Nova?
I hugged my legs tighter to my chest. I didn’t have to lift my head to see that Kol had entered the cleansing room because I felt him the second he showed up outside our quarters. The closer he came, the more it made my body tingle as it became hyper aware of his presence. It was another reminder of his essence in my blood, binding us together for the remainder of our lives.
“Shiva,” he murmured.
He kneeled before me and placed his large hands on my forearms.
I’m fine, I answered him mentally, not trusting my voice. I don’t know what happened. I just got scared when I met your brothers, and before I knew it, I was in here.
Kol sighed. “It is my fault. I should have been by your side to take away your unease.”
I didn’t look at him. “You don’t exactly make me feel good right now, Kol.”
When I lifted my head and saw that he was frowning at me, it warmed my heart… and that bugged me.
“No,” I told him firmly. “Don’t look at me like that. I have a very good reason to be angry with you, Kol.”
“You do,” he agreed, his thumbs stroking my bare skin.
“Then wipe that sad puppy dog expression off your face,” I warned.
He raised a brow. “The what?”
My shoulders slumped. “Never mind.”
“My Nova,” he continued to frown. “I am sorry.”
“That I got scared and ran from your brothers?”
“No,” he said, his lips twitching slightly. “I am sorry that I lied to you and caused you pain. If… if I could undo it, I would.”
“I hate the lying part, I really hate that, but I also hate you making decisions for me. I know you’re the lead Maji in our house and whatever, but Kol… on some things, I need to have some independence. I risked my life every day on Earth, running and hiding to avoid being owned by someone, and I’ll be damned if our mating makes me feel that way.”
“I do not and will never own you, shiva,” he assured me. “When I say you’re mine, it is an act of dominance to other males, and when we’re alone, it’s just me confirming that you’re the only female I crave. My ways aren’t what you’re used to, and I sincerely apologise for the confusion. Before, even though I felt guilt, I kept information from you because that is what male mates do. They make the big decisions, but I am learning that you want to do that together.”
My heart thrummed against my chest.
“Yes, we’re a unit. I want us to be a team in everything. I don’t want to be the only one who is clueless.”
“Nova, I am just as clueless as you are,” Kol revealed, sitting back on his heels. “I have never had a mate before, so I am only going off my instincts when it comes to you, and I pray to Thanas that I am a respectable male and caring mate.”
I stared at him, slack jawed.
“You weren’t part of the mission, Shiva, but here you are,” he continued. “You’re my female… my mate. I am learning what that means right along with you, so please, don’t ever feel like you’re the only one who is unsure. There is no written text for mates and how to be a good one. We have to figure that part out by ourselves… but I promise, though we will have verbal exchanges and may get angry with one another, it will be worth it. Our mating… it’s everything. You are everything to me.”
I gasped when that stunning glow appeared in Kol’s eyes as he gazed at me, and this time, I couldn’t help staring at them and passing comment.
“Your eyes,” I murmured.
Kol’s brows furrowed with confusion.
“My eyes?” he repeated in confusion. “What about them?”
“They’re captivating,” I responded, feeling as if I was in a trance.
A small smile tugged at the corner of Kol’s mouth. “Are you doing the sweet word talking?”
“Just sweet talking,” I corrected. “And yes, I am because your eyes take my breath away.”
I desperately wanted to remark on the glowing, but since Kol nor Surkah had ever mentioned anything about a male’s eyes glowing when he was mated, I assumed it wasn’t the norm, and I didn’t want to comment on something that might be considered a flaw to the Maji. I might have been at odds with Kol, but I didn’t want to go out of my way and make him feel bad about himself.
“I love your eyes too, shiva,” Kol replied with a smile. “They are my new favourite shade of blue.”
I snorted. “You may be confused about what sweet talking means, but you sure don’t have a problem demonstrating it.”
His smile deepened. “My female.”
I closed my eyes when he leaned in and pressed his forehead against mine.
I licked my lips. “My male.”
A rumbling sound started at the back of Kol’s throat, and it made me grin as I reopened my eyes.
“No sex, big guy. I don’t want to meet your family smelling like I just took a tumble with you.”
Kol leaned back, chuckling.
“My scent is now your scent to others. They can’t smell your natural scent, only mine. When we mated and shared sex, my essence made sure of that.”
I widened my eyes. “So to everyone, I smell like you?”
Kol nodded. “It’s just another natural defensive mechanism of my essence to tell other males that you’re claimed.”
I raised a brow. “Claimed, huh?”
His lips twitched. “Not the slavery kind of claimed. Just the Maji kind of claimed.”
I lifted my hands and placed them on his face, strumming my thumbs over his cheeks.
“You’re mine just as much as I am yours.”
“Yes, shiva. Always.”
With a confident smile, I said, “I’m ready to get off the Ebony and see my new home… and meet my new family.”
The smile that overtook Kol’s face caused my heart to skip a beat.
“They’re itching to meet you too. Killi, Arli, and Avri are saddened they scared you. They did not mean to.”
I shook my head. “They did nothing wrong. It was all me. I was so anxious about meeting them, hoping they’d like me, and I just… I just freaked out and ran away. Running when I’m scared is what I do.”
Running was all I knew.
Kol placed his hands on top of mine and stared deep into my eyes.
“Before, you were all alone in a dangerous world, but now, I’m by your side, and I will do everything possible to take your fear away.”
My lower lip trembled.
“You’re going to make me cry.”
“I’ve saddened you?” Kol frowned.
