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Zahn sighed. “I am grumpy.”

“I know.”

“I am not very good with emotions.”

“I do not find that surprising.”

He glared at her. “But there is one thing that I do know. I don’t want to be a part of anything in this life, that doesn’t include you. When I grabbed your arm when I woke in the medical unit and said you were mine, I wasn’t delirious. I knew who you were, and I knew that I might be dying, and the only thing that was important, was letting you know that I knew you were mine and I was the worst fool for not saying so while I still had a life to live with you.”

Au'revele smiled softly at him and cupped his cheek with her long, delicate fingers. “That’s all I needed to hear. I knew you claimed me. But I knew you were still being difficult. I just needed to know that you really wanted this and didn’t speak out of desperation or fear in the moment.”

“The only fear that I’ll ever experience is the idea that you might eventually go away from me, leaving me behind because you tire of my emotional ineptness.”

Au’revele giggled.

“I’m not trying to be funny.”

“I know. But it’s so endearing.”

“It is?” he asked.

“It is. I don’t care how cold, or short you are with everyone else. As long as with me, you’re honest. You speak your feelings. You have to be clear about whatever you’re feeling, and what I mean to you. If you do that, the rest we can work through. In fact, I find your fumbling and grumpiness kind of charming.”

Zahn grinned. “I knew that.”

“Oh, really?” she asked.

“Really,” he admitted. “But there’s still a problem.”

“What is it?” she asked.

Zahn leaned forward and pressed his lips to hers, more gently this time. “You said I claimed you when I woke. I didn’t. I spoke my intention to, but there is only one way for a Cruestaci warrior to claim his Ehlealah.” His face was so near hers when he spoke that he simply adjusted the angle of his head and nipped at her bottom lip.

Her breath caught.

“I spoke the words, you accepted them. But the only way to finalize it is to become one.”

“Oh. Well, we haven’t done that.”

“We’re about to do that.”

Her eyes widened. “We are?”

“We are.”

He smiled when he sensed her heartbeat speed up, and her breathing quicken a little.

“Well, then, allow me to show you how the females on Eschina bond our males to us.”

“Will I enjoy it,” he teased.

“There is a reason that it bonds the males to us and they never want to leave.”

Au'revele, who was still half-lying half-sitting across Zahn’s lap, pushed herself up and stood before him. Out of the corner of her eye she noticed the plate of food she’d handed him earlier sitting on the sofa a short distance from him. She picked it up and walked over to a small end table to set it down, then turned to face him from across the room. She looked into his eyes and slowly shook her head.

“What?” he asked.

“Why are you still dressed?”

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