with her clinging to him. He didn’t seem to relax at all though, as eyes continued to watch them. His content purr frequently broke into a rattling growl when curious eyes rested on them longer than he liked. It seemed that whatever peace they had been enjoying had been broken by Aysh’s intrusion.
“You know,” she whispered against his fur, “maybe people wouldn’t stare at us so much if we acted more like a normal couple.”
“No. It would be too easy for you to get separated from me if you were walking. This is better. I can be certain of your safety. If someone tried to take you to satisfy their curiosity or misplaced vengeance…” His voice dropped off, but she understood.
He was afraid he wouldn’t be able to get to her in time.
“However, I may consider allowing you to walk beside me when we reach the square,” he said unenthusiastically.
Wrapping her arms around his torso, she hugged him, kickstarting his purr again as he headed toward their next destination.
The shop was near the farthest point in the market, and clustered all around it were shops selling bulk amounts of spices and food staples. Charlie spotted several large tubers, and dark melons and fruits in hues of purple, blue, green, and white. Vegetation was sold in clusters. Amid the food, there were shelves filled with beautiful dishes, cups, and cutlery. She stared longingly at a set of cups with violet flowers painted on them in the display in the next shop over as Rhyst led her inside. Charlie was immediately surrounded by a heavenly aroma that she inhaled deeply.
Was that coffee? And not even cheap coffee. It smelled like pricey gourmet coffee with a hint of some sort of sweet spice and cream.
The shop owners, an elderly couple, looked up from their tasks as they filled their displays. They gazed at her curiously, even more so at the firm hand that Rhyst had on her shoulders, but both smiled when their eyes fell upon the male. The female came forward, extending her hands.
“Rh’ystmal, we have not seen you for many lunar cycles. How are you? And you have brought company?”
Rhyst grinned down at the female as he nudged Charlie forward. She wanted to object. She was terrible at meeting strangers, especially those who looked at her with open curiosity like a bug under a microscopic lens. She had been content with his unwillingness to share her—and now this!
“Dama Ma’Souel, this is my mate Charlie. Charlie this is my dama… She is the sister of my dam. And this is her mate Ka’wello.”
The male cocked his head, and the female’s eyes went wide. Charlie suspected this wouldn’t end well and attempted to inch behind her mate when she was suddenly pulled into Ma’Souel’s warm embrace.
“En’el bless you both! Such happy news,” the female purred in delight. “We had heard that an a’sankh had been granted a mate, but we never would have guessed that it was you! Your dam would have been so pleased. And such an interesting female.”
“Peculiar you mean,” Ka’wello muttered, but his lips quirked, and she could tell that it was intended as a good-natured jab. Charlie smiled at his mate’s outraged huff. “You wish to introduce your female to om’sakou?” he asked as he moved down the counter to something that looked similar to a carafe.
“Ka’wello, it may be too strong for an offworlder’s tastes,” his mate cautioned, but he waved her off with a grin.
“She is mated to an a’sankh. Surely she has adventurous tastes,” he disagreed with a chuckle. “No one is going to believe that Rh’ystmal is mated, and to such an unusual female. Sharing om’sakou with her will just be another tale we can spread.”
Charlie’s grin widened, recognizing the test for what it was. The male was gauging her willingness to try new things and fit in. Little did he know, but the om’sakou smelled heavenly to her.
“It smells wonderful. I would be delighted to try.”
Ka’wello’s chest puffed out. “My om’sakou is the best in the city. My family has a small claim around one of the pools where we grow the plants in the wet soil close to the water. It grows rapidly, but we have harvesters on hand to collect the root and other droids to grind it. The spices we add are our own special family recipe,” he confided to her in a hushed voice as he plucked up the carafe and poured the hot, dark liquid into a cup before