Out of the Ashes (Maji 1)

He rolled his eyes. “She is my sister; it’s my job to tease her.”

I huffed. “I’m still embarrassed.”

“No one will mention anything about it. Will you?” Kol asked the group, his not-so-subtle warning growl not going amiss by anyone.

“Mention anything about what?” Nero asked Killi.

He shrugged. “No idea what you’re talking about, cousin. Surkah, any idea?”

“No, not an inkling, brother … Mikoh?”

I locked eyes with Mikoh, and the second I saw his grin, I knew he would be his sassy self.

“I think Kol doesn’t want us to mention that we witnessed his mate vomiting up her stomach contents like a pregnant female with a weak stomach … but maybe I’m wrong. Who knows?”

Kol growled at his best friend, but I laughed.

“You’re such an idiot,” I teased.

Mikoh shrugged. “You say idiot; I said reserved genius.”

I laughed louder but stopped when I looked to my right and gasped when the mother of all… palaces came into view.

“Almighty!” I said, struggling for words. “It’s gigantic.”

And gold… everything was freaking gold.

“Is this … this …?”

“This,” Kol hummed, “is home.”

Home. I had a freaking home made of gold.

“Not bad for an Earthly peasant girl,” I murmured to myself, but of course, Kol heard it and chuckled.

“You could give me endless tours of this place, and I don’t think I’ve ever see it all.”

I glanced around and found that the palace was high upon a hill overlooking the Royal City, its many pointed towers giving it the look of an eccentric crown. The walls looked like solid gold glistening in the dancing sunlight, and the roof seemed to be made of gemstone slate. It was easily three times the size of the Ebony, which I could see docked not far off in the distance and being serviced. I let my gaze roam and found that I was inside an elegantly decorated courtyard, and the ground was lined with shiny pebbles of some sort. Surrounding the courtyard and palace itself was a glistening white cobblestone wall that wasn’t built that high, just four or five feet off the earth. I knew why it wasn’t that high when I saw Maji after Maji, walking up and down the wall. Patrolling. Protecting.

“This is incredibly beautiful,” I said to Kol, who was watching me take everything in.

He smiled when I locked eyes with him. “You have seen nothing yet.”

I believed him.

Kol lifted me down from the bonnet of the death vehicle, and as I opened my mouth to speak, a sound from my right got my and everyone else’s attention. I watched as huge golden doors were opened, and a female in a deep purple ensemble similar to Surkah’s rushed from inside the palace and shot down the staircase leading to the courtyard like it was no one’s business. Two males followed closely behind her, but it was obvious they were just moving fast to remain at the female’s side.

“Surkah!” the female cried as she rushed towards my friend. “Surkah!”

Literally, tears streaked her cheeks, and it only caused Killi and Kol to glare at their little sister.

“Mother.” Surkah sighed as she put her arms around her mother as she crashed into her. “I am well. Do not cry, please?”

The poor female cried harder and gripped Surkah even tighter.

“I’d strike your behind for making Mother cry if Mikoh was not in biting distance of me,” Kol hissed at his sister.

Mikoh all but snarled at Kol, not liking that he was threatening his intended. I paled when the largest of the two males who accompanied Surkah’s mother suddenly shot forward, got in Mikoh’s space, and viciously snarled at him. Mikoh instantly dropped to one knee and dropped his gaze to the ground.

“I do not wish to fight, my prince,” Mikoh said to the male who was glaring down at him.

I widened my eyes when I realised this scary motherfucker was one of Kol’s brothers. And I felt stupid for not figuring it out sooner because the resemblance was there. He had Kol’s skin tone, and Surkah’s white hair and pink eyes.

“You forget your place,” the male snarled down at Mikoh. “He is royal, never forget that.”

Mikoh nodded once and kept his gaze downcast.

“Ezah,” Surkah angrily hissed. “If you hit him, Thanas will not stop me from inflicting you harm.”

Ezah switched his gaze to her and growled at her, so she stalked over to him, place her hands on his huge chest, and pushed. I didn’t think Surkah had the power to move the male, but he stepped back a couple of spaces to appease her. She stood in front of Mikoh, who was still on one knee with his head bowed.

