Page 9 of His Human to Learn

He's returned to watch me bathe a few more times, each time stripping his tunic from his body and offering a trade. I blush, but I always agree. He leaves his tunic on my stack of clothes and takes the underwear I was wearing that day. I haven't worked up the courage to ask him what he does with them again because I can understand him better now. I don't know if I could handle knowing without burning up from the inside out.

"Do you wish to be alone?" Marron calls after me after I've been walking for a couple of minutes. Whatever he talked about with Joll didn't take long, and he doesn't sound like he got into a fight.

I flick my hair over my shoulder and let my eyes trail over his body. I don't miss how he falters in his steps for a moment and then walks faster to reach me.

"Is that a yes or a no?" he asks with a laugh that makes me blush harder. I avert my eyes, but I know his full attention is on me.

"Yes," I say, chewing on my lip as I try to think of what else to say.

We've had a few conversations when I've bathed, but they don't usually last very long. If he gets caught, there's a good chance he'll be kicked out of the tribe. I don't want that to happen, but I also want him to keep watching me bathe because it's the only time we get alone.

"Do I need to speak with Joll about you being alone?" Marron's words are slower than normal, like he's having to choose specific words he knows I know. I appreciate it, but I also want to know what he would say if he wasn't filtering himself.

"No." I shake my head. "He wants to woo me, I think."

Marron hisses low in his chest, his eyes flickering red for just a second before they return to their normal black state. I don't think I've ever seen Marron angry. I kind of thought he was always just kind of happy since he always seems to be smiling at me or at Thro or Lyath and Beren when Thro is bothering them.

"Easy," I murmur under my breath, looking up at him through my lashes, hoping he knows I'm teasing. "I said I have a male. Or I think I did."

I shrug. Joll asked me if I had an issue with him or all males, and I didn't exactly answer it, but he should be able to piece together that there's only one male I want to pay me any attention.

"You told him you have a male?" Marron's voice sounds surprised, and all the lingering anger vanishes. "You said that?"

I shift the pack on my shoulder as an excuse not to have to look at Marron while we're talking. It's too intense because any time I look at him and see how he looks at me, I want to do things we aren't supposed to do. We aren't even supposed to be walking alone right now because I could lean into his chest just right, take a single deep breath, and be ready to ride him all day into the night. That's also one of the reasons I don't look at him when he's this close. The temptation to prove that we're mates is too much.

I switch to English and hope that I can admit to some things to get them off my chest, so I can act somewhat normal when he's around.

"I want to tell everyone that you're my mate. I want to claim you and mark you, and make sure everyone knows I only want you. But I don't know how to say that in your language yet. Or not all of it, and I really want to say that to you so that you understand how serious I am about you."I take a deep breath and spin around to face Marron, who has stopped walking. I look up at him, a new fire inside me. I didn't realize I needed to say all this because I've kept it bottled up for almost a year."One day, I'm going to tell everyone that you are mine, and then you're going to fuck my brains out. And then you're going to tell me what you do with my underwear."

I put my hands on my hips, let my eyes fall down the length of Marron's body, and smirk when I see his cock straining against the fabric of his pants. He doesn't hide it from me. If anything, he seems to stand a bit taller as I speak, and he waits to know what I'm saying. He must know that I've said quite a lot that he wants to hear because his breathing is hard, and his hands are clenched next to his side as though he's stopping himself from reaching out to me. My fingers tighten on the strap of the pack.

"Okay?" I ask, knowing he can't really answer my question.

I just want to hear him agree with me, even in a false way. I want to believe this is as difficult for him as it is for me, but I also need him to be on the same page about us not being able to work when we can't even talk with one another. I want to know the male I'm going to mate. I want to know him better than anyone else. To do that, we have to be able to talk.

Marron nods, "Okay."

I smile even brighter and then skip back to his side, nudging his hip with mine and walking back to the house. We walk in silence until the house comes into view. Marron stops walking,hidden by the trees from everyone else at the farm. It's for the best since we shouldn't be seen alone with one another. Nia wouldn't care since she's aware of my growing collection of Marron's tunics.

"Are you staying for the party?" I ask.

I might not want to tie myself to him entirely until we can talk, but that doesn't mean I don't want to be near him as often as possible. I would love to wrap my fingers in his and drag him to the house just to see what everyone's reactions would be. If it wouldn't lead Marron on, I'd do just that, but the others would expect us to go through the mating ceremony if we were that close.

"I do not know," Marron says, his lips in a flat line as he looks anywhere but at me.

"And if I say I want you to come?" I try not to sound too hopeful in my request because, for all I know, he hates the idea of parties. When his eyes fall on mine and shine a little brighter, I realize I asked the right question.

"If you want me here, I will be here," he says, taking the bag of alcohol from me and walking out of the shadows of the trees straight toward the house.

My mouth pops open, and he makes it pretty far before I register that he wants us to show up together. I school my features so I don't look so surprised and run to catch up with him.

"I believe this is for you," he says to Nia as he hands her the pack of alcohol.

She quirks an eyebrow at me before taking the pack. I'm huffing and puffing and trying to catch my breath from running. I shake my head, holding up a hand to Nia, saying it's not what she thinks, but before I can do that or she can ask a question, Marron's moving over to where Beren's working on setting up some sort of group seating, and Lyath's building a bonfire.

Beren gives me a look that tells me we'll be having a conversation tonight, and Lyath smiles and laughs at something Thro is telling him. I can't help the smile that splits my lips.

How could I not be happy when I was just caught alone with the male I want to be my mate, and the worst my family has done is give me are-you-kidding looks? It's great. It's made even better because in just a few short hours, the party will be getting going, and I'm going to find a way to sneak away and flirt with Marron.

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