“Mephida is very safe, but the image of that vile male dragging you away is still strong in my mind,” Ca’lek repeats in a stronger voice. Planting a sweet peck on my forehead, he turns and leans his head against Va’naar, then takes in a few more steadying breaths before he speaks again. “Come, let us face our families bravely. The sooner we find them, the sooner we can get home and relax.”
Va’naar nods in agreement and we move on, leaving the alcove and joining the queue for the underground tram. Boarding the transport, we find seats out of the way and try to relax while we travel through the tunnel and up to the main hub. I can tell my mates are still tense, but they’re trying really hard to stay calm. I don’t blame them, even I worry about what their parents will think of me. After all, I am putting them all at risk if the Council doesn’t rule in our favor.
The tram speeds along with a quiet hum, with muted conversations going on all around us. A few Mephidaeans in nearby seats watch us curiously, no doubt noting how closely Ca’lek and Va’naar hold me, and I worry that someone will recognize my mates and carry word back to Sa’rin’s family before Ca’lek has a chance to see the Council and plead our case. It doesn’t take long to reach the hub and we wait for the aisles to clear before attempting to exit.
Once outside, we head towards a moving stairlift, which takes us back to the main level where arrivals exit the skyport in a stream of noise and color. Va’naar moves ahead of us, peering through the crowd in search of his family. Ca’lek’s family was disgruntled to find out we had arrived so early. They were in the next town visiting his sisters and would not be back until the next day.
I’m secretly grateful. Meeting so many new and important people all at once would have been...difficult.
A small crowd of Kiskisans—fat, bipedal, hairless beings with too many chins in places they shouldn’t have them— push between us, temporarily separating Ca’lek and I from Va’naar. Ca’lek immediately tenses, pulling me closer to his body while trying to keep his eyes on his secondary.
“Vishni!!” someone squeals loudly. I see Va’naar’s shoulders cringe just as we come up behind him. Ca’lek chuckles under his breath and squeezes my hand.
An auburn colored Mephidaean female darts forward and wraps her arms around Va’naar, plastering a wet kiss on his cheek. I’m surprised by how tall she is in comparison. She makes Va’naar look short and almost stubby.
“I missed my little Vishni so much!” she says happily. A pair of darker males appear behind her, reaching out to scrub Va’naar’s head fondly.
“Mother,” he chides with embarrassment, his ears glued flat on his head. “You know I don’t like that nickname. I’m much too old for it now.”
“You will always be my little Vishni,” she rebukes, affectionately pinching his cheek. “Now. Where is your primary and your female, whom I have only just learned of a few cycles ago?” Her scolding demand is accompanied by wide eyes searching over his shoulder.
Since we are only a few paces away, she sees Ca’lek first. He’s tall, dark, and hard to miss from where she’s standing. Then her gaze lands on me, tucked into his side, and she tilts her head in confusion. I feel my heart fall a little. Noticing my sudden tension, Ca’lek dips his head, nuzzling my neck as his arms wrap tighter around me.
Va’naar turns and waves us forward, taking my hand in his. The seconds it takes to join him feel like an eternity now that I'm meeting my future inlaws and can’t tell what they're thinking.
“Mother, Fathers, this is Polly, the female we have chosen. She is our mate,” Va’naar states, puffing his chest proudly as he introduces us, well, me actually.
Obviously a bit bewildered by my unexpected appearance, Va’naar’s dam looks long and hard at me. Just as I’m about to start crying from my mounting, hormone-induced anxiety, her mouth drops open in shock as she finally notices my prominent belly. Her mates chuckle knowingly, patting their son on the back.
“Polly, this is Va’naar’s dam, Mother Da’leah and his sires Shau’vaan and Yo’lek,” Ca’lek says, placing his hands on my shoulders.
Da’leah continues to stare at me openly, her eyes glued to my belly for so long that my anxiety begins to turn into dread.
Does she hate that I’m human? Is she unhappy about my pregnancy?
Suddenly she turns and whacks Va’naar on the shoulder, causing his dads to laugh.
