Both men stared at her quietly, and Zahra wondered if she'd finally mis-stepped. Perhaps the marriage would be over before it even began. It'd be a bit disappointing, but also wouldn't surprise her overly much. There was a reason she was single, at least according to all her ex-boyfriends. David had been the only one able to put up with the demands of her and her job.
Khaazai's chest rumbled, almost startling her right off his lap, but a quick hand on her middle steadied her.
"I think any of my sons will be just fine." Khaazai commented as he rubbed a palm on her lower back in a comforting gesture.
"Hmm," Khaazai's cousin eyed her. "No female of our kind would be so... forward with her opinions."
"It's refreshing." Khaazai’s chest rumbled.
Zahra raised an eyebrow as she turned to him. "You might be speaking too soon."
"We have a year to find out." Khaazai scraped his claws lightly along her back, sending shivers of pleasure up and down her spine. Seeming to notice her response, he continued to run his claws lightly over her back.
"Emperor." Another Khuuz’eth walked up and bowed with a hand to his chest as he spoke to Khaazai's cousin. "Should we begin the ceremony?"
"You seem close to your cousin." Zahra whispered.
"We are more like brothers. There isn't anything you could say to him tonight that I wouldn't be able to fix."
"Hmm." Zahra wasn’t convinced.
"Start the ceremony." The emperor snagged some meat from the table as the other man backed away. “I’m ready to celebrate a wedding. About time Khaazai settled down and started a family.”
Zahra’s face heated. Start a family. Sex. There’d be sex in this relationship, and although she worried about the anatomy side of things, she couldn’t truthfully say she wasn’t interested. Khaazai was tall, dark, and handsome in a strange alien way.
"Have you read up on our ceremonies?" Khaazai inquired, as he studied her with those electric blue eyes.
"No." Zahra replied as her cheeks flushed again. "I wasn't given a lot of time to read up on your people before arriving here. It was a pretty quick deadline I was given by your people.”
"I'm told our rituals are very different than human ceremonies." Khaazai explained.
Hesitating for a moment, she asked, "Will I need to do anything?" Her voice held steady despite the nerves pumping through her veins.
"No. Only I will be expected to do anything of importance. Your part will be simple." His other hand landed on her knee. "It's about to begin."
Zahra watched the room as a space opened up on the floor before them as people backed away or took seats. A male Khuuz’eth stepped forward into the empty space and then addressed the room.
"Khaazai has claimed a female from the humans. Who here challenges him for the right to mate?" The male asked, his deep voice carrying through the quiet room.
"Challenge?" Zahra's forehead wrinkled as she glanced back at Khaazai. And where was Holly? She was supposed to be here for questions. And Zahra had questions! She felt certain there’d be many more before the night concluded.
"Yes." Khaazai whispered, his eyes never leaving the man standing in the middle of the room.
Her brow furrowed even more when she sensed excitement buzzing up from Khaazai. The energy seemed to radiate straight from him and into her, which ignited her own curiosity and also some worry.
"Umm. Okay." She glanced around the room again to see a male rise from the crowd. He strode into the middle.
"I challenge Khazzai."
Then another two males strode into the center of the room and declared their intention to challenge.
"What’s going on?" Zahra glanced around the confusing scene unfolding before her. She spotted Holly pushing her way to through the crowd of Khuuz’eth. The poor woman was dwarfed by all the tall aliens standing around her, their towering frames like a dense forest that formed almost an impenetrable barrier. The determination stamped across Holly’s face gave Zahra the comfort she’d make it through in time to answer the questions burning inside Zahra’s chest.
Khaazai wrapped his hands around her waist and set her on her feet beside his chair. Then he stood to his full height, and she craned her head back.
"Only three challengers?” Khaazai roared to the room. “Will no one else challenge me for my female?" He lifted a hand to Zahra as if showing her off, like the rest of the males in the room were blind or stupid for not wanting her.
"Wait, what?!" Zahra asked none to quietly as her eyes darted from him to the males in the middle of the room and then to General Bohler.
