Page 29 of K'Vella

"Six months," I tell her, and this time, it's my turn for the wicked gleam to shine bright in my gaze. "Six months of you being all mine."

K'Vella rolls her eyes and attempts to object, just like I know she's going to. I don't let her. My lips are on hers, biting down hard on her lower one until I feel her instinctively reach for her wrists.

"You can argue when I tell you I'm keeping you forever, but you don't get to argue about my six months. You agreed. I'm pretty sure it's a binding law." I tell her quickly and kiss her again when she tries to interject. I can do this all night. I'll keep her agreeable and unable to object until all her worries die.

"I think the housing ceremony has gone on long enough," I tell her when her eyes are left hooded and her fingers are curled tight in my clothing and against my skin. "Let me take you back to our nest. We can celebrate our agreement there."

K'Vella makes a soft grumbling sound of annoyance, but when I look at her, she's pleased with herself, with me, and with how tonight has gone. Now, I need to prove to her that every night can go this well if she trusts me to know what I want.

I want her. Nothing and no one but her and all the babes I can fill her with. Yes, that's everything a male could dream of.

eleven

Holoth

It's been two weeks since K'Vella more or less said that she'd be willing to see if there's more to our relationship. I've eased up on biting her so much because she needs to heal, and it's obviously not pulling her bonding marks out.

Every night, when we lie in the nest together and enjoy one another, she complains about the burning in her wrists, and I purr extra hard to keep it from becoming too painful.

Jovi and Alik told me it was awful, and they wouldn't have been able to keep going if not for how Sloane always makes them lose themselves in her. I don't want K'Vella to be in that much pain, so she isn't.

I'm honestly astonished at the lack of knowledge on Varon bonding marks. Even the small amount of information out there doesn't mention the pain, only that the bonding marks showed up for groupings that found their bonded mates.

My purr gets so much use. I'm surprised my chest and throat aren't sore from how often the vibrations rumble through me.

I still don't know how to tell K'Vella she's definitely into me. I mean, we sleep in the nest together every night. We eat all our meals together. I'm always attached to her unless she's having girl time with the other females.

Still, she seems uncertain when I ask about her plans if she finds out she's pregnant. I haven't even dared ask her if she's taken any tests yet because I'm afraid once she finds out, she'll leave.

I never thought I'd ache for a female not to have young with me, but here I am, hoping that if she tests, the results come back negative. I want as much time as possible with her to get her bonded marks to appear. It doesn't help that I have no way of proving to her I'm almost certain she's my female.

I don't know if my kind can feel fated to be with another species. I'm almost scared that if I took off my blocker, I wouldn't find her smell as alluring as I think I would. It's a terrifying possibility.

Thankfully, if I ever remove the blocker, it's not like there are many Rytharians out and about. I won't find my fated because most of them stay on Rythar. This is perfectly fine. I don't want my fated. I want K'Vella.

"What are you thinking about?" K'Vella pulls me from my thoughts as she trails her fingers over the lines of the markings on my chest.

Rytharians are born with black markings all over their bodies in various patterns. It's always a toss-up on which parent we'll get our markings from. It's even more fun when we end up with repressed markings from generations back.

"Thinking about what markings our babe will have," I say.

I'd rather tell her that than about how I'm thinking there might be a Rytharian female out there who would be my perfect genetic match. I can't see that conversation ever going well. Even if I were to tell K'Vella that I don't care about my fated, Idon't think she'd want to know. Especially when her own body is claiming me as hers. That would just be cruel.

K'Vella rubs her abdomen with her lower hands and gives me a soft smile. "I won't lie. I'm a little disappointed they won't be purple."

I tug her closer and plant a kiss against her temple. "We could always paint them."

She gives me a disappointed look and shakes her head. "That's too much work."

"Too much work," I repeat, leaning my head closer to hers so I can put my lips back on her.

It's late, and my knot's already been inside her once. She'd normally already be asleep, but something must be weighing heavily on her mind.

We've grown closer since she came to the ship, but she's still closed off from me in some regards. That's okay. I still have time to court her and get her more comfortable with me. Not as much time as I'd like, but more than just tonight, at least.

"Holoth." K'Vella rolls onto her side and looks at me.

It's the first time I've seen actual trepidation on her features. She's been worried, she's been scared, but never about having to tell me something. Normally, it's her own insecurities playing with her mind and making her think I won't want her. If I can get her markings to show up, I'm hoping she'll never doubt her feelings for me again.

---