Page 52 of K'Vella

"No talking of knots," Essa nods. "Don't worry, I can't even take one. I'm in no danger of taking your future babe's father."

I groan and rub my eyes. "Come on, I heard more people are showing up for the run in a few days."

"So many." Helna wiggles her brows at us and claps her hands together. "The great hall will be packed, and all the males work their hardest to tempt the females into their furs."

"Don't you just need to sniff them to know if you want to be with them?" Essa asks, wrapping her tail around Sloane's ankle as we begin to walk out of the entertainment room and toward the exit. "Why are they trying to tempt you, and why do you all work so hard to entice them?"

"Because rutting is fun," Helna laughs as she says it. "Eventually, I'll find a male that drives me wild with his scent, but until then, why shouldn't we get to enjoy our lives?"

Essa nods along, seeming to appreciate this outlook. Sloane bumps her hip into Helna. "My mates told me I wouldn't like how the females are treated on this planet. They thought I wouldn't get it."

"And how do you feel?" Helna asks, her brows crinkling as if she is unsure which direction this conversation will take.

"Are you kidding me?" Sloane throws her head back and laughs. "I applied to be a pleasure crew member. This entire planet seems to be doing it right. Sex, parties, dancing, more sex. What's not to like?"

The conversation fades as we step onto the dockyard. All four males are talking amongst themselves, their attention fully on Phial, who looks like he wants to murder someone and die all at the same time.

Jovi notices us first and smiles at Sloane before hitting Alik in the chest to get him to look over at their mate. Their eyes all crinkle in the corner as they let their gazes roam over her body. She looks like she fits in here on Rythar even if she's taller than all the other females.

"Is everything okay?" Sloane asks.

She walks toward the group, with the rest of us following behind her. Essa even has a frown covering her normally jovial appearance.

I wrap one of my lower arms over Helna's shoulders and pull her closer to me in case there's actually something wrong. She folds into me without question. It makes me feel good to know she trusts me. Holoth notices it as well and gives me a soft smile.

"Phial wants to turn invisible and break into our most sacred place just to make sure Avery's okay," Holoth says, his words pointed and angry, though he tries to soften them as he looks at me. It's Helna who tenses up in my arms, and I flex my fingers against her shoulder to keep her next to me.

"You can't," she snarls at him. "Males aren't allowed unless granted permission."

"No one will know," Phial snaps at Holoth because it's obvious his fight is with the male who told us his plan. "Or no one would've known."

"Well, now she does. If you want help for Avery, you don't go in there. If you want to make sure none of us are welcome on this planet ever again, go ahead." Holoth snarls and snaps his teeth. His growl is loud at Phial.

"I can't fucking do it now!" Phial matches Holoth's energy, even though he's much smaller.

His hand goes for his holster, but his gun and everyone else's weapons have been left on the ship since our first night here. We all notice the movement, though, and it's enough for Essa to herd the females toward the clan in case things get physical with the males.

"Keep the males away from my mate!" Holoth calls after us, and my chest blossoms in color. Helna bumps my hips with hers and looks up at me. "I'm serious. I don't want to fight anyone tonight!"

"Yeah, yeah!" Helna calls over her shoulder, and the growl in the air deepens. It has Helna throwing her head back and laughing. "He's going to be in the great hall in all of five minutes."

"Good, maybe it means he won't kill Phial," Essa says, looking over her shoulder to watch the males walking back into the ship.

I feel bad for Phial, especially since he cares for Avery. I don't know how she feels about him, but I don't think she feels a particular way about any male right now.

"He worries over nothing," Helna says, tossing her hair over her shoulder. "I was with Avery this morning. She's doing as well as one going through her heat without a male can be."

"Thank you for checking on her," Sloane says after a long silence. "I don't know what all you guys do in there, but do you know if she's scented anyone?"

Helna rubs the back of her neck. "As far as we can tell, no, because she'd be begging for them if she had a match. We don't know if all the new males coming in for the run will trigger it, though. We keep the sanctuary vented, but if there's a scent match, sometimes they can still scent each other."

"Do you need any of us to stand guard? A male won't try to get in, will he?" Essa's tail tightens on Sloane's ankle, and the other woman pats her arm.

"No, no, the sanctuary is the safest place for any female in heat who doesn't want a male." Helna rolls her shoulders and looks toward the tall marble cave structure where the sanctuary is. "If a male scents her, he can wait in the alcove, but there's no way he's getting inside without authorization."

"And Phial?" I ask, hoping the security measures will keep him out so he doesn't risk Holoth's relationship with his clan. Not to mention that if Avery goes through her heat every month, she'll need help from this clan often.

"He might be able to slip in during a shift change." Helna frowns and then stops walking. "Actually, I should warn the sisters in case he tries." She gives us all a small smile. "I'll see you guys in a few minutes. Head to the great hall. I'll be right behind you."

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