Page 16 of K'Vella

I thought I was ready to leave K'Vella on her own. I didn't think I'd have issues with being away from her. Now that I'm in here, and the food synthesizer seems to be even slower thannormal, I realize I'm not as okay being away from her as I thought.

The kitchen door slides open, but I don't turn around, not caring to talk to Jovi, Alik, or Phial any more than I want to speak with Essa or Sloane. It's nothing against them. I'm just ready to be back in my room, back with the female who wants to be my mate without even realizing it. Plus, I still need to make sure she's carrying my young, and that could take many more ruttings if I'm lucky.

Hands wrap around my waist, and a hard body presses against my back. My purr starts up before I register K'Vella is in here with me, pressing herself against me, wanting to be close to me like I want to be to her. And in front of the other crew. Maybe she does know she's meant to be mine. That would make all of this much easier.

"Why aren't you in the nest?" she asks, her voice husky with sleep and what I hope is her desire for me to bed her again.

"My rut is over," I say without thinking that it might not be the correct thing to say.

She pulls her arms away from me like I have hurt her in some way. I spin around, eyes narrowing on her and hardening when I see the shuttered way she's closing off her emotions.

"Got it."

She crosses her arms over her chest and abdomen like she's trying to close herself off from me. Like that's even possible when I've made sure she never forgets me with how covered in bite marks she is. I don't know how she could think I'm giving her up when I've all but claimed her as mine.

K'Vella is skittish, though, and for some reason, thinks she's undeserving of having someone care for her. I'd tell her right this instant that I'm meant to be her mate, that her body responds to me how a bonded Varon does, but I don't think she'd believe me. Worse, she'd push me even further away to protect herself.

I told her many times during my rut that I wanted her to stay on the ship. I begged her to give me a chance to court her and show her she could enjoy this life. When we were locked together, I'd promise to take her anywhere she wanted in the universe, and we could start a family.

K'Vella would listen to my proclamations, close her eyes, and hum softly in the back of her throat before shaking her head. Every time she told me I didn't mean it, and every time, I'd gnash my teeth at her, hating that there was nothing I could do to make her believe me if her bonded marks didn't show up.

"I'll stay out of your way. I'll know if I'm pregnant soon. If I am, we can part ways easy enough."

I frown at her words and am about to tell her we most definitely won't part ways when the kitchen doors open again. How many people are coming in for food right now? Why can't K'Vella and I have this conversation in peace instead of having an audience?

I barely have time to growl at Jovi and Alik as they walk to the middle of the kitchen before their eyes fall on the Varon female I want to be mine. It's easy to see when they decide they're going to kill me. K'Vella's done a good job of hiding most of the bites with her clothing and hair, but I made sure there's no way she could ever hide them all.

"Sloane, please take K'Vella and Essa somewhere else for a little bit," Jovi says, his upper arms crossing over his chest, his lower hands resting on two of his daggers.

Sloane follows her mate's order without question. She can probably feel the tension growing in the small kitchen as Jovi, Alik, and I all stare each other down. There's a good chance a fight breaks out, and if it does, I lose.

"I need to speak with K'Vella," I snap at the two males.

My self-preservation isn't working too well right now. No, it's shot because of the thought of K'Vella leaving before I tellher she's not leaving me—not now, not ever. I'll get Varon citizenship if I have to, but I will be hers.

I should care about Alik and Jovi's anger, but the most important thing right now is making sure K'Vella knows I'm not discarding her. She already thinks I'll get bored with her or annoyed with her or whatever. I don't need those thoughts to have time to fester. Not when it's clear to me I'll be with her until we're old.

"It's fine," K'Vella says, waving away my concern and turning to leave the kitchen. I try to follow her, but Alik wraps a hand around my bicep as a warning.

"We'll make sure she's okay," Sloane says as she hurries after K'Vella. Essa narrows her eyes at me and frowns like I've messed up. I mean, I have, but only because I chose a terrible string of words, not because I actually did anything.

As soon as the kitchen door closes, I'm thrown against the wall, and a snarling Alik is in my face. "What the fuck do you think you're doing?"

"I—"

Jovi cuts me off. "You just made sure no one will ever want her. You realize that, right?"

I give him a smug smile, which, I admit, is the wrong thing to do. I get a fist to my abdomen, but Alik doesn't swing nearly as hard as I know he can.

I narrow my eyes at Alik but don't fight back. As much as he might want to beat the shit out of me for some perceived wrongdoing, I won't give him more of a reason.

"This isn't a fucking game," Alik snaps at me.

"I'm not playing a game!"

My response catches Alik off guard, and he relaxes a bit. It's not enough to keep me from being pressed against the wall, but he's not holding me as tightly. I'm pretty sure he won't punch me again. At least, I hope not.

"You know the significance of bite marks for our kind?" Alik asks, as though I'm not acutely aware of the pair of bites in Sloane's neck from where Jovi and Alik claimed her as their mate.

---