Page 62 of Her Alien Delegate
Vaquel muttered out, "Don't mate with the necia. Remember, I'm too greedy to share you."
I chuckled with a sob of emotion because technically he was sharing me with Pheyal and Broma, but apparently, they didn't count in that statement. That was so like Vaquel. I missed being with him on the ship when he snuck out to meet me at the observatory. He kept his word about not telling Broma or Pheyal about our little meet ups; not once was I ambushed by one of them in place of Vaquel. He really did anything for me, even keeping me to himself.
Pheyal spoke next, "Do not reject us, little mate."
"Reject you?" I shook my head in denial.
"If this was rejection, then we'd have smelled like rot a while ago," Vaquel objected.
"He's right," Broma agreed. "This is my fault. Evie, please reject me alone. Pheyal and Vaquel are worthy of your bond."
My lip trembled. "What are you talking about?"
"I have not proved myself worthy," Broma said, shifting on the bed with difficulty.
"Tell her," Vaquel pressed.
"I've saved an egg for you. It will help you carry offspring so your womb will not reject a hybrid species. It needn't be with me that you use this, but it is yours to do with as you wish."
"It is why he's endured so long, keeping it safe," Pheyal stated. "Eggs do not last long outside of the ormete, and he's agreed with the terms of the necia king to leave once he knows you're where you wish to be. With or without us."
I asked Riley, "Is that true? Do I have to leave?"
Broma looked the worst of the bunch, and he lifted up a swollen ormete hiding under his braid of adornments. I reached out to him and gathered the pale tentacle in my hands gently. It glowed and peeled apart like a fruit to reveal a worm that I assumed was the "egg"?
It wiggled in my hand, and I should have been disgusted. I disliked worms, and never once touched something so slimy on Earth.
"Thank you," I said and then bent over to kiss him. Color returned to his lips when I did. His skin was still grey, but at least it didn't appear so ashen.
Riley added quietly, "I'm not sure how to help them, but I won't let anyone force you to leave—or them... if that's what you want. We could try giving them necia blood—it speeds up recovery from most injuries."
"This isn't an injury," Broma explained.
I understood now what has been happening to them. "This is because of me," I stated.
"No," he denied.
"I was angry with you, but I never wanted this and then with Violet... I didn't think..." my eyes welled up as I stroked my fingers through his ormete. My tears dripped onto his face, and I watched as color returned to his eyes. Could he see me?
Vaquel called out, "She's bonded!"
"Don't tease me, Vaquel." Broma turned away from me with distress.
"Her ormete are moving!" Vaquel continued.
Pheyal turned over with a grunt, and his eyes widened. "He is not teasing you."
Riley spoke up this time, "Evie, your hair is glowing!"
I watched as my hair reached out to tangle up with Broma's ormete.
"How is this possible?" I asked with wonder and scooped Broma's face into my hands to kiss him harder.
The egg squirmed to wrap around my wrist, and I didn't even care that it was a strange alien worm attaching to me. It was from my mate, and the more I accepted that I had never given up our bond, the more Broma's skin seemed to respond to mine.
"Don't ever try to give me away to anyone else again," I chided, and then kissed him once more.
"If all you took was me as a mate, that would be enough," he groaned out. "All I need is you."
