Chapter 9

Sophie

It was one thing for him not to think about interviewing her for his show. She could appreciate that his viewership wasn't really expecting things like that – aside from the occasional puff piece he was apparently obligated to make.

But to not even tell his family about her?!

Cursing in Spanish under her breath, she marched back to her room.

"At least tell me what's wrong," Serval said following her calmly.

"Tu no quieres contarle a tu familia sobre me? Por que querria decirte algo?"

"I have no idea what you're saying, lov'alel."

She whipped around, hair flying, glaring at him. "It means, why the hell haven't you told your family about your mate?"

"Why would I do that?" He asked, having the gall to look confused.

Throwing up her hands, crying out in frustration, she turned back around and kept marching. He stayed right on her heels.

"I don't contact my family that often," he tried to explain.

"Only when it's important?"

The question was soft, thrown out almost casually. With a sweet edge that she couldn't quite disguise, and that he picked up on immediately, judging by the way he hesitated. The unspoken other half of his statement hung heavy between them,

Because if he only told his family important things, but he hadn't told them about her, she must not be important.

"Not even really that frequently," he hedged. "I love my family, but I spent all my youth wanting to escape the planet. I don't often think of them."

"Are you saying you don't consider your mate family?" She huffed, displeased, as the door to his room opened. Before she could figure out how to seal it behind her, he walked in.

"That is not what I said," he groaned, having walked right out of one verbal trap and into another. "Of course, I want my family to know about you. But you haven't even triggered me yet-"

"Oh, so you don't have faith that I'm actually your mate?" She whipped around to face him.

"I didn't say that either!"

She poked him, hard, in the chest. "I told my family the moment we matched. They wept tears of joy that I would have someone to love and who would love me. They demanded I return with you for a holiday if I can. They want to talk to you when you're comfortable with it. My mama was practicing English to make sure she could speak with you easier. And you didn't even tell your family about me!?"

"I'm going to," he said, raising his voice to be heard over her, but still trying to keep his tone calm. All the while, he gazed at her with something she couldn't identify shining in his eyes. "When my ilala finds out I have a mate, she is going to demand I bring you home. She will demand we do the whole ceremony. And I want to keep you to myself for just a bit longer."

Sophie put her fists to her hips, glaring at him through narrowed eyes. "Will you really?"

"I really will," he said, his voice calming as hers did. "I'm not trying to keep you from them. But my family doesn't understand my desire for adventure. Being mated pretty much guarantees that I have to go home again, and I don't want to be trapped there just because I've mated."

She scoffed, tossing her hair. "I happen to like traveling. And exploring the universe."

He chuckled. "That's not the problem. You have to bathe in the nesting pools. And the nesting pools are only on Wav'aii."

Distracted, she dropped her arms. "Nesting pools?"

He nodded, lifting his arm. "You can't see them right now, but my body is covered in a particular bacteria. It's called wii, and the bacteria is beneficial to my people. It eats my dead skin, keeps me clean, and in return, it excretes a substance that my skin absorbs that's full of important vitamins and proteins that I need to survive. Some of it is used to create the venom in my sting, but some of it is necessary for life. Every year or so, I have to return to Wav'aii to bathe in the pools to refresh the bacteria.

"And if someone mates into someone's family, traditionally when the female mates into someone's family, part of the ceremony involves cleansing them of their original wii and then bathing in the new family's nesting pool to get their wii instead. Which is what we must do for you."

Sophie tilted her head curiously. "A bacteria? Is that safe for me?"

"It should be. It's not a harmful bacteria. But we can test it before we bathe you." He hesitated a moment before continuing. "And if you breed for me, lov'alel, we would have to return for the birth. Rie must be born in the nesting pools and kept submerged for the first few tendays of life. Only once the wii have colonized them completely can they be brought out to begin breathing air."

"Oh." The last of Sophie's anger faded. "So, we'd be trapped on your planet if we have kids?"

He shook his head. "Not forever. Just until our rie can be taken from the pools. Then, they need only return every year or so, like I do. Wav'aii year, not a Standard year. Much shorter. But the baths themselves don't need to be long."

"So, when are you due back home?"

"Not for some time." His face relaxed into a smile. "But the moment my ilala hears about you, she is going to demand it be immediately, and I know I won't have the ability to say no."

Sophie crossed her arms. "And you don't think that they're going to be mad hearing that their son is mated from one of your news segments?"

"They don't watch me."

"Are you sure about that?"

"My mother doesn't like seeing me in danger, which I frequently am. So, she doesn't watch my segments."

Sophie made a disbelieving sound of agreement.

"It will be fine," he assured her. "I will tell them in due time."

She made another sound.

"Are you done being angry with me?"

"I suppose. I still feel like that's a bad idea, but she's your mom, I guess."

"Good. Then-"

Sophie squeaked when he suddenly snaked his arm around her waist and yanked her close.