Xenoth let out an irritated huff and began pacing back and forth across his domicile.
It was true that they’d been speaking for weeks. The continued conversation had surprised him. Not so much that they’dhada conversation, but that he’d told her so much about his life and his people with such ease. After the first few awkwardmessages, the words had simply flowed comfortably from his fingertips.
He’d have been executed on the spot, had anyone read through their transmissions.
But he couldn’t seem to stop.
Every letter to Z’Sally felt like speaking to a companion he’d been missing his entire life. Someone he could know even closer than his brother, if that were possible.
Someone he wanted to…get physical with.
Xenoth was unfamiliar with the odd itch that flew through his veins whenever he mentioned his brother’s, or any of the other males’ sexual functions in their communications. Talking about his brother’s tubes had never felt sexual before, but trying to explain what was happening with them to Z’Sally made Xenoth’s ocular sockets twitch.
That itch in his veins felt almost like jealousy, but Xenoth had never been jealous of a female’s attentions before.
Ever.
Certainly not with hisbrother.
He checked the data loading screen. A third of the way finished for the first photo. That brilliant red hair of hers dominated the screen, her blue eyes gazing at him as defiantly as any Z'arthaxian Queen.
Xenoth swallowed heavily, running a hand absently through his mane, his kropek twitching as he paced.
Z’arth knew, his emotions had been in rampant overload since he’d begun communications with her, but he’d put it downto his nervousness about the heretical nature of their messages. This, though, as he looked at the achingly slow-loading image, was something different.
Maybe it a reaction from the experiments he’d been running. If so, the spike in aggression and possessiveness was worrisome; females could bond with as many males as they wished in their stables. In fact, while many chose a Primary for close companionship, it was preferable for them to have several. It meant no one male was too drained of either energy or fluids, and plenty were there to help raise any resulting offspring.
Although…Xenoth paused in his pacing, a new thought surfacing. One which he immediately shoved down as being impossible, but then looked at all over again as he glanced at the bottle of untested, synthesized pheromones sitting next to his data terminal.
Malesdidget aggressive and possessive if they were preparing to bond with their Primary female, especially if she hadn’t yet accepted him. And he had been around Sally’s DNA for weeks. It was crazy to suggest, but…
…Was he…was hebondingwith ahuman female?
From a distance?!
Was that even possible??
Xenoth needed to talk to Arzog.
The older male had managed to find a wealth of useful information in the library archives. Of course, it had taken longer than expected to get to it. Arzog had needed to hack into the libraries using his female’s old access key; another heretical act they’d both be on the hook for should anyone discover it.
Xenoth was relieved to have some shared responsibility in enacting their desperate attempts to regulate the Z'arthaxians’ needs.
He reached out to Arzog through the allied bond they’d decided to put in place only recently. It ensured their mutual destruction, given the sensitive information they were sharing with one another…and it allowed them to speak as closest family would.
Z’arth knew they were both feeling the disconnect of going from hundreds of relatives to…whatever was left.
That thought put an interesting idea into Xenoth’s mind and he added it to the list of things to speak to Arzog about.
Arzog, have you a moment?He sent through their bond.
Indeed, my Zah, as much as I ever do with this brood of flame-ants for children. What’s on your mind?
Xenoth glanced at the data terminal, its place-holding screen running pictures of his home world as the images continued to load.
In all of your research, have you ever come across a Z'arthaxian whose bond woke with another species?
Arzog was silent for a long moment. Xenoth did not know if it was because of the children, or because his question had shocked the other male.