I shook my head. “No, you’ve made me feel safe, protected… loved.”
Kol eyes glowed brightly. “I do love you, shiva.”
My mouth fell open, and I was confident my heart stopped beating, but before I could even think of a response, my mate chuckled.
“Do not feel like you must say it back. Sera told me about how humans feel love at a different pace to us Maji, and that is okay. We have a lot of time together for you to love me.”
I inhaled and exhaled a deep breath.
“If you told me a week ago that I’d be mated to an alien prince and he would be declaring his love for me as we touched down on his home world, I’d have called you crazy.”
“And now?” Kol pressed.
My lips curved upward into a smile. “Now, I say it’s my reality.”
Kol smiled wide, and I noticed he had gold caps on his back teeth.
“Why do you have gold caps on your teeth? Mikoh and Thane have them, too, and your brothers.”
“Are you changing the topic?” he asked, grinning.
“Maybe.”
Kol continued to grin as he brushed a few strands of hair out of my face. “It’s just fashion.”
“Fashion?” I repeated, baffled. “Maji have fashion?”
“Yes.” Kol chuckled. “We have many customs that I’m sure will be bizarre to you, but do not worry. I will teach them to you.”
My heart fluttered, and my stomach burst into butterflies.
“Come on,” I said, taking his hand in mine. “I’ve waited days to see my new home.”
That brought a smile to Kol’s face, but his smile grew wider when his eyes trailed down my body.
“By the stars,” he hissed, sucking is a strangled breath. “You look like moonlight, shiva. Perfect.”
I smiled. “Thank you.”
Kol licked his lips. Twice. “Maybe we should—”
“Disembark the Ebony,” I cut him off. “I agree.”
I began to walk and pull Kol along behind me.
“Wait, let me look at you,” he rasped.
“No,” I protested, “because you’ll want to touch me if you stare at me too long in this get-up.”
“I don’t know what a get-up is, but I want to stare at you in it.”
I laughed as Kol’s eyes dropped to my body once more, but this time, that sexy rumbling growl started at the back of his throat. I halted, and I looked down at my ensemble and looked back up at Kol.
“Do you think I’ll fit in?”
“No,” he rasped. “And I don’t want you to because you were made to stand out.”
A blush rose to my cheeks.
“My Nova, I have never seen such beauty.”
I ducked my head in embarrassment.
“You see Surkah all the time,” I commented.
“My sister’s beauty is very different to me, I assure you.”
I raised my head, my cheeks still aflame, and said, “Let’s just go before I turn any redder.”
Kol’s twitched lips, but he didn’t argue. Instead, he held out his arm and waited for me to take it.
“I cannot wait to unwrap you from that fabric later,” he rumbled.
He projected very explicit images of what he wanted to do to my body once the fabric was gone, and it made me shiver with anticipation.
My pulse spiked. “Easy, boy.”
This earned me a grin. Kol’s teasing set me at ease as we left our quarters and journeyed back to the exit of the Ebony where I had fled from not long ago. I removed my hand from Kol’s arm, instinctively reaching for his hand. When I made contact with it, I threaded my fingers through his and gripped his hand firmly.
“Calm, shiva,” he murmured. “I can hear your heart beat increasing. You have nothing to fear.”
I knew that—I did—but man, I was nervous.
“They probably think I’m an idiot for getting spooked and running away.”
“They think no such thing,” Kol assured me. “They’re concerned for you. They wanted to make a good first impression, but they know they scared you and they feel regret at that.”
That made me feel worse.
“It wasn’t them. It was just the anticipation of meeting them. I got worked up, and when it came down to it, I ran. It’s my instinct to run when I’m unsure of something.”
“I’ve made them aware of that,” Kol continued. “But this time, I will be by your side, and with me there, running is the last thing you will want to do. I swear on my honour, shiva.”
I smiled up at him and squeezed his hand.
We didn’t slow down as we approached the large exit from the Ebony, and when I turned the corner, I saw Kol’s three brothers, his sister, and his cousin all standing in the same place I had left them when I ran away. For a moment, they reminded me of statues, and that mildly amused me.
“Brothers,” Kol said, his voice suddenly deeper as a vicious growl wrapped around his words at the same time his arms came around me. “This is Nova, my mate.”
A throat was cleared. Twice.
“Thanas,” one of his brothers grunted. “He is declaring her to us as if we’re just any males!”
“Calm,” another brother murmured, the silver-haired one. “It’s just instinct; he is newly mated.”
All three brothers sort of lowered their heads and never once looked my way or attempted to make eye contact with me. They remained that way, and as the seconds passed, Kol’s growling lessened until it faded completely. I stood there awkwardly in his embrace and resisted the urge to rock back and forth on my heels.
Am I allowed to say hello to them?
No, Kol instantly replied, his hold on me tightening. Mine.
I tilted my head and looked up at him, my brows raised.
“I know I’m yours, bossy. No need to be grouchy about it. I just asked you a question.”
I heard a snicker, but it stopped almost as instantly as it started.
“I cannot help it,” Kol replied, his voice still shockingly deep as a growl climbed up his throat.
“I’m your mate, big guy. I know it, and so does everyone else.”
Kol hummed in approval and dipped his head to kiss me. I smiled when his lips pressed against mine, and before he could deepen the kiss, I pulled away.
“I’m human, remember? I don’t have the same views on PDA as Maji.”
Kol furrowed his brows. “PDA?”
“Public displays of affection,” I explained. “I like our kissing and touching to happen in private.”