“You didn’t tell me I had grandpups on the way already! Rotten pup! Why didn’t you tell me?” she demands as her complaints turn into an unexpected wail. “The navizili is all wrong! I will have to order a new one! What if it’s not done in time?”
“Ouch! Mother! We wanted to surprise everyone,” Va’naar protests, ducking behind one of his sires, who promptly abandons him.
“Oh no pup! You should have known better. I’m afraid I will not hide you from her this time,” he says, coming to stand beside us. Placing a hand on his chest, he tilts his head at me. “I am Shau’vaan, Va’naar’s primary sire. It is a pleasure to meet you. We couldn’t be happier that our pup found a mate he loves, rather than be stuck with that Bel’faun brat.”
“Not so loud my primary,” Va’naar’s other sire, Yo’lek, chides softly. “We are in public and the contract has not yet been annulled.”
Glancing around him to see Va’naar still being berated by his dam, I look up at Shau’van. “It doesn’t seem like everyone is happy,” I say quietly. Da’leah’s ears shoot up and she whips around to look at me.
“Oh! Oh no! No dear, I am so sorry. I am thrilled that they have you,” she exclaims, rushing over to wrap me in a comforting hug. “I was a little surprised by you not being Mephidaean, but that doesn’t matter to me at all. You are a lovely female. And already fertile! We should have had the ceremony right away! How long has it been since my pup and his bonded mated you?” She turns to face my mates. “This should not have been delayed so long! You made it seem like this was a very recent development!”
I feel the heat in my skin grow as my face turns bright red at the blunt question. Thankfully, the babies start kicking and Mother Da’leah becomes distracted when one hits her where she’s still pressed against me. She jerks back, staring down in delight.
“My grandpups know my voice,” she declares in a loud, happy voice, leaning down to talk to my stomach. Her hands press onto my sides as the babies kick and roll. “Hello pups, hello.”
I almost laugh at her cooing. It really is so sweet.
“Do you know how many are in the litter?” she asks, looking up.
“Two, Mother Da’leah,” Ca’lek answers, gently rubbing my arms.
“Only two? As big as she is?” Da’leah turns to Va’naar suspiciously. “Just how long have you been keeping your mate a secret?”
Va’naar cringes at her demand.
“Perhaps we should continue this discussion at home,” Shau’van suggests, resting his hand on Da’leah’s shoulder, then whispers something quietly into her ear.
“Oh, yes of course,” she agrees, finally noticing the growing crowd.
Another group of arrivals has ascended from the transport and are pushing past us as they leave. Someone jostles into me from the side and all five members of my new family snarl loudly, warning them away. A ten foot circle forms arounds us while people jump away from the angry Mephidaeans. The wide berth my family creates remains until we are free of the skyport and in a ground flyer, heading for Va’naar’s childhood home.
Chapter 15
Ca’lek
Polly still shows signs of distress when we climb into the small flyer Va’naar’s parents brought, but thankfully, it’s not nearly as bad as it was before we introduced her as our mate. We all settle into the crazy craft quickly enough, but for some reason, no one utters a word once we take to the air.
The silence is blissful and reminds me of the quiet, lonely moments that are often found in space. Sitting beside my mate, I tuck her under my arm and hold her close. She curls against my chest and cuddles into my ruff, cl
early tired. Her fingers play in my mane, wrapping locks of it around her digits.
I rub the small circles into her back and watch the landscape fly by. The rainy season starts soon, bringing with it long, wet cycles where civilians tuck themselves inside their warm homes and wait for the rare, drier days when they can safely venture out.
I love the rainy season.
In past solars when it was just Va’naar and myself, we would spend whatever time we were on planet at either his family home or mine, just listening to the storms outside and playing poshki to pass the time. Sometimes our crewmates joined us until the weather cleared enough to return to our ship.
