Page 88 of The Alien Warrior's Vow

“Later,” he said impatiently. “My mate and I will bathe in the lakes. Our appearance and smells are not… suitable for company.” He saw the wet spots on Eema’s tunic and shook his head. “We need privacy.”

The Healer smiled. “You are not the only couple in this disheveled state. You may bathe after.”

Eema shifted her tunic. “You should listen to the Healer, Lans.”

“Your mate is very wise.” The Healer jutted his chin down, his lips twitching in amusement.

Lans sighed.

Very well. Perhaps he could speak to Eema about her outburst when they returned to bed.

He followed her down the long hallway that led back to the meal room.

“Why is it so quiet?” Eema asked the Healer as their steps echoed in the cavern. “Don’t you have any patients?”

“I moved them out so that you and your human comrades could move freely without fear of being discovered.” The Healer arched an eyebrow. “Also, the other warriors retired to their rooms after the meeting. They met their mates and… ehem… we heard many couplings. I do not have enough soundproof shields for all of you and so I thought clearing the area best.”

Lans restrained his smile behind a cough.

“Why are you going to all that trouble if you’re just going to out us eventually?” Eema asked, her cheeks turning red.

Lans frowned. “Out you?”

“Yes.” She met his gaze, her expression carefully guarded. “If you’re going to become the elders of the Plutonians, you’re going to have to tell everyone the truth eventually.” She huffed. “Although I don’t know how well that will go down since we’re kind of the reason the destroyer-alien-things are after you again.”

“I did not consider that.”

“I did,” the Healer said, opening the door to the meal room, “but I was hoping we would discuss that after dinner.”

“Discuss what?” Sah-ah asked, sitting upon Korben’s lap. The female flashed Eema a worried look.

Eema shook her head. “The fact that the guys being elders of the tribe means that we’ll have to be shown to the world.”

“Shown? Shown how?” Kia scrunched her nose.

Pin kissed her temple. “Do not fret, my heras. You will not have to introduce yourself if you are not comfortable.”

“I thought we were keeping ourselves a secret though.” Si-Moon glanced at Zar. “Isn’t that what you told me?”

He scowled. “Indeed. And I would prefer to keep it that way.”

“We prepare for war.” The Healer sat at the head of the table. “We will ask your comrades to put their lives at stake to protect our species.” His sharp eyes zipped around the table. “To protect each of you. Do you not think they deserve to know?”

A quiet hush fell on the table.

Lans’s neural connector snapped with an emotion from Eema.

Guilt.

He glanced at his mate and found her staring at the hem of her tunic, lost in thought. Lans took her fingers in his grip. “The topic would have been broached eventually.”

“I know,” she whispered, “but some of us have more to protect than others. I shouldn’t have been so inconsiderate and started talking about it first.”

He shook his head. “Neh. You worry too much.”

Eema’s smile was faint but at least her guilt eased.

As they sat around the table, Lans realized that her guilt had felt familiar in his head. It had lingered beneath the layers of her lust, sneaking beneath the surface even as she bucked her hips against him in their private quarters.

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