Page 8 of Mated By Twilight

“Anything else?” He asked, his expression unphased, almost happy. Insomuch as his scales could embody that, anyway.

She shook her head. “Not that I can think of. Thanks for… indulging me.”

“It’s my job.”

“I’m sure the ambassador has much more important jobs.”

“Protecting and guiding the humans under my care is my most important task. You’re not the first to ask me so many questions. Your kind is naturally curious. It’s not a bad thing. Fortunately, my kind is rather patient. Which, now that I think about it, is probably why the other ambassador leaves this duty to me most often.”

Leah smiled. He seemed nice. And that was relieving. Like a confirmation that she had made the right choice in coming here.

“Thank you, ambassador.”

“No need to be so formal,” he assured her, smiling. “You can just call me Tzomei. I’ll be sure to give you my comm patch before you leave so you can contact me at any time if you feel you need help. It’s my job and honor to help.”

She smiled, thanking him again. Feeling a bit better as he left her alone to get comfortable on her bed, staring out the window at the distant blue dot that was Earth.

She was still scared, of course. Anyone who had upended their entire life on the promise of something nebulous like this wouldsurely feel the same way. It wasn’t so easy to leave behind everything you knew.

But she’d already done it once. At least, this time, she wasn’t doing it under duress.

Letting out a slow breath, she leaned against the cool glass and stared out at the mesmerizing view of space as she waited. She’d get her husband, her mate, soon enough, and she could finally begin living the life she wanted. A simple life. Her and the man she was destined to love. She’d work if she had to, of course, but if she was lucky, he’d be okay with her being the stay at home wife. She’d care for the home, the children, and her husband.

The life she’d always been promised, but this time, chosen by her own hand. And it was going to be an alien as well. The irony of it, knowing her parents were getting exactly what they wanted in exactly the worst way, made her smile just a bit.

Soon. She’d be safe and secure, living a simple life with the one meant for her, soon enough. And things would finally be peaceful and safe.

In the distance, the fiery edge of sunrise on Earth seemed almost like a reassurance.

Chapter 3

Tillos

Sollit’s joy was indescribable and infectious. It was warming Tillos’ chest, even as it clashed against and amplified his own, stunned excitement.

They were only a day away from meeting their mate. She was in subspace now, meaning they could no longer communicate with her. That was fine, she seemed frustrated by messaging communication. She kept saying there was a translation error on her end, though they were able to read her messages just fine. He wished they could simply talk to her, but she only had her language imprint done right before going into subspace to travel, so that was impossible until she arrived.

But that was exciting in its own way. He didn’t want to have any important conversations with her over combot anyway. Her ship was scheduled to land early tomorrow morning, so he and Sollit were sitting in their hotel restaurant, enjoying third meal, as they eagerly waited for her arrival.

The hotel was a nice one, with a bed large enough for all three of them. They’d splurged a bit, but it would be worth it. Their female deserved only the most tender and loving care.

After getting the message that they had their match, Tillos had gone to Corvidair and requested time off to go to Holotulleto retrieve her. The massive ringworld was the center of the Coalition and would be the meeting point for the human females coming from Earth. Corvidair had, of course, eagerly given his permission and promised they’d have a welcome party for the newest troupe member when they brought her back.

Until then, they were putting on a show that Skara would lead on her own. It was her turn to pick, and she’d chosen an epic from the domini people of a female commander that had unified the various tribes of her people. Normally, Tillos and Sollit would have played the parts of her generals or something, but without them, the other actors would fill that position instead. At least until they got back.

They didn’t even regret losing this chance to perform. There would be many shows in their future. But there was only one female that would complete them. Waiting for her, knowing she was this close, was even harder than the yearning of searching for her without knowing who she was.

Now, it was just a matter of waiting. Something neither Tillos nor Sollit were good at. But Tillos could at least keep it contained while Sollit paced nervously around their room when they got back after eating.

It was a nice room. More than big enough for the three of them – including the bed. Tillos and Sollit had shared a bed as long as they had been alive. From the womb to the grave they’d eventually be buried in, they were always together. They could only hope their new mate would like it as well.

“Humans require time to be comfortable mating,” Sollit said, reading from the human information packet they’d received from the Coalition embassy around the human homeworld. “Weshould get another hotel room. Just in case she wants to sleep alone.”

“Nonsense,” Tillos countered, a rush of protectiveness rising in his chest that Sollit chuckled at feeling.

“Really? We haven’t even met her yet.”

Tillos ignored the inane statement. “If we must, you and I can sleep on the sofa or the floor, but we cannot allow our female to sleep alone and unguarded. What if she needs something in the night?”

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