Page 19 of Flower of Seshana

The male chuffed in amusement and inclined his head. “Archay,” the male rumbled.

It sounded so suspiciously like Arche that she nearly asked him to repeat it but caught herself in time. She inclined her head appreciatively.

“Thank you, Hunter Archay, for your blessing.”

The male’s wings puffed up behind him with pleasure, and he quickly inclined his head again with an even more pleased expression before moving away and leaving Quillen to gather up the dead beast.

“He is not joining our nest,” he muttered. “I am warning you now, hithana, I will not tolerate any male who tries to flirt or gift his way into our nest.”

“I gathered that when you threatened Therxian the first time,” she replied. The idea was so preposterous that she couldn’t hold back a giggle of amusement. “But you don’t need to worry. Two mates are more than enough for me.”

Quillen grunted in acknowledgment, but the corner of his mouth twitched as Kethan chuffed out loud. A happy, light feeling settled within her chest as she continued to wander through the nara’s gathering area.

She had to admit, even if only privately, that she felt a little self-conscious but this too, they had informed her, was a tradition among the Vahel following a successful mating. While the blessing ceremony saw off the mating flight that officially brought a mate into the nara, the day of blessings that followed was one of feasts and gifts offered to a successfully mated couple—or in their case, throuple.

Kethan’s yellow eyes brightened like a pair of suns as greetings and well wishes were called out to them as Vahel came forward to offer tiny gifts that were immediately deposited in the basket. His gavo was slightly flared with his good mood, and he trilled with pleasure over every little thing, melting her heart. Just seeing him so happy and content was enough that Alexandra immediately felt her tension ease as she relaxed in response, her smile becoming broader and more genuine. Quillen peered over at her and smiled indulgently as he nudged her lightly with his wing.

“You appear happy,” he observed quietly.

“How can I not be?” she replied as she leaned, wrapping an arm around his waist. “I am a little socially awkward, but I’m with you, and you two are part of my happiness.”

A look of pleasure brightened the male’s face, his purple gaze softening to velvet. “Then we shall never part,” he rasped as he cupped her cheek with one hand before lowering to skim her throat with his fingers.

Lowering his head, he lovingly brushed his brow against hers before reluctantly releasing her when several males called out to him. With a look that promised far more once they were alone again, Quillen turned toward the males with a curious stare and came close to bolting when one of the hunters suddenly embraced him. Alexandra smothered her laughter behind her hand as she watched him awkwardly return the male’s embrace even as his gaze flicked over to her in semi-panic. It seemed thatsuccessfully mating had some unexpected benefits. Though it seemed that it would take some getting used to for her reclusive mate.

“He will be fine,” Gamay assured her, the female’s voice drifting up from a point behind her. Alexandra turned just as her new mother arrived at her side with a pleased, maternal smile on her face. “The whole nara has been talking of it. No one was certain whether or not you would go through mating with him given how his mother’s terrible choice stained his life among the Vahel.”

“I am a scientist. The dead don’t inform my personal choice,” Alexandra replied.

Gamay inclined her head. “As a healer, they do not inform my choices either. I have seen too much to believe that a sad circumstance of death does anything but perhaps leave their loved ones feeling sadness, regret… and anger in some cases.” She exhaled heavily as if a great weight had been taken from her shoulders. “I have raised Quillen since he was a nestling. I am more his mother than the female who birthed him. It has hurt me to see the way the nara has avoided him. But his successful mating has changed everything—bringing in new life and hope through the establishment of your common nest together, banishing the stain of death. It will take him some time to become accustomed to it, but he has a new life now in the nara, thanks to you.”

Alexandra blushed. “I didn’t do anything. I just love him. I love both of them.”

“And that is the most important gift,” Gamay replied. Turning, she reached into the woven bag looped across her chest and pulled out an intricately carved figure of a Vahel female that she gently placed into the basket. “My gift for you,” she murmured. “You were not born from us, but you are now ofthe Vahel. You are a daughter of Shangla. Shangla,” she said, touching the small head of the statue, “will protect you.”

“Thank you,” Alexandra whispered. She did not know if she believed in this Shangla or not, but the sentiment of belonging was not lost upon her and affected her deeply. Every bit of her gratitude was genuine.

Gamay smiled and touched her shoulder briefly, a small connection, before she drifted off to greet several of the nestling rushing to her. Alexandra watched her go with a smile, her eyes falling warmly on the nestlings. She admittedly had a soft spot for them and was pleased when they suddenly turned and rushed toward her, moving swiftly on their slender tails. She laughed, murmuring her thanks as they loaded her basket with flowers, river polished stones and other little things that they had likely just found that morning and saved as gifts for her. But the best gifts were their hugs and the gentle pats from their little hands where before they had watched her shyly. Setting her basket on the ground, she kneeled among them, talking with them until she felt the weight of eyes on her sending a hot spark of awareness through her body.

She turned and her eyes fell once more on Kethan as the male smiled and separated himself from the males and females surrounding him to return to her. She straightened as he approached, her heart beating quickening with the fresh wave of love she felt.

If Quillen was her rock with his cool amethyst gaze and playfully loving partner, Kethan was nothing short of her joy made into flesh and perfectly huggable. With a hopping step, she followed her impulse and leaped into his arms. Twining her arms around his neck to hug him tightly to her, her legs came up to circle his hips as his arms came around her to hold her close. A small, startled hiss of pleasure escaped him, and she grinned as she felt his tail and wings curl around to embrace her close inturn, surrounding her in his warmth. They held each other, their hearts beating together.

“Do not forget me,” Quillen rumbled as he pushed himself into their hold, his wings and arms wrapping around them.

“We could never forget you,” she assured him, brushing a kiss against his cheek.

“It would be impossible to,” Kethan agreed dryly and then chuffed with laughter when she thumped his chest. “We are family. The three of us together,” he murmured as he snared Quillen and dragged him closer into the hug. “There would be no us and no nest without you.”

“Sweet talker,” Quillen groused, but his trill of happiness was hard to miss.

Alexandra smiled as she hugged her mates. Kethan was right. Whatever challenges the future might bring, this was what was important right here. Her family. And there was no better place on Seshana than the Vahel nara on the slopes of the Zir.

Epilogue

FOUR YEARS LATER

“Alexandra! A human! There is a human in the nara!” Neima shouted as she darted inside, her little wings folding upon touching down only for the small female to dart across the room to Alexandra’s side with a whip of her tail.

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