Ghauro
Iwatched my mate get pulled from food stall to food stall by both Zhari and Eletie, a huge smile on all of their faces. Every time someone stopped close to them, I sat still, waiting, ready to pounce if they got too close or tried the wrong thing.
But they never did. My precious human got so many blessings we may have to bathe again to get rid of all the oil patterns on her skin. I did not miss the care in my sister and brother’s mate's eyes as they checked peoples’ hands, ensuring the blessings were just that, and not ill intended.
“So…” Thanato said, leaning back in the grass and closing his eyes, obviously enjoying the feeling of the sun on his face. His first moment of rest after helping organize everything as the temporary leader. “The flowers? Really subtle, brother.”
I groaned, picking at the strands of grass next to my hand. “I have not claimed her yet,” I said.
“Yeah, wenoticed. How did you even survive sharing a bed during her heat and not acting on it?”
“Some of us have self control,” I lied. He did not need to know that I, in fact, did not have any control and spent thelast seven days pleasuring her in any way I could without actually breeding her. That she had pleasured me like no Tauri female had ever done before in return.
He scoffed. “Right. She refused your advances, did she?”
Maybe I should have said yes. But he was my brother, and I did not like the idea of lying. “I did.”
He straightened up to look at me. “Why?”
“She is planning to leave after she has given birth,” I muttered. “Did you know humans talk to themselves when they think they are alone? She has someone on her planet she wants to go back to.”
Thanato’s face hardened. “Another male?”
“Maybe. She called it agranny. It did not translate.”
He looked at her, thoughtful. “And you do not want her to leave. So you want to wait to breed her to keep her here longer.”
I made the ‘yes’ head motion and he looked at me funny. “Yes. I hope that if she comes to love me more than thisgranny, she will decide to stay here instead of going back to her dying Earth.”
His eyes drifted briefly to the Hollop entwined around my horn. Hope…How spot on she was with that one.“Earth?” he asked when he looked away, poking at the soil with confusion.
“That is how their planet is called. From what she said, it does not have anything to do with the earth we know. The planet is sick, and making people sick.”
Thanato fell silent next to me. Melanie looked happy. Would today be enough, or was she still planning to leaveas soon as she could? Maybe the way I was trying to convince her was not the best. Maybe we shouldtalk. We had gotten good at it…then why was it so hard to ask her? Why was I feeling fear at the thought of even mentioning it and hearing her answer?
“There is nothing wrong with waiting but…what about the other males?”
“What about them?” I growled.
“Do not take this the wrong way,” he said, lifting his hands in surrender, “but other chiefs will be here to exchange Malakith blessings tonight. They will see her.Smellher.” I had considered it and the thought made my blood pulse behind my eyes. “They know about the program the humans have started. They will know she can be bred, and smell that you have not—”
“Her heat has passed,” I cut him off. “Even if they try to take her from me and claim her for themselves, her next heat is not for a few weeks.”
“Some of them will not have remorses about taking her and hiding her until the time is right.”
“Then they will die,” I said through my teeth.
The gleam in Thanato’s eyes showed he was willing to follow me in my murderous rage if this came to happen.
“Ghauro.” I turned my head and stared at my mother, standing stiffly between both my father and Khaju. “I apologize for running off like this.”
I studied her for a bit longer but ultimately turned back to look at Melanie, tasting a dish that Zhari got for her. “You will have to accept her. She is the mate I have chosen.”
“She is the mate who wasforcedupon—” My brother grunted and she interrupted her accusing sentence with a long sigh. “All I am saying is, donotclose yourself to the possibility of—”
“I do not want another.” My tone was final. “She is the one I wish to keep at my side. The one who I want to build my own home with.”
“Thenwhyhave you not claimed her? The human male said her heat was just a few days away from the ceremony. She could have been pregnant by now!” she sneered.
