Out of the Ashes

by L. A. Casey

  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.

  “Don’t ask me why, but I thought Ealra would be very different.”

  “What kind of different?” Surkah quizzed.

  “Like caveman kind of different.”

  My sister-in-mate frowned. “What does that mean?”

  I swallowed and gripped the arms that were around my waist a little tighter. I was sitting on Kol’s lap as he, myself, Mikoh, Nero, Killi, and Surkah travelled to the palace. I had never been in a car, truck, or any kind of vehicle back on Earth, but I had seen more than a few battered military vehicles and old, burned out cars in my time, and none of them resembled the vehicle I was currently in. It had the build of a truck but was shaped like an advanced car … just a fucking huge one. Seat belts were also not a thing on Ealra. Instead, when you sat in a seat, it closed in around you and fit perfectly to your shape, locking you in place.

  Yeah, the car seats fucking moved.

  I refused to sit in one even though everyone explained to me that the seats weren’t alive, but the design was for passenger and driver safety during a possible collision. They ‘released’ you when the vehicle engine switched off or when you pressed and held a button on the side of the seat. I explained what a seat belt was, but no one paid me any attention because their system worked perfectly fine for them. They didn’t see a need to change it … so I decided to sit on Kol’s lap as we drove to the palace.

  Nero drove the car, and he nearly gave me a heart attack at least four times, which is a reflection on his driving skills.

  “Nova,” Surkah said, recapturing my attention.

  “Huh?”

  “What does caveman mean?”

  “Caveman?” I repeated, confused.

  “You said you thought Ealra would be ‘caveman type of different.’”

  “Oh, right,” I said, remembering our conversation before I spaced out about the vehicle. “Caveman is just something primitive … I never expected Ealra to be so technologically advanced, which is dumb considering you picked me up on a craft like the Ebony, and you have comm things in your heads and can do all these other cool things, but yeah, I didn’t think your home would be so wonderful. Ealra is very different to what I thought it would be.”

  “Is that a good thing?” Surkah asked.

  An awesome thing.

  I nodded. “Yes, it is … I’m just going to have so much to learn.”

  Kol kissed the back of my head. “I will show and teach you everything you need to know. Do not fret, shiva. All will be well.”

  I sucked in a breath and squeezed Kol’s arms to what I knew would be the point of pain when Nero suddenly lurched to the left then centre, and the vehicle went just as quickly.

  “A pest ridden makiv was in the roadway!” he announced, cursing up a storm in the driver’s seat.

  I didn’t know what a makiv was, and I didn’t want to know either.

  “How long left?” I asked, hoping to get out of the vehicle soon.

  “A few more minutes, shiva,” Kol cooed.

  Everyone suddenly began speaking about grass and flowers and outfits, and in the back of my head, I knew Kol had told them through their comms to discuss those things. I guessed he was trying to take my mind off the drive. I appreciated what everyone was trying to do, but the more they spoke, the worse it made me feel. I felt like the space we were in was getting smaller by the minute, and my stomach began to churn. This continued for a few more minutes until the vehicle came to a sudden stop.

  “I need to get out,” I croaked.

  Killi, who was closest to the sliding door on my side, pushed it open for me. He even held out his hand to aid me in stepping out of the vehicle, but I ignored his hand as I surged forward, just wanting to get out into the open air. I tripped over my own two feet and fell to the hard ground and hit it shoulder first with a resounding thud. I heard Kol roar, but I ignored him, and the pain in my shoulder as I flipped myself over, got to my hands and knees, and without warning, puked up my stomach contents.

  Hands were all over me then, and there was a lot of growling going on, and even a whine or two. I focused on nothing other than calming myself enough to control my stomach. For a minute or so, I continued to heave, but when nothing came up, I sat back on my heels, and without meaning to, I whimpered out loud.

  “I h-hate being s-sick.” I sniffled and turned to Kol, who was on his knees next to me.

  He gathered me up into his arms, got to his feet, and moved away from my puke puddle. He whispered sweet words into my ear as he lifted me up and set me on the bonnet of the death vehicle that I would never be getting inside again.

  He brushed my hair back from my face and growled when he examined my shoulder. I winced when he grazed it with his finger. I looked down and saw I had scraped off a layer or two of skin, and blood dotted the minor wound.

  “Don’t touch it.” I winced. “It hurts.”

  Kol looked so distraught as if my arm was hanging off instead of just being grazed.

  “Surkah, heal her.”

  Before I could open my mouth, Surkah was in front of me with her hands on my shoulder, and her eyes closed. I felt the most awesome sensation of relaxation come over me and noticed an arm sudd
enly hooked around my back, keeping me upright. I opened my eyes when Surkah removed her hands, and I looked down to my now untouched shoulder.

