Page 25 of Her Alien Prince
A moan escaped, and I snapped my eyes open in embarrassment. Gaven's eyes were glowing a pastel green, hooded with a desire I hadn't noticed from him before.
"Gaven...?" I tried to snap him from his trance, concern laced in my voice. Was Luan's loh affecting him?
He blinked back the haze, and pulled away, but kept hold of my shoulders. "I'm glad to know you're heading to Elder Ezra. Your life is more important than," he stopped himself from finishing that thought, short of saying, more important than having my own offspring, "than anything. This may not be the appropriate time to ask this of you, but I've requested leave of my position within the palace to be sired."
Sired... he found someone he wished to be bonded with, care for their offspring, and essentially retire from his role as Chief Tactician of Estreldez. He was the best warrior we had, alongside Loric. Of course, he'd wish to settle down one day. This was natural. I nodded my understanding. He was telling me that he would no longer be around the palace. How did Loric feel about his best friend stepping down from his position?
I smiled. "You're not really around the palace much anyways, are you?" I joked. He was usually off doing whatever it was that was top secret about his job. There were many times he was gone even when Loric returned from diplomatic excursions.
"I wish to change that," he said while leaning in. "I wish to see more of that smile of yours."
My breath caught, and I didn't know how to respond. So, I didn't.
"Mabel, I wish to be sired to you."
I blurted out more loudly than I intended, and feared I'd be heard by Luan and Trent, "You could have anyone!" The question unasked was, why me?
“I know you’ve done more than simply advise on your findings from mating interviews. I speak with Loric, you know.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” I didn’t know what he found out about me, but it could be anything.
“It means, I know you’re the one that gave Luan information on how to act against the krelin if they kept extorting us during trade. It means I know that I have you to thank for saving my own life during particularly dangerous negotiations.”
“Gaven?” Luan swore she wouldn’t tell anyone how she came across the information. I would be reprimanded severely if Almder found out that I had relationships with the krelins who came by for deliveries. There was no other way to bribe for the different brands of nectar.
“You are resourceful, and though your heart is open to krelins, you also know the practicality to protect yourself and our clan.” He turned his gaze away as he added, "I'm required to tell you before you make a decision about accepting my offer as your sired that I've been mated before. Almder has respected my privacy, and as long as I stayed in a position that all estrelds knew I was not allowed to participate in mating rituals, and never tried to mate with someone potentially fertile, my secret would stay hidden."
It was shocking to know that he'd been bonded with a mate before, but that was no reason for me to reject his offer. It was generous of him to risk even asking Almder permission to be a sire to someone like me. There would be little for him to do being sired to someone with no future of a family to care for.
"I don't understand... we are in a population crisis. Why would Almder keep someone fertile away from other mates? That doesn't make any sense," I reasoned, and the only thing I could think of was that he was being punished for some crime. I narrowed my eyes at him, suspicious of the answer he may give, "What have you done?" Voice wavering, I felt my wings buzz behind me.
Not now, I thought,not now.Keep it together, this wasn't the time to see if he still felt like being sired to me after revealing who one of my parents was. There was no love lost for krelins on Estreldez. I tensed up my shoulder blades just in time for him to capture my eyes with his. That's right, keep those pale green eyes focused here. Anywhere was better than noticing the distortion of space behind my back from the camouflage of my wings.
"It's how my mate died," he admitted, startling me. "I may be fertile, but it was my spawn that took my mate from me, and I won't have it happen again," he said the last part with resolve.
Gaven swooped to bring me into his arms, and I shrieked. A quick glance around showed that Luan and Trent were no longer in the clearing near the algae plants, and I panicked. If he picked me up, he might smack right into my wings, so I used my training before he could finish his attempt. Blocking one of his hands with my forearm, I slid my feet between his open legs, and kicked to ground him. He saw immediately what I was doing, and why shouldn't he, he was our best warrior. Gaven parried, ducked before my other hand could connect with his jaw to guide him away from his task of lifting me into his arms like a newborn.
"I won't have you die on me," Gaven insisted. "Please come with me to see Elder Ezra." He grunted, while we sparred on fairly equal footing. I knew he was holding back, but so was I. It took extra care to maneuver, knowing I had to account for wings that though they weren't seen... they were very much physically there, and I didn't need Gaven colliding with them.
Sticking out a hand to stop him from continuing this game, a low buzz came from the bushes that set the hair of my arms on end. My attention pivoted in time to see Trent flying out from behind the foliage. I gasped, turning to Gaven only to see him lifting the mask he had dangling from his neck. He expected Trent to spray him with whatever knocked him out on the shuttle, and I couldn't blame him. Using the distraction to my advantage, I knocked Gaven's feet off balance, and my elbow blew to his chest finishing the trajectory of falling on his ass at my feet.
Trent landed behind me to say, "I see my concern was unwarranted. My apologies for interrupting."
"I had everything perfectly handled, thank you," I clipped back, preening from winning the duel, even if I did cheat a bit. Neither of us were really fighting each other fully, and Trent had actually stopped Gaven's next move which would have been much more difficult to avoid without revealing my wings. So, I guess I should have been thanking him for the interruption. "Shouldn't you be off doing what mates do, alone in the gardens," I pointedly glared at him with a hand on my hip. I didn't have to add, with Luan, not me. My irritation was enough of an indication that I knew what he had been doing. Though I had to accept it, I didn't have to like it.
Gaven dusted himself off and made sure his mask was secured.
"I allowed you some privacy to copulate... are you finished, already?" Gaven's voice echoed a bit through the filters of his mask, but it was clear enough that he'd just made sport of Trent's mating abilities. I couldn't help a chuckle from escaping, though Trent didn't seem ruffled by the pointed mockery. His expression was still regal, and amusement crinkled his golden eyes that made me think Gaven would be getting a taste of his own punches soon enough.
That wasn't all my own eyes took in as I watched, trailing up his chiseled jaw line I stared at his horns peeking out from his hairline. It was almost as if they vibrated the more I stared. Krelins called them kan, I recalled, and I clucked my tongue. A buzz surrounded me as if the air was filled with a heavy energy, and I could feel exactly where Gaven stood beside me, and Trent in front.
"So beautiful," I heard Trent whisper, and I couldn't believe he was talking about me.
"What did you say?" I directed at him.
Gaven replied in his stead, "He didn't say anything. We need to get you checked out by Elder Ezra, immediately. No more games."
I could have sworn he said something, but perhaps that was what I wished he'd think about me. Wanting someone to think you're beautiful was natural, wasn't it? Wanting Trent to think I was beautiful... was foolish. He needed to secure a politically advantageous mating with Luan... not a rejected advisor. Given that I was part krelin myself, it was even less advantageous for the future of our planets to choose me. I didn't even know who my parents were. Why did I even consider myself an option for him? I needed to stop thinking of him like we even stood a chance outside of that shared moment in the shuttle.
