Page 18 of Her Alien Prince
So I said nothing.
Her resolve and thoughtfulness was what made her such a promising leader, and because I believed in her, I reasoned that she would one day be Almder. So, who was I to prevent her from doing what she thought was best for the clan, for Estreldez, and perhaps even for herself. Her shoulders relaxed, knowing that I wouldn’t go to Almder and interfere with her plan to leave. Though, she should have known that I wouldn't, that she could trust me.
But, could she?
Guilt made me turn my attention away from her. I was keeping vital information to myself.
"That will have to be enough then," she said with determination, like a true leader, she would not impose on me, but she would press forward with her plan, whatever that entailed.
I stood up, unable to keep still, knowing I had disappointed her. Knowing I had disappointed myself. I should be going with her, to protect her. "The games will begin soon," I diverted.
"Mabel," she approached, cautiously, "We are friends?"
There should be no doubt about that, but I had failed her. My eyes watered with emotion, and launched my arms around her while she sat, bringing her into a hug, uncaring of who was watching.
"We are," I said, near to sobbing into her beautiful silver hair. I sniffed and sucked in a breath to steady myself before I pulled away to smile at her. "I will see what I can do to help, but right now," I tried to lighten the mood with a joke, "we must see if any of the mates can make your shoulders tingle."
The tears in my eyes stung all the more, thinking of who she’d choose as a mate.
She laughed heartily, and stood up from her seat, enveloping me back into the hug once more. Luan was much taller than me, and she had to stoop to press her cheek against the top of my head. "I have my doubts," she said with humor, but there was a grain of truth in her voice.
My best friend was uncertain of finding a match this cycle. She was the Jewel of Estreldez, envy of many, and there would be no shortage of matches that would vie for her attention. She had to know this, even if I had to remind her. Squeezing her arms in reassurance, I knew she'd find a mate... even if it was with someone I wanted for myself. "It is different when they display their talents to you personally.”
In the heat of the moment, she would see what I saw in Trent. I had to tell her what the Almder wanted of her. Now was the time, wasn't it?
"I don't understand," she said skeptically.
I blushed thinking of how I had dropped my own eggs as Trent's fingers explored my heat, my pants and moans echoing in the shuttle chamber. Looking away, I explained, "As a scientist of behavioral analysis…" I paused, this was an excuse. It had nothing to do with being an analyst for the M.R. team, but I knew if someone like me could be triggered to mate, so could she. "I’ve interviewed many that have successfully mated. Some knew as soon as they saw them, and others needed to be in close proximity. You’ve been far from attentive during the previous ceremonies, participating may change things for you.”
The ceremony opening would start soon, and both the viewing deck, and the arena below were filled with mates from all across Estreldez, and planets from all over. The moons were up above, radiating in the open-air training arena, which was only used by our warriors when not hosting the mating ceremony. Even the floors were stamped with tarnpul slabs to help amplify the radiation, which was to assist warriors with tapping into their loh, but served dual purpose for increasing fertility.
My eyes locked on a pair of golden ones within the crowd of off-worlders. Others gave him ample space, creating a bubble that made spotting him easier than if I had tried to spot where Loric was within the group. He did not remove his armor, though that didn't hide much of the muscle along his torso. Only his arms were covered with scale-like leather, and bracers. Krelins were confident in their abilities to protect themselves, wearing armor that would assist with blocking, and then attacking their opponents. Part of my training, when I stood in this very arena to be certified as any other warrior among the estrelds, was to learn about krelins and using their hubris against them.
They had two hearts, I remembered, and my eyes landed on his pectorals molded with leather. My head had leaned against his firm frame as he touched me where my heat pooled with pulsing need. A shriek thankfully drew my attention back into focus. Flauna fidgeted in front of us before she turned in her seat distracting me from my thoughts.
"Him!" she was pointing to the image of the bounty hunter on Luan's tablet.
I absentmindedly read his name out loud, "Vareo." As I processed what Flauna was saying, I also noted how Luan was biting her lip... did she have interest in him? "A bounty hunter passing through the star system," I explained, hoping to hint towards his unsuitability for Flauna while adding my approval to Luan, "He seems like a fine mate, even if his motives may be credit-inspired rather than diplomatic."
It didn't seem to help as Flauna ignored my words of warning, "Doesn’t matter what got him here, all that matters is that he’s here now. He's looking this way!" Flauna's blue skin turned purple with a blush. Her back loh were pulsing with interest, signaling her readiness to mate. I tried to distract them both with nudging Luan to pay attention to the arena. There was plenty to look at, and Flauna wouldn't think too much on us anticipating the ceremony instead of chatting about her interest in the bounty hunter.
Trent was staring in our direction, and I could swear he wasn't looking at Luan. His double-lidded golden eyes cleared his vision, and my stomach fluttered. As he took steps towards the center, the space between him and others followed, not a single off-worlder, nor estreld, would dare approach him. He had a presence about him, and my feet itched to move. Unlike everyone else, not to give him space, but to remove it. My blood pumped, and I felt my heart hammering in my ribcage, not once did his gaze leave mine. I gulped. "That's unusual," I said breathless. I've never felt like this before, simply by being seen.
Luan gasped when her eyes followed mine, I quickly explained my interest in him, dismissing it as professional, "He's an ambassador from Krelis."
"But, he's... participating?" she scoffed her disapproval.
Resisting a smile, I shouldn't have been pleased by her reaction to him, but I was. Salph's voice resonated through the arena to begin the ceremony, she was an elder advisor, and helped coordinate the mating ceremony. With her introduction, she initiated the first offering of tarnpul for females, regardless of if they were from Estreldez or not, would gift a piece of tarnpul to mates they were interested in. Any mate with tarnpul would participate in the ceremony, getting to know their mates, and copulating under the moon's blessing. Those with no offerings would return to their ships, dismissed from the ceremony.
Luan's tablet flashed, and I read the note from Almder with both relief and defeat. I hadn't accepted that I was avoiding my duty to tell Luan about needing to give Trent a tarnpul offering, but the message was clear: You'll offer the ambassador of Krelis some tarnpul, My Jewel.
There, it was done.
Almder had beat me to it.
"What is it?" Luan questioned my shocked expression.
"One piece of tarnpul doesn’t mean you’ll mate with him," I tried to reason more to myself than to her. She didn't have to mate with him. She wouldn't mate with him. Was I going to hyperventilate?
