Page 32 of Serpents of the Night

Another longer, soft scrape followed as the male made his way to the edge of the bed. “I was not certain if my presence was welcome given my sharp words upon our return to the nest.”

“Your reaction was understandable.” Slengral’s gaze drifted back to the sleeping pair. “I do not blame you for your anger when some part of your worries were realized. You had objected to going but we insisted.”

“It was for our mate’s happiness,” Kehtal replied gloomily. “Daskh would be disappointed in my anger when he loved every moment of her pleasure.” He laughed quietly. “He would say being dropped from the air was worth it.”

The corner of Slengral’s mouth twitched humorously. “He would. What happened though... it was unpredictable, Kehtal. We took every precaution with our mate. We could not have foreseen this accident.”

Kehtal’s eyes narrowed on him. “Are you so certain it was an accident?”

“Are you certain that it was not?” Slengral countered quietly. He did not wish to wake his mate by arguing with his nest brother. She needed her rest. “Lori believes that it was, and her reasoning is logical.”

The male expelled a long breath and snapped his gavo. “You are right. I struggle to trust any of them,” he admitted. “Perhaps my reaction is unjust toward the female.”

Slengral stared down at his mate thoughtfully. “No. It is wise to maintain our guard. We can accept that it was an accident, but we will remain vigilant in case this is a trick to get free access to our mate or nest.”

“I fear that is not the only problem we have to deal with,” Kehtal murmured.

Slengral’s eyes shot up to the male. “Explain?”

“Jathella approached me as I was venting some of my frustration while flying just outside the nest. It seems that news of Daskh’s injury has spread and Vekatha is taking advantage of it. She presented herself to the queen matriarch and so we have been summoned.”

“Understood.” Slengral’s jaw clenched. Of course she would attack the moment they were vulnerable. “We have no choice. Lori and I must answer.” His gaze hardened. “It will fall on you to guard our nest brother and care for him in our absence.”

Kehtal’s gavo snapped again, his head inclining in acknowledgement. “I will but I do not like this,” he grumbled.

“I do not either. Remain vigilant.”

“You as well, brother.”

Chapter 27

Lori covertly peered around the room from beneath her lashes. There were far more females present than there had even been the day they had arrived. They filled the room, the quiet hiss of their voices collectively loud as they stared at them while offering the occasional glance at the female staring challengingly across the room—Vekatha.

Although she had caught a glimpse of the female briefly before, this was the first good look Lori had of her. Slightly smaller than some of the larger females crowded into the central great hall. Queen Zathexa dominated over all of them from her risen throne, her shrewd gaze moving with a deceptive casualness over everyone. Lori stiffened as the queen’s gaze settled on her for a moment. She couldn’t tell if Zathexa was pleased or annoyed with all the attention and activity surrounding the matter.

Vekatha certainly looked pleased with herself, however. It was also evident that word had indeed spread quickly regarding the earlier incident as searching glances stole around the room as if trying to determine whether Lori’s other two mates were actually absent or not due to it.

Lori’s jaw tightened in irritation despite her best efforts to ignore it. She knew she was being weighed in judged in that moment as much as she ever was, but she was finding it increasingly difficult to hold onto the aloof mask she wore when among the noble matriarchs. The injustice of the situation bothered her. That Vekatha was allowed to proceed forward and take advantage of their nest’s upset with Daskh’s injury was unfair. She just wasn’t certain whether this was solely due to Vekatha’s own strategy beyond the control of the queen matriarch or if Zathexa was responsible for pushing it through in an effort to find a legal reason to separate Lori from Slengral.

She glanced at the queen matriarch from beneath her lashes. Zathexa gave nothing away. The queen’s stony gaze settled at last on Vekatha and the tip of her tail curled tightly around the base of the throne with a hint of impatience.

Perhaps the suddenness of everything was all due to the other female as the plaintiff after all. Lori knew nothing of how Seshanamitesh laws worked regarding how proceedings were carried out. And unfortunately, the one most knowledgeable on the subject was currently back at their nest and injured. She looked up at Slengral, her eyebrow arching in silent inquiry. His gaze dropped to meet hers and he slowly shook his head. A faint expression of wariness crept into his eyes as his gaze shifted back to Vekatha. It appeared that he didn’t know either but, like her, he was opting to be cautious.

Zathexa’s claws drummed on the armrest of her throne, the clicking sound loud enough to effectively silence the murmur of the crowd. Her eyes narrowed on Vekatha.

“Vekatha of Aglatha shinara, we have assembled here now that you have finally surfaced and responded to my summons to address your complaint,” the queen matriarch hissed. The annoyance in that single drawn out word was not lost upon Lori. Zathexa was definitely displeased. “Although your claim of assault is a serious charge, the one of abandonment takes precedence in this instance as my son claims that any injury was, in fact, due to his effort to escape you. I hope that you have some evidence to support your claim.”

A look of surprise crossed Vekatha’s face for only a moment before being masked with one of polite deference as her wings folded in front of her as she inclined her head to the queen. “Forgive my ignorance, Queen Matriarch, but I was not aware that females in our shinara were treated as criminals who have to prove their matings.”

“To suggest it is an outrage,” a larger, older female at her side hissed in agreement. Her mother, Lori surmised and was immediately affirmed at the female’s next words. “Never before has a female had to prove that they were mated to their males. To demand this is an injustice against my daughter.”

“And what would you have me do, Shalyia?” Zathexa asked. “We are not to challenge mating and yet here is a female who is clearly one my son is mated to.”

Shalyia hissed lower in her throat in obvious distaste. “A true mating should only be recognized between Seshanamitesh. She is not of Seshana, and we do not know what strange ways her kind has to enslave our males. She is even breeding which is against Seshana and mother Shangla. It is clear it is a species that lures in available males to breed with against our natural order.” She gave a decisive nod, her gavo snapping emphatically. “Yes, he must be enslaved by her alien pheromones and tricked into believing that he is mated to her and ignoring his actual mate—my daughter Vekatha. This human should be removed so that the matter of the mating between our offspring can be appropriately resolved so that we may move forward in preserving my daughter’s honor.”

Lori stared at the female, her mouth dropping open at the outright lies. “You can’t be serious?” she barked before she could think better of it.

Shalyia’s wings shuddered with distaste even has the multiple crests of her gavo lifted in unmistakable disdain. “I am. Shangla made males for her daughters, giving us a unique compatibility. A female reaching adulthood is even marked by a rite of passage that proves that she is fit to be a productive member of the shinara and proven capable enough to be allowed to mate as an adult.” Her gaze slitted as it bore into Lori. “The females of your species have not gone through a maiden trial and have not proven themselves to be capable adults to mate and breed. There is only nefarious and unlawful breeding going on outside of the shinara’s sight.”

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