  “That is so amazing!” I exclaimed. “Seriously, that is never going to not be the best thing ever!”

  Surkah snorted, and so did Mikoh while Nero and Killi chuckled. Kol, who was to my left with his arm around me, moved back in front of me, and without releasing me, he visually examined my arm and nodded in approval.

  “Thank you, sister.”

  “My pleasure,” she replied.

  Now that I wasn’t freaking out or hurt, I groaned loudly and allowed my head to fall forward onto Kol’s thick shoulder.

  “I am so freaking mortified!” I stated. “I just got sick in front of all of you.”

  “Do not feel embarrassment for being sick,” Kol scowled. “It could not be helped.”

  I felt the heat on my face as I lifted my head and stared into Kol’s eyes.

  “I could handle being aboard the Ebony, warping trillions of light years through space, but one journey in a car on steroids and I’m sick? That is embarrassing.”

  “It is not!” he argued.

  “If it was Surkah, you would say it was, and you’d laugh, too,” I pointed out.

  He rolled his eyes. “She is my sister; it’s my job to tease her.”

  I huffed. “I’m still embarrassed.”

  “No one will mention anything about it. Will you?” Kol asked the group, his not-so-subtle warning growl not going amiss by anyone.

  “Mention anything about what?” Nero asked Killi.

  He shrugged. “No idea what you’re talking about, cousin. Surkah, any idea?”

  “No, not an inkling, brother … Mikoh?”

  I locked eyes with Mikoh, and the second I saw his grin, I knew he would be his sassy self.

  “I think Kol doesn’t want us to mention that we witnessed his mate vomiting up her stomach contents like a pregnant female with a weak stomach … but maybe I’m wrong. Who knows?”

  Kol growled at his best friend, but I laughed.

  “You’re such an idiot,” I teased.

  Mikoh shrugged. “You say idiot; I said reserved genius.”

  I laughed louder but stopped when I looked to my right and gasped when the mother of all… palaces came into view.

  “Almighty!” I said, struggling for words. “It’s gigantic.”

  And gold… everything was freaking gold.

  “Is this … this …?”

  “This,” Kol hummed, “is home.”

  Home. I had a freaking home made of gold.

  “Not bad for an Earthly peasant girl,” I murmured to myself, but of course, Kol heard it and chuckled.

  “You could give me endless tours of this place, and I don’t think I’ve ever see it all.”

  I glanced around and found that the palace was high upon a hill overlooking the Royal City, its many pointed towers giving it the look of an eccentric crown. The walls looked like solid gold glistening in the dancing sunlight, and the roof seemed to be made of gemstone slate. It was easily three times the size of the Ebony, which I could see docked not far off in the distance and being serviced. I let my gaze roam and found that I was inside an elegantly decorated courtyard, and the ground was lined with shiny pebbles of some sort. Surrounding the courtyard and palace itself was a glistening white cobblestone wall that wasn’t built that high, just four or five feet off the earth. I knew why it wasn’t that high when I saw Maji after Maji, walking up and down the wall. Patrolling. Protecting.

  “This is incredibly beautiful,” I said to Kol, who was watching me take everything in.

  He smiled when I locked eyes with him. “You have seen nothing yet.”

  I believed him.

  Kol lifted me down from the bonnet of the death vehicle, and as I opened my mouth to speak, a sound from my right got my and everyone else’s attention. I watched as huge golden doors were opened, and a female in a deep purple ensemble similar to Surkah’s rushed from inside the palace and shot down the staircase leading to the courtyard like it was no one’s business. Two males followed closely behind her, but it was obvious they were just moving fast to remain at the female’s side.

  “Surkah!” the female cried as she rushed towards my friend. “Surkah!”

  Literally, tears streaked her cheeks, and it only caused Killi and Kol to glare at their little sister.

  “Mother.” Surkah sighed as she put her arms around her mother as she crashed into her. “I am well. Do not cry, please?”

  The poor female cried harder and gripped Surkah even tighter.

  “I’d strike your behind for making Mother cry if Mikoh was not in biting distance of me,” Kol hissed at his sister.

  Mikoh all but snarled at Kol, not liking that he was threatening his intended. I paled when the largest of the two males who accompanied Surkah’s mother suddenly shot forward, got in Mikoh’s space, and viciously snarled at him. Mikoh instantly dropped to one knee and dropped his gaze to the ground.

  “I do not wish to fight, my prince,” Mikoh said to the male who was glaring down at him.