Kol’s eyes burned with passion, but he nodded once before he lifted his head and refocused on his brothers.
“I missed you,” he said.
I practically melted into a puddle at his sudden declaration.
“And us you,” the brother farthest right said with a smile. “I am shocked you have mated, brother, but I am overjoyed for you.”
“I thank you.” Kol smiled.
“The male who just spoke is Arli,” he then said to me. “In the middle is Arvi, and next to him is Killi. These are three of my many older brothers, the ones from the same pregnancy.”
“Triplets,” I murmured. “They’re triplets.”
“Tripe-lets?” Arvi blinked. “What does that mean?”
“Triplet,” Kol corrected. “It is a word they use for three infants born in the same pregnancy. They use the term ‘twins’ for two infant pregnancies.”
“Huh,” Arli said with a tilt of his head. “We should adapt these terms. It is much shorter than saying three offspring from the same pregnancy.”
“Why have we not thought of a word like that before?” Arvi asked Arli. “I like the human words; they are clever.”
That made me giggle, and I knew Kol was smiling without having to look up at him.
You can speak directly with them, he said to me. I am calm.
I swallowed down my nerves and exhaled a deep breath.
“Hello.” I smiled. “I am Nova, and I am very happy to meet you.”
I froze when the three princes placed their hands over their chests and bowed their heads to me.
They are giving you the most formal and most rare greeting a royal can give to another. This does not happen very often, Shiva. Apart from Surkah, no royal has ever bowed to me.
I gulped.
“Sister-in-mate,” Killi said as he rose back to his full height. “Welcome to Ealra, and to our family.”
“Yes, Princess,” Arvi chimed it. “You’re a most welcome addition to our homestead.”
Alri cleared his throat, and after a long moment of silence, he said, “Hello.”
Killi and Avri snapped their attention to him and growled. Alri didn’t seem bothered by the scary noises. He simply shrugged his shoulders.
“You both took the good greetings so hello was all I could think of.”
Nero snorted, and that made Kol chuckle. I smiled, too.
“It is a fine greeting, Prince Arli,” I said.
He beamed at me after giving his brothers a told-you-so grin.
“Just Arli, Princess. Royals never use our titles with one another, only when addressing our sister… when she is behaving.”
Surkah scoffed, and to Kol, she said, “Killi made me cry.”
A growl tore free of Kol’s throat, as he focused on his older brother who rolled his eyes. “I was addressing her stowing away aboard the Ebony. It was her guilt that forced her tears, not my words.”
Kol relaxed and looked at his sister with a brow raised in question.
She shrugged. “I wasn’t crying until he made me feel bad.”
Kol grunted. “What you did was wrong, so if you feel bad because of your actions, then it is rightly deserved.”
Surkah tucked her chin against her neck, and she looked down at the ground.
“Kol!” I scowled. “She has been punished for stowing away and has apologised. Do not upset her by making her feel guilty.”
“She has to be—”
“Kol,” I cut him off, glaring up at him. “Leave her alone.”
Kol held eye contact with me before he sighed and let the argument go with a brief shake of his head.
“Thank you,” I said before looking at Surkah and winking.
She smiled, though she tried to hide it.
“I cannot believe my eyes,” Arli murmured. “He was just bested by a female.”
“I was not!” Kol all but snarled; the vibrations started in his chest then continued to rattle outwards.
“You were,” Arvi agreed, wide-eyed. “I saw and heard it. You backed down from a female because she ordered you to do so. Wait till I tell Ezah!”
Kol snarled again.
“When he attacks you, do not blame anyone but yourselves,” Killi commented, looking bored with the situation unravelling before him. “You know males pick their battles with their females. Father has submitted to Mother for less. He says that sometimes, it’s just not worth a female’s wrath… They can say no to sex just to punish their mate.”
Arli had considered this before he laughed. “I would never submit, no matter what, because we can seduce females easily enough. Kol was bested by a female, and that is that.”
Killi facepalmed himself while I barely registered the moment Kol let go of me and lunged for Arli. I wasn’t certain, but it looked like Arli grinned a second before Kol punched him in the face, and that led me to believe something was seriously wrong with him.
He enjoyed the fighting. The sick freak.
Arli, though he had moments ago been laughing, was now in offensive mode and was growling and snarling. Both he and Kol punched, kicked, and headbutted the crap out of one another.
“Kol!” I screamed. “Stop!”
I moved without thinking and gasped when I was suddenly grabbed from behind and hoisted up into the air.
“No, Princess,” Nero’s voice said firmly. “You will get hurt.”
Please, I reached out to Kol. Please, stop. I’m begging you.
“Enough!” Kol snarled. “This is upsetting my mate!”
He punched Arli one more time before he stood, turned to me, and then snarled at Nero, revealing his sharp gold-capped fangs. Nero quickly released me and stood back away from me like I was on fire. A glance over my shoulder told me he had his hands in the air in front of his chest in surrender.
“She was going to intervene in the brawl,” he explained cautiously. “I didn’t want her to get hurt.”
Kol quit snarling and jerked his head in a nod. He closed the space between us and had the audacity to looked surprised when I slapped his hands away when he reached for me.
“Don’t touch me!” I snapped, sniffling. “You know the fighting scares me.”
Kol frowned. “Sometimes, it cannot be helped, shiva. I’d never fight my brothers in anything other than jest or annoyance. Alri annoyed me, and my instinct was to hit him… We do this a lot when he gets bored.”