I miss those cycles spent with my bonded, friends, and family. It seems like those days have become more and more infrequent. Maybe it’s time to start settling down...maybe Va’naar and I can share those blissful moments with Polly and our pups. We can build a home for ourselves. We already have land on the outskirts of town. It’s just a matter of deciding on a floor plan and getting started, something we had no desire to do when we were expected to mate with Sa’rin.
A long sigh escapes my lips as I look out the window, pondering these new thoughts. The city I grew up in sits in the middle of a network of glacial rivers that weave back and forth across the landscape, touching and separating, feeding each other and the vegetation all along the banks. Later in the year it will darken until it is almost black, and in the cold season, it fades to a light grey, but right now, it’s a rich, bright purple. The water surrounding the city of Var Ess’la is a vibrant turquoise and is so clear that I can see the river beds shining with veins of emerald green stone.
Spotting a school of bright yellow riri fish, I nudge Polly and point. My mate sits up, leaning over my body to look out the window. Gasping in excited wonder, her eyes light up as she spies the riri migrating the waterways that lace through the city.
“How pretty,” she murmurs, watching the excited fish break the surface and jump through the air in a frenzy.
“The riri migration is a sight. I have always found them to be rambunctious little things. I thought you’d enjoy them as well,” I say, touching my head to hers while we enjoy the view together.
The tiny fish have large pectoral fins that allow them to glide in the air, almost like they’re flying. They dart from place to place, hopping along the surface of the water, hoping to attract a mate before the weather cools and the water freezes over, which lulls them into a seasonal hibernation.
A short while later, Va’naar’s family home comes into view. I can easily spot the white stone slabs peeking through the tall trees that surround the estate, and the large botanical garden his mother tends, which sets the front ablaze in color. I have to hand it to the female, she is very good at landscaping, but then again, she must have a lot of time on her hands now.
At one time, Va’naar’s entire family shared the space inside, practically bumping into each other every time they turned around, especially after his older brothers bonded, bringing their secondaries into the home with them. Since his older siblings have now mated and moved away, his younger sisters are away at technical schools, and we live on the ship for most of the solar cycle, I can only imagine how empty it must feel now. I’m sure his parents are excited to have us for company even if it’s for a short while.
“We’re here,” Va’naar announces, pointing it out as we settle onto the landing pad in front of his home.
Polly leans up, her eyes growing wide. She looks up at the house tucked between the lush foliage. Walkways weave through the plants and up to the front entry. Taking her hand, Va’naar helps her out of the vehicle, steadying her while I climb out behind them. Behind us, the small ground flyer starts up again.
“Where are they going?”
“My sires have to take the transport back into town. They run a shop there where we sell some of our goods. They have to meet the cargo transports for sorting and storage. If they don’t keep to the schedule and get new stock on the shelves quickly, we could lose to another merchant,” Va’naar explains, squeezing my shoulder while he watches the craft fly out of view. There’s a proud look in his eyes and I can tell it’s because he enjoys how our family works so well together in the business we have built. I feel the same.
“Don’t worry, they’ll be back later after they get everything settled and arrange to ship the rest of the cargo to my sister’s shop in the next town over,” Ca’lek adds with a reassuring squeeze of my shoulder.
“Oh, okay,” she replies, turning back to view the house and garden once more. “You’re home is beautiful.”
“Thank you, Polly, that’s very sweet of you. Come, come inside,” Mother De’leah urges, gently grabbing my mate’s arm and tugging her towards the house. “You must be exhausted. I remember when I was heavy with Va’naar’s sisters. Kickers, all three of them.
“I really thought one of them had broken one of my ribs by the end. And my feet swelled constantly. Poor Yo’lek, he spent hours rubbing my legs and it never really helped. Va’naar though, a single pup. Just him. I was so sick, and he was my littlest youngling. He’s always been my little Vishni.”
“What does Vishni mean?” Polly asks in curiosity, glancing back at us while we follow the females through the garden.
Mother Da’leah smiles. “Vishni means big trouble. Va’naar was a little troublemaker before he was even born, making me sick and trying to come much too early. I spent the last three lunars of my pregnancy in bed because of him. And after? Oh, he was downright rotten, a real terror of a pup. Biting his brothers’ ankles, sneaking into the cupboards to steal pachi cookies and calva bars, even climbing onto the roof and trying to fly off in a homemade glider when he was just five summers old.”