  I widened my eyes when I realised this scary motherfucker was one of Kol’s brothers. And I felt stupid for not figuring it out sooner because the resemblance was there. He had Kol’s skin tone, and Surkah’s white hair and pink eyes.

  “You forget your place,” the male snarled down at Mikoh. “He is royal, never forget that.”

  Mikoh nodded once and kept his gaze downcast.

  “Ezah,” Surkah angrily hissed. “If you hit him, Thanas will not stop me from inflicting you harm.”

  Ezah switched his gaze to her and growled at her, so she stalked over to him, place her hands on his huge chest, and pushed. I didn’t think Surkah had the power to move the male, but he stepped back a couple of spaces to appease her. She stood in front of Mikoh, who was still on one knee with his head bowed.

  “Rise, Mikoh,” Surkah demanded.

  He did so in an instant.

  She pointed her finger at Ezah. “Leave him be. He is mine.”

  Surkah stepped back into Mikoh, and he made a grunting sound. It looked like she visibly relaxed when he placed his hands on her waist and stroked his thumbs against her bare skin.

  Surkah’s mother gleefully clapped her hands together, and to the remaining male, she gushed, “Their bond has strengthened! She defends him when he is threatened now, not just when he fights.”

  “I see.” The male chuckled

  The Hailed Mother turned back to Mikoh and Surkah and said, “Daughter, you can speed up your mating if you wish to do so.”

  Surkah sighed dramatically. “Mikoh insists we wait until my fortieth natal day.”

  Surkah’s mother raised a brow as she switched her gaze to Mikoh, who didn’t make eye contact with her.

  “What do you fear, Mikoh?” she asked him.

  Mikoh looked at the male at the Hailed Mother’s side, and when he nodded, Mikoh, with his eyes still lowered, replied, “I feel she is too young for our mating, Hailed Mother. However, I do not wish her to feel the pain of her uva, so I agreed to our mating, but only after her fortieth natal day. I will not mate her in her minor years.”

  The Hailed Mother smiled. “You’re a good male, Mikoh. I am happy you will sire the future Revered Father.”

  Mikoh’s cheeks slightly flushed as he bowed his head and said, “Hailed Mother.”

  This is so weird.

  I jumped when Kol chuckled from behind me but remained silent. I felt myself flush with heat when the three new pairs of eyes fixated on me and caused me to gulp as I stood unmoving under their watchful gazes.

  “A human!” the Hailed Mother suddenly beamed. “And a pretty human, I feared you would all be ugly after Sera said you all wouldn’t look or sound exactly like her.”

  I choked on air, and it made Surkah laugh as she bounced to my side.

  “Mother, this is Nova, and she is a very special human to our family.”

  O
h, shit.

  “And why is that?” Surkah’s mother asked, smiling.

  Shiva, do not flinch when I approach you from behind and press my lips to your neck. This is a trivial act of dominance a male makes to show the others that you are his female. This action will show my family that you are my mate. I am the first son to mate, so please welcome my parents’ and brother’s embrace when they offer it.

  If they offer it.

  I felt my cheeks flush with heat once more as Surkah stepped away from me. I closed my eyes when Kol’s body pressed flush against my back, his large hand coming around my waist and holding me firm. He nudged my head with his, so I tilted it and gave him access to my neck. When he leaned down, he brushed the tip of his nose against my skin, causing me to shiver before he gently pressed his lips to my flesh.

  I opened my eyes when war cries and crying sounded. I felt Kol’s mouth curve into a smile as he pulled his mouth away from my neck. I looked from Kol’s parents to his brother, and I was shocked that they looked … elated. Except for the big guy who threatened Mikoh, he looked angered and … pained.

  “My son!” the Hailed Mother wailed. “Thanas blessed my son with a mate!”

  She shot forward, got in my space, and embraced me and Kol since he was still pressed against me.

  “Oh,” she squealed excitedly. “I have not been this happy since Thanas blessed us with Surkah.”

  When she released us, Kol beamed at her, “Thank you, Mother.”

  “Son,” a deep voice spoke.

  I wasn’t sure why, but I was surprised when the male who accompanied Kol’s mother spoke and turned out to be his father because it looked like ten to fifteen years separated them in age. Kol’s mother would easily pass for Surkah’s older sister because everything about her was similar. It was quite freaky to see how much this family resembled one another, and I had no doubt when I met the rest of Kol’s brothers that I would see him in them, too.

  “Father,” Kol said, dipping his head respectfully.

  “My heart is full for you,” his father continued. “For both of you.”

  Kol’s chest swelled as he moved around me and embraced his father with a big hug that involved heavy patting on one another’s back. When they separated, both of their eyes fell on me, and I wished the ground would have opened up and swallowed me whole because I hated being the centre of attention.