“Rise, Mikoh,” Surkah demanded.

He did so in an instant.

She pointed her finger at Ezah. “Leave him be. He is mine.”

Surkah stepped back into Mikoh, and he made a grunting sound. It looked like she visibly relaxed when he placed his hands on her waist and stroked his thumbs against her bare skin.

Surkah’s mother gleefully clapped her hands together, and to the remaining male, she gushed, “Their bond has strengthened! She defends him when he is threatened now, not just when he fights.”

“I see.” The male chuckled

The Hailed Mother turned back to Mikoh and Surkah and said, “Daughter, you can speed up your mating if you wish to do so.”

Surkah sighed dramatically. “Mikoh insists we wait until my fortieth natal day.”

Surkah’s mother raised a brow as she switched her gaze to Mikoh, who didn’t make eye contact with her.

“What do you fear, Mikoh?” she asked him.

Mikoh looked at the male at the Hailed Mother’s side, and when he nodded, Mikoh, with his eyes still lowered, replied, “I feel she is too young for our mating, Hailed Mother. However, I do not wish her to feel the pain of her uva, so I agreed to our mating, but only after her fortieth natal day. I will not mate her in her minor years.”

The Hailed Mother smiled. “You’re a good male, Mikoh. I am happy you will sire the future Revered Father.”

Mikoh’s cheeks slightly flushed as he bowed his head and said, “Hailed Mother.”

This is so weird.

I jumped when Kol chuckled from behind me but remained silent. I felt myself flush with heat when the three new pairs of eyes fixated on me and caused me to gulp as I stood unmoving under their watchful gazes.

“A human!” the Hailed Mother suddenly beamed. “And a pretty human, I feared you would all be ugly after Sera said you all wouldn’t look or sound exactly like her.”

I choked on air, and it made Surkah laugh as she bounced to my side.

“Mother, this is Nova,

and she is a very special human to our family.”

Oh, shit.

“And why is that?” Surkah’s mother asked, smiling.

Shiva, do not flinch when I approach you from behind and press my lips to your neck. This is a trivial act of dominance a male makes to show the others that you are his female. This action will show my family that you are my mate. I am the first son to mate, so please welcome my parents’ and brother’s embrace when they offer it.

If they offer it.

I felt my cheeks flush with heat once more as Surkah stepped away from me. I closed my eyes when Kol’s body pressed flush against my back, his large hand coming around my waist and holding me firm. He nudged my head with his, so I tilted it and gave him access to my neck. When he leaned down, he brushed the tip of his nose against my skin, causing me to shiver before he gently pressed his lips to my flesh.

I opened my eyes when war cries and crying sounded. I felt Kol’s mouth curve into a smile as he pulled his mouth away from my neck. I looked from Kol’s parents to his brother, and I was shocked that they looked … elated. Except for the big guy who threatened Mikoh, he looked angered and … pained.

“My son!” the Hailed Mother wailed. “Thanas blessed my son with a mate!”

She shot forward, got in my space, and embraced me and Kol since he was still pressed against me.

“Oh,” she squealed excitedly. “I have not been this happy since Thanas blessed us with Surkah.”

When she released us, Kol beamed at her, “Thank you, Mother.”

“Son,” a deep voice spoke.

I wasn’t sure why, but I was surprised when the male who accompanied Kol’s mother spoke and turned out to be his father because it looked like ten to fifteen years separated them in age. Kol’s mother would easily pass for Surkah’s older sister because everything about her was similar. It was quite freaky to see how much this family resembled one another, and I had no doubt when I met the rest of Kol’s brothers that I would see him in them, too.

“Father,” Kol said, dipping his head respectfully.

“My heart is full for you,” his father continued. “For both of you.”

Kol’s chest swelled as he moved around me and embraced his father with a big hug that involved heavy patting on one another’s back. When they separated, both of their eyes fell on me, and I wished the ground would have opened up and swallowed me whole because I hated being the centre of attention.