Her eyes widen. “They’re betting on us?”
“Miners are bored. We find entertainment where we can.” I spin her gently, then pull her back in. “Don’t worry. I’ll make sure Maxon wins. He bet on midnight.”
“You’re going to rig the betting pool?”
“For my brother? Absolutely.”
She laughs, and the sound is the most beautiful thing I’ve ever heard.
I bury my nose in her human hair and inhale deeply, allowing myself to take in her fresh scent. It’s nothing like I’ve ever felt before. My lungs fill with warmth as I fully inhale her pheromones which light up receptors I never knew existed. I’m not fully enflamed. I know this because my cock is not hardening but I feel an even stronger need to keep her close. I cannot let her out of my sight.
“What’s the verdict?”
My personal crystal is bright and warm in my pocket, continuing to confirm the Illibrium likes her too. “You’re mine. Does this frighten you?”
She reaches up and cups the back of my neck. “No. No, not at all,” she says with a hint of surprise. “I’m...happy?”
I bend down and lean my forehead against hers. “Good. And the reason you like how I smell is because my pheromones affect you as much as yours affect me.”
She laughs nervously. “Is this some crazy silent mind trick?”
“Maybe.”
“I was told I needed to make sure I wore the gloves of the unmated at all times, which I’m doing. I’m following the rules, but I’ve still started something with you. Is that wrong? Are they going to kick me off the planet and not hire me?”
“No, we have both been following the rules. Usually, Xylan clasp bare claws with another unmated Xylan during a formal mating compatibility test. But for me, I know ahead of time. No need to put us both through the ceremony.”
“But what if you’re wrong?”
I swing us around again. “I’m not wrong. It’s always correct. It’s always been you. I’ve been waiting for you to arrive on Timbur my whole life.”
She laughs. “You’re out of your mind. Have you been drinking?”
“No,” I chuckle. “The only one who has been drinking was you.”
“You saw that?”
“I’ve seen everything.”
And then the music stops and the clock strikes midnight.
“I win,” she shouts.
“You do.”
The other Xylan around us start offering their congratulations on Naomi’s win, but also our obvious connection, which they’ve been watching unfold all evening.
“Congrats, Chief on finding yet another human Bride to add to the fever brother’s growing collection,” a familiar voice chuckles in my ear. This is Lycrus, the crew leader always second best in our competitions.
A break in the crowd forms, allowing Naomi a path to the stage to accept her eventual award.
And then the lights cut out leaving only a shaft of moonlight from the opening above. A drumbeat starts, signaling the arrival of the Dark Moon.
“Outside, on the ground,” I tell her, “the entire planet is now being covered in darkness by the eclipse, which also affects the mine. We are about to experience utter darkness through the hole in the roof of this cavern. The lights are set to power downtoo, so we can comply with Dark Moon. It’s exciting for Xylan to perform this on Timbur because we are lucky to have this eclipse occur here, similar to Chronos. All the other Xylan that live off planet must recreate Dark Moon on a holosuite, but we have the real thing here on Timbur.”
Suddenly, a white mist fills the cavern, surrounding us and reaching tendrils up toward the ceiling.
Naomi turns. “Oh, is this mist part of the party too? Is this how it ends?”
