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He hoped that was true. She seemed more in charge of her Xi and Xa now that she had ceded the post of High Councillor. Not that she hadn’t still tried to control things. His father had been right about that. But still. No more killing.

“Oh, right.” Jace nodded and Khoth narrowed his eyes, unsure if Jace really thought that or if he had doubts about Nova still, too.

“They might have imprisoned us and used laws to strip us of our rights, freedom and property, but there is no death penalty in the Alliance,” Khoth said.

“Yeah, yeah, except we’re not Alliance and those rules only apply to Alliance members,” Jace pointed out gently. “So…”

Khoth frowned. “Yes, I suppose you are correct in this, but I would hope that they would follow the rule of law for us as well.”

“You’re probably right. The Alliance just simply would have locked us up and attempted to force us to work with them,” Jace agreed amiably.

“That almost sounds worse than the simple killing,” Khoth admitted.

“It’s definitely not my idea of fun. And it appears, for now, like there isn’t the political will to do it,” Jace said, bobbing his head as if agreeing with himself.

His eyes were glowing blue again. He was clearly monitoring something. Likely the High Council and everyone and anyone in power.

“They will not leave us alone for long, I think, which is why you should rest, Jace,” Khoth urged once more.

“No, it’s all the more reason to embrace life and--and seize the moment!” Jace grinned at him with this rather hopeful expression as if Khoth could interpret his face like an emoji.

Khoth shifted on the bed. It was best to simply ask what Jace meant. Human or Altaeth, Jace was still a mystery to him at times.

“Is there something you believe would satisfy the seize the moment feelings you are having?” Khoth asked.

More blushes. “Y-yes. Like yes. Definitely yes.”

Jace bobbed his head, though his eyes were not glowing, and he kept looking down at his hands and then at Khoth and then back down at his hands again.

“Whatever this thing is, are you concerned about it? Or something else?” Khoth probed gently.

Jace let out one of his laughs that sounded like a bird cry. “I am concerned about everything. I’m worried about Gehenna. I’m worried about the Khul. I’m worried about the people in the Alliance who have had their entire existence turned upside down. And, like you said, there are a ton of people coming to see us. Plus… Well, the list goes on and on and on. I am more concerned than I am anything else.”

Jace scrubbed both hands over his face. He appeared exhausted just by having thought and listed his current concerns. And Khoth knew that these were but a fraction of the ones that Jace had. Khoth reached over and took Jace’s nearest hand in his. Touching Jace appeared to calm the young man. It certainly did him.

“There is much to do, but you need to recover before anything,” Khoth told him, and rubbed his thumb over the top of Jace’s hand.

Stress bled out of his own shoulders as he touched Jace’s skin. Jace’s hand opened in his and he linked their fingers together. This felt right as well. His Xi and Xa settled happily together as if in a locked orbit. It was a slow, pleasant spin where he felt completely at ease and at peace.

Jace’s breathing became even and his body lost some of its tensity. The frantic flickering of eyes stopped as well. Jace lowered his head and looked up at Khoth through his dark lashes. There was something very arousing about that look. Jace was far from a fragile flower, but in that moment, all of Khoth’s protective instincts kicked in. He drew Jace’s hand into his lap and held it with both of his hands.

He wanted to draw Jace’s whole body into his lap, but doing so would be taking the next step between them. Nothing could have felt more intimate than being in Jace’s quarters in the Osiris, but being on Haseon made him feel the weight of his feelings for this young man. On the flight to the Compound, there had been confessions of a connection between them. And a much deeper connection desired.

But Jace was the last Altaeth. Could he be worthy to be the mate of such a being? But, then again, Jace was Jace. Perhaps Khoth was not worthy, but Jace clearly wanted him near. And he wanted to be near.

“We don’t really have time for me to be sick and out of commission,” Jace said, and the strain of that fact thinned out his tone.

“I will make sure you have that time,” Khoth promised.

More blushes. More looking up at Khoth through his lashes. Strange flutters in Khoth’s stomach. His spine began to tingle and his lips parted.

“I know you mean that. I think you’d do anything to give me that. Well, almost anything,” Jace amended. “And I--I can’t thank you enough for it. But I’ve accepted that the alone-time for me is limited, which is why I want to take advantage of this moment.”

“Yes, but not by sleeping?” Khoth guessed.

“Exactly. Not sleeping.” Jace reached over with his free hand and caressed Khoth’s face. “By being with you.”

Khoth’s eyelids fluttered half-shut at the touch. His skin became extra sensitive to touch when aroused and he was most definitely aroused. His pupils dilated and his nostrils flared as he scented Jace’s arousal, too. His mouth flooded with saliva. His spine grew hot. His eyelids opened wide again. What was happening to him? He knew but… Could it be happening? Should he not tell Jace. But words simply left him. Besides, the Osiris likely informed Jace--or was informing him now--of Thaf’ell biology and Khoth’s particular biology when around him.