“Ouch.” Ceredes smirks.
“I believe the circle has been formed to help us, and I will defend it with my life.” Master Harlan thumps his fist on his chest in salute.
“As will I.” Onin steps forward, followed by Master Rav who likewise swears to defend the circle.
It should be heartwarming. Instead, I inwardly groan at all the extra supervision that’s being piled onto us.
“We also have the issue of setting the public mating.” Councilor Ellarian backs up and sits, the barrier returning to its unfractured state.
“What?” Lana’s brows bunch and she casts a look at me.
“The mating will be public, the circle fully sealed under the watchful eye of the council.” Kyte’s mother states it matter-of-factly, but each word from her lips has Lana clinging tighter to my side.
“We aren’t mating inpublic.” Her thought hisses down the bond.
I shrug, Kyte grins, and Ceredes adopts his usual glower.
“The council is available within the next month, surely, to witness this momentous—”
“No.” Lana steps forward, still clutching the coat around her. “That’s not happening.” A sparkle of silver begins to bump against Councilor Ellarian’s barrier, the sound like birds trying to escape a glass room.
“Easy, Lana.” Ceredes moves closer, the three of us in a line behind our Omega.
“I must have misheard,Lana, because it almost sounded like you told me no.” Kyte’s mother uses a tone that suggests it’s quite rare for someone to interrupt her, much less refuse her.
“You heard me. I said no. I’m not mating with my Alphas in public. Not happening.” She shakes her head. “I mean, who even came up with that? Why would you want to watch your son do the deed? Doesn’t that seem, I don’t know, kind of messed up?”
“It’s tradition, young human. Moreover, if you would recall, you just stated that you would follow the council’s—”
The silvery birds thump louder, and Councilor Ellarian’s barrier cracks anew as Lana says, “I agreed that I would remain here with my Alphas, that I would continue studying at the academy, and that we want to be part of the Gretar Fleet, especially in a war against the Sentients. But I never agreed to having sex inpublic.” Her spine straightens with each word, and pride floods the bond between all of us. “I know I’m supposed to pick my battles—” She turns and gives Master Rav an appreciative look. “And this is one I am definitely going to pick. No sex in public. Hard pass.”
“You tell her, Lana.” Kyte is grinning even bigger, though his mother looks like she could bite the head off a Piwarin viper.
When she cuts her eyes to him, he stows the grin and gives her a weak shrug. “Mother, you know I’m fine with a public mating, but if Lana says no, then we all say no.”
“No,” Ceredes grates.
“No.” I reach forward and take Lana’s hand, pulling her back to the safety of the circle. She reaches up and scratches her head a little.
Kyte’s mother seems to make an internal decision, because after a few more moments of glaring, she leans back and sighs as the barrier around us fades. “Fine. No public mating.”
Lana relaxes, and the weight in the room seems to have lifted somewhat. Her silvery birds disappear.
“You may go,” Kyte’s mother says as the doors behind us open.
As we turn and walk out, High Commander Bartanz says, “But we’ll still watch the mating via comms, correct?”
“Of course,” Councilor Ellarian responds.
Lana turns on her heel, and the silvery birds reappear, her barrier sending cracks through the walls and ceiling.
Once again, Kyte grins, Ceredes smirks, and I stow my laugh as I prepare to watch another round between Lana and Kyte’s mother. I only hope the building is still standing once this argument is done.
8
Lana
Toweling my hair dry, I walk into my new quarters.
