CHAPTER 2
XADE
“Prince Xade? Did you hear what I said?”
Xade blinked. He had been mulling over details of the new trade deals being worked out with the humans and his attention had strayed from the conversation at hand.
“I apologize. I find myself distracted.”
Holix, his good friend and the son of the castle steward, nodded in understanding. “You are thinking you may find your mate tonight?”
“That is all I can think of,” Lord Adeen interrupted, leaving a nearby table to join Xade and Holix’s conversation at the side of the celebration. The young lord was a friend of Xade’s as well, but lacked some social consideration. It usually didn’t bother Xade, but the topic of mates could sometimes put him in a bad humor.
The majority of his friends had already found their mates and they were not attending the celebration. Xade had no hope he would find his mate tonight, let alone among a group of humans. He knew such pairings were possible, as some of the Zatan traders were currently on Earth and living happily with their human mates. But with all the disappointment he’d suffered over the years, it seemed unlikely he would have such luck tonight.
“I’m not thinking of mates,” Xade half-lied. “My mind is occupied by the new trade deals with the humans.”
“Prince Arex is attending the meeting with the humans, yes?” Lord Adeen asked.
“Yes,” Xade said. “Though I believe my brother will arrive at the celebration shortly.”
“Then you can think of trade deals once he returns and reports on the meeting,” Lord Adeen said.
“The lord has a point,” Holix said. “Have a drink and relax. Even if you do not meet your mate tonight, I encourage you to enjoy yourself.”
“I surely plan to do just that,” Lord Adeen said. The man picked up a tall green bottle from the table among the intricate flower arrangements that decorated it, and poured three glasses of dark red liquid.
“Have you tried this human alcoholic drink before?” Holix asked, picking up a glass and taking a sip.
“No,” Xade admitted. Lord Adeen offered him one of the glasses and Xade took it. The glass felt too small in his hand, but he took a sip of the drink. The liquid tasted pleasant but was weaker than the alcoholic drinks he was used to at Zatan celebrations. “What is it?”
“Wine,” Lord Adeen said. “I know that these are the first humans to set foot on Zata and that it is an honor for us to have them at the celebration, but I have to say that I wish the hosts had thought to include more Zatan foods and drinks.”
“And cups that did not disappear into my hand,” Holix added with a raised brow. “Though I do believe the humans here already look overwhelmed enough. I do not blame them.”
Xade looked over the crowd of Zatans and small humans in red robes, his attention already straying once more. Many of the humans did look overwhelmed. Some appeared nearly frightened, staying close together to others of their kind. Others looked curious, but cautious, only speaking to the Zatans when directly addressed.
Xade couldn’t help but wonder whether they could’ve done something more to make the humans feel more at ease…
But as he stared into the crowd, the thought disappeared from his mind nearly as soon as it had appeared. A sudden flash of bright red-orange hair like he had never seen before caught his eye. Unbidden, his heart began to purr at the sight. The sensation was an unfamiliar, yet soft and comfortable in his chest.
What did this mean? Could it be…?
“I’ll be right back,” he muttered to his friends, not knowing if he meant his words truthfully. He set down his glass of the dark human beverage and walked into the crowd. An unbearable pull tugged at his chest and led him closer to the red-haired human on the other side of the clearing.
Why did he feel this way?
Xade had always been curious about humans, eagerly and dutifully reading the dossiers prepared by his staff that went into detail about human customs, biology, and history. Perhaps he was pulled to this man because he seemed to be a unique specimen. While Xade recalled that red hair was uncommon among humans, the hair color was simply unheard of on Zata.
That could be it. Xade was just interested in the human as a curiosity. But even as he thought the words, Xade could feel that a part of him knew he was simply in disbelief. His heart vibrated louder and stronger as he neared the man – there was no question.
He had found his mate.
Xade watched him from a nearby table for a few moments, taking the human in, drinking up every detail greedily with his gaze. The man was a bit taller than the other humans, with hair bright like copper that curled around his ears and at the nape of his neck. He was grinning, easily engaging two Zatan men in conversation.
A smaller human with pale hair stood quietly beside him, looking distinctly more nervous, but Xade hardly noticed the other male. Seeing the two Zatan men with his mate made Xade’s hands curl into fists. The human was his.
The surge of possessiveness nearly caught him off guard. Xade was known for his even temper and ability to control his emotions – but now he felt impulsive. He needed to speak to his mate for the first time. He needed to have him for himself.
Xade admired the human’s body as he approached, looking him up and down. The redhead was thin but looked strong for a human. The Zatan ceremonial robe looked like it was designed just for him. Xade relished in the way the red fabric clung to the man’s barely covered ass.
He felt himself start to become hard, the fabric of his robe brushing against his now sensitive cock as he walked. There was no more time to waste.
He would have his mate as soon as possible.
To think that he had nearly decided not to attend the celebration. Just hours ago, he had assumed that attending would be in vain and nothing of interest would occur. He had thought that since he hadn’t yet met his mate, he likely never would, and he had begun to come to terms with that realization. And yet… here he was, about to greet his human mate for the first time.
He approached the group of two Zatans and two humans. The redhead stopped his sentence in the middle of whatever he was saying and looked up at Xade with bright green eyes, his expression somewhat dumbstruck.
A smile spread across Xade’s face. Hello, my little mate, he wanted to say, but he didn’t want to scare off the human right away. He knew from what he had read about humans that the concept of one true, fated mate would be unfamiliar. A simple greeting would have to do, as inadequate as it seemed.
“Hello.”