“Thank you,” I said to Mikoh once more. “I’ve never been so full before.”
He nodded, still eating, but he was clearly tense.
“He does not like that you were so hungry,” Surkah said to me, seeing my confusion at his attitude. “It angers him.”
“Oh.” I straightened. “It’s okay. Being hungry is pretty much a permanent thing for common folk like me. Everything is survival of the fittest.”
Mikoh growled but said nothing.
“Females are fed first on Ealra,” Surkah explained. “If there was only enough food for one, it would go to the female. If the food was in short supply, males would refuse to eat anything until our hunger was sated first. When there is plenty of food, males will not touch anything until the females in their presence have begun eating their meal.”
My chest warmed, realising Mikoh did just that. He waited for me to begin eating before he even considered touching his own food. I knew that even though he wasn’t my biggest fan, if we were stranded and there was only enough food for two people, he would make sure it went to me and Surkah. I didn’t like that I was seeing him in that light. I wanted to keep Mikoh and the rest of the Maji under one category: dangerous.
“That’s really kind,” I said and looked at Mikoh. “You get angry easily, and you have a serious attitude problem, but I think you’re very nice.”
He glared at me, and it made me smile.
“I’m still hungry,” Surkah suddenly announced. “I think I’ll get seconds, too.”
She got up and headed towards the buffet, and of course, Mikoh was right by her side. Males back away much faster than before. I chuckled, shook my head, and turned back to the table, freezing when I found I wasn’t alone.
“Hello, little one.”
The shipmaster was sitting across from me with a tray of food in front of him, and his eyes locked on mine.
I jolted. “Shipmaster.”
He ate the some of his food. “You have used a cleansing unit.”
I blushed. “You can smell the difference, huh?”
“And see it,” he replied, his eyes rolling over me slowly. “Your skin is so clear, and your loose hair is framing your face. I like it. I have never seen that shade of brown before.”
I swallowed and said nothing further.
“Has my sister informed you of the changes today?”
“Uh-huh,” I mumbled, looking down. “She said she’d show me to my new room later.”
“I don’t think she will be able to do that any longer.”
My head jerked up. “Why not?”
“Because more humans than anticipated have come aboard the Ebony, as you can see, and a lot of them are greatly injured or have a severe illness. The three other healers aboard are now at max capacity of how many humans they can take in their charge. Surkah will need to heal many to aid them, and she will need plenty of rest before the day is over.”
I didn’t like it, but I nodded in understanding.
“I will have a strong male escort you,” Kol continued.
I felt myself begin to sweat at the thought of being alone with a male whom I had never met before.
“What are you scared of?”
That stupid scent of fear was pissing me off.
“I’m fine.”
“Do not lie to me, little one.”
I rolled my eyes. “My name isn’t little one; it’s Nova.”
“Okay,” Kol said curtly. “What troubles you, Nova?” When I hesitated to reply, he added, “Remember, no lying.”
I blew out a breath of frustration, and absentmindedly placed my hand over the scissors in my pocket. “I’m just nervous about this male you’re assigning to escort me. I mean, has he met a human woman before? Does he even like my species?”
What if he doesn’t and kills me the second he gets me alone?
“He normally works on the bridge so no, he has never met a human female, but like the rest of the people, he is interested in learning about your species. Besides, even if he didn’t like humans, it would not make a difference. He will be under orders to protect you, and even if he wasn’t under orders, he’d still protect you as you’re a female. Maji males would never harm a female of any species.”
I didn’t believe him. Everyone was capable of hurting someone else, humans and Maji alike.
“Can I not just wait around for Surkah?” I asked, looking down at my tray. “I feel safe with her.”
I wasn’t exactly lying. I did feel safe with Surkah—well, as safe as I could be in the company of a dishonest alien who was keeping things from me.
Kol sighed. “Surkah is on duty in the med bay for the rest of the day.”
I frowned but didn’t respond.
“Eat your food,” he prompted after a few moments. “I’ll escort you to your new quarters when you’re finished … unless you have a problem with me?”
I jerked my head upright and looked at him.
“No, I’ve no problem at all,” I blurted. “Thank you.”
Kol nodded then turned and resumed eating his food. I couldn’t take another bite of mine, so I scanned the room instead, noticing how the Maji males stared at the human women with obvious interest. A lot of the women were oblivious to the eyes trained on them, but a handful were. One woman with very dark skin was coyly smiling at a grey-skinned male. I swallowed when he stood and crossed the short distance over to the woman who was focused on his every movement. When he reached her, he leaned down and said something into her ear to which she nodded happily, took his outstretched hand, and together they walked out of the room.
“It’s not nice to stare.”
I jumped when Kol’s voice startled me.
“I wasn’t … I didn’t …um—”
“You lie a lot,” Kol said, his voice surprisingly soft.
“I’m not lying, I just—”
“You were curious,” he finished. “You watched a male approach a willing female and leave with her.”
“Yeah, but he is …”
“He is what?”
“A Maji and she is human,” I said with a shake of my head. “You don’t think that’s a little … gross?”
“What does grow-oss mean?”
“Gross is something that is disgusting.”
I instinctively leaned back when Kol’s features hardened, and a growl escaped him.
“There is nothing disgusting about a couple mating,” he said, his eyes narrowing. “Nothing.”
“Between a Maji couple, it’s not, and between a human couple, it’s not, but it is to do it with another species.”
“Says who?”
I blinked. “Says me.”
“And you speak for your entire species?”
“What? No, of course not, I’m just being—”
“Judgmental.”
I pushed away from the table, my chair scraping loudly against the floor.
“Who the hell do you think you are?” I snapped at Kol, who placed his knife and fork down next to his tray. “You can’t talk to me like that. I don’t give a damn if you’re a prince, a shipmaster, or the Almighty himself.”