“Cycle up one click,” she commanded.
The image of a scowling Calystii male had her stumbling back in shock until the camera panned away to show more of the scene. The male was scowling down at a female sobbing on her knees as she stretched her arms out to him.
What in the world…? Did aliens have soap operas?
Like staring at a train wreck, she slid forward, watching as the female sobbed and begged the male not leave, reaching for him as he stared down at her dispassionately. A large Lorgor male stood just behind him, waiting for any order that the male who was his obvious employer might give.
Crystal slid onto the couch, eyes wide as the drama continued to play out. The female pleaded with the male not to take another mate, to think of their younglings and everything she had done for him to help him acquire his position. She gripped his leg as he made to move, but he shook her off, leaving her sobbing, crumpling to the floor as he walked away with orders to the Lorgor to deal with her.
Throwing up an arm at the screen in outrage, Crystal made a sound of pure disgust in her throat. “What are you doing? Don’t sit there and cry. At least take off one of the monstrosities clinging to your feet and chuck it at him. His face is far too pretty, anyway!”
Nestled on the couch, she muttered about spineless females just as the Lorgor leaned down to grab her, hauling her to her feet. He purred something in a low, inaudible voice, but whatever it was outraged the female so much that she struck out at him violently.
The male ducked away, his hand coming up to grip her arm just as the camera zoomed in on his stern, unyielding face. That didn’t stop her. The doormat came alive as she spat at him, hissing all manner of vile things and insulting his parentage even as she appeared to smolder up at him as he leaned down closer.
Crystal cackled, drawing her legs up beside her as she snuggled down against the thick padding of the cushion, mourning her lack of snacks.
Chapter 4
Borth scowled in the direction of their domicile. “You should have told me what you had planned.”
“And you would have said no,” Grish replied with his usual calm candor.
His brother wasn’t wrong on that. He did not want a mate, not yet. He did not want a female to see him as he had become—to pity him. That would be as bad as the condemnation that would come from their own species. He had felt so much better weeks earlier, and now, as the harvest season cycled around, his body was beginning to betray him again.
“Why do you not understand that I do not want a female to see me like this?” he growled angrily.
“I do understand it, but I also understand that we have to face facts that it might not get better. You may continue to have problems during the wet season, and the misery you sink into every revolution isn’t good for you or for our uthak.”
His brother may have had a point, but it wasn’t one he wished to consider yet. He did not want to entertain the fact that there might be no full recovery as the medics had warned. So many males were able to transition to replacement limbs easily. The trauma to his wounds was deeper, stretching out many days before he could be properly seen to by medics. He did not blame the Agraak healers who saved him. They had done the best that they could. He just did not want to believe that his life was going to be so different and he would no longer be able to depend on the strength he had all his life.
What was Borth Ugaar without his strength? Not a warrior nor a suitable mate. He couldn’t suitably defend and provide for a female in the way their traditions dictated. He steeled himself against the pain that attempted to swallow him. She had been a pretty little female too…
“She is too small,” he muttered resentfully.
Grish sighed. “I like her size. She would be sweet to snuggle against during the cold nights of winter.”
“You expect that little female to warm you?” Borth asked in disbelief.
“I believe that she has enough fire in her to heat my blankets, among other things,” Grish returned with a grin.
Borth wished that he could laugh and jest back, imagining the tiny female curled up protectively between them. Yet he had no laughter, and the image forged a painful lump in his throat.
“You do realize it will be nearly spring before we can get rid of her,” Borth muttered, glaring down at the machinery that sat between them. “I hope with all this blanket heating, you do not get attached. We are not keeping her, Grish.”
“I hear your words, brother.”
“And proceed to release them out of the other ear,” he snorted.
Grish laughed, shoving his arm playfully. Borth’s knee twinged, but it was still early in the day and it did not complain more than that, nor did it threaten to buckle beneath him. He growled back, a deep rolling sound that exited the vibration passages on his ganthli, making a hollow thunderous sound.
Above, the skies answered with a growl, making them both fall silent, their heads falling back to watch as dark clouds rolled through the air. The thunder roared again, but that time it was followed by a flicker and crack of lightning.
Borth sighed and returned his glare to the machine.
“We have paid many credits for this harvester and have not been able to use it yet,” he grumbled as he activated its protective seal-lock and watched as the barrier folded up from its sides to snap around it.
Grish shrugged. “We will get our chance. We have a few weeks’ window to get the harvest done. The storms are but a small delay.”
“We have had more than our share of delays.”
“Two storms back to back… This makes three. That is not too terrible,” Grish argued cheerfully. “I was told of a revolution where it rained for two lunar cycles, flooding the farmlands, and the males had only a week to accomplish the harvest before the crops rotted. They survived that. We will survive this.”
“You are disgustingly cheerful today,” Borth observed moodily.
“A new mate makes it hard to be petulant about anything,” his brother replied. “You should try it. Let yourself enjoy her company and these worries will seem small and insignificant. She is hope and the future for us, brother.”
