Page 54 of K'Vella

He wants to make sure she's safe. He's been the one she's leaned on and talked with since she's been on the ship. I don't know what their relationship is, but they're at least friends. He doesn't like that he's being kept from his friend.

"She'll be through the heat in a couple of days," I say, patting Phial on the shoulder. He doesn't shoot me a glare that tells me he wants to kill me, so I think we're making good progress.

"Want us to stay in tonight?" Jovi asks and is hit in the arm by Alik for even suggesting not being with their mate. "Ow! What?I meant we'd get the females and do a movie night. Fucking hitting me? Really?"

"No, I'm fine," Phial says through tight lips. I keep my hand on him because he hasn't shrugged it away. "I'll go to the nest and find something to do. I don't want to go to the great hall tonight."

"You're sure?" I ask.

It's not that I don't believe him. I believe him completely.

Phial's been my friend for the last six years since I joined the ship. He taught me how to pilot and how to sneak away once every few months to ride out my rut all alone.

I don't want to leave him on his own when he needs us, not when he'd never leave any of us.

"I'm positive." Phial's lisp is extra strong when he finally shrugs away from me. He turns to face us, forcing his lips into what I'm sure he thinks is a smile. "I'll stay in my nest, I promise. Maybe check on me in the morning. I plan on drinking in excess and watching movies."

"You can come drink in excess in the great hall," Jovi says, crossing his arms over his chest and abdomen. "Come watch the unmated females dancing. The males around us seem to enjoy it while we watch Sloane."

"I don't want to watch the unmated females dance." Phial shakes his head. He runs his talons through his feathers, flattening them down his head and neck to where they disappear underneath his shirt. "I'll be fine, seriously. Go have fun. You've left the females for long enough. You're going to have to fight many males at this rate."

Alik growls low in his throat at the reminder that our females are all surrounded by males who are more than willing to see how compatible they might be. I'm surprised I can stop the growl in my throat.

Phial's words have their desired effect, though. All three of us are itching to return to our mates' sides.

"Fine, but I'm checking on you in the morning," I tell him before turning to leave the ship.

Phial grumbles something under his breath that I miss because I'm heading out, followed by Jovi and Alik. I have to trust that Phial's telling us the truth.

There's no way I'm staying on the ship all night. Not when K'Vella is out there, waiting for me. I'm throwing her onto the table tonight and eating her until she begs me to knot her. Plenty of matings will happen, so hopefully, it sets the mood just right for her.

"There's more here than last night," Jovi scowls as we head deeper into the clan.

He's not wrong since there are already females dragging males through the clan with giggles and seductive looks. Males who come to the tribe for the run have temporary housing near the fields. Not much sleeping gets done there.

"The run is in two days," I remind them. "The clan will get pretty full."

Alik opens his mouth to say something else, but then his eyes narrow, and his arms cross over his chest and abdomen. His body language clearly states not to bother him, and Jovi follows suit. Their postures are strange until I feel a female wrapping her arms around my neck, pulling my attention back to in front of me, where three females have approached us.

"Get off!" I snap. My teeth click loudly as I bite at her. "I'm a mated male."

"No, you're not, Holoth." The female giggles and presses herself tighter against me.

The two females behind her don't seem nearly as confident in whatever this plan is as their friend. In fact, I'm almost positive that they were somehow led to believe that Jovi and Alik might be interested in them. Sure, they're large, powerful males andcould keep them safe, but they want nothing to do with anyone who isn't Sloane.

"Get off," I growl. "Do not make me use command."

"Holoth," the female whines but starts to push her body away from mine. She's almost removed herself when she reaches her hand up to cup my cheek. I bite at the hand, wanting it to touch me about as much as I want to cut my cock off. "You'd be more fun without this."

I don't know what she's talking about until she moves her hand from my cheek to my nose. Before I can do more than snarl at her in displeasure, she's pulling the blocker from my nose.

I'm a good Rytharian male. I've always been respectful. I've never hurt a female. Thankfully, when her friends see the murder in my eyes, they grab her and pull her away from me before I have to force her away.

"What the fuck did you just do to my brother?" Helna's voice comes from the darkness on the path that leads to the sanctuary, and then she's on top of the female who removed my blocker, her fists flying as she follows the woman to the ground.

I cover my nose with my hand, pinching off my airways and turning back to the ship. We're so far, I don't think I can make it to the airlock before I need to take a breath, but I'll be damned if I don't try.

"Get off," Jovi argues with the females, who are all quarreling.

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