I’ll do my best to give her the benefit of the doubt, but I’m starting to wish she’d remained behind on my home world.
“I told them that they need to keep you safe,” I say, in the common tongue, “and that they should stay out here where they won’t get infected. Only I need go and deal with this.”
For a moment, I feel an insane surge of jealousy. I hate the idea of the three Aurelians being alone with Diana all night. I know that, so far, they’ve only wanted me – but perhaps the temptation of the young noblewoman’s slender body might be too much for them to handle.
I’ve heard the rumors of the mating frenzies the Aurelians descend into from Anna and Jade. They used to giggle and blush when they talked about the way the alien species turned into literal beasts during the passionate lovemaking.
Well, so what if they do? If they take their pleasure with Diana, then she’s welcome to them. Good riddance. They’re nothing special if they so quickly switch the focus of their lust.
Though I think the words, I know that they’re not true. I can still feel the imprint of Hadone’s lips against mine.
“Why didn’t you take the amulet right away?” Forn asks.
I give Forn a long look. “Because the illness could have been on it. It could have made me sick.”
Hadone rushes towards me, and I jump back. I can see in his eyes that he wants to rip the amulet from my neck.
“It’s too late!” I tell him. “If it’s got the plague on it, then I’m already sick - but I had to get more information about this disease.”
Darok licks his lips nervously. “You would do that? Risk your life for our tribe? We’re blessed to have you as our mate.”
I put up my finger. “Now, hold on a second. I’m not your mate.”
Forn snorts. “You are, Tammy. Can’t you feel it?”
I try to shake my head, but I can’t. He’s right. I do feel it. Since the first time I laid my eyes on these three Aurelians, there’d been something about them that drew me in. I know I should tell them that Lord Tenderfoot had opened the portal, and not their Orb-God guiding them to their one, true mate – but for some reason I can’t right now.
Are they really saying that I am mated to all three of them?
“So, which is it? Which of you believes they are intertwined with me?”
“We all are,” the three of them say softly in unison, as if for a moment they share a mind. I imagine losing myself in three sets of arms, with so many fingers trailing over my body and making me moan and melt. It’s so tempting to give in. It’s so tempting to let them all ravish me…
And why should I resist? Why should I deny myself this pleasure?
I take another step back.
Because I have a job to do. I need to heal this tribe first.
“I have to go into the jungle. I need to meet with your tribe.”
Forn steps closer to me. “I will go with you. I can’t let you be there alone.”
I shake my head. “No, you could get sick.”
Hadone cocks his head. “You are an expert in medicines. Which of the three of us is least likely to get sick?”
An expert. Hadone speaks to me as though I’m some a brilliant doctor, and not a nurse intern who couldn’t even finish schooling.
“Forn,” I answer. “He was already sick, and his body beat it. He’s the least likely to get sick again.” I turn to him. “But there is still a chance, and I can’t let you get sick again.”
Forn reaches forward, and this time I don’t shy away from his huge hand.
He trails his fingers against the amulet. His fingers graze my neck and send tingles throughout my body.
“You could have gotten sick, but you choose to put the amulet on anyway. I will not let you go into the jungle alone. While our tribe is strong-willed and honorable, there are still those who’d see a beautiful human female and covet her. We didn’t earn you the way that our tribe usually does – through a blood sacrifice to our Orb-God – and therefore there are some among our people who might feel that we do not deserve you, and will see you as fair game to be seduced – or claimed.”
His voice is calm, but it makes my eyes widen to hear this. I realize that I truly am on a jungle planet with savage men. I was lucky that Forn, Hadone and Darok seem to be concerned only with keeping me safe. There are those who would take advantage of me.
Forn and I walk towards the jungle and the tribe slowly moves back into the trees with us. Many of them walk slowly, pausing to catch their breath every few moments.
I watch and analyze all these clues. That might be a symptom that their lungs are weakened by the perpetual coughing. I look back, and see that Hadone and Darok are breaking down a lone tree to make a shelter. Without their Orb-Weapons, they have to use their mighty muscles to crush the wood and break it apart. I get a tinge of jealousy, and I hope that they’ll make a second shelter for Diana rather than share theirs with her.
We continue for a while, before Forn finally stops near a swath of green jungle. He opens up a door I hadn’t even seen to a cavern I had no idea was down there. It was brilliantly hidden in the green canvas of the jungle floor.
The pathway down has steps chiseled into the stone, and Forn helps me down them, his bicep flexing as he bears my weight without complaint, lowering me to the floor.
Now underground, I step forward into the tunnel. The walls are smooth, as though they were made
