Well, fuck him!
“A volcano,” he said, his voice cool of feeling as he dropped those two words on her.
Crystal blanched and stumbled back.
A fucking volcano?
Her eyes shot to the same mountains the males had been looking toward, the one that she frequently caught Grish and Borth looking at since she’d been with them.
They had suspected all that time.
“We are scanning alerts every day,” Borth assured her quietly. “This is our home, but we will take no chances, I promise you. If the evacuation order comes, we will leave. We have amassed enough credits from the harvest to start over elsewhere if the worst happens. We are not going to be reckless in this.”
“And what of the gorthals?” she asked.
There wasn’t room in their flyer or the land cruiser for the animals, and she couldn’t bear the idea of anything happening to Morosh—the name fitting for the flashy animal whose name meant gold in Mintigi.
Grish brushed his knuckles against her cheek. “We load them onto the load transporter and take them with us.”
Drawing in a deep breath, she nodded.
“Foolish, but as you like,” Salk snorted and turned. He paused only to glance over his shoulder at them. “My crew unloaded your delivery by your transporter. I believe you are more than capable of hauling it into your domicile. I hope that it is worth the credits spent to risk losing to a natural disaster,” he spat.
“Many thanks, Salk. Always a pleasure to see you,” Grish said to the male’s retreating back.
“Boy, he really doesn’t like you guys,” Crystal observed.
“Bah, he is bitter. He did not pass the warrior trials. His sire assisted him in acquiring a position with the intergalactic transportation units. It was either that or devote several revolutions to another field,” Grish volunteered.
“And for all his boasting about having a mate, she and his uthak share a closer relationship and spend through the majority of their domicile’s income,” Borth added. “But she is from a an esteemed Teril family, so he considers himself fortunate.”
A thought occurred to her, one that hadn’t before. Although human females were considered a priceless commodity among species who lacked females, Terils weren’t in that boat. It hurt to consider that she might be considered an inferior mate among them.
“Would you be considered better off if you had a Teril here rather than me?” she asked.
Borth glanced over at her with genuine surprise. “I would not care what they think. If I cared what anyone on Telif Prime thought, I would be there and not here on Antari Minor. I am happy here and with you. Yes, among most of our people, a Telif female is considered the ideal. I do not agree. My female before me is the ideal for me.”
Comforted by that declaration, Crystal hugged his arm to her, accepting the sudden affection from them as they practically crushed her between them as they embraced her. Giggling, she pushed them back.
“Okay, so what’s my surprise that was delivered?”
Chapter 23
Their female practically vibrated with glee as Grish connected their new intergalactic comm system to the long-range frequencies. It took up most of the spare room they had hauled the transportation containers into, but the smile on Crystal’s face was worth it. They could always expand their domicile if they needed more rooms in the future. It wasn’t like they had any offspring on the way, and as much as he would love to greet his own, he was not in a hurry. He was enjoying his time with their female.
And right now, their small human’s excitement was infectious.
“I thought you said this would take six months to get here!”
Grish shrugged but was unable to hold back his smile. “When I saw how listless you were, I paid more credits to have it sent on a rushed shipment to arrive with the collector. I wanted to see this smile blooming on a face that was too often solemn.”
She glanced up at him in surprise. “But that must have been weeks ago. You barely knew me. Why would you pay extra credits to get this here for me?”
“I did not know you very well yet, you are right, but in my mind, you were my mate and I wanted to do anything to make you happy.”
“It really does. Thank you!”
Standing on her toes, she dragged first his head down, and then his brother’s, to give them each one of her soft, sweet-tasting kisses. The contact was brief, but Grish could feel the ache building as his cock began to swell. As she bounced on her toes and approached the comm system, Grish exchanged a meaningful look with his brother. Borth nodded in agreement, though he pressed his lips together anxiously.
“Have you given any further thought to accepting our mating bond?” he asked quietly, his eyes tracking her as she paced around the system, inspecting it thoroughly.
He could not unsee the way her back stiffened and the pause in her movements before she turned toward them. He wanted to close his eyes and not hear whatever she had to say. The pain that drew his heart’s blood at least served the benefit of withdrawing the ache of budding arousal.
“Do not answer. Forget that I asked this foolish question. If you are not ready…” he rambled.
The press of Crystal’s hand against his cheek silenced him as he met her eyes. Her gaze was full of longing, her front teeth sunk into her bottom lip, worrying at the delicate skin there until he dropped his head and placed his lips on hers to soothe reddening flesh. Drawing back slightly, he nuzzled his nose against hers, relishing the feel of her breath fanning against his face. His heart broke just a little when she pulled away.
“Grish, Borth…you have no idea how much I want to say yes. I just…can’t. Not when this situation with the Calystii is hanging over me. It was different when I thought I could hide from them, but now that they know I’m here and now that I’ve fallen in love with you… I can’t risk your happiness. I did some reading—you know how I am,” she chuckled sadly, “I know that Terils only mate once in their lives. This would be it for you. I can’t do that to you. That’s why I refused when you came for me, not to punish you.”