“It’s true, Princess,” Arli added. “I goad him into fights to entertain myself. I apologise for causing you fear. I did not realise humans were scared of brawls.”
“More like terrified,” I corrected.
“I’m sorry,” Arli repeated.
I nodded to him in acknowledgment of his apology then focused on Kol.
“Are you okay?” I murmured as I noted his right eye was swelling a little.
Kol winked. “In an hour, any marks will be healed.”
I frowned. “I don’t know if I can get used to the fighting thing. The thought of you being hurt makes me sick.”
Kol embraced me, pulling my body flush against his. “I will… work on it. Okay?”
“Okay.” I nodded and put my arms around him, hugging him tightly.
“My shiva,” he murmured.
I smiled against his chest. “Can we go and see my new home now? I’m ready to be off the Ebony.”
“Can I lead her, Kol?” Surkah asked excitedly. “Oh, please? Can I, brother?”
Kol chuckled at Surkah but nodded his head to her request. Surkah squealed, bounced over to my side, grabbed my hand, and tugged me down the huge ramp of the Ebony alongside her.
“I am so excited to see your face when you see Ealra for the first time. I have been thinking about it since I awoke.”
I went with Surkah happily, though she did cast me a worried looked when I inhaled deeply as a gust of fresh air rolled up the ramp and slammed into me.
“I can almost taste how clean the air is,” I said, taking deep breaths. “No pollution.”
“There is none. The Ebony, other spacecrafts, and ground vehicles are fuelled by natural resources. Pollution has never been a problem on Ealra.”
It was nothing but a problem on Earth.
When we neared the end of the ramp, I had to lift my hand to shield my eyes from the glare of the sun. Instead of the painful burning I felt back on Earth during the daytime, I felt the delicious heat on my skin. I squinted my eyes almost shut as we disembarked the craft, and when my eyes adjusted to the lighting, I lowered my hand and sucked in a startled breath.
“Almighty!”
“It’s beautiful, isn’t it?”
Beautiful didn’t begin to cover it.
Colour and life were everywhere. I had no idea what kind of landscape to expect from Ealra, but the backdrop was of green and bright red enriched forests, lakes of vibrant purple water, and vibrant green and brown mountains so high in the distance they disappeared in blue clouds and into the white sky. My mouth hung open, and my eyes widened to the point of stinging pain.
“This is too good to be true,” I whispered to no one.
Far away, on the left side, I could see tall buildings that I assumed to be Royal City. They weren’t like the destroyed ones on Earth. They were, well, perfectly erect and untouched by war… Everywhere I looked was untouched by war. To the far left of the city was a gigantic building that looked almost gold from where I was standing.
I wondered what it was, and I was about to ask Kol until I glanced down and froze when I spotted something a couple of metres away. I stared at the green blanket that coated the ground, and I felt my heart begin to pound.
I heard Kol saying my name, but it sounded like he was far away, and I didn’t have any intention of answering him or giving him any attention because my focus was solely on view before me. I took a few tentative steps forward, and when my bare feet stepped onto the light green grass, I laughed as the soft blades tickled my toes. I dropped to my knees, and I spread my fingers apart and pressed them to the surface, running my hands along the bed of grass with a huge smile on my face.
“Brother,” Arli murmured. “Your female is smiling at the grass.”
Shiva, are you okay?
Tears filled my eyes as I nodded my head. “Everywhere was dead back home. If you had no money, you were living in poverty. I saw grass once in my life behind a huge security fence of a wealthy man, but I never got to smell it, to see it up close… to touch it. I’ve never touched grass before. I’ve never felt it on my skin. It’s wonderful.”
I heard many voices, female voices, human female voices, but my normal reaction of being cautious was placed on the back burner. Instead, I sat back on my heels as a few males led a large group of human women towards a section of road that had large ground vehicles of some kind. Nearly all the women hustled after the males, too scared to stop and stare, but two women broke away from the group and made a beeline straight for the grass that had captured my attention. I felt Kol tense, even though he wasn’t that close to me, but I relaxed even more and pushed that relaxation towards him to show him that the two women, Echo and Envi, didn’t worry me.
“It’s grass!” Envi squealed as she dropped to her knees a few metres from me. “Real freakin’ grass!”
“It feels so soft!” Echo stated.
The sisters laughed, and before I knew it, I was smiling again, too. When I caught their attention, though, they tensed, and the smiles fled from their faces. Echo moved closer to her sister and put herself slightly in front of her. The stance was defensive, and I didn’t blame her for it, since the last time we encountered one another, it ended badly.
“Isn’t it beautiful?” I said, running my hand over the soft blades of grass.
Echo nodded, and Envi licked her lips.
“I was just telling the Maji behind me that I had never touched grass before. They thought it was weird it has excited me so much.”
Envi giggled, and even Echo cracked a smile.
“I guess we do look pretty weird, gushing over something that they have everywhere.”
I continued to smile.
“You look… different,” Envi commented before a blush rose to her cheeks. “Not a bad different or anything, a pretty kind of different. I like your outfit is what I mean, and your hair is really cool and pretty and, um, okay, I’ll shut up now.”
I smiled at Envi’s word vomit, and how easily embarrassed she was… It was sweet.
Echo flicked her eyes from me to the Maji behind me a couple of times before she cleared her throat and said, “I’m sorry about our fight, and I’m not just saying that because you married the shipmaster—congrats, by the way. My sister brought to my attention that while we were scared of you, we posed a greater threat because there are two of us and one of you, and you had the right to put distance between us.”
