Shaagra’s heart mourned for them. For life cut short so young. The females of clan quickly took on the burden of the slain. They took thick evo leaves from the dense trees whose roots were strongest and dug deep into the infernal nests of the Mother and wrapped them around their bodies. They wrapped their young with prayers that the Mother received them to her most holy nest and provide them comfort eternal until they arrived again to the world from the umbral egg through which all life returned.
Solemnly, Shaagra approached the first and with a lengthened claw, slit open his palm, allowing an offering of his blood to fall upon the body. An offering of his life essence for the offering of the life given to safeguard his nest. He turned to squeeze out precious drops of blood over each body and bowed low before them, honoring their sacrifice.
It was not until he actually looked closely around the nesting ground that he noticed the many fallen Kampi slowly being removed from the territory. His hearts pulsed with alarm and he rushed to his nest. Fear pooled deep within him as he imagined his nest torn asunder, Vadal lying dead in defense of their mate, Reggie either stolen or perished. He cried out in his panic upon reaching the door and flung himself at it, only for the door to slide open and be caught in the arms of Vadal.
***
Vadal had held her there for what seemed like ages. Outside, he could hear the sounds of Vori emerging from their nests. Still he could not bear the idea of releasing his mate. He felt that he’d danced too close with losing her that day. He didn’t know if he would ever be able to let her go. Luckily, Reggie didn’t seem any more inclined to release him.
He’d no sooner buried his face against the soft flesh of her neck when he heard the proximity sensor go off. Someone was accessing the door of the nest. Without thought, he shoved Reggie behind him and sprung forward. He would greet the Mother in the Deep Nest before he let anyone enter and hurt his mate.
***
For a moment, Shaagra froze, his blood stilling with shock at the harsh grip around him—and then there was nothing but numbing relief. Then he cried out again, but this time in relief and happiness. He embraced Vadal and wrapped the heavy length of his tail around him.
“Shaagra!” Reggie called out, the pitch of her voice carrying high as she pushed her way past Vadal’s coils, running full force into him.
Shaagra loosened an arm from Vadal and hauled Reggie close to them. He could not get enough of breathing her in, tasting her essence upon his tongue. Shaagra was only distantly aware of the gruesome splatters of blood and gore falling outward from the door. He knew without a doubt that Vadal had emerged from the nest like a spirit of death rising against those who attempted to enter.
He leaned into the conjoined embrace of his family. They were safe. His nest was hole and unviolated. It was a good day.
***
When his flesh impacted the solid wall of his nest brother, Vadal’s instinct had immediately changed course. His arms seized around the male with a tremor of relief.
Shaagra was alive!
He had hoped but hadn’t been certain if the male would survive. To hold him close, and twine his tail together with his, was of such great relief that he shook from it. The entirety of his body trembled as Shaagra returned his embrace.
When Reggie squealed happily and climbed around his coils, Vadal turned to draw her into their embrace at the same time Shaagra reached for her. Together, the three of them held tight to each other. For the first time in a great many days, Vadal felt a certain peace seep into his blood. That which had plagued them was now over. The Kampi king was dead, and what few, if any, survivors had long since departed.
All that awaited him now was a long, peaceful life with his family.
Chapter 16
Shaagra held his family until his arms began to feel like great weights dragging on his body, so filled with exhaustion as they were. He did not want to let his family go, but he knew that he could not stand there all day and do nothing more than cling to them. Not when there was so much to be done. Injured and dead to attend to. Which reminded him. He solemnly looked at Vadal. His nest brother deserved to know, and Walooth should not be denied the honor.
“Vadal, you should know. Walooth insisted on accompanying us to defend our nest. He fought bravely, and in the course of saving my life, he was greatly injured. He is with the healer now if you wish to attend to him. I was going to go to pay my respect.”
Vadal’s face softened. “Thank you, Shaagra. Let us go.”
“I’d like to go too,” Reggie announced. “He did so much to help save us. We all owe it to him to be there.”
Shaagra nodded thoughtfully at her words. She was right of course. Their family owed Walooth much. He looked over at Vadal, his face tense with worry, and felt his own hearts lighten. He had always judged Walooth in accordance to their competition for Vadal’s affection, both wanting to share his nest.
Where once he felt nothing but antipathy toward the male, now he felt something more akin to sympathy and understanding. Walooth was a male without nest brother and without mate. Shaagra could well imagine the loneliness. At that moment, he resolved to set aside the history of his grievance with Walooth and accept him as friend to their nest. He could do no less.
As one, they left their nest and approached the healer’s alcove where Walooth was rested on a small pile of pillows. A thick nanobody paste covered the terrible burns stretching down his torso. It could not reverse the damage, but it would heal it rapidly. Other wounds his hide only retained as severe discolorations but otherwise had been healed by their tech.
Walooth’s eyes widened in surprise to see them. He attempted his rise on his coils, but Reggie rushed to his side and gently urged him back down.
“Rest, Walooth,” she soothed, her hand stroking his arm gently, making Walooth close his eyes in pleasure, a comforted sigh rattling out from his chest. Vadal perched at his other side, lightly gripping his arm.
