Page 11 of Scars & Starlight
“Kairen.” Lirael hails me when I’m already halfway to the door. “Iam notifying the male.” I whirl around, my hearts echoing in my ears. “It’s you.”
Ba-dum, ba-dum, ba-dum, ba-dum.
“That’s impossible.”
My cousin lifts an eyebrow. “Do you have a penis?”
Caden snickers, and my ears ignite again. “You’re my healer. If anyone’s apprised of my reproductive health, it’s you.”
“Then she is your match.” Lirael’s voice is no-nonsense. “Go ahead and tell her.”
“No one tell her!” I blurt out, looking at the Sovereign’s command with a sense of panic the likes of which I’ve never felt before.
“Are you kidding me, Kai?” Caden growls. “She’s our princess and future queen consort.”
My dick hardens at the thought of her sitting on Avaris’ throne by my side, and I quickly turn to the door again.
By Vireon’s light, what is happening to me?
“I will tell her,” I say through gritted teeth. “Let me… befriend her first.”
“You’ll be getting really friendly soon, that’s for sure,” Caden simpers. “Cementing your claim on the throne with heirs.”
I close my eyes. A muscle at the side of my jaw ticks. I turn my head and see seven pairs of eyes locked on me. “This is precisely why I don’t want to tell her yet.” I shake my head. “She’s not Avaris’ broodmare.”
Everyone but my cousins lowers their eyes.
“I’m duty-bound to register the match, Kai,” Lirael says sadly. “Every Avaren will know before the next moonfall.”
I look at the Avaren closest to me. The ones who followed me for countless cycles, liberating planets, fighting our enemy. “Just give me time to… woo her,” I plead with a resigned voice.
Caden’s grin is reassuring. “You’re fucked,” he almost chirps. “My prince,” he adds with an all-but-respectful tilt of his head.
I sigh. “I’m having you executed for treason as soon as we land on Avaris.”
My cousin’s grin turns feral. “I can’t remember how many times you’ve said that before.”
“It will take at least one more time,” Avenis singsongs.
I’m over this conversation. I need to get back to… my match… my princess.
“Caden.” My first officer stands up straight at the shift in my tone. “Have the ambassador’s suite prepared for Tara,” I command. “After she rests, we will meet with her and discuss plans for establishing a rapport with Earth’s leadership.”
I don’t wait for everyone to acknowledge me, and the door closes on their platitudes of ‘yes, Commander’ and ‘as you say, my prince’. My hearts are already leading me back to where the human is.
7
TARA
I’m laughing at Kiko’s explanation of the dynamics of a Nekkari mating hole when the door opens and Kairen strides in. He raises one dark eyebrow in apparent amusement.
“What’s funny?” he asks. His eyes, stunning purple microcosms, linger on me with a heaviness I didn’t sense before he left.
I shake my head. “Kiko was just telling me about the zealous mating habits of some Avaren animal species.” When his eyes widen, I regret answering truthfully.
“Tara also asked if Avaren only have two hearts, or if they also have double–”
I jump up and start patting Kiko’s white armor, a mix of some kind of metal alloy and ceramic. “Where’s the off button?” I ask loudly, hoping to drown out the rest of the robot’s sentence.