“Thank you for your congratulations, and I appreciate that, Echo, but to be honest, everything that happened was my fault.”
The twins frowned.
“What do you mean?” Envi asked, her forehead creased with confusion.
“I’m stubborn,” I said with a teasing grin. “Very stubborn. I was fighting my rescue and the Maji for the simple reason I did not trust them. Trust is an issue for me, and when I met you both, I didn’t trust you. I expected the worse from you because I’ve always experienced the worst back home with other people. I pushed you guys, knowing what it would lead to, so for that, I am sorry.”
The twins shared a look then looked back to me, and in unison, they said, “Apology accepted.”
“Thank you,” I said, feeling a sense of relief. “I know the three of us have our own issues, but we have a new start in a new world, so I hope that means we can start over, too?”
Envi beamed. “We’d love that, Nova.”
“Yeah.” Echo nodded. “We would.”
Well done, my little human.
I smiled widely at the praise from Kol.
“Crap.” Envi suddenly gasped as she jumped to her feet. “Our group… They’re gone!”
“Oh, hell.” Echo winced as she got to her feet and looked around frantically.
I stood too and turned to my mate and his family.
“Can you make sure they get to their housing without trouble?” I asked Kol.
He nodded, but before he could speak, Alri and Arvi practically jumped forward and offered to take the twins to their homestead. Kol shared a look with Killi, who shrugged his shoulders while behind them, Surkah grinned, and Nero rolled his eyes, muttering, “Here we go again.”
“It would be our honour to escort you lovely females to your homestead,” Alri said, his eyes trained on Envi, who was trying and failing to hide behind Echo.
I looked at Echo and found she was staring at me. I walked towards her when she nodded for me to do so.
“Um,” she whispered. “Do you know those guys?”
I grinned. “They’re Kol’s older brothers. The three of them are triplets, not identical as you can see. Alri and Avri are the males who have offered to escort you to your new homestead. They are royal princes, and members of the Guard, a company of the fiercest Maji warriors on all of Ealra. You won’t be in safer hands.”
“I adore your female, brother,” Avri whispered, earning a growl from Kol, and a chuckle from Surkah and Nero.
Echo turned to her sister. “What do you think?” she asked in a low tone.
“Nova trusts them, and she is married to their brother,” Envi whispered back. “They’re part of that Guard thing we’ve heard about as well, and from what I can tell, only the bravest and most honourable guys are a part of that, so I say yes. After all… it’s only them escorting us.”
Echo nodded then turned back to the brothers who hadn’t moved an inch or taken their eyes off the sisters.
“You’ll… you’ll just escort us, right? You won’t expect… payment or anything?”
When the brothers blinked when confusion, Kol murmured something to them that hardened their features.
“No, female, you will not have to do a single thing to receive our escort,” Alri said with a firmness in his tone. “We just wish to see you safely to your homestead. If you wish for different males to escort you, that can be arranged with no problem.”
Envi, who was still behind Echo, smiled softly, and it caused Alri to gulp, and that made me smile wide.
Alri likes Envi.
And Avri likes Echo, but could the sisters return that interest?
I glanced at the twins before looking back at my mate.
I think so; I don’t think it’ll be a whirlwind mating like ours was, though. We’re on Ealra now, and even though all my women have to take husbands, your males will have to prove themselves to the women and build a relationship before any claiming takes place. We’re the exception to that rule.
Kol was silent for a moment then he said, I have relayed your instructions to my brothers.
How do you know they’re interested in mating the twins?
They feel a pull towards them, a pull they’ve never felt towards a female. It feels like more than a simple attraction to them.
I hummed. That will be interesting.
Indeed.
I looked at Echo when she turned to me. “How can we contact you? You’ve the only woman who we’re somewhat close to.”
I looked at Kol. “How do you guys contact each other?”
“Our comms,” he replied.
I frowned. “Humans don’t have them, though, so how are we supposed to contact one another?”
Surkah stepped forward. “Humans will receive comms of their own once they are finished being designed. It won’t take very long, over technicians are working on it.”
I nodded and turned back to the sisters. “Until we all receive comms of our own, I can come by your homestead—”
“Shiva, you’re a princess.” Kol cut me off. “Remember, there are rules for princesses.”
Oh yeah, how could I forget?
I frowned. “Can they come see me in the palace then?”
“Of course.”
“Perfect,” I chirped. “Someone will escort you to the palace tomorrow once you’ve had the day to settle in and a good night’s rest.”
“You will see them this evening,” Surkah commented. “It is morning time, not yet midday, and we have a welcoming feast for all humans before dusk. All human females are being brought to their homesteads, so they become familiar with their new homesteads and get some rest before being brought back to the city for the great feast in seven or so hours.”
I looked at the twins. “Are you okay with all that?”
They nodded, and this prompted Alri and Avri to step forward.
“If you join us, we will bring you to your homestead. A ground vehicle is being brought for our use.”
Though they were nervous, Envi took Arli’s offered arm with a timid smile while Echo was content to simply walk by Avri’s side. We all watched them leave in silence, but I jumped when Surkah squealed.
“They will mate those females. I would bet all my rubies on it.”
Rubies?
Nero shook his head, and to Kol, he said, “You have started a mating effect, cousin.”
Kol grinned. “Shall we find you a nice female to—”
“No,” Nero cut Kol off hastily. “No, thank you. I am enjoying being a single male.”
Kol snickered, and absentmindedly put an arm around me when I came to his side. Though I was enjoying the playful family bickering, my attention drifted back to the grass. It was so shiny, so green, and so freaking pretty.
