away more tears because they just keep falling.

When I place my hands back to my sides, Marron's eyes flash red, and I feel a presence too close to me. Nothing could make it clearer that none of the other males sniffed me than Joll's loud, obnoxious, and almost too long sniff from my neck. It has me baring my teeth again, an unhappy sound pulling from my chest as I snap my head in his direction. Technically, it's not talking, and no one chastises me for it. Joll gives me a confused look before backing away and leaving the room like all the males before him.

When I turn around to see where Marron is, he's already around the table and moving down the line of females. I watch him, not even hiding my attention as I openly wait for him to make it to me. He spends less than a second at each woman's neck, moving with so much speed I wonder if he'll be called out for it. Instead, a few of the women giggle and turn their focus down the line to me, like they already know the one who was openly crying for him is the one he wants to get to.

As if to make his point to everyone here that he's here for me and me alone, Marron stops behind me, standing as close as he can without actually touching me, and takes the loudest inhale of air I've ever heard. A few women laugh even harder at the sound, and I can't help the small sob that leaves my throat. I want to turn around, throw my arms over him, and tell him I never want to be away from him again.

---