Page 38 of His Human to Charm

Marron snaps his teeth at Toron, standing from the couch and pacing near it. He rubs the back of his head, his eyes darting between the two of us as he tries to calm himself down. I keep rocking Itha, not that the growls from the males have ever bothered her before.

I rub my belly occasionally to soothe some of the uncomfortableness of what’s happening. None of the males in my home will hurt me, especially with a young one on the way. They’re all excited to have a second baby to watch over. It doesn’t help the awkwardness I feel when any of the boys get into fights with Toron. I know this is all normal behavior for their kind, but it still makes me feel weird when I just sit here and wait to see if they’re going to clash horns.

Marron calms himself down after a few moments, his eyes returning to me and where I’m rubbing my swollen abdomen. His face softens, the same as every male does when he sees a female carrying young. It’s the cutest thing about these aliens because no matter their mood, they immediately turn to goo if they see a pregnant female. It doesn’t matter how many times they’ve seen me. At least once a day, each male I share a house with softens and wants to touch my abdomen. So, when Marron steps closer to me, his hand out, I push away from the table a bit and let him place a hand over my stomach.

“I hate that she is so close, but I cannot go to her,” Marron whispers just to me as he kneels in front of me, his scaled fingers rubbing my abdomen in small circles. His other hand traces the nub of horns forming on Itha’s forehead. “I just want to keep her safe and know that she is happy.”

“She’s here, so she’s safe,” I tell him as I reach out and touch his cheek.

Marron became blood by proxy when he moved in when he came to the tribe to be with Thro. Toron made him promise to keep me safe, always, and that was enough for us to consider both of them blood to us. It also means we’re in the parental role with them until we can get them moved out. Not that we mind, especially since Toron is large enough to automatically demand submission. It makes the whole parenting part easier when the temperamental males we’re in charge of give us attitude and try to fight with him.

“She is mine.” Marron doesn’t say it like he’s owed a female or like he demands her. He says it like a male completely and totally lost in his love for a female. It’s the same way Toron’s called me his, the same way I’ve heard male after male call his mate his in this tribe.

“I will speak with her,” I say, completely changing my stance on interfering. I won’t force her. I won’t even imply that she should participate in the ceremony. I’ll just ask her if she has any interest at all. Marron might want and need her, but that doesn’t mean she feels the same way.

“Truly?” Marron’s hand stills its movements as he looks up at me with hope in his eyes. I give his cheek one final stroke as I nod. “Oh, thank you.” He wraps an arm around my back and pulls me into a tight hug, or as tight as it can be, with a baby between us. “You bless me.”

“She continues to bless you even after all the grief you give her mate.” Toron snorts, breaking the sweet moment between Marron and me. “Now, come help me with the houses so you cannot get into any more trouble that your blood needs to get you out of.”

“Yes, of course.” Marron stands and dusts his pants off as he moves to the front door. “I will be so helpful.”

Torron shakes his head and motions for Marron to leave us alone for a moment. When the door closes behind him, Toron walks over to me and cups my face between his palms.

“You are much too kind to the young.” Toron shakes his head from side to side, but the smile doesn’t leave his lips. He’s just as happy as Marron is that I offered to speak with the female he wants. Toron wants all of the males in the tribe to find a female to be with, and every time one does, he is on cloud nine. “You should have asked for him to keep Thro out for the next few days so I could have my way with you.”

“Thro’s already asked Erkoz for a sleepover tonight,” I tell Toron, whose eyes go wide as he looks from the front door to me a few times before deciding on what he’s going to do.

“I will tell Marron to find somewhere else to be tonight,” he says with a nod. “Yes, time alone with my mate all night. Yes, yes.” He nods a few times, a plan forming in his head of all the things he wants to do to me. He makes it seem like we never have alone time, even though we do every morning when we force Marron to take his brother to help him with the crops out on Lyath and Beren’s farm. You’d think Toron never gets to touch me with how he’s looking like he wants to devour me right now.

“Go then,” I chuckle as I push him off me. “You still have a house to finish and a young to tell to find a new bed tonight.”

“He will be fine, especially since you’ve told him you will help him woo a female,” Toron says as he rushes out of the house.

He doesn’t give me a chance to argue that I’m going to help Marron woo his female because that is definitely not what I’m going to do. I’m just going to walk up to a random woman that I’ve probably never talked to before and ask her if she has the hots for my demon ward. Yeah, it should be fine and not awkward at all. I shake my head at the absurdity that my life has become, but if I’m being honest with myself, it’s a pretty amazing life.

22

Toron

Ten Years Later

Alice rushes around the house, trying to make sure that everything is perfect for when Thro comes back home. I’m holding Jeera as she chews on a root vegetable and drools all over me. Itha is sitting at the head of the table, her arms crossed over her chest and a frown on her face. She is very unhappy that Thro has been gone for many days, participating in the mating ceremony.

It does not matter that Alice and I have both told her that he will not be living with us for much longer if he has found a mate. Of course, to this, she has told us that she will hate any female he brings home, which means he is not allowed to mate with her. We have not had the heart to tell her that it is not up to her who his soul feels called to, but we will if she continues to throw her fit. Her brothers are trying to get her attention on one of their toys instead of her bad mood, but she is dead set on being angry.

“Will you not smile at all?” I ask Itha as she huffs when Havth tries to get her to play with him again. Kinth gives up, crawls into my lap, and pokes at Jeera.

If Itha keeps rejecting Hvath’s fun, he may start crying, and I do not want to have him crying when Thro gets here. Surely, the female he brings will already know that he has a strange family, but if she does not, she will be learning quickly.

“I will smile when I know my brother is not mated to an evil princess.” Itha nods her head like she is doing what is right. I tell Alice all the time she should not be telling her such scary stories. Does she listen? Of course not. Not that I am much better when I tell Itha stories of heroes taking on monsters and saving tribes. Still, she is not thinking of my stories when she talks of Thro’s mate being evil. No, that is most definitely one of her mother’s stories.

“We do not call her evil.” Alice sits at the table after deciding the house looks good enough. I helped her clean it and seal some cracks earlier. So, I do not know why she is so worried. The chances are we have already had this female in our house during any of the many birthday parties we had for Thro. She has probably seen this house and how our family is. More importantly, she already knows what she is getting into since she is mating Thro.

When Kinth notices his mother has taken a seat, he crawls out of my lap and makes his way over to her because he knows she will play with his hair like she does so often to all of our young. Just as he hopes, and I suspect, Alice begins brushing her fingers through his hair as soon as he gets into her lap. His eyes close, and he lets his body lean against her. I give it only a few moments before he is fast asleep.

“Itha, we do not call Thro’s mate evil,” Alice says again.

“Not to her face, right.” Itha nods and gives Havth a pointed look that tells him he needs to agree with her.

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