“If you like the grass so much, you will enjoy flowers even more,” Surkah said. “They come in all shapes, sizes, and colours.”
I hummed. “I can’t wait to see them all.”
“Would you like a garden?” Kol asked me, his thumb brushing over my shoulder. “That way you can plant and grow whatever you wish.”
My breath caught. “I can have my own garden?”
“You can have whatever you want, my princess,” Kol said, stroking his hand over my shoulder.
“Yes, please.” I beamed.
“It is settled.” Kol nodded. “We can pick a spot once you’re settled into our wing of the palace.”
That surprised me.
“We have a whole wing?” I asked.
Kol snorted. “We all have our own wing. It is made for our future families.”
“Wow,” I murmured. “How big is the palace?”
“Three times bigger than the Ebony.”
I gasped. “Holy shit.”
Everyone laughed, and before we could speak further, another group of women got our attention. Only this time, it was a Maji female who got my attention as she stalked towards another Ebony ramp to the right where some humans were still exiting. I watched with wide eyes as the tall female with jet black waist-length hair picked up what appeared to be a blue rock, and she lobbed it at a male Maji who was laughing with a redheaded human and helping her down the steps at the end of the ramp. The blue rock hit the male in the back of the head, and he spun around almost instantly. I gasped when I saw the male’s face. It was Dash, Vorah’s friend, and he looked pissed until he saw the Maji who threw the rock at him.
“My Isa—”
“Don’t you dare call me ‘your’ Isa,” the female bellowed, her growl loud and menacing. “I saw you with… with… it.”
Dash continued to carefully approach her with his hands raised in surrender, and I could have sworn he wasn’t even blinking as he kept his eyes trained on her.
“I was only talking with the human female, that is all—”
“Liar!” Isa shouted.
I felt sorry for her when I saw she was now crying. Many of the female Maji came to her side, and nearly all of them hissed at Dash who looked distraught himself. He came to a stop when it was obvious the other females weren’t going to let him get close to her. If I had to put credits on it, I’d say he knew they’d attack him if he moved any closer.
“What is going on?”
I didn’t have to look to know it was Mikoh who spoke. He rounded Nero and stepped in front of Surkah in a defensive stance.
“Brother,” Isa cried and reached for him, her arms fully extended.
Mikoh was lightning quick as he rushed to Isa’s side.
“What has happened?” Mikoh asked Isa, placing his hands on her shoulders and scanning her from head to toe for signs of injury.
“It’s Dash,” Isa cried, latching onto Mikoh’s arms. “He was with a human female. Laughing and smiling, he had his hand in hers. I saw it.”
I heard a terrifying growl come from Mikoh, and it sent the nearby female Maji scattering.
“I was helping her off the craft, Commander,” Dash explained with his hands still raised in front of his chest. “The Shipmaster ordered us to be kind to the humans. I was just following orders. I would never dishonour your sister. I swear on my honour.”
I looked at Mikoh’s sister who was behind her brother with her face pressed between his shoulder blades as if she was hiding from Dash’s view and finding comfort from her brother at the same time.
“Did you tell her so?” Mikoh asked Dash as he used one arm to reach behind him and pat Isa’s back.
Dash lowered his hands when he realised Mikoh was no longer a threat.
“She didn’t give me the chance.” He sighed, his shoulders slumping. “She threw a rock piece at my head.”
My lips twitched when Mikoh laughed.
“Act first, ask questions later. I fear I taught her that.”
“I am not surprised.” Dash grinned.
Mikoh turned and placed his hands on his sister’s shoulders once more. Isa wasn’t as tall as Surkah was, so the top of her head only came to Mikoh’s shoulders.
“I believe him,” he said, softly.
Isa sniffled. “Of course, you do. He is in your unit.”
Mikoh clicked his tongue. “You’re my darling sister, Isa, and there is next to nothing I would not do for you, but harming your intended for following orders from our prince will not happen.”
Dash is Isa’s intended?
“I have never touched another male out of respect for Dash,” Isa shouted at Mikoh and shoved his chest with both of her hands. “And I never would, not even if it was a direct order from the Revered Father!”
Gasps were heard, though I had no idea what was so shocking about her exclamation.
“I know that, my Isa,” Dash said as he moved closer with tentative steps. “I was only being friendly to the human female.”
“He was,” the redhead said from behind Dash with a shaky breath. “He was just helping me down the steps, ma’am.”
Isa peeked around her brother and growled viciously at the woman, and it caused the woman to gasp with fright and stumble backwards until she was within the safety of her group.
“Isa,” Mikoh and Dash said in unison while I said, “Hey!”
All eyes landed on me, and I could have sworn Mikoh rolled his.
“Don’t scare her, you big bully!” I said to Isa, marching over to her and ignoring Kol’s groan from behind me. “Your intended said he was helping her, and the woman backed him up on it. Don’t get pissy with her because you’re insecure about your relationship with Dash.”
“Nova,” Dash groaned. “You’re not helping.”
“I don’t care,” I stated. “Your female had better learn that us human women are on a new planet with another species and that we are very scared. Having her and any other scare us further is not cool! We’re making the best out of a very shitty situation, so give us a damn break!”
I wondered why the human women looked past me and every Maji in sight bowed … until I heard a familiar growl.
“I thought I told you to be nice, shiva.”
Without turning around, I pointed at Isa. “She started it by throwing a rock at Dash and growling at my fellow human. You heard it just as well as I did.”
