Page 85 of Right Next Door
He frowned, his brow furrowing deep. “My commitmentisabsolute.”
“Your commitment is conditional.”
“I will never turn from you, my Misty. I do not need to go through a rut for that.”
She laughed once, but there was no humor in the sound. “Yeah. Sure. You say that now. They all say that. Doesn’t mean they can keep their word.”
He reared back, clearly offended. “You doubt me.”
“I’m not a chump. I will not just let you claim me without actually claiming me. I have more self-respect than that.”
“What does my choice have to do with your self-respect?”
“Because it wasyourchoice. If I just agree to whatever you want despite whatIwant, without even saying anything, then I’m doing a disservice to myself. And that’s not who I’m going to be. We aren’t a thing if I ain’t got that ring…”
Her own voice trailed off as the realization suddenly hit her. The reaction didn’t go unnoticed by Tsok. He frowned.
“Misty?”
“Char Tsok.”
They both turned. Senior Boktare and Fia were walking their way. Arm in arm. A properly mated couple, with all the bodily changes that came with it. Looking between them and herself and Tsok, Misty couldn’t help but appreciate the irony of their different stances.
“Hello, senior,” Tsok greeted him formally. “Lovely party, isn’t it?”
“Very lovely,” Boktare agreed. “Busy. I’ve only just barely got the chance to speak to the High Imperium. They truly are a good person.”
At his words, Misty looked past his shoulder. The High Imperium was still standing in a crowd, their tall, imposingfigure towering over everyone. Their face was completely covered, and judging by the way the combot was bouncing, they were speaking to those people.
But she was suddenly, absolutely sure, that they were looking right at her.
And she also suddenly understood what they had been talking about.
Chapter 30
Tsok
His mate was acting oddly. The High Imperium was acting oddly. Boktare was giving the hand he’d automatically put around Misty’s waist a disapproving stare while Fia gently touched his side, as though trying to calm him down. Tsok wished the entire party would go away so he could talk to his mate without intervention for just a moment!
What ring was she talking about? Why did she look like she’d suddenly had an epiphany? He wanted to ask her, but he didn't want to ask her in front of Boktare.
“Have you given any thought to my latest proposal?” Boktare asked before Tsok could think of something to say to excuse them.
The question made him frown. “While I appreciate your stance on the subject, senior, I believe that outlawing mating completely is a bit too far. No matter what compromise you offer me, I will not bend on this.”
“What?” Misty looked up at him, then quickly whipped her head towards Boktare. “What do you mean ‘outlaw mating’? You’re already mated!”
“Of course, I don’t mean those who mate by pure accident,” he explained calmly. “There was no intention there, and therefore no blame. Accidents happen. I meant, outlaw mating as an option. I don’t believe it’s something our species needs to be promoting. And if we outlaw it entirely, we can use True Match to make sure even accidents don’t happen. If we make the scan mandatory, we can assure that no mating pair ever crosses paths.”
“Woah, woah,” Misty frowned at him. “That’s way too far, isn’t it?”
“I believe it’s exactly what our people need.” Boktare gave her a look down his muzzle that made Tsok need to suppress a growl. “With all due respect, you are only a human, charina. You don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Tsok felt Misty tense under him, and he tightened his hold. Part of him was curious if she would charge after the senior for the obvious insult. She didn't, but she was like a rock at his side, unmoving and unyielding as she glared at the other male.
Fia, in a sweet tone, said quickly, “He means no insult by this. He just wants to make sure that all the females of our planet are safe. That’s it. Like he said, if you can just provide a way to make absolutely sure that everyone knows a couple consents to their mating, then he would have no reason to protest as hard as he does.”
“Exactly,” Boktare jerked his head firmly. “But since you cannot provide that-”