“Perhaps once that would have been the case, but there is no future with my leg the way it is. You should have allowed me to release you from the uthak. Then you would have been free to join with another male to welcome a mate.”
The words soured in his belly, but it was only right to remind his brother that he still had a choice. A better male would secure their female, not frighten her away with his crippling pain and bad attitude. Turning away from the machine, he headed back toward their domicile to escape the encroaching rain.
Grish’s smile fell, and his face hardened unexpectedly as he fell into step beside Borth. “You have said this to me many times. Some days I think that you mean it, but then I know it is the pain speaking, not my uthak brother. I will not abandon you. If you would give the female a chance…”
“I do not want her pity. She would not come to us willingly as we are. You saw the way she looked at us! At me!”
“She did not look at you in any way other than shock at encountering a male she did not expect. The fault is with the agent who didn’t divulge all the details of the contract,” Grish corrected irritably.
Borth snorted, not convinced. A smart female wouldn’t attach herself to a male who was lamed. They did not make it to shelter before the sky opened up and rain poured down in a heavy wash. It soaked through his clothes, though it rolled easily from his scales. Once under the shelter of the roof’s overhang, he shook his head, casting droplets everywhere before entering their home.
“What shall we do today with the rains upon us?” Grish asked as he stopped at Borth’s side.
He cast him a sidelong, curious look, and Borth’s mouth twisted humorlessly. His brother was far too easy to read. The male hoped that they would spend time with the human. If he was still himself, he would have applauded the idea, happy to convince their pretty mate to enjoy their compa
ny.
“Do as you like. I will be returning to my room.”
“To do what?” Grish asked in surprise.
“To enjoy my peace and silence,” he replied woodenly.
He was about to turn down to corridor to find his room when a shout rose up from the central room. He did not think but reacted to the angry shout. Without hesitation, he barreled into the room, his horns lowered, a war bellow resounding from him even as his eyes sought an enemy.
He stilled at the surprised feminine shout, eyes fastening upon the small human standing upon their resting bench, her hands balled loosely at her sides as she gaped at him.
“Where is the threat, female?” he barked.
“What threat?” she asked in bewilderment. She cast one hand toward the viewing screen with an exasperated snarl. “I can’t believe the Calystii think these crappy vids are quality… and even worse, I’m totally sucked into it. This guy is a complete ass, and I think his mate—who he’s set aside to add another female to their family—is about to jump into an illicit affair with the Lorgor. Very not cool in their culture, from what I understand. But there’s definitely smoldering. Lots of smoldering going on! Now the asshole brought in his new bride, still decked out in the traditional clothes and everything, demanding that his first mate welcome her as a sister. What kind of messed up shit is that? At least get her blessing first. He deserves to have his face rearranged!”
Borth blinked at the female, slowly absorbing the barrage of information torpedoing at him. In her agitation, her face was flushed and her eyes over bright as she cursed and made crude gestures to the viewing screen.
“You are speaking of vids?”
Confusion furrowed her brow, and she cocked her head at him. “Of course.”
“I was certain that you were in danger,” he bit out.
Realization dawned at that moment, her lips parting before turning up in a wan smile. “I guess I could see how that might be a little alarming.”
“A little,” he growled.
“Look, it’s not that I normally indulge in this kind of thing, but there’s really nothing to do around here. Though now that I’m into it, I can’t promise I can just quit watching. I think the Lorgor is going to steal her away, and I can’t miss that.”
“I see,” he muttered. “I am going to my room.”
“You’re done in the fields already?” she asked in surprise. “Wow, the workdays around here are short.”
“No, a storm has come in. There will be no work today. Just rest.”
“I’m pretty proficient in several intergalactic games,” she offered.
“No thank you,” he grumbled, moving away to a safe distance, far from her enthusiasm. “I would just prefer to rest in the privacy of my room—alone,” he added quickly.
Both her eyebrows rose before a wicked grin curled her lips. “I wasn’t offering to follow you into your rooms, but now that you mention it…”
Growling, he bent one more glare on his brother before he retreated.
“Where are you going?” she shouted, laughter filling her voice.
He did not care if she laughed. He just needed to get away fast, before he allowed himself to do something dangerous—like have hope. For a moment, he could have imagined that soft smile had genuinely been for him.
Chapter 5
“Well, guess it’s just us,” Crystal said as she turned to the male at her side.
Grish was staring after his brother, grinning in amusement. Shaking his head, his horned crest swinging in the air with movement, he glanced down at her warmly.
“Do not worry, little katna. Borth will come around in time. This weather delays our harvest a little, and he worries.”
As if emphasizing his statement, a crack of lightning lit up the sky, flashing in the common room as a louder, more ominous sound of thunder roared above. On its heels, rain descended in sheets before her eyes as she watched it fall on the other side of the large windows of the common room. The sound of it hitting the ground and the house carried the sound of a tin rattle being shaken wildly. This was no late summer shower. It was a full-on storm.
