“They’ll adore you,” Surkah assured me. “We’re already best friends, so they’ll see how wonderful you are… Just give them the chance to get to know you.”
“The princes approach,” Nero murmured from behind us.
“Surkah!” a booming voice bellowed. “You’re a deceiving little terror!”
Surkah groaned. “Go away, Killi… and take Arli and Avri with you.”
I instantly moved behind Surkah as three huge figures appeared at the end of the ramp and began to trek up it.
“Oh, I think not, darling sister,” another voice stated. “We have means for a quarrel with you.”
“I’ll tell Father if you even think of circling me, Avri.”
That made her brothers, and Nero laugh.
“What does she mean?” I whispered to Nero.
“When males circle a female,” he whispered back, “it is usually because she has played games that each male was unaware of. When a female is circled by a male or more than one male, her instincts are to automatically bow to show submission. Surkah is a fierce female, but her instincts would force her to bow to her brothers if they circled her and that would wound her pride. It a harmless revenge antic that males have for females.”
“I think you deserve to be circled.”
“Arli, as my favourite brother, you should not say such things!”
All the males snickered.
“I am your favourite now?” Arli asked jokingly. “It was Ezah last moon cycle, Killi the moon cycle before that, Kol the moon cycle before that, and Aza that mo—”
“Oh, close your lips,” Surkah hissed, earning her more chuckles.
“You should not have stowed away aboard the Ebony,” Killi spoked firmly when the chuckles ceased. “The worry and fear you caused were cruel, Surkah.”
I knew Killi, Aril, and Arvi where now stood in front of Surkah, but I couldn’t bring myself to step out from behind her and face them.
“I did not mean to cause any of those emotions,” Surkah replied, her voice cracking like she was about to cry. “I just wanted to help Kol, and our new females, and—”
“You defied direct orders from your intended,” Killi cut her off.
“I know.” Surkah sniffled. “He already punished me for it.”
“Not nearly as much as he should have.” Killi growled, the sound just enough to show he was displeased and not truly angered. “You have lost my trust and will not win it back so easily, do you understand?”
“Yes, Killi,” Surkah whimpered. “I am sorry.”
“Your tears do not sway me, sister. Your actions do.”
Killi was a fucking hardass.
“Before you continue, brother, can someone address why a small alien female is hiding behind our sister? And why she scents of Kol?”
Oh shit, that’s me.
Nero cleared his throat. “I believe Kol should formally be the one to answer that, but as he is not here, Surkah… you can do it.”
Surkah looked over her shoulder and glared at Nero, her eyes red and swollen from crying. She turned back to face her brothers and said, “She is our sister-in-mate.”
Silence.
Long fucking silence.
“Almighty,” I whispered.
“I don’t believe it,” Killi stated, the shock evident in his tone. “Kol has mated? One of the alien females is his?”
“Yes, he has,” Nero answered. “He is behaving worse than any newly mated male I have even seen, too. He has contacted me seventy-three times since I began our escort for an update. He’s attacked Mikoh over her more times than I could count, growled at me and Thane, and even Surkah. If I ever think about taking a mate, I will think of Kol’s behaviour, and it will quickly kill that urge.”
Kol’s brothers burst into gleeful laughter.
I peeked out from behind Surkah and gasped when I took in the three males. They were each massively tall, and their bodies were thick with muscle, but their grey skin looked a lot more vibrant than any of the other Maji I have encountered. There attire distracted me for a moment because they didn’t have on matching navy top and bottoms with armour plates on them. The had different coloured loose fitted pants… And that was it. No shoes, no socks, and no t-shirts.
They looked like they belonged between the pages of a thin, worn paper book I had found years ago on Earth where attractive men and women were spread out in the pictures. It was easy to see the family resemblance between the brothers, Kol, and Surkah. They were, to be honest, very beautiful.
The male to my far left had shoulder-length silver hair, silver eyes, and a splash of white dots over his nose and under his eyes. His cheekbones were high, his jawline sharp, and his mouth was shaped exactly like Kol’s. A quick glance at the other two males confirmed similar features, only they both had black hair like Kol. None of them could ever deny that they were relatives because it was plain as day to anyone who looked at them.
The male with silver eyes locked them on mine, and before he could say a word, I got spooked. I sucked in a harsh breath, turned, and ran like the devil himself was on my heels. I ignored Surkah and Nero’s calls for me and somehow navigated my way back to my and Kol’s quarters. I ran into the cleansing room and hid inside the cleansing unit, hoping and praying for my heart beat to return to normal.
