“I’m already someone else’sblessing.” Taking a deep breath, I show the group my mating mark.
It’s like watching a train crash. The Andjin women flash a myriad of colors as the confusion sets in.
“Kitaico is mine, and I am his.”
“Hopeful Kitaico has taken you as his mate…without being found worthy?” Yiskku’s eyes go wide with horror.
“No, it was an accident. It was my fault.” I shoulder the guilt for the mating sting, even though I don’t really think there’s any blame to assign.
It just happened.
“He’ll be put to death,” a voice in the crowd whispers.
“No, they’ve just taken him to talk to him…it’s going to be okay—” I’m rambling, my eyes searching their now forlorn faces.
“He took a mate, without permission…” Yissku mutters.
“We consummated nothing.” I blurt out, trying anything to convince them he deserves to live.
That statement gets their attention, and Yissku’s brows raise.
“Even through your heats, he never touched you?” She doesn’t believe me.
To be fair, I said mated, not touched.
“We never mated, I swear it.” I hope that mating means a literal attempt at procreation. I will leave off the several instances of getting each other off if it means it’ll save his life. Mating and touching aren’t the same.
“No male could resist the urge to rut after taking his mate’s mating sting, though. You lie!” A particularly judgy looking Andjin seethes.
“I don’t have a stinger, or whatever you all do. I never marked him!” I hold up my wrist frantically to what feels like my jury.
Yissku grabs my arm and jabs a finger into the flesh where my stinger should be.
“She tells the truth. The alien has no mating barb.” She narrows her eyes. “But what of your heat? You took his venom, did you not?”
“He tied me up, restrained me so I wouldn’t hurt myself or force myself on him. He kept telling me he hadn’t been found worthy yet, that?—”
She puts her palm up, silencing me.
“We will tell the elders your tale, although I believe you. Kitaico’s fate will lie in their hands.”
Just as quickly as I was whisked through to the bathing chamber, I’m brought back up to the main entrance door. Yissku opens it, and the guards bow to the flock of jewels with wide eyes.
They march me through the halls on a mission. The whispers of guards grow the closer we get to our destination. Finally, the bare-chested females demand that the doors in front of us open, and the guards stumble quickly, complying to their command.
The forceful rush of bodies behind me propels me into the room, creating a sensation of being swept away. Despite the scene I’m sure the women have created around me, even the elders lower their gaze.
The only set of eyes I see looking at us,at me, are Kitaico’s.
Worry etches his face, his eyes filled with an unmistakable fear.
“Chancellor Hirouz.” Yissku clears her throat before grabbing my wrist and forcing my palm up. “She is mated to this one…an unconsummated mating.”
The delicate ring-encrusted finger points to my mate.
20
more than honorable
