“Jig-saw?” I ask. “What is this?”

“A puzzle,” Jason continues, still gazing down at the rock. “Though I suppose we could mortar any cracks with smaller stones and some sort of cement mixture. Did I tell you guys my dad was a builder? I remember a few things he taught me, and I think we can work with this.”

Ashtar turns to his battle form and pries the first large hunk of rock from the side of the beach while Jason and I stand nearby, watching it rain down sand and bits of shell.

I eye the human male. He is smaller than I am. Much smaller. His shoulders are not as broad, and he is only a bit taller than Vivi, who is among the tallest of the human females. Perhaps I am too well-equipped? Could that be it? Are my cocks too large to please her? “Jason, are human cocks puny?”

Jason sputters.

Ashtar immediately turns to human again, discarding the large slab of rock and letting it land with a heavy THUD on the beach. His face is wreathed in an amused grin. “Sorry, I’ve got to hear this. What’s this now?”

The male drakoni is naked, as he does not wear clothing when he shifts between forms. I have seen him naked before, but now that I am thinking about cock sizes, I study his closely. The size looks to be equitable to mine, and Ashtar is also larger than Jason. So I gesture at him. “You are large enough. I know I am large enough. I am curious if Jason’s cock is tiny. If all human males are under-equipped.”

“What the fuck, bro.” Jason puts his hands on his hips. “Are you asking me to pull my dick out and compare with you?”

I shrug and start to undo my belt. “I would not mind that.”

Jason puts his hands up. “No, no no no. I am not whipping it out just because you’re curious. I want to know what brought this on.”

This seems a fair enough question. “I was getting somewhere with my mate last night. She touched me and ran. I wonder if it was my size that intimidated her. That perhaps she is used to small human cocks instead of mine.”

“Ugh. You are full of yourself. Are you sure she didn’t run because you were talking?”

“I am certain. She does not mind my talking.” Well, much.

Jason rolls his eyes. “Then she’s the only one. You won’t shut up about how awesome you are and it gets on everyone’s nerves.”

It does? “Why would I be shy about my strength and cunning? It should be reassuring. The tribe will know I am a good, competent hunter. Not just competent, but the best.”

Ashtar says nothing, his hand pressed to his mouth. It looks like he is trying to hide a laugh or a grimace.

“If you’re so incredibly awesome, wouldn’t we already know this?” Jason demands. “Why shout it?”

“Because—”

“Children, children,” Ashtar finally speaks up, stepping forward toward us. “You sound like my boys right now. We’re all friends here.”

“I am merely trying to understand if it is the size of my cocks that is the problem,” I point out.

Jason blinks. “I’m sorry, did you say cocks?”

“I did.”

“I think we found out the issue.” Jason smirks. “You really have two cocks?”

“Of course. I am a ssethri splice.” I fail to see where this is strange.

Jason points at Ashtar then at himself. “He doesn’t have two cocks. I don’t have two cocks.”

“He is drakoni. You are human.” I shake my head again. “As I said, I am ssethri.”

“But your mate is human,” Ashtar reminds me. “And she knows nothing of other races of people in this galaxy. Not like we do.”

Is this so? Is that why Vivi panicked? Because I had one more cock than she expected? It is not the size of it or my reaction to her? “I cannot make one of my cocks vanish. When they extrude, they both extrude at once.”

“Extrude?” Jason’s brows furrow.

Ashtar uncurls a finger in an almost bouncy motion, demonstrating.

“Oh shit, extrude.” Jason’s eyes widen. “Well, now I want to see this shit after all. I’ll show you mine if you show me yours.”

So now he wants to see my cock? Bah. “I am not going to extrude for you. Only for my female.” I pause, considering. “So you think it was the number of cocks that made her panic?”

“A thousand percent,” Jason agrees.

I do not know what to do about that. I cannot change how I am built. It is a depressing thought, that Vivi might not like my body because of how it was created.

“Shall we get back to work?” Ashtar asks. “Pick out the pieces for the hut’s flooring and let’s get going before it gets too late in the day.”

Chapter Twenty

VIVI

Gail makes it clear that I’m welcome to stick to her side all day, and that she’ll introduce me to people without pressuring me to converse. She has a sweet, easygoing personality and I immediately trust her. It makes the day not terrible, sitting at her side and learning how to patch clothing with a bone awl and cord made from sinew. Gail chats with everyone, giving people my name so I can meet them and then immediately turning the conversation so I don’t feel on the spot.

Everyone else in the tribe seems pretty nice, too. There are a lot of babies and a fair amount of stern-looking, very tall blue aliens, but Gail reassures me that they are all kinder than they look, and I see more than one cuddling a baby or playing with a child, which eases my anxiety. The most intimidating one is actually a bossy blonde named Liz who seems to give everyone shit. She follows I’rec around, teasing him about “taters” or something, and I’rec does his best to ignore her.

I try to avoid her entirely, because I don’t think I can handle someone teasing me. I’m sure it’s meant in fun, but even so, I want no part of it.

Gail’s mate Vaza is an older male with deep blue skin, and their son has four arms and does not look even slightly human. I don’t ask about it. It’s clear they both love him and they are very much a family. Gail showers them both with kisses when they return, and when the little boy proudly holds up a dead animal he hunted, she exclaims over it as if he’s brought her diamonds. It’s cute.

But then more people start to trickle in toward the fire, hunters returning from their treks. It gets crowded and noisy, people talking over each other. A big alien with four arms kisses his mate and child and then immediately starts to butcher a large animal nearby, which makes several of the newcomers retreat. I stay where I am, pulling another stitch through the tunic Gail is helping me with. I can manage, I pep talk myself. It’s not so bad being around a bunch of people who all know each other and are all nice enough. They will be my new family. I can handle this. I can.

Then I feel it.

My khui hums in my chest, the song picking up. The dragon flies overhead, and I catch a glimpse of green on his back. Just Skarr being this close is enough for my chest to burst into song, and I notice the woman sitting next to me eyeing me with curiosity.

I get up and set the sewing in the basket, stepping over someone and retreating before Skarr can return to camp.

“You okay?” Gail asks me, noting my attempts to extricate myself from the group.

My fingers go to my brow and I don’t stop moving. “Headache, going to lie down.”

I am such a chicken.

It’s just…after last night, I’m not sure I’m ready to talk to him. I’m definitely not ready to have a confrontation in front of all of the others, and I know Skarr likes to pose and preen in front of them. What if he tries to talk about kissing and me grabbing him around the fire? I will die. I will just simply die. Wither into a ball of humiliation and die.

Let him come and seek me out so we can talk in private.

I sit near the entrance of the tent the newcomer women are sleeping in. There was a cave offered, but since the men didn’t want to sleep “together” it was considered better that the males take it rather than setting up multiple tents for singular people. In the cave they can spread out and beat their chests to their hearts’ content while the women more or less have a cuddle-puddle to share warmth.