Page 22 of Claimed By the Krijese

“Katem says he will return to this spot after the evening meal to collect Iris,” he tells me.

“We will make sure you are here and ready for him.”

“Thank you.”

“Are you ready to start learning?” Sorin asks with a small bounce of excitement.

“I’m not sure if I’m ready or not, but I’m here so I guess I better be.” She chuckles.

“You can use my war axe until we can commission Benham to craft one of your own for you since Gogo’s is too big for either of us.”

Iris nudges Sorin lightly with her elbow. “Let’s not get ahead of ourselves here. I’ve only thrown the thing once and was less than stellar at it. After today, your dad might give up on me as a lost cause, which means there’s no need for me to have my own anything.”

Sorin shakes his head. “You will become the greatest hunter to use a war axe when Gogo has finished teaching you.”

The melodic sound erupts from Iris and she throws her arm around my kit’s shoulders and squeezes. “You’re sweet, but also a little delusional.”

“What is delushal?”

She snorts. “Delusional. It means you’re mistaken.”

“I do not believe so.”

Iris presses her mouth to the top of his head. “Thank you for the confidence you have in me.”

I have often seen the human females touch their mouths with their Tavikhi mate’s mouths, but I have never asked the meaning of this. It did not feel appropriate, no matter how much I wished to know. Since I struck a deal with Iris that I would be allowed to ask questions and gain knowledge, she is the best person to answer.

“What is this mouth touching thing you humans do?”

She jerks and glances up at me, almost as though she forgot I stood nearby. Once again the pale side of her face darkens to match the color of the other side. This has happened many times since meeting her and its reason is yet another piece of information I wish to collect.

“It’s called a kiss.” There is a note in her voice that causes my head to tilt.

“A kiss.” It is a difficult word for my mouth to form so it does not sound exactly the same as when she said it. “What is its meaning?”

Iris shifts her weight and breaks the eye contact she had with me. “Um, it’s a sign of affection.”

A sign of affection? How does pressing one’s mouth to a place on another being display affection?

“Can I give this ‘kiss’ to you?” Sorin tugs on her hand.

There is a look of uncertainty that crosses Iris’s face as she studies my kit. His mouth does not form a smile in the same way a human’s or Tavikhi’s does and we both struggled forming the word. How is a…kiss even possible for Krijese? It is clear he is eager to try, but it is equally clear how unsure she is.

“You should not ask Iris for this thing Krijese do not do.”

Sorin turns his head to me. “But Gogo, we have never tried. The Tavikhi do it with their human mates. Talek said that when he grows he is going to try this mouth touching with Cecily if she will let him. I would like to show Iris my affection for her.”

“It’s okay with me if he tries as long as you’re okay with it as well.”

“I promise to be gentle so I do not hurt her.”

With both of them staring at me in this way, I cannot say no. I jerk my head in a short nod. Sorin’s excitement is nearly tangible as he pivots toward the female. Slowly, she leans down and presents him with her pale cheek. He takes a step closer so to be almost touching her and as he does against my chest, rubs his mouth across her skin. Or at least attempts to do so, except his small mouth claws are in the way.

Sorin draws back and disappointment is evident in his slumped shoulders. “I did not do it right, I do not think. It did not feel the same as when you did it to me.”

“I think you did it just fine.” Iris smiles. “Besides, it won’t feel exactly the same since our faces and mouths are shaped differently.”

He sighs. “I wish they were not different.”

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