Skehl gave a shy smile. And Maker, but he was beautiful when he let himself show emotion.
Arghet cleared his throat. “My clothing?”
Skehl nodded to the pile a short distance away but made no effort to cover himself, or his rising erection.
Arghet dressed, his gaze on Skehl, who seemed different somehow. That difference worried him, because as much as Arghet liked to think he could deny the mating, he had a feeling that was no longer true. “So we are bonded, you said?”
Skehl nodded.
“And that sits well with you? What do you want, Skehl? Do you wish to stay with the Vyctore? To be a warrior, one who fights to protect the clan? Or would you rather farm or trade? In our village, we can choose what we want to do. We are all warriors at heart, but we can be anything else we desire.”
Skehl frowned. “I do not know.”
“Have you ever been asked?” Arghet regretted Skehl’s lack of choices in his life. The Nasuhl had oppressed all their clan, but to a tender heart like Skehl’s, that was especially wrong.
“No. But my home is with you, Arghet. And Raia. She will need to come with us as well.”
“I don’t know how that’s going to work, but we will see.” Arghet needed to focus, and the distraction of his mates would take away from the next day’s competition. “We will soon head back to join the others. But Raia, she will be our secret, yes?”
Skehl nodded. “I think she will fit in well with the Vyctore. Skye will like having another female warrior.”
“Yes. Though warrior might not be the right name for what Raia is.” Having seen the female wield a blade, and how skillfully she’d drugged him, he though she might be more of an assassin than a warrior. Stars knew the offworlders in the resort gossiped about the mythical assassin guilds that rampaged throughout the galaxies. Security measures had been put in place to prevent their murderous intention from infiltrating the resort.
Arghet had figured the rumors of assassins to be just that. Rumors and nothing more. But having been the target of skilled cutthroats while protecting Lore and Zehn’s mate weeks ago, he knew just how real they were. And how real Raia was.
“I do not think the female will want to come with us. She’ll need to be persuaded.” Arghet tossed the thought in his mind and smiled. “Perhaps we can persuade her as we did earlier.”
Skehl flushed. “She was most tempting. Her mouth is…” He sighed. “I would like to know all of her.”
“As would I.” Arghet had so many questions for the female, the least of which was why she’d taken his kill. He walked with Skehl toward the sounds of revelry when an odd thought struck him. “Skehl, areyoupleased you’ve mated?” Perhaps poor Skehl had been as surprised as Arghet about them bonding. Did Skehl wish to undo what had been done? Could he? And why did the notion upset Arghet so?
Skehl stopped and looked down into Arghet’s eyes, his blazing with emotion. He didn’t answer, but his wide smile said what words would not.
With a sigh, Arghet put a hand on his back, needing the contact, before regretfully severing the connection and moved forward to join the others.
Skehl followed, content to let Arghet lead. Was he happy about bonding to Arghet? Unbearably so. But he had read Arghet’s doubts, and Skehl needed to prove himself a good mate. His victory the previous day was a start. The incredible sex he and Arghet continued to have helped as well. But to show Arghet that Skehl would be an asset, perhaps he should give Arghet what he wanted most. Raia.
Skehl felt warm all over when he thought of her. The marker on her face was just like his. She’d kissed him in the most intimate way a woman could kiss a man. And she’d enjoyed it. He hadn’t been immune to the musk of her need, or how much joy she’d radiated when he’d given her his second seed.
The female had claimed him willingly. But did she know who he was? That worried him. At least Arghet knew he’d been a lowly member of the Nasuhl. The female had heard about him, surely, but she might not realize how terrible his old clan had been. What if she learned and didn’t want him anymore?
He didn’t like knowing he wasn’t good enough. He never had been, but the Vyctore seemed to see something in him he’d felt but could never justify. A need to do good, to protect the innocent, and to fight and be proud of his skills in battle. Talzec had praised him. As had his alpha’s mate.
That made him feel wonderful. But the hesitance in Arghet would need to be addressed the right way. Skehl would show his mate that he could be counted upon. He’d prove himself by protecting Arghet, so that his mate could concentrate on the scitia fight tomorrow while Skehl showed himself to be a defender of worth
Then Skehl would find Rai and deliver her to Arghet. That would please his barbarian warrior. Lost in thought, he nearly ran over a barbarian while following Arghet.
“Watch where you’re going, Vyctore.” The male was one of the Chamra clan, and the one who’d been staring at Arghet from before.
At his voice, Arghet turned around. His expression flattened. “Ackhlen.”
Ackhlen brightened. “Arghet. We are to duel with the scitia tomorrow. I’ll wait for you to win your battles, of course. But when you succeed, we will compete to prove who is the better swordsman and the Cloud champion.”
Arghet turned away. “Skehl, let us return to the clan.”
Ignoring Ackhlen only seemed to annoy him. “Wait. I’ll walk with you.” Ackhlen left his fellow Chamra, inserting himself between Arghet and Skehl, which didn’t make Skehl happy. But he trailed them, satisfied to be at Ackhlen’s unguarded back.
The dynamic between Arghet and Ackhlen puzzled him. Arghet seemed to want nothing to do with Ackhlen, while Ackhlen acted as if he couldn’t stand to be apart from Arghet. Admiration, pleasure, and, yes, lust, radiated from Ackhlen in waves as he studied Skehl’s mate.