“But you speak as if mating would be a punishment for us,” Borth growled. “Do you not understand that it would not matter, none of it, without you? Have we not made that clear?”
She swallowed, her eyes closing. “I just don’t want to take your only chance.”
Grish’s heart constricted, but Borth was the one who moved first. He paced toward her, his red eyes burning as his large hand tipped her head up. “Look at me, katna.”
Her eyes flickered open, her lips parting. “You have never called me that before.”
“I have not. We have both been afraid, even afraid to speak this endearment in fear that you will not accept us as your mate in the end. But I am not anymore. Whether you give us this chance or not, this is our only choice. I am bound to you in heart if not by flesh. I do not care even if a thousand dangers seek us. I will face it all by your side as your mate if you will have us.”
“You both feel that way?” she whispered.
“We do,” Grish affirmed.
A tremulous smile curved her lips.
“And how do we go about doing this?”
Grish let out a relieved breath, elation driving out any lingering sadness as he realized exactly what she was saying.
“Typically, there is a small ceremony. We announce our intentions before family and friends before we take our female and bond her to us. That part is, of course, private between the uthak brothers and their female.”
“That sounds nice,” she murmured. “I know we’re far from Telif Prime, but can we have a small ceremony anyway? It reminds me a little of wedding customs where the couple say their vows before family and friends. I wouldn’t mind having Nargis and Talimia present to witness since they’re our friends and helped us. Perhaps we can enjoy a celebratory dinner before we get to the mating part.”
Grish nodded. “This is a good idea. It should be an occasion to be remembered. P
erhaps our Arobi friends can attend, and any of our unit who are nearby. It would be a pleasure to share our joy with those we have once stood beside.” He sighed as he looked forlornly at the trees. The leaves were falling more every day, and there was not even a flower remaining anywhere that in the summer grew in clusters around them. “A shame that winter is so near. I would love to crown you with flowers, as is our tradition.”
Crystal wrapped her arms around his waist and hugged him to her before turning her embrace to Borth. “We can get creative, even just working with what we have. What’s most important is having each other… for however long,” she added quietly in afterthought.
“There is always a chance that time is cut short,” Grish murmured down to her. “It is what we do with the time that counts, whether that be in battle or with those we love.”
Pulling away, she grinned up at them, swiping her hands over her face. “All right. Enough of all this sentimental mush. Go find something constructive to do while I get to know my new toy.”
Borth’s lips upturned. “I believe we have just been replaced. Perhaps you did a little too well in pleasing our female,” he teased.
“Small price to pay,” Grish returned easily. “We will leave you alone with the comm, katna.”
She waved as they left the room and returned with a pair of virtual reality ocular lenses. With only a backward glance, she hopped into the leather seat, allowing herself to settle at an extreme angle as she placed the lenses over her eyes. A blue light sprung over them, data running as her fingers touched the comm controls.
Borth nudged him with his elbow. “Come, brother. Let us check for any further damages that may have occurred during the earthquake.”
Nodding, Grish turned and followed his brother out of the room.
“At least the mess is smaller this time. It was a good idea to secure the storage units.”
Borth chuckled, slanting him an amused look.
“That does not mean that there is nothing that requires our attention. We will take care of it while she enjoys herself a little in the systems. I have a feel that our upcoming mating will be keeping us all very busy,” he said.
Borth was correct in that there was more to set to right than Grish had anticipated. Although the earthquake wasn’t as strong as the first one, it was much stronger than the tiny tremors that had plagued them for weeks. It did not take them long, however, to straighten the disorder. They were just putting the last thing back in place as they navigated around Matida, who, disturbed by the earthquake, anxiously clung to their legs when Grish heard Crystal’s footsteps as she entered the room.
He glanced up, but his smile of greeting died on his lips as he saw the pale, worried look on her face. She walked slowly toward him, nearly stumbling with shock. Even from where he stood, he could see the way her hands trembled.
“Borth!” he called to his brother in the next room. “There is something wrong with Crystal.” He shelved a family tome before rushing with concern to her side. “Katna, what has happened?”
Eyes wide, she met his gaze, a shudder running over her before she leaned into him just as Borth burst into the room. The other male’s eyes were frantic when they settled upon her, and he wasted no time in joining them, his hands brushing over her anxiously.
“Katna, speak to us and tell us what happened,” Borth urged.
Crystal drew a deep breath and swallowed thickly. “You know that every few days I was going to visit Talimia…”
“Yes, of course. Something that we have approved and supported.”
“When I’m there, I always check for any encrypted messages from the Lorgor resistance. There hasn’t been any word, and I’d been starting to think that that no news is good news. I hoped that, just maybe, there was a small chance it would just go away.”
“Crystal…”
She pressed against him, burying her face against him. A weak laugh escaped her, and she shook her head in what he could only presume was meant to be denial.
“I should have known better. I do know better than to hope something like that. Here I was, flitting around the systems, enjoying my gift and amusing myself. I decided at random to check again… This time, there was something.”
