Kaede
It had taken Kaede all night to burn through his mating lust, and he knew he would need to do the same tonight. If he stayed in their master suite, he would be tempted to take her again before then, though he shouldn’t.
He needed to afford her some rest in case his heat cycle lasted for a long time. The last thing he wanted was to deliver her to Destima exhausted and malnourished from ceaseless mating. Next time he felt his cycle dawning, he would make sure to book a vacation for them so they could work it out in peace, far from the stresses of the universe.
Not caring who saw him, Kaede entered the galley dressed in nothing but a pair of exercise shorts to allow his neck wound to breathe. REI had expressed concern when he had requested she keep his nanobots from healing the mark. He didn’t want the wound to heal too quickly because he hoped to develop a big, ugly scar on his neck for the universe to see. If Selena decided to mark his shoulders too, even better. Everyone should know he had been claimed.
As soon as Luwyn’s eyes moved from his conversation to Kaede’s body, he dropped his pastry. “What the Stars happened to you?”
Auro glanced over his shoulder and spat out his drink, spraying liquid everywhere. “Did we get attacked while we slept? Why didn’t you wake us?”
“You could say that,” he muttered, grabbing a drink from the dispenser before sitting down to join them.
“Why didn’t you ask for help?” Ryzen asked from the other side of the table, staring at his neck in horror. “I would have joined the battle.”
He smirked into his glass. “I didn’t need help.”
“You are prettybadass, Kaede!” Tori reached over with her hand raised.
Kaede stared at her in confusion then glanced at her mates for help. Auro pointed to her and slowly clapped his hands.
“Come on, man!” She shook her raised hand in front of him. “Don’t leave me hanging!”
Slowly, he raised his hand—and sheslappedit. What the Stars?
He glanced down at his hand, then looked at her, wondering what that was about.
“Earth humans are weird.”
“Are you sure you don’t want me to heal—”
“Leave it, REI. Please. It’s a status symbol. Only interfere if it becomes infected.”
“Okay, seriously, Kaede,” Luwyn began. “What happened?”
“Selena marked me.”
“Selena did that?” Celyze pointed to his wound. “There is no way our—”
The room stilled as they stared at the entryway. He knew who had entered from his blood compass and her scent. Selena wrapped her arms loosely around him from behind.
“How are you feeling?” Her voice was laced with concern. “I really took out a big chunk of your skin, didn’t I?”
The room filled with coughs and gasps.
Kaede took a sip, loving their reactions. It was like they had never seen anyone mark a mate before.
“I will never complain about my hair ever again,” Tori muttered, shaking her head. “I love it and I don’t need anything else.”
“Are you well?” Zyxel’s face paled as he glanced between Selena and him. “Do either of you need assistance?”
Selena circled Kaede and sat on his lap, tilting her head as she peered at his neck with concern.
“Maybe you should—”
“I’m fine.” Instinctively, he wrapped his arms around her waist and grinned. “This is the best present I’ve ever received.”
“I didn’t know you wanted to be claimed so bad.”
