Page 60 of Scars & Starlight
My prince’s grin turns downright shark-like as he pushes down the control stick, bringing us to a landing in front of the palace, where several regally dressed aliens are already waiting.
30
KAIREN
Tara doesn’t have time to worry about how my family will see her, and I feel much more relaxed as well. I doubt any relaxation technique I learned in my many cycles in the Avaren military will ever work again, now that I have discovered the joy that making my match orgasm brings me.
As we approach my awaiting family, I see my mother has a warm smile on her face, one that would have put my princess at ease, had my tongue not done it for her. My sister, Elara, is all but buzzing by her side, eager to greet not me, but the human female walking by my side.
Tara’s little mech is perched on her shoulder, half hiding in her brown locks, the humidity of my home planet adding to the volume of my match’s hair. The glow from the palace’s crystal spires brings out the color of her new neural filaments.
You look like you belong here, Tara.
She gives me a side glance in surprise, then her cheeks take on a rosy hue, before her eyes return to the small crowd. I’m annoyed to see Zeriah among them, with poorly disguised resentment toward my princess evident on her face for all to see. Likely even Tara, asattuned as she is to any sign that someone might not like her. If she brings up the death of her brother, a male who assaulted my match before she even got her bearings after a Ghorvek attack, I will have her thrown in a cell, my own brother be damned.
Vaelen’s smile is strained, his cunning gaze moving between me and Zeriah. He always had a weakness for her, was envious when she and I became involved, and her abandoning me to be with him fulfilled a long-standing dream of his, even if the circumstances were less than savory. I never resented him. I can do so even less now that I know what it feels like to have the female you long for above all else.
“My beautiful son,” Mother coos, her eyes sparkling brighter than the spires above her. “And his even more beautiful match. Welcome to Avaris, Tara.”
“Welcome, Tara!” Elara chirps, hopping from foot to foot. “May I hug you?”
Zeriah scoffs at El’s enthusiasm. I don’t recall her ever expressing the desire to embrace my former flame. Vael’s eyes narrow at his partner.
“Oh. Um, sure. Yes. I mean, if you want to? I guess you wouldn’t have said you did if you didn’t, though.” Tara’s speech tapers off in a painfully awkward way.
“My match has fascinating thoughts, and she tends to give voice to them at incredible speeds,” I intervene. “I prefer to contain them with a kiss, but I don’t think either of us would appreciate it if you did so, Sister.”
My words make everyone laugh, as I intended, and even Tara’s shoulders drop a bit more.
“I’ll just stop them with a hug then,” my sister says happily, then rushes forward to wrap her slim arms around my match, Kiko balancing to keep hold on the precarious perch of my match’s shoulder.
“I’m so happy you’re here,” Elara murmurs into Tara’s hair. “I can’t wait to show you all my favorite libraries and music halls.”
“Ellie,” Mom admonishes my sister. “What if Tara doesn’t like reading or music? You can’t just assume and drag the poor child around like a doll.”
“Oh, Tara likes,” my princess rushes to assure the queen. “Do Avaren have romance novels?” she asks the females, then blushes furiously as soon as she realizes what she asked and, more importantly, who she asked.
Mother snickers, and Caden’s mom, my aunt Neesha, covers her grin with one hand. Zeriah half rolls her eyes.
“Of course we do, darling,” Mom reassures my match. “Without romance novels, half of our males wouldn’t know how to treat a female.”
Tara’s eyes bug out. “The males read it?” she asks in awe.
“Naturally,” Elara nods, holding my match at arm’s length now. “Don’t human males read?”
“Only if it’s illustrated and features other men in tight spandex,” my princess mutters, making Vaelen and me frown. Is human literacy so low that grown males need illustrations in order to grasp the story? And why would they need to feature other males in what my nanites tell me is skin-tight clothing? Curious.
“I can’t wait to hear Avaren music,” Tara continues, oblivious to my thoughts. “Kairen showed me Velu’Shara while we were traveling, but that’s as far as we got with Avaren entertainment media.
Zeriah’s nose scrunches, and she speaks for the first time since we arrived. “Why would you show her children’s shows, Kai?” she asks me, sounding all too familiar. “Is she very young?”
“Hah,” Tara says before I can reply. “I wish. Some of my old schoolmates have kids old enough to drive now. Though I guess there aren’t any limitations to how old someone has to be to drive when there aren’t any functioning cars around. Or gas to go in them.”
Zeriah ignores her, making it clear she didn’t want the reply to come from my match. Or perhaps that she’s not interested in anything she has to say. The looks she keeps throwing me, looks thatdon’t go unnoticed by my brother, make me wonder if she’s hostile over the death of her brother… or because she’s been well and truly replaced by my side.
I pull Tara out of my sister’s arms and to my side. Bypassing Kiko, I kiss the top of her head, closing my eyes for a moment when her scent registers and soothes my hearts. Elara makes a high-pitch squealing sound that hurts my ears and makes my princess blush.
“I never expected to see you be this openly affectionate with anyone, Brother,” Vaelen jokes in a friendly tone. “You were always the one running fastest from Aunt Nee’s kisses.”
