Page 22 of K'Vella

"No."

I flip my hair over my shoulder and turn away from him. Holoth won't force me. Even if he were stronger than me, he would never use it to force me somewhere. I barely know him,and I can't say for certain whether my thoughts on it are right, but deep down in me, I know Holoth is good and kind and would never hurt me.

He's still a Rytharian, though, so I'm not surprised when he growls again, sending another shiver down my spine. "K'Vella!"

I keep walking, not stopping until I'm in the kitchen with two Varon males, both eating the same thing Holoth made me. They wear matching, confused looks on their faces as I step into the kitchen with my abdomen cradled and a determined look on my face. And yes, Holoth is stomping in behind me, teeth bared and growl reverberating through the small space.

"My sister is Kiena Akana of the ninth district on Varon. I understand she mistreated you during your housing of her. If you wish me to leave, please give me some time to arrange a pickup." I get the words out in one breath and wait for their answer.

"They're not kicking you out," Holoth says with a snap of his teeth. Then he steps in front of me, his back tense like the first day I woke up to him standing between me and Alik. "You're not sending her away."

Alik and Jovi stare at the two of us with wide, unblinking eyes for long moments before Alik drops his fork and swallows his bite. "No one's being forced to leave. I'm sorry about your sister. You're fine to stay as long as you need. I wouldn't fault you for never returning to Varon. Gods know we're never going back."

I stand with my head held high and give a quick nod. "Good." I turn on my heels and leave the kitchen.

Holoth is a step behind me, and right as the kitchen door slides shut, Jovi laughs, repeating the part that made me want to laugh as well. "Sorry about your sister."

I smile at it and wonder if I can't find a way to stay on this ship forever.

eight

K'Vella

"Do not ever sacrifice your happiness for someone else ever again."

Holoth glares at me as I plop down in the nest. I made sure it was perfect this morning before I left, but I'm already back to running my hands over it to make sure there are no wrinkles.

"Telling them you're willing to leave? You don't even know if you're pregnant yet."

"I won't force myself somewhere I'm not wanted," I shoot back at him, narrowing my eyes as he bunches his furry brows closer together.

"We all want you here," Holoth says through gritted teeth.

He drops to his knees, the fur on his back sliding over one of his shoulders as he leans forward. He's on his hands and knees like he was on the first day of his rut, pacing outside the nest, waiting to be invited in.

"I want you here. I need you here. Your sister could've chopped off their dicks, and I would want you in this nest until the end of time. Do you understand?"

I stare at him with wide, unblinking eyes, waiting for him to tell me he can't be serious. He's unhappy with my answer, but I should've known that. His muscles tense and flex and his growl vibrates down my spine, licking at me with his power and authority.

"Answer me, K'Vella." His voice is dark with command, and I know I don't have to follow it, but this time, I know it'll feel so good if I do.

"I understand," I whisper.

"Do you?" He tilts his head to the side, the lust in his gaze burning me as it did during his rut. He wants me again, and not because his body needs someone to ease his need. No, he wants me because he likes me as a female. "Do you understand what I'm saying to you?"

"Holoth." His name is a whimper as he stares me down.

"I want to learn who you are, K'Vella. I want to know you better than you know yourself, and I want to use that knowledge to be the best male for you. I want to pace around this nest every night until you ask me to join you, and then I want to spend most of those nights inside of you, trying to keep you pregnant. I want to be the only male you search out, the only one who can satisfy you, and the only one you ever think of fathering your young." Holoth takes a long, shaky breath. "Do you understand that?"

My hands shake, and I clench them together to hide my reaction. "Yes, I understand."

Holoth's eyes narrow, and I realize it's not enough. He needs more than just a simple acceptance of what he wants. He needs me to tell him how I feel as well. Somehow, that seems even harder than everything else I've done up until this point because, at least so far, I haven't been rejected.

"On my planet, we're not meant to get too attached to anyone because the chances of finding a bond are slim. Not to mention how uncommon it is to fall pregnant during housing."

I avert my eyes just above Holoth's head so I don't have to look into his eyes as I say the rest. I don't want to see if he's disappointed or feels differently once I've spoken.

"I want a family, though. And the longer I've been on this ship, the more I've realized I want more of a family than just me and this babe." I stroke my abdomen again, even though there's no guarantee and there's no way for us to be sure just yet. "I want you, Holoth. I don't know why, and I don't know how, but I feel called to you, and I want to make this work. So if you want to try, I want to try, too."

---