Page 21 of Her Alien Prince
Smiling at him, I teased, "I will happily give you orders, if you'd follow them."
A crinkle around his eyes told me he suppressed his own grin. "I wouldn't have expected anything less from a prince. Sliding around the accusation while also being affable. It only proves my point. You can bring peace to our planets for many cycles to come, and Luan is who you will do it with." He punctuated Luan's name to emphasize that I would keep my distance from Mabel. Even now, he did not trust I would let well enough alone. Mabel had made her decision, and my foolishness had created a wedge between me and my kansa bond.
I would respect this male's claim to court her.
For now, I couldn't help but add. Luan needed my full attention and yet I couldn't fully give up on Mabel. Gaven may be wrong about my worthiness to bond with either of them. My mind kept battling within itself. Luan soothed my warriors during trade negotiations, which I assumed had something to do with her loh’s allure reflecting her own calm state of mind on the krelins she’s in contact with. And yet Mabel occupies my every desire, pushing me to think of new ways to help my hive. To let me keep her, but I never had her to begin with.
CHAPTER NINE
Mabel
LUAN BURIED HERface in her hands as she collapsed beside me in the spot we normally both retreated to for privacy. A secluded place within the palace garden with plants that grew thick enough to hide behind. Most estrelds didn't approach close enough to realize they were Retreating Wops from the AsunGor planet, brought in as a diplomatic gift many cycles ago. Upon contact with heat they retracted, making a path to enter into a little area of the garden away from prying eyes.
I didn't say anything as she groaned beside me. This was a place of safety, and I would let her have her meditation until it was obvious she would like my support. Staring at the small pond of water at our feet, I watched my reflection ripple as the light of the moons bounced around its surface. My thoughts kept returning to Trent, and how he watched Luan's loh expand into magnificent wings that displayed both her beauty and her power. She would make a wonderful Almder one day, and not just because the clan would respect her newly activated loh, which even I could feel heightening my urge to mate, but because I knew her. Knew she'd do everything within her ability to guide Estreldez... and Krelis through the coming war with King Sylve.
But, she was also planning on leaving…
"Fuck me," Luan huffed out.
I sighed. She had to know I believed in her. "It wasn't that bad..." If anything, she had done nothing but show Estreldez she was worthy of ascending to Almder, and her loh would secure the peace with Krelis. If I hadn't left when I did, I would have ruined everything for her. A burning sensation ached through my back loh, even now, and it made me want to claw at my own skin. The gardens were closer than my living quarters, and this little hideaway had a small pool that I hoped would ease my loh if it got too much to handle.
"How is this possible?" she bemoaned, rubbing at her face in disbelief. Her wings were still on full display, and I assumed she was talking about her activated mating loh. I tried to explain that her wings were a strong mating response, and in most instances of an estreld's back loh growing a successful offspring was born. This was great news for the clan, though I knew Luan had no current desire to have any offspring.
She even said as much once more. Luan groaned.
"He's quite handsome," I commented, trying to keep my emotions in check. Trying to help her accept her response to Trent was making my stomach churn like I would vomit. "His file says he's a warrior, and one of the leaders that help protect our system from outlaws."
Pressing my lips together, I stopped myself from adding that he was the Prince of Krelis. Why did I do that? I knew the answer. Secretly, I hoped she would think he was some mere krelis diplomat, and perhaps she would simply find another way to bridge peace with him that didn't involve mating with him at all. I didn't want to give her any incentive to think mating with Trent was the best option for both of our planets. Luan was practical, and she would mate with him for the sake of the clan, while still running off planet to do her diplomatic galactic quest. If anything, that was perfect for her plans. She could mate with him, bring peace to our planets, then keep herself occupied off-world finding treaties that would free her from her obligations to Krelis.
"He's practically an outlaw himself with how the krelin have been extorting us for our minerals and rock deposits." Her exasperation on the topic of krelins made me smile, like that little bit of indignation was a kernel of hope for her to find another way to help Estreldez. If there was another way, she would find it.
"And the bounty hunter isn't?" I blurted out with a laugh, wanting to change the subject away from krelins. As much as I liked that she still didn't like having a connection to Trent, I still didn't enjoy hearing how she lumped all krelins in with outlaws. A small part of me wanted her approval of Trent, while still not wanting her to like him herself. It was messed up, but I couldn't stop my mind from spiraling. "Don't think I didn't see how you responded to him. Maybe you're just into strong outlaw types."
Luan's face blushed a light purple upon her white-blue skin. It warmed my heart to see she liked another male. Then she gripped my hand as we sat. A silence between us as she squeezed, and then her brows narrowed in concentration. Something was wrong. I shook out the numbness from my fingers as she released me.
"Luan?"
She snapped, "Why do I feel so possessive?"
I could ask the same thing of myself. It seemed both of us were experiencing the chaos of the mating cycle. I explained more for myself than for Luan, "It's common for the mating loh to want potential mates to choose them over others."
Reminding myself that what I was feeling was normal, was all I needed. This would go away, based on my interviews, I told her, "The feeling passes after you've copulated. Biologically, we seek mating to replicate ourselves."
It was all very clinical, I assured. This was all body chemistry, nothing more. I continued, "And once seed is inside us," or our egg sacks are removed, I thought with gloom at my own circumstances, "we feel more free to choose. Many have found they've enjoyed the ceremony much more after the first mating of the evening and go to find other compatible mates while the moon is still at its brightest."
Luan sighed in the same relief I felt after saying it out loud.
Closing my eyes, I could see Trent spreading his black iridescent wings behind him as he undid the straps holding his scaled pants together. Wetting my lips as his hands lowered the fabric down the v-shaped creases that led to the apex of where his cock bulged. A slickness dripped from my folds, and I squeezed my thighs together. My mouth went dry, and my own possessiveness took over.
"You don't have to mate with any of them," I spoke softly, not wishing to give away how much my body yearned to be touched. It was not entirely self-less to support her decision to mate or not, but I also needed her to know that just because she was to be future Almder, she still had agency. She still had choices.
Luan would sacrifice her own happiness to help Estreldez, and as her friend I couldn't allow her to do anything without knowing that not everything would be on her shoulders. We were a clan, not a planet of one. "The mating loh is a powerful feeling, but just like you had the strength to walk away from them earlier, you can walk away from them again, even at the peak of the ceremony.
"You are a strong estreld." I meant every word. I believed in her. "It is by your choice, and grace alone that one of them may mate with you, if any. And whomever you choose, whenever you decide will be a lucky mate." Even if it ended up being Trent, I would accept her choice. Fingers dug into the dirt beside my hip and I felt like my back loh would explode. Moisture prickled at my eyes, threatening to escape.
"Thank you, I needed that." Luan pulled me in for a hug, and I buried my face into her silvery-white hair to hide my emotions. All I wanted to do was stay in this getaway within the palace gardens, waiting until the ceremony was over before I emerged once more. If Luan needed me to give her my strength, whatever I had left in me was hers.
"Do you need me to stay and supervise your ceremonial greetings?" I gulped, praying that she would say, 'no'. I didn't know if I could bear to see her embrace whatever connection she had with Trent, not when my own mating loh were so affected. I had to see Elder Ezra, and have my eggs removed immediately. This was too much.