“Seriously?” Polly asks, then laughs.
Her relaxed laughter is a wonderful sound and brings smiles to my face and Va’naar’s. Her fingers trail over the petals of a bright blue prollafina blossom as she walks pastit.
“Oh yes. He broke his elbow that day, but he never climbed on the roof again. In fact, he was afraid of heights for a long time. He wouldn’t even look out the upstairs windows until late in the next cycle. If I remember correctly it was Ca’lek who helped him over his fears,” Da’leah comments, looking back at me for confirmation as she rounds the side of the central fountain.
Polly holds her hand under a spill of water and flicks it at me. It splashes against my nose, wetting my face. Feeling particularly playful, I reach down and flick her back, but my pregnant mate manages to dodge my attack with a devilish smirk. I narrow my eyes in disbelief when she sticks out her tongue, then waddles over to Va’naar and takes his arm.
“Yes, I believe it was when he dragged me into navigating for him during a glider race when I was thirteen,” Va’naar answers, patting Polly’s hand.
If she thinks she can start something with me and escape before I’ve had my fun, she’s mistaken. I grin to myself as I consider the possibilities to get back at her.
“Why did you agree to navigate for Ca’lek if you were so afraid of heights?” Polly asks, angling her head to peer up at him.
“Oh, he didn’t know. I told him I wanted to show him something in my new glider, then I locked the door and took off before he could escape,” I explain, clapping my secondary on the back. “After that, it was either navigate while I flew or let us crash. I knew he was my secondary, even if he didn’t, so it made sense that he should navigate. And relying on each other like that helped form a bond between us.”
“By the time the race ended we were inseparable. I wasn’t afraid of heights anymore, though, I seriously disliked Ca’lek’s flying,” Va’naar admits, rolling his eyes. He plucks a tiny sprig of pink blossoms, then tucks it into Polly’s hair. The small flowers bring out her soft colored highlights.
“Oh yes, Vishni came home and proudly announced that he had bonded with his primary and ‘would we please make sure there was space for him at dinner from now on’. Then he went and spent most of hi
s time with Ca’lek’s family,” Da’leah says, laughing at the memory. “His brothers who were four solars older had not even chosen their secondaries yet, and there he was telling us he was bonded. I can still remember how jealous they were.”
“Aww, I bet that was adorable. Did you at least win the race?”
“Of course, my mate,” I say loftily. “I always win.”
“Uh-huh, yeah. Just remember that when I kick your tail at jakiri,” Polly scoffs at me while grinning.
“I do like a challenge,” I inform her with a playful growl. “But you won’t be playing jakiri for quite some time. I won’t have you chasing a ball in your condition.”
“Like I could even run more than two steps in my current condition,” she says sarcastically, taking my arm so she can climb the stairs to the door. “You just wait though, I am so much faster than you think. Once I have my old body back, you just wait and see. I’ll have you by the tail in the end.”
“My love, you can have me by the tail at any time,” I growl playfully in her ear, pulling her into my arms once more. Va’naar echoes my growl and presses into her other side.
“Behave yourselves now,” Mother Da’leah says, turning around to wag a finger at us for being naughty.
“Of course Mother,” Va’naar replies, showing an all too innocent face and nodding.
She rolls her eyes at her son as if she knows he’s only pretending to be good and turns back to the door, waving her hand over the identification unit to unlock it. The doors slide open with a quiet whosh and she steps inside. As we pass through, the household comm system immediately starts beeping for attention
“Oh! I need to answer that. Vishni, show Polly the house. I’m sure she would love a chance to lie down and rest.”
With that, Mother Da’leah hurries off to answer her comms. She’s a highly regarded botanist and often receives calls from other botanical facilities looking for advice. No doubt we’ll see her again soon enough.
The Alien Pirates' Treasure (Star Pirates Book 1) Page 19