Shaagra breathed deeply, familiarizing himself with the light scent of the male who he would now claim as friend. When the male opened his eyes, he crouched down before him, the tips of his claws reaching out to brush the male’s right shoulder.
“Many thanks Walooth. What is mine is yours. You have proven yourself a great guard to our nest. What favor can we do to repay what you have done?”
Walooth peered at him, uncertain, and turned his questioning gaze to Vadal, who nodded in support of Shaagra’s words. Still he seemed to hesitate, to find the right words perhaps. When he finally spoke, his voice was low and edged with a fear of reprisal.
“Shaagra, lead of the hunt, there is nothing I want but to have a family.” He looked hesitantly at all of them. “I ask no favors, or even to join you in your nest proper. I do not expect to be allowed into your hearts,” he said, looking meaningfully at Reggie. “I am just tired of always being alone. If you could accept me within your nest, and into your family, I will be a grateful guard for Reggie and any young she may gift the nest.”
Shaagra drew back in surprise. Of all boons he thought might be asked, he had not quite expected that one. He met Vadal’s eyes. Vadal’s brows rose, leaving the decision up to him but bearing no objection to it. Shaagra considered Walooth.
All the male wished was to be part of their family, a member of the guard of the nest.
Reggie’s soft hand fell across his. He glanced up at her, and she smiled slightly.
“I don’t think what he asks is anything too crazy, Shaagra. Everyone deserves a family. I have no objection to providing space for him in our nest.”
Shaagra smiled at her. Their mate had such a big heart. She often moaned about her lack of courage, but she the fearless way she opened her heart amazed him. Her singular heart had enough room for everyone.
He turned his eyes upon a hopeful Walooth and inclined his head toward the male with a kind smile.
“We are agreed then. Welcome to our family EtaliAgor, Walooth.”
Reggie laughed and wrapped her arms aro
und Walooth’s neck, hugging the male fiercely as his skin turned almost as red as the rest of him, a shy smile tugging on his lips. But Shaagra understood well the look of joy in his eyes.
***
Two days Walooth was kept in the alcove to monitor his healing, but on the morning of the third day, Reggie found herself seated in the nest common with Shaagra while Vadal went to bring Walooth home. With a grumble, she puffed out an irritated sigh at her mate.
“Mind telling me again why we’re stuck here waiting for Vadal?”
Shaagra gave her a patient smile and curled his coils into a more comfortable and supportive position.
“As you know, Vadal needs to speak with the elder healer before he collects Walooth, and because this is modified with our traditions in mind. Among the Vori, the female collects males to her. When she secures a new male, her mates at home welcome the him into their company when she returns with him. In a sense, by doing it this way, we are receiving him formally.”
“But he isn’t my mate,” Reggie reminded him.
Shaagra shrugged. “He is not in deed, but he will be considered such by station after we accept him into our nest.”
“Uh-huh, so why am I not the one fetching him then?” she asked skeptically.
“That is where the modified part comes in,” Shaagra grinned down at her. “Not only because Vadal needed to go anyway in order to follow up with the elder healer, but also because we are more comfortable with you safe in our nest.”
Reggie snorted and crossed her arms over her chest in semi-mock irritation. The tip of Shaagra’s tail eased up to drag lightly across her arm, the affectionate gesture tickling the sensitive skin. Reggie squashed the need to wiggle and rub at her arms and attempted to give him her best glare.
“You do realize you guys can’t keep me wrapped under your coils every minute of the day.”
Shaagra thought about it for a moment before grinning widely.
“Actually, we can. In truth, it would have been difficult before for both Vadal and me to keep up with duties now that we are nesting here in Norveth territory without leaving you alone for some long periods… but now with Walooth here… well, that male is going to be more useful than I imagined.”
Reggie felt her jaw drop. “You seriously invited that male into our nest just to… to… babysit me!”
Shaagra instantly looked appalled. “I would never ask any male to sit on you, much less Walooth, and the fact humans sit on babies is reprehensible. Humans are such a savage species. You will not be sitting on our young, for future reference! But no, his value to our nest is merely a happy coincidence.”
Reggie wasn’t sure if she should be amused or insulted, so she decided to change the direction of the conversation. “What exactly does this tradition involve?”
Shaagra stretched subtly and began stroking her back with one hand. “The primary males, the bonded nest brothers, welcome the breeder mate into the nest—”
Reggie’s hand shot up. “Hold up—breeder mate?
Shaagra chuckled and kissed the palm of her hand before setting it gently on his chest. “It is the term that is used for males brought into the nest outside of the primary bonded males that the female mates with. These males are generally smaller, attractive, and submissive to the authority of the primary males who are charged with their protection and care.”
“That sounds so… so… barbaric. Can’t we just show him to a room and tell him to make himself at home? This breeder mate deal just sounds wrong. Like it’s demeaning to him.”
Reggie instantly regretted the words at the look of shock on Shaagra’s face.
