Heart of Gold

Chapter Nine - Plans

Sunny woke up slowly, surrounded in a cosy cocoon of warmth that was Kilnor. She lay half on top of him, her head surprising comfortable against his firm chest. His breathing was slow, deep and even. He was still asleep. Dim light filtered into the room through the partly translucent curtains covering the small window. The fire, which had crackled so merrily the night before, had burned down to a few glowing coals in the grate, and the overall temperature of the room had dropped with it.

She blinked. Hey eyes felt slightly sensitive, and she realised with some consternation that she had cried herself to sleep, because.... she was never going home.

The thought slipped into her mind, reminding her of her fate. But she had already cried herself out the night previously, and now she was simply accepting of her fate. Besides, she would have Kilnor.

But would she?

Would Kilnor still be interested in her, when he was back on his own planet, surrounded by females of his own kind? Pangs of insecurity hit her heart, and she fought them back. She had to believe he would, for her own sanity, and not just because he felt responsible for her. Sunny did not think she could survive a foreign planet were Kilnor to simply abandon her.

Next to her, Kilnor's breathing sped up slightly, and he huffed slightly, moving as he slowly came to consciousness. Sunny watched his face. Still calm and relaxed, as he was not yet fully awake, he looked peaceful. Younger too, less sure of himself than the confident, take-charge Kilnor she had come to know.

She ran a finger down the side of his face, and the light sensation was enough to wake him fully. Eyelashes fluttering, his golden eyes opened to meet hers.

"Maidin," he said, his voice husky, evidently not quite awake enough for the translation chip to kick into gear.

"Hello," she said softly, continuing to trace the scales on his face with that same finger. "I'm sorry I cried all over you last night."

Kilnor's brow furrowed as he fought to understand her words, clearing as comprehension finally sank it.

"You were upset," he told her, voice soft. "It is understandable."

It was completely understandable, considering Sunny would never see her home again, but nonetheless, she was glad that Kilnor recognised that.

"Will I go home with you?" this question was different. Sunny's voice was small, tentative, unwilling to presume.

Kilnor did not answer immediately, but the slightest narrowing of his eyes told Sunny that he was thinking deeply. Much like she had been doing, he reached out a single finger to trace her body. Sunny had no scales for him to follow, so he simply ran his finger over the impression of his teeth that remained from the night before.

Shivers ran down Sunny's spine, gathering into a puddle of heat in her lower abdomen.

"I marked you last night," his tone was heavy with emotion, though not upset.

"Yes," Sunny agreed, curious. She had momentarily wondered about the bite mark, but had dismissed it as a quirk between species. If that was the only difference in the mating process, she had figured, they were doing particularly well. "Is that normal for you?"

"No," Kilnor answered, though the tone of his voice let Sunny know an explanation was forthcoming, so she waited for him to deliver it.

Almost absentmindedly, he stroked the mark again, causing another light shiver of pleasure to run down her spine. He sighed, heavily, and opened his mouth to speak.

"I do not believe I have told you about mates," he began. "That is where I will start. We Miotalans pair off, much like other species across planets and galaxies, male and female. It is not as simple as just choosing a partner," he told her.