Isa gasped and looked at Mikoh, who shook his head as if to say “It’s not worth going there.”
I turned to face Kol, who was staring down at me. I smiled up at him, but his face remained stone like. I raised a brow and smiled wider until my cheeks started to hurt, and when his lips twitched, I relaxed my face.
“You smiled so you can’t be mad at me,” I stated.
His eyes gleamed with amusement. “Is that so?”
I nodded. “Is it.”
“I shall remember that.”
I snorted and turned when I heard murmurs. Some of the human women were muttering amongst themselves while nearly all the Maji females were whispering and staring at me like I was on display. I turned back to Kol.
“Do I have something on my face?” I asked him.
His eyes scanned my face.
“No,” he replied.
“They why are your people looking at me and whispering?”
He snorted. “The people are looking at you because you’re talking to me.”
“I don’t understand.”
“Nova.” He chuckled. “I am a prince, and to speak to me, you need permission from me.”
I stared at him blankly, and he laughed, loudly.
“I know you’d talk to me with or without permission, but my people will not. It is a sign of respect, just like the bowing.”
I scratched my neck. “I bet you think I’m pretty disrespectful, huh?”
“No,” he said. “I think you’re human and do not know the Maji way, but you and the other humans will learn in time.”
“Yeah, I’ll bet you’ll love whipping us into shape.”
Kol raised his brows.
I waved my hand. “Never mind.”
“Your words hurt my head sometimes,” he said and rubbed his right temple.
I snorted. “That’s nothing I haven’t heard before.”
“I’m sure.”
I stuck my tongue out at Kol and laughed when he made a play to grab me. I jumped away from him, but he caught me around the waist and pulled me back against him, moulding the front of his body to my back. I was about to pinch him to let me go when I felt the burn of eyes on us.
“They’re still watching us,” I murmured, knowing Kol could hear.
He cleared his throat and shouted, “Back to work.”
Everyone got moving almost instantly, and I smiled and patted the back of his hand that was rested on my stomach.
“Nice job.”
He grinned. “Thank you.”
I looked at the group of women to my right. “What do they do now?”
“When they reach their homestead, they will bathe and possibly sleep before the feast this evening. Tomorrow, they can choose their form of work and then explore the city with their assigned guide.”
I licked my lips. “This sounds like camp.”
“What is camp?”
“Just a place my father’s father used to attend when he was smaller. It sounds just like you described it.”
“We want to make this transition as easy as possible, Nova.”
I nodded. “I know, and I’m not going to fight anymore.”
Kol looked down at me with suspicion, and it made me laugh. He leaned down, and kiss my cheek before he straightened. We then returned our attention to Isa and Dash, who were still at odds with one another. Mikoh backed up and took his place by Surkah’s side, next to me. I hid a grin when Surkah stepped closer to Mikoh; he glanced down at her and stared at her face as her eyes were trained on his sister and her intended. Even though he annoyed me to murder sometimes, I loved the way he looked at her. His emotion for her was pure and played out on his face.
It was cute, and I wanted to tell him so, but commotion brought my attention back to his sister. I looked forward and widened my eyes when Isa slapped Dash’s hands away and bared her teeth at him when he reached for her.
“She’s definitely your sister,” I told Mikoh. “Your tempers match.”
Mikoh’s lips twitched. “Isa can be a lot meaner; I have the scars to prove it.”
“Why do you say that like it’s a good thing?”
“She is female,” he said as if that was the answer to life.
“So?” I pressed.
“So,” he continued, “she is spoiled. Not only mates spoil females, but brothers, fathers, uncles, and cousins do, too. Maji care deeply about our relations, and as females are so few, they’re greatly favoured. I’d do just about anything for my sister. She is a piece of my heart.”
Aww.
“That’s adorable.”
Mikoh grunted but suddenly groaned when a group of males and a lone female approached.
“Father!” Isa suddenly screeched when she noticed the group. “Send Dash away.”
Isa’s father, the male who led the group that approached Isa and Dash, laughed like she just said the funniest thing in the world. I wouldn’t believe he was her father or Mikoh’s either, but he looked just like Mikoh, just ten or so years older!
“He’s not going to help her, is he?” I asked Mikoh.
He snorted. “No. We don’t come between an intended couple unless there is concern a male cannot care for his female.”
“Mother,” Isa then shouted, her tone desperate. “He touched another female!”
Isa’s mother roared in outrage.
“I’ll have your head!” She swore and charged for Dash who, to be honest, looked like he was about to shit himself.
Mikoh had to scramble so he could run forward and grab his mother midair after she leaped for Dash when his brothers and father failed to restrain her in time. I watched the scene with wide eyes and made a note that a snack would only make it better. I was witnessing family drama … amongst aliens.
“This is fucking awesome.”
Kol, Surkah, Killi and Nero snickered, but none of them disagreed with me.
“No!” Isa cried when Dash approached her. “Stay away!
Dash took another step forward, and he growled. Isa whined in response, and I wondered if she was actually scared of Dash, or if she was just angry that she was losing this argument so epically. From the uncaring reaction of her family, I figured it was the latter.
“Mikoh, I need you,” Isa whimpered, but Mikoh turned his back on his sister as he returned back to Surkah’s side, and it caused her to wail. “Brother!”
She called for her other brothers who gave her the same reaction. I looked at Mikoh’s face, and the poor male was cut in two. He was respecting the right of Dash as Isa’s intended, but his obvious need to help his sister was proving difficult for him to fight. The longer she cried, the tenser he became. I jumped when Isa suddenly screamed, and when I looked back, it was because Dash now had hold of her.