“Reggie, no. That would be considered an insult. For many males who do not find another to form a nest brother bond with, being taken in as a breeder mate is anticipated with pleasure. There is nothing shameful at all in it for Vori males. It provides home, family, and security. From the moment they accept the male into the nest, the males ceremonially accept their duty to the breeder mate in their care. If you denied Walooth that, you deny his belonging as well as his standing in the clan, since the bonding pheromones from Shaagra and I would not be on him.”
She winced, imagining the pain it would bring the male. She didn’t intend that.
“You guys aren’t expecting me to… you know… have him join us?”
Shaagra frowned. “With Walooth in our nest, there would be expectation that he would eventually join us in the nest proper, but it is not expected to occur automatically even among Vori matings. Certainly Walooth would hope for that eventuality to come to pass,” Shaagra growled, as if he was forcing it through his fangs bitterly.
Reggie grinned and tugged his face downward, planting a gentle kiss on him. “You know I love you. No one will ever take your place in my heart,” she chided gently. “Having Walooth here won’t change that one bit.”
Her mate relaxed noticeably, returning her kiss so eagerly that neither of them noticed Vadal’s presence until he let out a loud click from his throat. Reggie started guiltily at Walooth lingering at Vadal’s side with an air of nervous anticipation.
“Reggie, please come,” Vadal murmured.
When Reggie approached, Vadal turned and pulled away from Walooth.
“You must embrace Walooth to demonstrate that it is your decision and desire to add him to our nest,” Vadal instructed.
Reggie blushed and looked at the smaller male. He flashed her a small, shy smile and held his palm out toward her submissively. The subtle shift of his coils in her direction made his own desires plain and Reggie hoped that he wouldn’t feel disappointed if he never joined them in the nest proper. At this point, all she recognized was that he was unusually pretty compared to the hard planes of her mates.
Awkwardly, she cleared her throat and approached Walooth. The lean male dropped down on his coils so that they were eye to eye, and for a moment, she felt swept away by the soft reds of his eyes and the blush of his crown coils moving languidly around his jaw and the sharp lines of his cheekbones. She was almost afraid to touch him, that she might mar him like a child playing with an exotic porcelain doll.
He did not freeze or recoil at all in her embrace. Instead, to Reggie’s surprise, he sank into her arms. It wasn’t even something sexually charged, though she had a feeling it could turn that way with little encouragement, but rather it was comfort, warmth, and affection.
“I choose you, Walooth,” she breathed softly for his ears. “I bring you into my nest out of my own desire to have you here. Be welcome here with me.”
Walooth slowly drew back, his eyes shiny with charged emotion, a pleased hopeful smile flitting around his lips.
Feeling the presence of her males pressing in behind her, Reggie stepped back and gave room for her mates to move in. She watched as the males circled around Walooth, their tails coiling around his. Shaagra to the fore and Vadal at the rear, the males embraced him, whispering their oaths into his ears as their tails tightened together.
When the pheromonal musk of Shaagra and Vadal hit her like a freight train, only then did Reggie notice the purpose of the constantly twisting and writhing coil of the three tails together. The dark mating barbs interchangeably latched onto each other and Walooth in a quick repeated sequence, bathing the male in their scent until a crisp smell of autumn apples joined into the air, mingling with the darker musks of her mates. Walooth’s sweet scent drew Reggie in with longing as her nest became saturated with woodsy smells and apple pie. She was startled when her lust surged from within her core.
All three males became aware of it at once, and three pairs of vibrant red eyes of different shades looked upon her, sparking with desire and sexual awareness. It took a great deal of effort, but they all managed to wrangle their hormones again. Reggie took a deep breath and offered Walooth wide welcoming smile.
Vadal gently touched Walooth on the shoulder to get his attention.
“Come, Walooth. Let me show you to the resting room.”
Walooth smiled again at
Reggie with a look that promised great devotion. “Of course. I am happy to see it. I thank my family for my welcome.”
True to Shaagra’s word, Walooth didn’t seem the least bit insulted or demeaned being a breeder mate brought into their nest. Instead, he looked around with excited interest at their nest and rattled off questions eagerly to Vadal as they went back into a spare room, a short distance forward from the nest proper.
He certainly was easy to please.
Chapter 17
Reggie cleared her throat awkwardly. Walooth was once again slithering around their nest with a raging salet bulge. She’d been trying discreetly to ignore it because she didn’t want to embarrass the guy. But he didn’t seem the least bit bothered by it. In fact, if she wasn’t mistaken, he almost paraded around with it like he was proud! Reggie slowly shook her head in disbelief.
Shaagra chuckled from where he was reclined on his coils watching a vid on his small handheld. He was patiently waiting for the delivery of their new comm system which would allow their family to watch vids on larger screen projections. Until then, he was content to watch the vids he’d downloaded in Evath. Reggie peered over his shoulder and couldn’t make heads or tails out of the strange alien flick, but Shaagra found it entertaining.
At the moment, his eyes flicked back and forth between her and Walooth, who disappeared into his resting room with undisguised amusement.
“He’s doing it again,” she hissed, heat climbing her cheeks.
He chuckled. “Truthfully, it is very sweet, Reggie.”
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