Page 11 of Jewel of the Alien Bandit
“He’s chosen her, I’m so jealous.”
I grumbled. “He’s just an insect.”
She giggled. “No, not him. Loric. He’s chosen Luan to be his mate this cycle.”
“Yes, I already knew that.” He’d told me as much when we spoke, and then I looked up to see who he was standing in front of. My silver beauty.
Luan.
Of course we’d be going after the same mate. Mate, that word felt strange to say, but right when I referred to her. So what if this ridiculous ceremony was meant to help the estrelds repopulate their species; while I was here… she was mine. What she did when I was gone, was her business, but even that thought irritated me.
Her bedding with that krelin, or even my frenemy Loric was out of the question.
Loric was glowing an obnoxious blue, and he seemed to pulse in her presence, making me grind my teeth watching him.Her cheeks were blushing a sweet pink, and it was for. A man that wasn’t me.
She removed a ring from her thumb, and placed it on his finger as she bit down on her lower lip.
They may have won the round, but the games weren’t over yet, and I had plenty of tarnpul to join the dance.
“Aren’t they perfect?” The girl was still clinging to my arm.
Then the host chimed in, “It looks like this cycle’s moon ceremony is shaping up to be one for the history books. May the moon bless us all. For every offering you will have the opportunity for one on one time before the dance, so hand out those tarnpuls quickly!”
“Oh, excuse me.” The girl on my arm released me, but left behind a necklace she tied around my wrist. “See you soon.” Her curvy hips swayed through the crowd, and I didn’t have much time to introduce myself.
“So this is Luan,” I interrupted Loric’s moment. I was a shitty wingman, not that I wanted to cock block him specifically, just from her. “You are more fierce than the rays of a Trillus sun. May the moons give many blessings upon your mating.” I took her hand into my own and bent down to kiss her fingers, carefully slipping off one of her rings as I withdrew. When I lifted my gaze there was that fire in her silver eyes once more.
“I have not agreed to mate with anyone yet,” she objected, and I smiled back at her, pleased to hear that.
“My apologies for assuming.” I gave Loric an apologetic shrug that he struck out despite being given one of her offerings. While their attention was on my shoulders I pocketed the ring that would guarantee me a one on one meeting with Luan.
Loric explained, “It is customary to wait until after the rest of the games to make any commitments.” He too leaned in, though instead of kissing her hand he pulled her in to brush against her cheek and my blood heated. For someone that wasn’t trying tocompete he did a good job of stepping up a notch from my hand peck.
I could still feel her skin on my lips, and I ached to press my mouth to other parts of her willing flesh. And this Loric was in my way. My chest rumbled involuntarily, a warning sign to those that knew what I was, but I doubted anyone knew much about Sholonus, since my planet was destroyed. I cleared my throat hoping no one noticed.
“When you’re ready,” Loric whispered to Luan. If he hadn’t been after the same mate then I would have clapped him on the back, and rooted for the suave move, but all he did was bring out the carnal protective instincts of my shol side.
“I’ll be in the library for the meetings phase of the games.” She was gazing at me when she invited Loric for his one on one, and I couldn’t help but feel included. Giving her a bow of my head, I would certainly see her soon after I picked my handler’s brain for more details on the rest of the games.
See you soon, Luan.
Even her name meant the light of the moons, but I wanted her to shine for me alone.
CHAPTER NINE
Luan
NOT UNTIL AFTERit happened did I understand what I had just announced to the whole of Estreldez. I buried my face in my hands, embarrassed that I’d dropped my eggs, and displayed my mating loh to every male like I was yelling at the top of my lungs, “Fuck me.”
“It wasn’t that bad…” Mabel tried to console me. Of course she didn’t understand. To her this was a success for her to research later when she interviewed everyone after the ceremony. Hell, she was probably holding herself back from interviewing me now while it was still fresh.
I shouldn’t be irritated at her for it. That was her job, and it benefited the clan.
“How is this possible?”
Not even some of the matings that had successful offspring showed their mating loh to people during the first phase of the games. I flushed thinking about what all of Estreldez thought of my display.
Mabel answered that for me too, “You’ve given the clan a lot of hope for the future. It may not seem like it now, but a strong response like what you’ve shown is a positive sign for mating, and in every instance of the mating loh appearing there has been a new spawn.”
