“And they…killed off your women?Your mother being one of them?”
He jerked his head in a nod.
“Lihvan,” she breathed, running her hand through his hair.“I’m so sorry.”
“It was more than ten rotations ago,” he said, watching her.“We may never recover from the attack, but we will rebuild as best as we can.Our doctors are trying to help the remaining females.To see if there is a way to reverse the virus’ effects.”
“But there are no young children on Luxiria?” she questioned.
“Nix.None.Vaxa’an’s offspring will be the first to be born since the virus, provided the pregnancy goes well.Our doctors monitor her quite carefully.It will be the first hybrid young and we do not know what to expect.”
Beks went quiet after that, processing everything he’d told her.She’d judged their leader’s action, partaking in the Pit, too harshly it seemed.He’d been looking for a mate to produce children with, so that their race might survive.Perhaps the Pit hadn’t been the best option, but even Beks could understand the reasoning.
“And she’s happy?” Beks asked, wanting to know about the Prime Leader’s mate.“On Luxiria?”
Lihvan stroked his hand across her bare back.“Tev.She chose to stay.”
Beks was beginning to understand why she had.If this woman’s mate was anything like Lihvan…well, it only made sense.Because she was starting to think that whenever they got to Luxiria…Beks wouldn’t be able to walk away from him.
“Can I ask you something?” she murmured quietly, a stray thought entering her mind.And she wanted to ask it before she lost her nerve.
“Tev.”
“You said before that you’d never taken a…a Breeding partner.Why not?” she asked.There was no doubt in her mind that women on his planet were probably trampling each other trying to get to him.Yet, he’d never chosen one of them?“I mean, you just told me that your…females are infertile now.But why not before the virus?Were you too young?”
Lihvan went still, but his breaths were even.“Nix, I was of age before the virus spread.”
“Did your…Instinct not choose one for you?”
“Nix, it did.Usually every rotation, leading up to the virus, it chose a Breeding partner for me.”
Jealousy cut through her, but she tried to swallow it as best as she could.“But you never took one…to have children with?”
Lihvan exhaled a sharp breath and said simply, “I have never mated with a female before.”
Shock made her lips part.“What?”
He was…a virgin?
His features were grim, studying her.All the while, Beks was trying to figure out what thehellwas wrong with Luxirian women.
“I will admit,” he murmured, “that it is abnormal for a Luxirian.Sex is important in our race.Most take their first female before the midway point of military training.”
“But not you?”
“Nix,” he said quietly.“Females tend to think I am…”
He searched for the right word, but Beks supplied it for him, “Intense?”
He cocked his head a little, but jerked it in a nod.“Yes.My horn does not help.Or my scar,” he said, touching his cheek.
“I don’t mind them at all,” she said, leaning up to kiss the path he’d just traced.Teasing, she whispered, “I think they’re sexy.”
That smile returned.“Perhaps that is why you are covered in my scent,luxiva.”
He was flirting with her.
Gawd, this alien…thisvirginalien that she very much wanted to do all kinds of nasty, sexy things to…
