"They come with specific obligations to our people. My mother is in the Coalition, and my father serves them as needed."
"Are they hierarchy positions? Like do you inherit them when you, uh..." Her cheeks turned pink.
"What were you going to say?"
"I was about to say, 'when you grow up,’ but honestly, I cannot imagine you more grown than you already are.”
He smiled at her. "I do grow a bit more," he said as he started to undo his heavy ceremonial coat.
"I don't think we're that far into Courtship to see that just yet."
He chuckled. "I meant my armor. It expands and grows as needed."
"Do your horns, too?"
"They do. They are protective pieces." He removed his coat, and he turned so she could see the ridges down his spine.
"But, uh, the coat. They look bigger in the coat."
He held it out so she could see how the back was sewn together, with pre-made shapes for his armor. "It's cut and shaped for expansion." He handed it to her so she could examine the fabric.
"Interesting," she said. "The shapes are molded into it, then? Can they get bigger than this? Like bigger than the space?"
"They can on occasion. It does not often happen, though."
"What makes them change?"
"Threats."
6
Janae stared at the currently small green-gold nubs on his back. "I guess I don't need to threaten you."
Well, they weren't exactly nubs, they did stick out a bit. Enough that she could easily grip them if she wanted to. She had an impulse to touch them, but she kept her hands to herself.
Instead, she rubbed her nose and tried to maintain some level of emotional control, though really, she didn't have much left. Explosions, being chosen to mate with a stranger would do that. While she signed up to do the latter, she didn't think she'd actually have to do it.
She wondered when he would take her back into that big bedroom--and she'd seen inside it when they arrived. Hard to miss. It was right by the entrance.
Like what happened in there was not attached to where he lived his life. It was easy to bring someone in, have his way, and be done with them before they ever stepped foot into his place.
Knock it off. You’re thinking way too hard about this,she told herself.It’s just nerves.
She made herself focus on the apartment he was in and took in the new environment. A wall of windows overlooking the terrain dominated the space and was beautiful. She headed straight to it, brushing past the simple furnishings, and tried not to shiver when she saw the weapons hanging on the wall. Large, hooked weapons and a long staff with double blades on it.
That one had scuff marks on the wall behind it.
He took that one down a lot. It must be his favorite.
Mostly there was space. A vast amount of it, to be honest.
He had a food prep area, but it, like everything else, faced the wall of windows. It made sense, though. The view was spectacular. She couldn't see the platforms where they had landed. It was just nature. Some buildings could be seen, but it all mingled almost effortlessly with the natural surroundings. Transports were flying back and forth, far enough away they reminded her of bugs.
Except for the straight lines they moved in, that was her clue they were transports and not organic life. Organic life didn't fly straight.
She couldn't imagine what a view like this would cost on Trinity Alpha Prime. Far more income than she had ever known, for sure. If finances here were anything like they were on Trinity Alpha Prime, this was an expensive home, and he was a wealthy person. That was something she was interested in learning about him during this Courtship phase.
Who was he? How much wealth and security did he have in his life? Was he going to take care of her, like the Galactic Alliance claimed the Kantenan volunteers would be able to do?