“Do not be afraid,” Mikoh said, his eyes on me, and his back still to Isa. “She is not in pain or truly scared. She feels like Dash has disrespected her, and that is why she cries. She is trying to gain my brother’s and my favour by calling our names because she knows how deeply we care for her. She knows she can convince us to hurt him; she wants him to feel pain for hurting her.”
“She sounds mighty scared to me,” I said to Mikoh as Isa’s cries got louder.
“This is how our females express themselves,” Mikoh explained. “Do humans not behave this way?”
Like hyped-up drama queens?
“Not that I have seen,” I admitted.
“That’s odd,” Mikoh said, making me chuckle.
I looked back at Isa when I realised her cries had suddenly turned to snarls and growls, and I gasped when she suddenly struck out and hit Dash across the face. The impact of it sent a sickening noise through the air. I flung my hand over my mouth when I saw blood on his face.
“She’s injured him,” I said, stepping back into Kol’s embrace, my back pressing against his stomach.
Mikoh smirked and turned to watch the couple.
“Told you she wasn’t scared,” he said.
“Well”—I swallowed—“she’s a damn good actress because she looked and sounded terrified.”
“We can read females very well. We knew she was not truly worried, just angry and upset. Her scent reeked of anger, not fear, so her sounds did not have the desired effect.”
Isa lashed out at Dash once more, and he did nothing to stop it.
“Do you all allow females to abuse you?” I questioned.
Mikoh laughed. “Abuse? Nova, this is the Maji way. Females will strike any male or female who upsets them.”
“That’s physical assault, Mikoh.”
“Not with Maji,” he said, shaking his head. “Look at Dash. Does he look scared of Isa?”
“No, he looks like he wants to calm her,” I said, noting how the male looked at the female.
There was nothing but worry in his eyes.
“Which is why he allows her to strike him,” Mikoh explained. “Males will allow a female to express her anger when it’s deserved through striking, but when he has had enough, he will end it. Dash knows Isa is upset with him for touching the human female, so he allows her strikes to relieve herself of anger. It does not hurt him; our males are very tough. The scratch she inflicted is already healing.”
Isa wasn’t striking out anymore, so Dash let her go and took a step back. Both of their breathing was laboured.
“My female,” Dash rasped. “My reason for life is you.”
Isa looked up at him, and without warning, she jumped on him. She wrapped her arms around his neck, her legs around his hips, and she placed her throat in front of his mouth.
“Uh, what’s she doing?” I asked.
Mikoh yawned. “Apologising.”
I blinked. “How?”
“By exposing her throat to Dash,” he said like it was obvious. “It is symbolism. She greatly regrets her actions, and the scene she has caused, knowing it could reflect badly on Dash’s reputation since I, his commander, and Kol and Killi, his princes, are present. She offers him her throat, giving him the option to kill her. It shows how much she trusts him, and how badly she feels for what she has done.”
I stared in horror. “She could have just said sorry.”
“She is,” Mikoh explained. “This is how our females do that.”
“Seems a bit drastic to me,” I said with a shake of my head.
“Everything seems drastic to you,” Mikoh joked.
That was true.
We all watched as Dash kissed Isa’s exposed neck, and it made me smile.
“He forgives her,” I said.
“You’re learning,” Mikoh teased.
I waited for Isa to let go of Dash, but she would not remove her body from his, and it made him and the males close by laugh.
“What’s funny?” I asked Mikoh.
“My sister will not let go because she fears he seeks the company of a willing female.”
“Why the hell would she think that?” I asked, my shock not going amiss. “He just let her hit him and cause a big scene, and he forgave her for it.”
“She made him angry with her behaviour, and when a male is angry, he either relieves his tension with his fists or between a female’s thighs.”
I felt heat stain my cheeks.
“Will he seek a female?” I asked, willing my face to return to its normal colour.
Mikoh shook his head, seemingly unaware that I was so embarrassed at the turn in the conversation.
“Not while he has an intended. Isa is just young and cannot help her fear.”
“I’d help her and your mama kick his ass if he did seek another woman, though. Respectable human women don’t play that cheating game; we hunt for blood if a man does us wrong.”
Mikoh blinked down at me. “That’s nice to know.”
I grinned and looked back at the couple.
“Is she gonna cling to him much longer?”
“Just until she feels the tension leave Dash. He may be smiling and stroking her back affectionately, but Isa can sense, scent, and feel the tension in his body from their fight. She will remain as close to him as she can until he is calm and her fear of him seeking a female is gone.”
“It’s sad that she feels the need to do that, though. Does she not trust him?”
“She does, but this reaction is her instinct, and we cannot help instinct. In her mind, she is aware that Dash is a respectable male, but her instinct is telling her to keep her intended close until his rage passes so he cannot impregnate another female. They have not mated and sealed their bond yet, so the possibility that Dash could stray lingers in Isa’s subconscious. This is nature.”
“This is so weird is what it is!”
Mikoh laughed loudly, and it drew the attention of his family, who beamed and headed his and Surkah’s way. I moved back with Kol and Nero to give them some privacy while they greeted one another.
“Are you ready to meet my parents?” Kol murmured in my ear.
I looked from Mikoh’s family up at Kol and simply nodded. I was ready … I thought I was, at least. As long as nothing as dramatic as just what happened with Mikoh’s family happened when I met the king and queen, I’d be happier.
Shit, I thought. I’d better start praying.