rabbits on the spit they’d made over the fire.
Aydin seemed more interested in staring at the fire than continuing the discussion for that matter.
After staring at their backs for several moments, Emma finally turned and stalked over to the pallet she’d helped Colwin make from the brush they’d gathered and plunked down on it. It was actually fairly cushiony, but not so much that flopping down on it wasn’t painful. Gritting her teeth, she focused on ignoring the pain until it subsided and then turned her mind to the discussion—such as it was.
She was too angry at first to think about anything except her possible exposure to pregnancy. As her anger began to subside, however, it occurred to her that Colwin wanting to mate with her was quite possibly the sweetest thing any man had ever said to her—that and the fact that he clearly wanted to have a baby with her—wanted her to have his baby!
It was insane, of course. They hardly knew each other and she couldn’t imagine he’d fallen hopelessly in love with her in such a short space of time—any more than she thought King Fart had!
Still, it was sweet.
And it was, sort of, a proposal, she supposed and nobody had ever proposed to her before. Well, Murry had, but that hardly counted when he’d proposed they pool their income and sell her house so they could get a nicer one!
She discovered she was a lot more intrigued by his offer than she should have been. It was absurd! She couldn’t stay here! She had to go home ….
To her empty house and her empty life.
Didn’t it just figure that she would finally find a man that actually wanted her to have his baby in a place like this? When she was almost too damned old to even consider having a baby?
He was just young and naïve, she told herself. He seemed very manly and he looked very manly, but she could tell he was young and he had to be naïve to consider forming a life partnership with a woman he hardly knew. Who was older than him. And not even the same species.
Or course, he was half human if she could believe him.
Guilt began to swamp her. He’d bared his soul! He’d told her he wanted to mate with her and have a baby and she’d cussed him out!
She was such a bitch!
“The food is done if you are hungry,” Aydin said to her after a little while.
If she was hungry? She wasn’t that pissed off!
She got up and settled across from the two of them. Resolutely closing her mind to the fact that it had been a cute furry thing not long ago, she took the stick Aydin handed her and blew on the steaming meat, feeling her mouth water with anticipation. Using another stick, Aydin speared one of the tubers from the fire and handed that to her.
It was the most divine meal she’d ever eaten in her life! She would never have believed wild bunny and completely unfamiliar roots could taste so wonderful! She was never going to be able to look at a rabbit the same way again, she thought a little sadly, especially if she was hungry.
“This is good!” she said after she’d eaten enough to appease the gnawing hunger a little.
Aydin nodded politely.
She studied both men uncomfortably. “I’m sorry,” she said finally. “I didn’t mean to be so hateful. I just …. I’m so lost here. I really don’t belong here.”
Adyin and Colwin both looked at her in surprise.
Adyin frowned thoughtfully. “Mother felt the same when my father and uncle stole her away from her world and brought her here.”
Emma felt her belly clench. “They went there and took her?”
Colwin glared at him.
Aydin shook his head slightly. “She is right, Colwin. It must be her choice—to go or to stay with us.”
Colwin’s lips tightened, but he didn’t say anything.
“I was dying,” Aydin said after a moment. “The hoonans had captured me and worked me in the mines until I was nigh dead when my father finally managed to get me away from them. The men of the village could do nothing for me and neither my father or my uncle
Aydin seemed more interested in staring at the fire than continuing the discussion for that matter.
After staring at their backs for several moments, Emma finally turned and stalked over to the pallet she’d helped Colwin make from the brush they’d gathered and plunked down on it. It was actually fairly cushiony, but not so much that flopping down on it wasn’t painful. Gritting her teeth, she focused on ignoring the pain until it subsided and then turned her mind to the discussion—such as it was.
She was too angry at first to think about anything except her possible exposure to pregnancy. As her anger began to subside, however, it occurred to her that Colwin wanting to mate with her was quite possibly the sweetest thing any man had ever said to her—that and the fact that he clearly wanted to have a baby with her—wanted her to have his baby!
It was insane, of course. They hardly knew each other and she couldn’t imagine he’d fallen hopelessly in love with her in such a short space of time—any more than she thought King Fart had!
Still, it was sweet.
And it was, sort of, a proposal, she supposed and nobody had ever proposed to her before. Well, Murry had, but that hardly counted when he’d proposed they pool their income and sell her house so they could get a nicer one!
She discovered she was a lot more intrigued by his offer than she should have been. It was absurd! She couldn’t stay here! She had to go home ….
To her empty house and her empty life.
Didn’t it just figure that she would finally find a man that actually wanted her to have his baby in a place like this? When she was almost too damned old to even consider having a baby?
He was just young and naïve, she told herself. He seemed very manly and he looked very manly, but she could tell he was young and he had to be naïve to consider forming a life partnership with a woman he hardly knew. Who was older than him. And not even the same species.
Or course, he was half human if she could believe him.
Guilt began to swamp her. He’d bared his soul! He’d told her he wanted to mate with her and have a baby and she’d cussed him out!
She was such a bitch!
“The food is done if you are hungry,” Aydin said to her after a little while.
If she was hungry? She wasn’t that pissed off!
She got up and settled across from the two of them. Resolutely closing her mind to the fact that it had been a cute furry thing not long ago, she took the stick Aydin handed her and blew on the steaming meat, feeling her mouth water with anticipation. Using another stick, Aydin speared one of the tubers from the fire and handed that to her.
It was the most divine meal she’d ever eaten in her life! She would never have believed wild bunny and completely unfamiliar roots could taste so wonderful! She was never going to be able to look at a rabbit the same way again, she thought a little sadly, especially if she was hungry.
“This is good!” she said after she’d eaten enough to appease the gnawing hunger a little.
Aydin nodded politely.
She studied both men uncomfortably. “I’m sorry,” she said finally. “I didn’t mean to be so hateful. I just …. I’m so lost here. I really don’t belong here.”
Adyin and Colwin both looked at her in surprise.
Adyin frowned thoughtfully. “Mother felt the same when my father and uncle stole her away from her world and brought her here.”
Emma felt her belly clench. “They went there and took her?”
Colwin glared at him.
Aydin shook his head slightly. “She is right, Colwin. It must be her choice—to go or to stay with us.”
Colwin’s lips tightened, but he didn’t say anything.
“I was dying,” Aydin said after a moment. “The hoonans had captured me and worked me in the mines until I was nigh dead when my father finally managed to get me away from them. The men of the village could do nothing for me and neither my father or my uncle
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