if you offend someone?”
Xori tensed, and Ward placed a hand on her back. He’d meant it as a comfort, but the moment his fingers touched her hair, the motion turned into in a slow caress. “If I was back on Phera Prime, then I might be arrested or fined. It would depend on the insult given, and the rank of the other party.”
“That’s insane,” both he and Vic said at the same time.
The subtle shrug again, this time matched to a tossing-away gesture he hadn’t seen her use before. “That is the Pheran way. Which is why I no longer live where such things are an issue.” She touched her matyri. “This tells any other members of my culture my social standing and situation at a glance. It makes things simpler.”
“And here I thought that humans had the monopoly on prejudice and stupid social rules,” Vic muttered.
Xori laughed. “I have yet to meet any species that enlightened. You just don’t see the Pheran system because you’re not part of it.”
That thought kept rolling around his head as they ate and talked, peppering Xori with questions about life on Phera Prime. She’d shared her stories openly and honestly, and by the time the meal was done Ward felt like he knew her much better, and he liked everything he’d learned. He also knew that she was stronger than he’d realized. Not that it changed anything. Strong or gentle, she was one of the best things in their lives, and he felt a powerful need to protect her from anything that might dim her smile.
Chapter Three
By the time they were headed home, Xori was experiencing a pleasant buzz that made her feel like the gravity was slightly lower than usual. It wasn’t the liquor she’d had with dinner, though. It was the kind of high that came from good food and better company. She was always reminding her patients to build connections with other beings and make sure to enjoy the small pleasures of life, but somehow, she’d failed to take her own advice. Laughter, friendship, and even physical contact hadn’t been part of her life since coming to the Drift. She looked at the two handsome males escorting her, their long strides adjusted to keep pace with hers.
Not until tonight.
They were headed to the waystation to catch a bullet train back to their sector, but she wasn’t ready for their night out to end. “Would you like to walk instead?”
The main concourse was quieter now, and the brothers on either side of her, taking advantage of the extra space.
“I hate those trains. Walking is better,” Ward stated.
“And we’d get to spend more time with you,” Vic agreed.
“Then it’s a good thing I wore comfortable shoes.” She gestured around them. “Now comes the point where I admit I have no idea where we are. So, which way do we go?”
Ward pointed back in the direction they’d come with a jerk of his thumb. “That way.”
They both offered her their arms, and instead of choosing one, she placed a hand on each of theirs. She smiled as she caught a glimmer of male pride and satisfaction from them. She left the connection open for a few extra seconds, reading more of their emotions without dipping beneath the surface. They were relaxed and happy. More so than she’d ever sensed from either of them before.
In the back of her mind, a little voice whispered a smug ‘I told you so.’ She ignored it, for now.
They strolled and chatted about anything and everything, the conversation flowing between topics that ranged from the rules of starburst, an elaborate game played in the Nova’s casino, to the guest list for the corporate gala Astek Corporation was hosting in a matter of weeks.
They showed her parts of the station she’d never been to before, though her escorts seemed to know every meter of the place. They navigated the light crowds with total confidence, sharing bits of information about the occasional restaurant, bar, or specialty shop.
“You’re going to need to draw me a map so I can find my way back here. I had no idea I could get Pheran ingredients for my food dispenser on this station.”
“No map needed. We’ll bring you whenever you’d like,” Vic replied.
“All we do is work and talk about our fraxxing feelings with this therapist we know. We’ve got plenty of time to take you shopping,” Ward added.
“Thank you. I’d enjoy that, but only if you let me buy you lunch afterward.”
“You don’t