using a
lie when he knew she could easily discover it. He wouldn‟t just let her go about her
research and sleep alone in her bed at night. He‟d press his claim.
She had no doubt about the sincerity of his intentions to bond with her. This wasn‟t
a game to him. She‟d felt it in his emotions when he‟d told her she was his chosen Lady.
That was one thing she couldn‟t change. He controlled his needs and desires. She‟d just
have to find a way around them.
Walking back through the lush forest, she kept her pace slow, in no hurry to return
to the marrohl . She‟d come to no real conclusions on her long walk. There were a few
options. She could try avoiding him, but she was almost certain it wouldn‟t work for
long. Ignoring his claim would only push him into making her acknowledge it. Finding
someone else certainly wasn‟t an option. The other men wouldn‟t express an interest in
her. They wouldn‟t even look at her in that way. Every Aridi male in this pack probably
already knew of his claim.
On the other hand, “considering” his claim just might buy her some time. It
wouldn‟t be easy to convince him that she was seriously thinking about marrying him
and it did hold some risks. She‟d be playing a dangerous game. There wouldn‟t be any
way to keep him at a distance. He‟d need some kind of proof that she was serious. It
was the one option that she thought actually had a chance of success with him. The only
problem was she had no idea how she was going to get off the planet before he actually
scheduled a marriage. He wouldn‟t be cooperating and letting her board a shuttle.
She strolled into the holding well after the noon meal. She didn‟t like how limited
her choices were, but she had to work with what she‟d been given.
One of the first things she noticed when she walked onto the streets was all the
activity. People moved down the road between the marrohls at a quick pace. From the
various scents she caught she knew that some of these people weren‟t Aridi . She
34
Lisia’s Journey
stepped to the side as a man came toward her carrying a crate. She had to admit that
she was curious about what had caused all the traffic. And why those ships had been
here.
“There you are. The Shi’an has been looking everywhere for you. Where have you
been?” A young woman with red-brown hair hanging to below her waist came toward
Lisia at a fast clip.
Lisia raised a brow at the woman‟s exasperated tone. The woman was wearing a
flowing green shirt and loose green pants. Those things definitely weren‟t made for the
forest. Lisia knew the woman hadn‟t bothered to check there, just by the pristine state of
her clothes. She‟d seen the other woman last night in the Shi’an ‟s marrohl but they
hadn‟t been introduced. The Shi’an had been more interested in establishing his position
in Lisia‟s life than letting her meet the other people around them.
“Well, where were you?” The woman put a hand on her hip and her tone
sharpened.
Lisia‟s eyes narrowed but that was the only outward sign of her annoyance.
Whoever this woman was, she had a lot to learn. The first being that Lisia did not
intend to answer to anyone here and certainly not some upstart female. Although she
didn‟t plan to be here for long, she wouldn‟t take such presumption from any woman.
Lisia continued on her way with no more than a final glance at the thin, rather short
woman.
The woman gasped. “No, she didn‟t just walk away from me.”
Lisia smiled with satisfaction. She might not make a lot of friends here, but they‟d
know that she wasn‟t some minor female to be ordered around by the end of the day.
Without doubt, she knew what was going to happen would do that and more. The
woman‟s quick anger would lead her to do something even more foolish than trying to
tell Lisia what to do.
Lisia heard the woman‟s boots hitting the ground as she chased after her. Lisia
could
lie when he knew she could easily discover it. He wouldn‟t just let her go about her
research and sleep alone in her bed at night. He‟d press his claim.
She had no doubt about the sincerity of his intentions to bond with her. This wasn‟t
a game to him. She‟d felt it in his emotions when he‟d told her she was his chosen Lady.
That was one thing she couldn‟t change. He controlled his needs and desires. She‟d just
have to find a way around them.
Walking back through the lush forest, she kept her pace slow, in no hurry to return
to the marrohl . She‟d come to no real conclusions on her long walk. There were a few
options. She could try avoiding him, but she was almost certain it wouldn‟t work for
long. Ignoring his claim would only push him into making her acknowledge it. Finding
someone else certainly wasn‟t an option. The other men wouldn‟t express an interest in
her. They wouldn‟t even look at her in that way. Every Aridi male in this pack probably
already knew of his claim.
On the other hand, “considering” his claim just might buy her some time. It
wouldn‟t be easy to convince him that she was seriously thinking about marrying him
and it did hold some risks. She‟d be playing a dangerous game. There wouldn‟t be any
way to keep him at a distance. He‟d need some kind of proof that she was serious. It
was the one option that she thought actually had a chance of success with him. The only
problem was she had no idea how she was going to get off the planet before he actually
scheduled a marriage. He wouldn‟t be cooperating and letting her board a shuttle.
She strolled into the holding well after the noon meal. She didn‟t like how limited
her choices were, but she had to work with what she‟d been given.
One of the first things she noticed when she walked onto the streets was all the
activity. People moved down the road between the marrohls at a quick pace. From the
various scents she caught she knew that some of these people weren‟t Aridi . She
34
Lisia’s Journey
stepped to the side as a man came toward her carrying a crate. She had to admit that
she was curious about what had caused all the traffic. And why those ships had been
here.
“There you are. The Shi’an has been looking everywhere for you. Where have you
been?” A young woman with red-brown hair hanging to below her waist came toward
Lisia at a fast clip.
Lisia raised a brow at the woman‟s exasperated tone. The woman was wearing a
flowing green shirt and loose green pants. Those things definitely weren‟t made for the
forest. Lisia knew the woman hadn‟t bothered to check there, just by the pristine state of
her clothes. She‟d seen the other woman last night in the Shi’an ‟s marrohl but they
hadn‟t been introduced. The Shi’an had been more interested in establishing his position
in Lisia‟s life than letting her meet the other people around them.
“Well, where were you?” The woman put a hand on her hip and her tone
sharpened.
Lisia‟s eyes narrowed but that was the only outward sign of her annoyance.
Whoever this woman was, she had a lot to learn. The first being that Lisia did not
intend to answer to anyone here and certainly not some upstart female. Although she
didn‟t plan to be here for long, she wouldn‟t take such presumption from any woman.
Lisia continued on her way with no more than a final glance at the thin, rather short
woman.
The woman gasped. “No, she didn‟t just walk away from me.”
Lisia smiled with satisfaction. She might not make a lot of friends here, but they‟d
know that she wasn‟t some minor female to be ordered around by the end of the day.
Without doubt, she knew what was going to happen would do that and more. The
woman‟s quick anger would lead her to do something even more foolish than trying to
tell Lisia what to do.
Lisia heard the woman‟s boots hitting the ground as she chased after her. Lisia
could
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