“What message did they leave?” Borth growled with unease.
“They intercepted a communication. Apparently the Calystii looking for me do not know where I am…”
“But this is good news,” Grish protested.
A bark of laughter escaped her.
“No, it isn’t. The only reason they don’t know my location is because they’re receiving a comm from someone looking to collect a bounty on recovering me. The bounty hunter has arranged to meet them—with me in tow—at a space station in a matter of days. The Lorgors say to be on watch. The resistance is going to take advantage of the arranged meeting in order to trap and capture the Calystii Imperial Flagship, but they want us to go underground—to hide. They’re still hoping to find Robby with my help once they narrow down his location to retrieve whatever he has. The Lorgors are certain he has something capable of crippling their enemy.”
Borth swung around, roaring as he swung his fist into the wall, punching a hole into the material. Grish frowned after his brother’s show of rage in front of their female, but he couldn’t deny that he wanted to do the same. Anything to vent the rage and frustration stirring within him. His hands tightened briefly on Crystal before he forced himself to loosen his grip with a murmur of apology.
Crystal stroked her hand against his arm. “It’s okay. You didn’t hurt me.” She sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. “I can’t believe someone is collecting a bounty on me.”
“It could be Danya. He saw you with us,” Grish growled.
“Then he made a big mistake,” Borth rumbled upon rejoining them. “I will go into town personally and hunt him down in his offices. He will not have an opportunity to regret targeting our mate.”
Grish nodded grimly. “Take care of it early in the morning, brother, before the crowds thicken. I will remain here and guard Crystal. No one will get anywhere near our property. Especially not with Matida on the grounds. We will await your return.”
Borth inclined his head, and between them, they folded their female in close, secure in the protection of their bodies. They would not relax their guard that night. This was the purpose that the uthak bond served. They would take shifts sleeping and guarding their mate to ensure that no harm would come to her.
No one would take their mate from them and live.
Chapter 24
Borth prowled through the streets in the faint light of the early morning. There were a few early risers moving around town, but they did not receive more than his fleeting notice as he approached the gleaming building of the local outpost of the Megaraisi Corporation. His tail stiffened as he neared, all his instincts on the attack.
He would not knock, and this would be no pleasant visit.
The moment he came within charging distance, Borth dropped his body low, throwing his whole mass into the metal door. Fueled by his rage, the simple metal of the office door not only crumpled beneath the force of his body but snapped free of the mechanisms that held it in place. It fell with a loud crash to the expensive stone floors, preceding the heavy thump of his footsteps as he entered.
A Calystii male hunkered low behind the reception desk, trembling with fear. Borth’s gaze fixed on him, and he shook his head in warning. The male, apparently with an appreciation for being among the living, stepped away and fled from the building without a sound, leaving Borth alone in the lobby.
A rumble started in his throat, his eyes scanning the space around him as he made his way deeper into the building. His gaze fell upon a small datascreen on the wall, and he pulled to a stop in front of it. Cocking his head, Borth ran his first finger down the menu, searching for the one familiar name among the many listed. Coming to it, he selected it, his hand flattening against the screen as his comm recorded the route in the l
arge building to the male’s office.
Borth turned away from the screen and headed along the corridors until he arrived at the correct door. With one well-placed kick, the polished wooden door coveted by the Calystii flew inward, hitting the floor with a hard slam, and Borth’s eyes met the horrified gaze of his target.
Snarling, Borth stepped forward, his tail swinging behind him, his corded muscles standing out as his body tensed. Danya gasped and scrambled away, but despite the limberness of the species, he did not have enough distance to adequately escape Borth. One thick hand grabbed ahold of the Calystii, drawing him back sharply into his chair. A loud bark of surprise left the male’s mouth, his eyes widening as Borth leaned in, his temper fit to murder the male if he so much as spoke the wrong way about Crystal.
“Wh…what do you want?” Danya gasped.
Borth did not answer him right away. Instead, he fixed his eyes on the male, well aware that the peculiar reddish pigment of his eyes tended to put many species at unease. Truthfully, many of this own species found it unnerving as well. It had caused him some heartache in his youth, but in instances such as this, it served him well.
“You like causing trouble. First for my Arobi friends and now for my uthak brother. I am not the sort of male to be patient with foolishness, who will let you escape freely despite the wrongs you have done.”
“I did nothing—I swear!”
“Did you not threaten my mate?” he growled.
The Calystii paled an unhealthy pale hue, and he shook his head rapidly.
“No. I did not. I mean, yes, I tried to intimidate her. She looked familiar, and I thought that if I worked it to my advantage that I would ensure the cooperation of your family and the assimilation of your farm into our corporation. I swear, that is all I wanted.”
“You are lying to me,” Borth growled as he pressed forward, his weight coming down on the male’s arm as he gripped his shoulder in his large hand.
“I am not. I promise you. That is all! I would not risk myself by doing something so stupid that it would endanger my life!”
Teril's Fire: A Mate Index Alien Romance (The Mate Index Book 12) Page 17