Page 45 of Her Alien Savior
Finally, I spoke to my questioning mate, ignoring our parasitic onlooker, “I was the second to King Sylve at the time Queen Roknir claimed rule over Necias Prime. When he stepped down to claim the antidote from her poison, I was the one who chose to hand my rights of claim to Trillume in exchange for the peace and citizenship among the ones that traveled the stars. Many of my tribe found dishonor in this, and I worked my way up the ranks of trill’s warriors to reclaim my honor and prove that my decision was best for our tribe.”
My mate’s mouth gaped open as I tried to explain and to my annoyance it was the estreld that continued for me, having done her research before she intruded on our chambers.
“He’s one of three necia warrior hereditary lines that have rights to claim this ancient law among the trill. King Sylve could step up, but he isn’t favored by the warriors. Nen-Le has rights to claim as her tribe is next in line for rulership over Necias Prime, and our very own Commander Vox Direl, known through the trill warships as the Thorn of Trillume for never failing a mission even if it’s an order to run errands that any transport could do, but his ship was assigned to stay out of trouble.
“Never complained, never asked for reassignment, even though every report I could dig up said you were overqualified, and it was clear the council was simply keeping you occupied in hopes of avoiding this very situation. I’m sure they are all shocked at the turn of events that it was your general that had the loh strong enough to push back. My own Almder would never have stayed off to the side for centuries like you have. Never even attempted a mating treaty with the trill.” That’s where I drew the line at dishonoring my choices for my tribe. I growled, and she waved her hand in dismissal.
“You have a mate now, according to both of you,” the estreld continued, “but for how long? Going up against whatever warrior the council chooses to defend the trill is a death sentence, even if you win the duel, it’s unlikely they will provide an antidote to the poison you’re sure to encounter. Win the day, lose tomorrow as they say.”
I grimaced; she wasn’t wrong in her assumptions. It was why no one had enacted this law long ago. Why I didn’t attempt this many stars ago. But I’d do it, knowing that my sacrifice would mean Riley lives, and even if I should die the next day, winning the duel would still free my tribe.
“Wait…” Riley whispered while staring at me before her voice rose with every next word from her beautiful mouth, “Just like that? You’re going to grunt and shrug it off like, okay, so I’ll die?!” My hearts soared with warmth as she yelled at me. She didn’t even recognize she was using the tongue of our tribe to boost my worth, to tell me death was not an option.
No, my mate, I would claw my way through the dust and fires to return to you.
Why, even for a moment, I thought I would lose any duel with Riley by my side, I cannot think on it. I will win, for you, my mate, for us, and our future.
Chapter nineteen
Riley
Thebastardwasgoingto run chest first into the spear of sacrifice, and he was fucking smiling about it. All I heard from this conversation was that Nen-Le went rogue and enacted some ancient ritual with me as the bait, and whatever weird feelings I had for her vanished in a heartbeat when I realized that I was nothing more than a tool that she leveraged with the council. My life, meant nothing to her.
Meanwhile, this hunk of savage beast was smiling at the prospect of throwing his life away so that he could correct the council that I wasn’t her mate, and therefore not part of the sacrifice should Nen-Le fail at whatever duel they had to plan for in two Dan Suns, whatever that meant for time in the universe.
I mean, he could choose to sit this whole thing out, and run away without a care in the world. But he wasn’t, he was trading himself… for me.
Whatever feelers I had about tricking him with blood that wasn’t mine didn’t matter anymore. In the span of minutes, I went from questioning if he really cared about me, or if I was just some rut to fuck, to feeling like a piece of crap for pushing him away when he was going to go on a suicide mission for me.
Fuck, was he doing this because of his rut? How was I supposed to know if any of his feelings were real, or if blood that wasn’t mine addled his brain and he was willing to die for it?
“How does the poison work? Can’t we lather your body up in protective goop or something?” I turned to Tomquin and yelled at her too, “Aren’t you supposed to have advanced technology and medicines? How do you not have a cure for trill poisoning?”
“I’ll leave you two to discuss things after you’ve mated,” Tomquin said with a bow, and her eyes twinkling, “As much as necia customs aren’t all that unfamiliar to a mating ceremony on Estreldez, I don’t believe your mate prefers my company with the way he glares at me. Your conservatory door is jammed, so feel free to use whatever facilities you require.”
“Hey!” I screamed after her, “How do you not have a cure for trill poisoning? How can you just casually talk about our lives like it doesn’t matter? And how old are all of you?!”
The last one was more of a last-ditch effort to gain her attention back before she left us here, but still a very unnerving question that circled in my mind as the previous conversation caught up with me.
Direl had been there for the very first treaty with the trill… Well, before the human exchange was every established with Earth. How old was he? Tomquin discusses how he would not live a normal lifespan living on Earth if he came with me there, but according to this new information he had already outlived multiple generations of my family.
“The cure for trill poisoning is specific to the individual trill. There are no universal antidotes for trill poisoning,” Direl answered for me, and then he offered me his hand that I took without thinking about it. My body crashed into a firm hold within his arms, and he nuzzled into my hair. “Death will not keep me from you.”
I smacked him in the chest for talking about his death so flippantly.
“Then there should be protective gear made for this sort of thing.”
He chuckled, and I grew more irritated, but didn’t want to move. His arms felt nice surrounding me in warmth, and I didn’t feel like losing this feeling just yet.
“They would not allow such a thing in an ancient tribal law, my mate.”
“And this mate business…” I addressed softly, while resting my face against his chest, pressing my nose into his firm muscles. “My blood isn’t—“ I stopped myself and he kissed my head.
“Blood is merely an assistant to help bond what we are, it matters not that it is not fully yours. Human blood, necia blood. It matters not,” he replied as if he could read my thoughts, my hesitations, and my worries. Were we already bonded? Could he feel what I felt?
“You knew?”
“The scientists were not quiet with their findings when you were taken from the stasis chamber. It is not your blood that I’m drawn to. I have yet to taste it, my mate, you have not offered it to me.”