I felt like a coward. One look at Kol’s brothers had me fleeing. I had always prided myself on how tough I was, how I could take care of myself and deal with any situation, but the second an alien male locked eyes with mine, I bolted.
Almighty, I thought. What I would give to be back on Earth.
Nova?
I hugged my legs tighter to my chest. I didn’t have to lift my head to see that Kol had entered the cleansing room because I felt him the second he showed up outside our quarters. The closer he came, the more it made my body tingle as it became hyper aware of his presence. It was another reminder of his essence in my blood, binding us together for the remainder of our lives.
“Shiva,” he murmured.
He kneeled before me and placed his large hands on my forearms.
I’m fine, I answered him mentally, not trusting my voice. I don’t know what happened. I just got scared when I met your brothers, and before I knew it, I was in here.
Kol sighed. “It is my fault. I should have been by your side to take away your unease.”
I didn’t look at him. “You don’t exactly make me feel good right now, Kol.”
When I lifted my head and saw that he was frowning at me, it warmed my heart… and that bugged me.
“No,” I told him firmly. “Don’t look at me like that. I have a very good reason to be angry with you, Kol.”
“You do,” he agreed, his thumbs stroking my bare skin.
“Then wipe that sad puppy dog expression off your face,” I warned.
He raised a brow. “The what?”
My shoulders slumped. “Never mind.”
“My Nova,” he continued to frown. “I am sorry.”
“That I got scared and ran from your brothers?”
“No,” he said, his lips twitching slightly. “I am sorry that I lied to you and caused you pain. If… if I could undo it, I would.”
“I hate the lying part, I really hate that, but I also hate you making decisions for me. I know you’re the lead Maji in our house and whatever, but Kol… on some things, I need to have some independence. I risked my life every day on Earth, running and hiding to avoid being owned by someone, and I’ll be damned if our mating makes me feel that way.”
“I do not and will never own you, shiva,” he assured me. “When I say you’re mine, it is an act of dominance to other males, and when we’re alone, it’s just me confirming that you’re the only female I crave. My ways aren’t what you’re used to, and I sincerely apologise for the confusion. Before, even though I felt guilt, I kept information from you because that is what male mates do. They make the big decisions, but I am learning that you want to do that together.”
My heart thrummed against my chest.
“Yes, we’re a unit. I want us to be a team in everything. I don’t want to be the only one who is clueless.”
“Nova, I am just as clueless as you are,” Kol revealed, sitting back on his heels. “I have never had a mate before, so I am only going off my instincts when it comes to you, and I pray to Thanas that I am a respectable male and caring mate.”
I stared at him, slack jawed.
“You weren’t part of the mission, Shiva, but here you are,” he continued. “You’re my female… my mate. I am learning what that means right along with you, so please, don’t ever feel like you’re the only one who is unsure. There is no written text for mates and how to be a good one. We have to figure that part out by ourselves… but I promise, though we will have verbal exchanges and may get angry with one another, it will be worth it. Our mating… it’s everything. You are everything to me.”
I gasped when that stunning glow appeared in Kol’s eyes as he gazed at me, and this time, I couldn’t help staring at them and passing comment.
“Your eyes,” I murmured.
Kol’s brows furrowed with confusion.
“My eyes?” he repeated in confusion. “What about them?”
“They’re captivating,” I responded, feeling as if I was in a trance.
A small smile tugged at the corner of Kol’s mouth. “Are you doing the sweet word talking?”
“Just sweet talking,” I corrected. “And yes, I am because your eyes take my breath away.”
I desperately wanted to remark on the glowing, but since Kol nor Surkah had ever mentioned anything about a male’s eyes glowing when he was mated, I assumed it wasn’t the norm, and I didn’t want to comment on something that might be considered a flaw to the Maji. I might have been at odds with Kol, but I didn’t want to go out of my way and make him feel bad about himself.
“I love your eyes too, shiva,” Kol replied with a smile. “They are my new favourite shade of blue.”
I snorted. “You may be confused about what sweet talking means, but you sure don’t have a problem demonstrating it.”
His smile deepened. “My female.”
I closed my eyes when he leaned in and pressed his forehead against mine.
I licked my lips. “My male.”
A rumbling sound started at the back of Kol’s throat, and it made me grin as I reopened my eyes.
“No sex, big guy. I don’t want to meet your family smelling like I just took a tumble with you.”
Kol leaned back, chuckling.
“My scent is now your scent to others. They can’t smell your natural scent, only mine. When we mated and shared sex, my essence made sure of that.”