“Just how long do these storms last?” she murmured nervously, her imagination providing snapshots of memory of dangerous floodwaters that could follow heavy storms.
“A few hours,” Grish soothed. “The autumn rains have begun a little earlier than anticipated, but they are normal for this time of the year. We will keep busy indoors.”
“Yeah? Doing what?” she asked skeptically. As far as she had seen, there wasn’t much in the house outside of minimal furniture—and it wasn’t due to lack of space. In fact, there was plenty of room to be utilized, much of it wasted, emphasizing the quiet emptiness of the place the Terils called home. “As fun as vids are, I’m used to having more to do to keep me engaged and occupied.”
Grish frowned. “This I did not consider. What are things that could make you more comfortable?”
“Well… outside the intergalactic linkup, music would be a good start. And access to the intergalactic media database. I wouldn’t mind picking up some educational reading material.”
His eyebrows rose slowly. “And you would find that entertaining?”
Crystal grinned up at him. He had no idea. “Dry educational texts are my bread and butter.”
His brow furrowed before his expression turned understanding. “Ah, a metaphor. It is basic, regular sustenance for your mind.”
“I like to be well-informed,” she said with a smile. “It’s good to know about where you are and who you’re dealing with.”
Grish nodded in agreement. “Good. Then we will take a small tour of the house and I will explain some things about our settlement here. It is wise to know friends and enemies.”
She looked up at him, an eyebrow arching as she followed him out of the room. “Do I have to worry much about the latter?”
He chuckled and slowed his pace so that she fell into step beside him. “From the other farmers and residents, not so much. Most just wish to be left alone to work their land. The miners are brought in by the Megaraisi Corporation. Most are fine, but the corporation screens more for capability in their mines than for males suitable for our communities. Most do not cause trouble, but our local peacekeepers are vigilant. It’s the representatives of the corporation itself that you must watch for. Not the average person employed by them, but those with power and influence on behalf of the company. The Calystii who own and run the Megaraisi Corporation are as ruthless as they come.”
Jerking to a stop, Crystal pressed a hand against her heart that lurched within her chest as fear threatened to boil up and drown her. The Calystii were a species with a large population. It was possible that she was overreacting, and they had zero connection to the prince hunting her.
Please let that be the case!
“Calystii, huh?” she mumbled.
Grish nodded. “Their corporation wishes to have every privately owned farm and property under their control. Most settlers are too smart for them, and either avoid or refuse to work under the corporation’s authority.” His amber eyes gleamed down at her. “It makes the Calystii bureaucrats angry because they wish to own Antari Minor. Our world refuses to give up our freedom for the small comforts they offer in exchange. We will not be owned by anyone. We can’t control what they do with their own properties, but we can safeguard our own interests.”
Crystal perked up, a small kernel of optimism sparking within her. “They rarely come here then?”
“Here?” Grish snorted and let a deep, rumbling laugh. “They don’t try anymore. It has been some time since we have seen one of their representatives on our doorstep.”
She let out a breath, a weight falling from her shoulders at that revelation. There would be no Calystii just dropping by and alerting the prince—whichever one he was, since she read that were twelve royal Calystii princes, leaving the identity of her pursuer unknown—of her whereabouts.
“If you are afraid of the
m, katna, Borth and I will keep them away. We will protect you,” he said somberly as if reading her mind.
“How did you know…?”
He tapped his wide, flatted nose and smiled. “Teril have very good noses. I do not like smelling fear on my mate. Do not worry. They will get nowhere near you.”
Tilting her head, she looked up at him thoughtfully. “They can be persistent… from what I’ve heard.”
His smile widened and he cracked the thick knuckles on one hand. “Then we will… deal… with them.”
“It could be dangerous,” she replied lightly, despite the lingering tremble of fear as she remembered the violent way they tore up her quarters. It was possible that after the last few years they had forgotten about her and gave up the chase, but she wasn’t going to chance it. “You’d really do that for me?”
Grish reached, drawing her against him in a tight hug before releasing her with a chuckle. “Of course. Besides, it is no hardship. We do not like them much anyway.”
The forthright statement earned a giggle. It had been a while since she had something to laugh about, and yet twice Grish had drawn it from her. It felt surprisingly good, as had the hug that caught her off guard. Had it been even longer since anyone had shown her any sort of genuine affection?
Her brief ex-mates hadn’t hugged her, though she knew some alien cultures didn’t show affection the same way as humans, but nor had they seemed inclined to touch her outside of sex. Robby wasn’t a hugger, or even much of a cuddler unless he was hogging the bed.
That Grish would hug her was not only unexpected but also threw her off her game. It made her hope for something more, that just maybe she would be safe there, perhaps even eventually loved, and not have to run anymore. Wasn’t that what she wanted when she fled Earth to an alien husband? Despite all the disappointments, she was hopeful again—and that hope was dangerous, but she couldn’t resist reaching for it with both hands.
Teril's Fire: A Mate Index Alien Romance (The Mate Index Book 12) Page 4